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Old June 16, 2005, 09:23 AM   #1
Buzzkill
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"gun in each hand" shootin

HI all

having just watched the movie bad boys two for the tenth time i started too wonder is it possible to engage targets with a gun in each hand .

Has anyone ever tried this and is it possible or is it pure hollywood.?


Thanks
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Old June 16, 2005, 09:28 AM   #2
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never tried it but i'd say it depends on your definition of engage. i'm assuming you mean multiple targets. i'm pretty sure i could put rounds in the general vicinity of two targets with two guns at one time, perhaps not while i'm doing a flying dive behind a $200,000 car but i'm going to practice this weekend now that you mention it. would "the general vicinity" mean on the paper at 10 yards? that's a question you didn't ask so i won't answer
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Old June 16, 2005, 09:29 AM   #3
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You would have to be at pretty much point blank to be able to actually hit anything.

However, I could see it usable for covering fire. That, and pimp'in.
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Old June 16, 2005, 09:45 AM   #4
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I've heard one example of it being done in a real fire fight, however I've never tried. Thankfully the local range prohibits this
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Old June 16, 2005, 10:05 AM   #5
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I think it could be used successfully, but only by persons with exceptional skill, who also train at this style of shooting. The potential advantage of course, is doubling the volume of fire. It's not something I worry about.
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Old June 16, 2005, 10:36 AM   #6
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It's possible. (I've seen Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson do it!) Seriously, though, there are accounts of one or two old West gunfighters who were able to do this. For the vast majority of people, however, I doubt that this is an achievable feat. It's just too difficult to make that right-brain/left-brain shift - especially in the middle of a gunfight.
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Old June 16, 2005, 11:06 AM   #7
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I know its not likely to happen but if you were in a gun fight against more than 2 people would it be more tactical for aimed fire from one firearm or instinctive shooting with the two . I would imagine if you emptied both mags it would be tricky to reload again in a gunfight .would you drop one gun reload the other then reload the other gun .

do you know if any law enforcment agencies have Detectives who carry two main guns ?

IM sorry if theese seems pointless i just dont Know this stuff.

Thanks
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Old June 16, 2005, 11:13 AM   #8
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Mel Gibson also shot a smilie face into a target with a handun, but, he's personal friends with Jesus so I think we are out of luck. The ranges around here, (Long Island) don't permit that kind of practice so we'll never know, luckily! But I have seen trained professional "show" shooters do it and they are incredible! We'd probably shoot our foot off.
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Old June 16, 2005, 11:15 AM   #9
CarbineCaleb
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Maybe it wasn't clear from my earlier post, but although I think it's possible to do this, and do it effectively - see the book "Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting" for example, or search "Macedonian Style Shooting" (both guns held together)... for 99% of people, I think they'd only get themselves in trouble by trying to shoot two guns at the same time. It's considerably more complicated and difficult.

Last edited by CarbineCaleb; June 16, 2005 at 03:14 PM.
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Old June 16, 2005, 11:20 AM   #10
Mikkel
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Iven done it at our "combat" shooting range. A 44 in my right and a 9mm in my left hand. Didnt hit where i wanted when shooting fast, but sure did hit the intended target. My instructor told me to try, since i didnt think it would be ok. Its not something i would practice a lot, but if it ever needed then i sure know how.
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Old June 16, 2005, 11:50 AM   #11
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I've trained for it, and it is very workable so long as both guns stay within your cone of binocular vision. To find the cone, hold your arms out at your sides with your thumbs up (think hitch hiking) and then:

Close you left eye and bring your left hand forward. When you can see your left thumb with your right eye, stop.

Close you right eye and bring your right hand forward. When you can see your right thumb with your left eye, stop.

Open both eyes. That's your maximum cone of binocular vision. As long as you keep both guns within the cone, you can engage targets effectively within about 20 yards. Closer is better.

I prefer to alternate fire. Two guns beats reloading. You can always border shift if you have to.

Nio
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Old June 16, 2005, 12:12 PM   #12
Buzzkill
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Thanks for the replies guys.

Nio
What do you mean by Alternate fire ?

Thanks caleb for the tip about the Macedonion shooting .


Is it impossible to change the lenght your arms are at in relation to one another while shooting
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Old June 16, 2005, 12:41 PM   #13
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Quote:
do you know if any law enforcment agencies have Detectives who carry two main guns ?
\

The one instance I've heard of somebody effectively double-gunning in a firefight (in modern times) was an NYPD detective who carried two revolvers (actually I believe he carried three, but the third was a BUG). It was during the somewhat contraversial shootings of Anthony Rosario and Hilton Vega, however, and there's some evidence that points to the possibility that the detectives involved shot them when they were laying on the ground... so, whether it was an actual effective combat tactic or not is somewhat questionable.
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Old June 16, 2005, 01:33 PM   #14
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well......

I was watching the history channel and they said one guy held off a japanese bonsai charge with 2 1911s. So it can be done but dont ask me how!
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Old June 16, 2005, 02:23 PM   #15
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I have tried it a couple of times just for grins with .22's, but my already questionable shooting ability went right into that woven conveyeance, while speeding towards the hot place. . .


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Old June 16, 2005, 02:37 PM   #16
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I've done it on a couple occasions. Just for fun and to feel cool . At bout ten yards i could put most every shot on each target. past that and it gets really sporadic. It is really fun, but dont do it very often cause the cost of blowing off 26 rounds of .40 in like 4.5sec is what gets to me afterwards .

In a real situation I don't see myself doing it. I'd rather have the accuracy. Course it would only be used to just throwing down cover fire to remove myself and others from the house out of harms way against multiple BG's.
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Old June 16, 2005, 02:47 PM   #17
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Nio
What do you mean by Alternate fire ?
In other words, don't squeeze both triggers at the same time. Switch between guns. Fire RIGHT-LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT. Literally switch between guns. Sight right, fire, sight left, fire. You train both hands that way. In order to train, start this slowly. Maybe a full two seconds between shots at the range. Then start working faster. It's best to start this with dry fire practice first. (Or with AirSoft, which is what I did early on.) Once you get the hang of that, you can easily do half second splits between the guns. Once you get good at it, your split time gets really quick.

Alternatively, you can train to fire both guns at the same target at the same time. An instant double tap... I don't really like that as much, although it is easier.

I always conclude my practice by firing as fast as I possibly can while still maintaining some form of accuracy. There are times when throwing as much lead away from you as fast as you can is a good thing. Like when zombies attack or something. Of course, most of the time you aren't going to do that in real life. You are responsible for misses, and misses don't help you stop bad guys.

Quote:
Is it impossible to change the lenght your arms are at in relation to one another while shooting
No it isn't. Just twist your torso. The problem with that, of course, is that one of the guns gets closer to your face, and you end up shooting 'past' the other hand - which means that in a high stress encounter you could shoot your own hand. On the good-bad scale, that's really bad.

What I like to do in my practice now is a nearly 180 degree spread between multiple targets. I fire one, spin my head to the other, fire two, spin my head back. You get the idea. It's side-side dynamic shooting. Then I add movement. I'm fortunate to have access to a 360 live fire range on private property, though. I imagine that it would be very hard to train like that for most people. That's why I reccomend airsoft to start. It's cheap, you can try crazy stuff, and you won't kill yourself while finding out what works and what doesn't FOR YOU.

Never listen to guys that say, 'You can't do that.' or 'That doesn't work.' YOU try it and decide for yourself. I do some strange things that work for me that my instructor goes crazy over. I won't do a 2 hand hold, for instance. My chest is too big and I feel constrained. Do what works for you.

Ed McGivern's book will give you some ideas of what is possible. Best advice, though, is to pick a style and stick with it.

Nio
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Old June 16, 2005, 03:03 PM   #18
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That reminds me of a stupid thing I did once. I shot a .44 Mag and a .41 Mag at the same time once. First shot, they clanged together, no harm done. So I tried again to see if I could keep them from banging together. I could not. Ahhh, to be young and foolish.....I miss those days....sorta
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Old June 16, 2005, 03:16 PM   #19
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I understand that a lot of narc guys and other officers under deep cover tend towards 2 full size guns, but I doubt they often shoot them both at the same time, one is just a backup if the first breaks.
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Old June 16, 2005, 03:30 PM   #20
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two handguns at once

i remember back in the 80s buying a colt double eagle in 45 and taking it to the range were there was a big fat older slob of a fellow trying to show off at the range.He had 2 beretta 92s shooting from the hip at the same time and thinking he was all that.He didnt even hit the man target let alone the broad side of a barn door.what a idiot!Shot placement is a hell of alot better than spray and pray affect from a wanna be rambo!
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Old June 16, 2005, 03:54 PM   #21
Buzzkill
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Thanks for the great replies .

So it can be done . .

Id guess though if you wanted to be good at it a 9mm would be better . Lower recoil so it would mean you could line up the sights quicker than a .45 . {im not knockin the .45 just that it would have more recoil than a 9mm } .
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Old June 16, 2005, 04:11 PM   #22
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Man, haven't you watch Bruce Willis in "Last Man Standing"? Takes out about 30 BG's with two 1911's and THEN drops the mags.

Pullleeeze. Two BG's .. I have two Guns in my possession.... Lemmee See. Pull one as I am setting down a field of fire to cover my escape...
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Old June 16, 2005, 07:04 PM   #23
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Quote:
So it can be done .
Yes, but it takes a lot of practice. It isn't any harder, IMO, than any other complex skill. Practice, practice, practice.

If you're serious, get two good AirSoft guns that are the same make and model as your real guns. After 10,000 rounds of AirSoft, you'll be good at it.

Quote:
Id guess though if you wanted to be good at it a 9mm would be better . Lower recoil so it would mean you could line up the sights quicker than a .45 . {im not knockin the .45 just that it would have more recoil than a 9mm } .
Glock 19s are just perfect. When I carry both, I also carry an extra G17 magazine (w +2 floorplates) in front of each gun.

Nio
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Old June 16, 2005, 10:58 PM   #24
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Depends on how much you practice.. I'm sure if you got aimin fast down good you'd be good.

I've heard of gunfighters with SA's using one at a time.. just having more bullets is the reason.. not putting more on the target faster..
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Old June 17, 2005, 03:42 AM   #25
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Most people have a hard enough time shooting and hitting targets with both hands holding one gun. And one gun per hand....?

Even birds have to walk before they can fly.
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