The advantages of holding your handgun sideways while firing.

[FunGramps]

I've noticed a trend by a specific demographic of folks who find it prudent to hold their handgun sideways while dangerously showing it off, or even firing it. I'm confused. I was never taught this manner of handling a weapon by the military or at any gun safety courses as a youth. I can't see the advantage. It appears very awkward, especially target acquisition. And it appears rather foolish, especially while the shooter is placing more emphasis on their incomprehensible verbiage while simultaneously aiming with their weapon in a lateral position.

Any explanations from someone privy to this odd behavior?

Thanks for your input. Maybe I'm missing out on a safer and accurate way to handle my firearm. Yee-haw!

[Nathan]

They call those movies. Getting training from Hollywood not good.

It may come from a natural one hand hold has a few degrees tilt.

[FunGramps]

I could see the benefit if one who uses a loose grip and would rather take the kick with a barrel on the cheek instead of between the eyes.

[TXAZ]

The primary advantage of holding a handgun sideways is it tells the adversary that an idi*t is holding the gun, is poorly trained, likely unstable and tactically inept.

[lamarw]

It is a probable most semi-auto pistols will deposit the empty brass closer to you for later collection and reloading. Be careful since hot brass may sizzle your hair.

[Cirdan]

The advantage is you can catch the expended brass cartridge in your teeth so it doesn't get dirty, then re-load it later.

[Rachen]

Put some HoMeBoY Sights on the gun, made by Birdman Weapons Systems, and you will become the most tacticool Gangsta EVER!!!

And while you are shopping, make sure to also check out the latest from Birdman: The Nuke .50 BMG Micro-Nuclear warhead delivery system. Works in ALL Barretts and Serbu's.

[DaleA]

Put some HoMeBoY Sights on the gun, made by Birdman Weapons Systems

Thanks for the reminder Rachen. No reference to Birdman would be complete without some links:

Here's an ad for the HoMeBoY Nyte Sytes:
https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/...d.php?t=236021

The Birdman Nuke .50 BMG Micro-Nuclear warhead delivery system in action---haven't heard much from Birdman after this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_XX2lIT1tQ

[44 AMP]

The sideways style showed up in "gangsta" movies some years ago. I believe some director demanded it, for its dramatic look, being drastically different, and having the "benefit" of not obscuring the actor's face in the preferred camera angles.

It was not developed for any benefit shooting the gun, but for the benefit of shooting an actor (holding a gun) with a camera.

people have rationalized the sideways hold, saying it uses the recoil to "fan" shots across the target. Something only useful if the target is a group of people (a crowd). Not something I expect law abiding citizens to do.

It's an acting pose, done for the visual impact of the technique. In other words, its done for "style".

on the plus side, when bad guys and other idiots use this technique, fewer of their bullets hit people. Downside, they often hit people they aren't "aiming" at.

[reinert]

Gotta love Jerry.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1jx1TOzxrE

[CalmerThanYou]

Helps keep your pants up

[BarryLee]

I've noticed SWAT guys doing this when shooting around a shield, so I guess there might be some legitimate uses for the technique.

https://www.tactical-life.com/firear...istic-shields/

[FunGramps]

Thanks folks. I'm inclined believe it does assist in holding your pants up, due to some ergonomic phenomena yet to be studied. I would, however, be inclined to use the same lateral grip position while using a Desert Eagle .50 for the first time... to protect my gold teeth from potential damage from recoil.

[jonnyc]

During one training rotation we did learn a variation of the side-ways hold. It is easy to enter a room or turn a corner hugging the edge and rolling around the obstacle. We learned to roll the trigger guard around the corner to give as much head protection around the obstacle as possible.
Very limited use, and tough to visualize, but it does work.

[reynolds357]

Shooting while moving fast is more natural and easier to control at about a 45 degree tilt. When you tuck your weapon against your chest while room clearing, the natural angle it goes to and comes off at is about 45.

[Brian Pfleuger]

“This odd behavior” could be attributed to the notion of fun... but I know none of us curmudgeons here would think of anything so distasteful.

There’s nothing dangerous about it, by the way. The weapon is still controllable and doesn’t decide to shoot the guy next to you just to make you pay for the audacity.

I’ve even shot my handguns UPSIDE DOWN! That’s a *double* 90 degree turn! Oh the horror!

[xandi]

They hold it that way because...
That’s the way it came outa the box(;

[FrankenMauser]

Any explanations from someone privy to this odd behavior?

It's easier to catch brass in your mouth, so as to not leave evidence at a crime scene.

(Or for reloaders, to keep it from hitting the ground.)

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I’ve shot that way in a match as we did it as an experiment. If you maintain a strong grip and use the sights, you can make decent hits. Of course, we get a virtue signaling about how silly it is every once in awhile

[zukiphile]

The hilarity of films aside, I'm certain there was someone teaching a 45 degree tilted hold. I think it had a couple of months as the new thing within the last two decades, and that the reasoning was that it was a more natural, less physically stressful way to hold a pistol. There used to be a lot of guys who hooked their weak hand trigger fingers around the front of a trigger guard too. The full 90 degree gangster tilt may be the exception, but a lot of these fads probably work well enough for people to use them.

[TXAZ]

Originally Posted by BarryLee

I've noticed SWAT guys doing this when shooting around a shield, so I guess there might be some legitimate uses for the technique.

https://www.tactical-life.com/firear...istic-shields/

Barry Lee, the reason the SWAT officer has rotated his weapon is so he can sight through the small window opening in the ballistic shield.

[Don Dayacetah]

Originally Posted by BarryLee

I've noticed SWAT guys doing this when shooting around a shield, so I guess there might be some legitimate uses for the technique.

https://www.tactical-life.com/firear...istic-shields/

I have noticed there is some ease in aiming at targets downward at extreme angles.
Not that I either advocate aiming this way, or whether it improves aim.

[5whiskey]

I'm certain there was someone teaching a 45 degree tilted hold. I think it had a couple of months as the new thing within the last two decades, and that the reasoning was that it was a more natural, less physically stressful way to hold a pistol.

I have attended instruction that posited a natural cant (I wouldn't say 45 degrees, more like 25-30) is preferred when shooting one handed. This was not bullseye shooting, but SD training. At any rate, it's much closer to vertical than horizontal so it doesn't look so dramatic. It is only for one handed shooting. I could see how some would find it more comfortable. I have been shooting for a pretty good while... it was more of a "new trick old dog" thing to me. I had to force myself to shoot that way to try it, and would always revert back to a vertical hold if I didn't pay attention. Since I shoot quite well one-handed with a straight vertical hold, I didn't see anything broken that needed "fixing." I gave up messing with it after a few tries. I won't bash the style or thought though.

And yes, having run a shield before the horizontal hold is about the only way you will be able to aim while reaching around the shield and utilizing it as cover. Other than that, horizontal hold is silliness.

[44 AMP]

Have seen "gangsta" style (in movies/tv) where the arm is extended out and above the head at about 45degrees, pistol held 90 degrees sideways (always a pistol, they never seem to do it with revolvers...), pistol, held sideways, pointed down at the target, while their head and body do the bob and weave movements while the actor talked smack.

Very much put me in mind of the threat display/courting ritual done by certain birds and animals. In this case, I think the arm was pointed up, sideways gun pointed down, etc in order to make them seem bigger and more threatening.

While there are real world situations that can call for the gun being held and fired in off normal positions, they're fairly rare, very rare for civilians.

What you see in the movies, and being aped by the ignorant in the real world is posturing by posers, not something worthy of serious consideration as a valid useful technique.

[TXAZ]

I'd LOVE to see a gangsta' try to shoot a Desert Eagle 1-handed turned sideways.