dual-wielding

[SPUSCG]

Maybe cover fire, you know when the obect is to fire as many shots as possible? Other than that, just fun at the range.

[goodspeed(TPF)]

You too can be this AWESOME.

[EricReynolds]

Funny, I just made mention of this in an unrelated thread. BlueTrain is correct in that to do this, you'll want similar weapons. Two autos or two revolvers and same caliber. A full size and a subcompact won't work. It is, as some have stated, a lot harder than it looks. However to those who think it impractical I tell you that with anything difficult it just takes practice. You start out firing with your right hand like you would shoot normally one handed, then do the same with your left and continue to alternate while gradually increase how quickly you fire. In time a proficient shooter can become quite adept at dual wielding. I suggest doing it with .22s as it will take a little while and plinking can get costly. And yeah...it's double the fun!

[BlueTrain]

I have to add here that I only did that once or twice. Only a couple of times did I ever have two handguns that were similiar. I would imagine it would be even harder with single actions but although I've owned several, I can't say I "came around" to that way of doing things. On the subject of single actions, and this has nothing to do with two-gun shooting, there was a time not so long ago when it was considered progressive to shoot double action revolvers in a single action mode only, presumably because it was an aid to accuracy. That even included in police work. That was also when police departments, who were virtually all equipped with only revolvers, sometimes gave proficiency pay for good scores on the range. So you had policemen carrying basically target revolvers, like S&W K-38s. Not necessarily a bad thing but those who went in for really heavy barrels (which helped shooting) usually went back to standard guns for everyday use.

I was trying to think of how many times I've seen two gun shooting in the movies (with single actions) but I can't say I remember many. While accuracy was irrelevant in the movies, after ten years of handling a Colt before a camera, lots of actors probably because pretty slick with them. But most movie cowboys only carried one anyway.

Sorry to keep mentioning Ed McGivern but he devoted a whole chapter to the subject. More in the nature of trick shooting for him, however.

[Wolfeye]

I knew a guy with a weird name who tried it. He said it was easy to hit one target up close, but it became impossible to hit anything at a distance or to actually hit more than one target at once. You basically pull two triggers and miss a lot.

My conclusion? You have to take these steps to get proficient at dual-weilding:

1. learn to shoot one handgun using both hands
2. learn to shoot effectively with your strong hand
3. train until you can shoot off-hand as well as you can with your strong hand
4. then try to shoot with two guns at once

I think a person would be better off training until they can shoot more quickly & accurately using one gun.

[GM1967]

At most you could use the sights on one of the guns, the other would be point shooting. More likely both point shooting. Accuracy would suffer (perhaps an understatement), but might be sufficient at short range. You would be most accurate firing both at a single target; firing at two targets simultaneously would be very difficult.

Tactically, there aren't a lot of reasons to do this. Generally, firing one gun well would be better than fire two guns less well. However, assuming you are in an area where missed shots are highly unlikely to hit a bystander, there could be some tactical applications. Suppressive fire, to allow you or someone else to advance, retreat, reload, get a door open or something. Using one gun in each hand, but only aiming and firing one at a time could provide an advantage, since you'd have twice the magazine capacity before you had to reload. However, you'd have to be really good at one handed shooting, and your off-hand would have to be nearly as good as your dominant hand. Reloading, needless to say, would be very difficult.

It's hard to imagine a circumstance in the real world where you'd have to do this, but in the world of action movies characters often get into situations where there's lots of bad guys (whom it's justifiable to just kill), and two guns might work well against closely packed bad guys in close quarters. Can also imagine an action movie hero walking up to two terrorists from behind and shooting them both simultaneously at point blank range by pressing both muzzles into their back. In the real world, it's hard to imagine a circumstance where any of that would be justifiable.

In the real world, you're responsible for every bullet you fire, so anything that makes misses more likely is to be avoided.

[tdrizzle]

Tried it once with a .45 and a 4 inch Smith .38. I still have the scar on the top of my thumb from the slide of the .45 to remind me how dumb an idea it is. haven't done it since...

[OsOk-308]

To avoid the stove piping, shoot a revolver with the non-dominant hand! Might not solve accuracy problems though!

[Nnobby45]

There is a legitimate use for two pistols against multiple attackers, but it is last ditch desperation in a situation you'd probably not survive anyway.

If it would be more effective in an extreme emergency, why wouldn't it also be more effective as a general tactic?

Two pistols, yes. But not at the same time. And if you have doubts, try it out some time in a range session where you're not under stress and see how it works out for 'ya.

Then, to get your shaken confidence back, proceed to perforate the targets using one gun---just like you always have.

[SPUSCG]

I used to dual wield winchester 1887s but then they got nerfed.

[Crosshair]

I used to dual wield winchester 1887s but then they got nerfed.

[ChileVerde1]

Admittedly as cool as it looks, I can't help but think accidental discharge (AD). What really worries me is a sympathetic reflex may cause an AD in the opposite hand or shooting yourself in the opposite hand , foot, etc... I'm sorry, I really hate being a downer but just couldn't help it!

[Davey]

I used to dual wield winchester 1887s but then they got nerfed.

A terribly needed nerf at that. Dual G18s were far more effective although it makes you flame bait.

I tried shooting my XD left handed once. It was so awkward that I felt it to be unsafe and won't do it again. No dual wielding for me.

[Slopemeno]

OK, confession time. I've done this *once* with two Hi-Standard 10-B bullpup shotguns.

[FreakGasolineFight]

I've tried it before, when nobody was looking. Empty ranges are tempting.

Fact is, it really doesn't work. All the ruckus is highly disorienting (at least for me) and brass goes EVERYWHERE, including all over the gun in your right hand and your right forearm. Didn't have any problems with jamming, though.

[jokester_143]

Me and a buddy were at the range one day, and discussed this same thing. He tried alternating fire with each pistol, a Glock 19 and a XDM .40. I tried trying to fire them at the exact same time. I was little be more on paper than he was, but that's not saying much. We kept the "unfamiliar" pistol in our weak hand.



...On a different note, I hate that you can dual-wield shotguns in Modern Warfare 2. So many people complained about that nerf saying it was unfair to punish them for their "skill" with them. Not much skill needed, especially since they had the range of a SMG... but now I am starting to rant...

[LordTio3]

So no one ELSE has been practicing to be able to pull off the back-flipping, double-target-suppression, evening gown assassination maneuver?



Freaking WASTE of time. I don't know why I bother sometimes. Think of all the hours at the Range-Gym I've thrown away.

~LT

[LordTio3]

Though dual weilding pistols really seems to help you in the event of a "Mexican Standoff".



Think about it.

~LT

[SPUSCG]

Dual Wielded pythons reload quicker than a single python.

[Last Knight]

I've seen it done effectively to take out multiple opponents in a CQB situation - in airsoft. As someone else mentioned, without recoil, all sorts of things become much easier and more feasible.

Looked amazingly cool, though.

[JohnKSa]

Ok, I think this one has outlived its usefulness...