Early Shooting Styles

[Meridius]

Just curious, today we have shooting styles such as the "Weaver stance" but how did the the Germans teach their soldiers to shoot during WWI? Does anyone have any photos of German soldiers shooting their lugers during WWI?

[Steinar]

I 'stole' the first two pictures from a previous thread, hope it's ok!


..this officer's low grip is not quite as magnificent as those above, but I think you get the idea. Left hand on the back, and the side wich is the most 'narrow' part of the body, turned against the target. (for some of us that's a little difficult to tell)

[Mauser720]

During the late 50s, the Russians popularized a type of off-hand rifle stance in which they deliberately arched their backs backwards as far as they could. This stance helps to provide a more rigid backbone and improves accuracy in the standing position; however, it is also (or can be) quite uncomfortable. They won a lot of competitive marksmanship medals this way though. It appears that in the second photograph above, the German soldier may also be using this technique to some extent.

Mauser 720 - Ron

[Ron Smith]

[Vlim]

[Meridius]

Great pictures! My first lugers are currently on their way in the mail (a 1915 dwm and a mismatched shooter dwm). I can't wait to try this shooting style out at the range.

[Meridius]

Why don't you like that shooting style tac? To me, modern shooting styles like the weaver stance don't really fit well with classic firearms such as the luger. I would think shooting the luger like it was originally shot would make for a better shooting experience. It just seems more "classy" that way. I don't shoot much, so I'm guessing that shooting style has a bad reputation among shooters?

[Meridius]

Fair enough. I'm just now venturing away from rifles and into pistol collecting so I'm still fairly new to pistol shooting. Does everyone else have the same opinion as Tac? What do you Americans think?

Just curious tac, how do you shoot your lugers?

[Michael Zeleny]

Originally posted by tacfoley
What I DO know is that standing on the range in THIS country, with one arm bent like a tea-pot handle and other holding a Luger like a Victorian poet holding out a wilting lily, will simply get you jeered at. IMO, and I WILL express an opinion here, such a stance is more reminiscent of the style that might have been employed by a certain flamboyant pianist of the 1960's - one who had a brother named George, it you get my drift.

"The limper the wrist, the stiffer the ...... "
--Coral Browne paying tribute to her husband, Vincent Price

[John Sabato]

Lugers, like any handgun should be shot using the most effective technique possible, depending on how important it is that your target get a hole in it where you want it.

I can tell you that during my 20 years in the US Army, we were never taught to take the stance you see in the photos above... you use everything to your advantage... including two hands when they are available. If I had come across anyone in a combat type situation taking aim in my direction with any kind of weapon using the stance illustrated by the photos, their very next position would have been prone... face down!

I was a coach/participant on a competition combat pistol team while stationed at Ft. Gordon GA... We used both hands and shot both slow and rapid file from Off-hand, kneeling, sitting, and prone... using the 1911A1 .45 ...and all with two hands... we were scored on hits, and the ability to switch magazines under pressure during the shooting...not stance.

[SIGP2101]

I have yet to see Olympian shooter shoot with two hands. Two hands are for every day guys. One hand is for marksman. In combat you can even throw hand grenade, anything goes. As far as above pictures goes I would call that style â??duelist styleâ?� or â??executioner styleâ?�, you got to take in consideration when each picture was taken. As for the stereotyping that some of the members of this board displayed I think I can safely say that every man wearing Stetson hat could be a â?¦eh... you know what I mean.

[Vlim]

Interesting to see how much controversy a simple discussion about shooting stances can bring.

I think the stereotyping observed here is pretty unfair and it does not do justice to the normal technical and professional levels observed here.

Of course the distinction between target shooting and practical (self defense) shooting exists, but that was not the discussion here. The question was how the Germans were taught to shoot and the illustrations clearly observe a tendency to use the one-hand stance. Nothing more, nothing less.

Too many top shooters have demonstrated in the past (and present day) that the one-hand stance works and works well. I find the comparison between shooting a Luger and shooting a Colt 1911 a bit useless, it's like comparing driving a Mercedes SL to driving a Chrysler Minivan.

The 'pointability' of the luger is excellent, even with one hand you can place your shots close enough to each other in rapid order. It eliminates the need for extra support which guns like the 1911 and most modern 9mm pistols require.

[Vlim]

Just about every handgun sports shooter over here. Although we tend to put one hand in the pocket, rather than bend it across the side.

It even works with that 1911 thingie.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~gmwege/mov/shot9.avi

But I must say I prefer the stocked versions.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~gmwege/mov/shot6.avi

[Steinar]

Tac, I googled up some alternatives to the shooting styles on page one.. Would this be closer to the ideal stand?

http://www.recoilmag.com/news/grfx/n...d_0902orgB.jpg
http://www.fmft.net/archives/001463.html