Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute To Practice
The trick to backup guns is being competent enough to use them well when you need them the most. That takes hard work and discipline, but using this 3 tips for shooting snubby revolvers well will speed up the process.
The Close Range Pickle
The first thing I discuss with anyone considering carrying a snubby revolver is do you plan on training. If you don’t, that’s cool, but it might not be the saving grace you thought. On the one hand, they are easy, but on the other, they are hard. What I mean is should you resort to drawing your snubby revolver, chances are you are in a pickle, but it is a close range pickle. So, marksmanship requirements may be less stringent. Plus, the added benefit of contact shots with a revolver can sometimes be reason enough to consider. This by no means is a pass on your shooting skill, you will still need a high degree of controllability to continue to deliver effective fire. It is controability you should put the lion’s share of your training for shooting snubby revolvers.
Perfecting Your Firing Grip
The first tip is to really look at your grip. While it is very possible you can retrograde a semi-automoatic grip to work with a revolver, you would be wise to avoid this temptation. If you are thinking it helps maintain continuity it really doesn’t. What you get is added exposure to injury and poor grip mechanics. While there are some that can shoot these well using their auto grip, they are anomiles and not the norms. Positioning on the available real estate is critical. You have to take up as much useable space, beause you don’t get that much. From there, it’s all about the friction. The more friction you can achieve the better it will help control recoil. I use an over thumb grip, but I do it slightly different than most. I literally point my thumb’s tip downwards. Most don’t get a fully downward pointing thumb, it is more angled. Not terrible, but it doesn’t allow me to take advantage of tip number two for shooting snubby revolvers well.
Shooting Strong Hand Only Provides Gifts
I subscribe to a reverse thumb grip. It is reverse in the sense, my weak hand thumb rests on top of my strong hand thumb. Because I pointed the tip of my strong hand thumb downward there is somewhat of a shelf formed by the second digit. This shelf allows me to rest my weak hand thumb more securely allowing me to apply grip pressure more evenly and consistently. Speaking of grip pressure, I apply inward pressure with my pinkies of both hands. It is very similar to my auto-grip, but not with the same grip force. I make up for it a little by applying pressure downwards from the weak hand thumb. This process produces a firm and secure grip capable of rapid fire. The bonus is when you shoot strong hand only, pressing the thumb down and pinky inwards produces great results.
Downward, Not Rearward
The last tip is the direction of the trigger finger’s movement. Contrary to the norm, I squeeze more downward than rearward. It seems odd, but the curvature of the trigger makes me change the movement direction slightly. Since it is nothing more than a lever and I want maximum leverage making this change helps. As the trigger moves rearward, the angle of the trigger’s face changes. I want to press more downward than rearward once it reaches the apex of it’s movement. It is subtle for sure, but it has made a difference for me.
I do value what a snubby revolver offers me in the form of a backup gun. I carry them more frequently currently than I have in the past partly because I have made huge strides in shooting them well using this tips.
