Automatic Pistol Shooting

st to use a single-shot pistol or revolver as an automatic pistol cannot well be us

s unloaded. Always do this

ve seen men try to compete, with their sights in a shiny state, which made it

or choice) tip to the front sight is preferable, or my patent military front si

n the hands of a beginner or a careless person it may be fearfully dangerous. I have had many very narrow escapes in teaching men how to shoot; it is not even safe to be behind th

ee. This may be so if the tree is hit, but the bullet will, most likely, go past the tree when the beginner fires; or, what is just as dangerous, graze the tree and go off at an

s not very good for the wall, and if many shots hit the same spot they may gradually make a hole. Iron butts are expensive, especially for the large surface required by a beginner; at twenty yards, a beginner could not in my opinion safely shoot at a background less than twelve feet high and some ten in width. Even then there should not be any one beyond it withi

would matter if it went off by accident. This rule should be observed even with

his four-inch bull's-eye is very easy to hit at ten yards' range. The Bisley revolver "bull's-eyes" count, at all ranges, seven points; the concentric rings counting one point less, each, till the outermost one, which counts two points. The highest possible score, therefore, for the six shots is forty-two, or six times seven. It is best to shoot at this very big "bull" at ten yards, as making "bull's

o that, during the process of loading, the muzzle points to the ground beyond the table and not to the table itself, an accidental discharge being

e which I have found from experience suits me best. This position, however, will have to be modified accordi

his gives you a firmer foothold); the left heel distant from six to nine inches to the left of the right foot, according to your heigh

ose to the side in the position of "Attention." Some people bend the left arm and rest the hand on th

yourself wobbling off your aim, it is a great help to grip your thi

not refer to the double-action revolver cocked by pulling back the trigger, as I do not think shooting with much accuracy can be done by this method; and it is, moreover, the caus

k or injure the sear notch, or have an accidental "let-off." With practice, this way of cocking becomes very easy, and can be done with great rapidity. I personally can also let the pistol down to half-cock (manipulating the pistol with one hand

first as soon as they feel tired, or you may strain them. Pistol-shooting is good also for the flexors of the forearm and for the dorsal muscles. A small hammer with short

the right and upwards, taking great care to bring it back with the hind-sight horizon

, not towards your left-hand neighbour (if you are competing), as is often done; and, while it is thus steadied, cock gently, not with a jerk, brin

table; right arm full stretch. The first finger must be outside

ay, and the first finger is apt to be burnt with the escape of gas from the cylinder, if a revolver is used. The h

xis of the barrel, or as near this as is practicable. With the Smith & Wesson Russian Mo

e recoil come at an angle to the wrist, throws the barrel up at the recoil, spoiling the accuracy, and puts more strain on the wrist than is necessary. I remember a very strong-wristed man firing one of my heavily charged fifty-yards revolvers and spraining his

so as to prevent jerking to the left in pressing the trigger (in the same way as the left arm is f

nded position becomes second nature to you. Some makes of pistols, however, have the

ich we term "bull" for brevity) is called XII o'clock, as that is, of course, where the numeral XII appears on a clock face, and so on for all the other numerals: half-past four, for instance, is half-way between where the numerals IV a

your forefinger inside the trigger-guard, and gradually begin to feel the trigger and steadily increase the pressure on it straight back, not sideways. Whilst you are doing all this, also gradually stiffe

hen the hind sight comes to the level of your eyes (closing your left eye or not, as you find best, without any lowering of the head), the front sight will be seen through the middle of the "U" pointed at the bottom of the bull's-eye, the top of the front sight just touching it at "six o

have had a central bull's-eye for your shot. Most likely, however, you will find that the pistol came up all of a tremble,

xploded one whilst doing this "snapping" practice, as otherwise the jar may do damage to the plunger and

it is not naturally so), it most prob

eezing back; and the hammer will fall without the least tremor or without the sights moving off the point they covered during the fall of the hammer. The main thing of all in pistol shooting is to squ

t "set over" to one side to correct it; but this is a slovenly way of shooting, and, as the pull to one s

ners are prone to cant it on one side, which pu

you will be able, the moment the cartridge explodes, to say where the shot has s

After twelve hits it is best to take a fresh target. At the end of the day's shooting, you can cover th

h his right arm close to his side, pointing it to the ground at his right foot. He then brings it up with a flourish, high above his head, and lowers it to the target, jerks the trigger, and "looses off." Of course he does not hit the target, but makes a very w

towards the target when preparing to shoot. "You ought to hold it like this," he said, letting his right arm hang close to his side and keeping t

down into his feet. But he must never turn round or leave the table without first unloading the pistol and placing it on the table; no

want to do this. It only frightens spectators; besides, the shooter is running the risk of shooting hims

l. It is best to load only some of the chambers, if using a revolver, irregularly spin the cylinder round, after the revolver is closed and at half-cock, so as not to know which cham

take the pistol by its stock in the right hand. Do not turn the muzzle to the left, but straight out towards the target. Put it in your left hand and load it. This procedure varies with different makes of revolvers; with the Smith & Wesson, Russian, and Winans models, you li

k. Close it by elevating the breech with the right hand, not by raising the barrel with the left, as in the latter case the cartridges may drop out. This rule applies also to the hand ejecting revolvers

ugh to rectify any error in sights. But the beginner had better not attempt

how many shots are in or near the bull's-eye. In reality, it is the group which constitutes a good score. One score may consist of the highest po

ng a group which could be covered with a postage-stamp. The first "shoot" is a wild, bad score for ten yards' range at a four-inch bull, although it counts the highest possible in conventional scoring. The other is a magnificent shoot, that any one might be proud of; the fact of its being up in the corner merely showing that the sights we

hted pistol to put the shots into the centre of the two-inch bull when you aim at the bottom edge. In other words, you want it to shoot an inch higher than your aim at that distance. Therefore, if with your four-inch bull, aiming at the bottom edge, you go into the bull one inch up, it means a central bull's-eye shot on a two-inch bull. The reason I recommend aiming at the bottom of the bull's-eye instead of at the

pe-out; you might otherwise be inclined to attribute to bad shooting what may be caused by leading or hard fouling in the barrel. I have a little cupboard unde

n after shooting as possible

may entirely spoil accuracy, as, if you work it off, the bore gets enlarged and the bullets "strip." I never like to compete with a perfectly new pi

is right hand. If the novice has resolution enough to divide his practising, from the beginning, between both hands, he will be able to shoot nearly as well with his "left" h

or worse with either hand, not being so helpless with his right hand as a normally handed man is with his left. In all t