[metrowestblues]

Hi, a question for everybody....

In my old dept., the firearms instructors taught us that "shooting from the hip" is just that -- firing the weapon with one hand while it is pressed close to the hip.

In my new dept., the instructor is telling me that "shooting from the hip" means bringing the gun out front and basically shooting with the gun in front of the belt buckle...while holding it with both hands.

This seems really weird to me. Can anybody - incl. a certified Mass Criminal Justice firearms instructor - tell me whether this is allowed or not?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MVS]

metrowestblues,

I have done firearms certs with 3 different PD's, and that point was always different. The 3 ways I have experienced it are:

- like you said, from the hip one handed
- 2 handed in front of the buckle
- 2 handed but up just over the buckle, above the belly button...

As long as I qualify I don't give a rats ass where he wants me to shoot from... I spend alot of my own time at the range practicing and perfecting various positions and techniques to use if need be....

 

[Irish Wampanoag]

Remember when shooting at the hip don't shoot your other hand or arm. Tuck your non shooting hand/ arm on your chest or your non shooting hand/arm behind your back. I know it common sense but it is very easy to forget. :shock:

Funny but sobering story when I was a newbee and I first qualified with my firearm the instructor had us 4 officers shoot from the hip with the target about 5 feet away in the dark with the blue strobes going. Mind you, Newton PD were very nice enough to allow us to use their firearms range in the basement of their station. So on the instructors command we shot 10 round hitting the target quiet accurately all rounds hitting the head and body area of the target. When all of a sudden I hear the instructor say cease fire! cease fire! the range lights go on and debris everywhere Apparently we all shot in a upward direction while shooting from the hip which sent the 10 rounds X 4 officers through the target up into the ceiling of the firing range OOOOOPPPPS. Thank god nobody got hurt nor did any bullets penetrate the ceiling into the first floor. Just be careful when you do shoot from the hip in a inside range.

 

[texdep]

This is a case of shooting for score overcomes learning a techique for use in the field.

The usefulness of "shoot from the hip" is in a situation of being relatively close to the threat and the objective is to draw and fire as rapidly as possible. ie. draw,point,shoot, eliminating unneccessary movements of bringing the weapon up to shoulder level as in weaver, etc.

With the "importance of qual scores" the technique has been adjusted to a two handed grip center bodied positions. These do offer more control and accuracy and do meet the qual requirement for rounds fired from hip level and many instructors will advocate firing in this manner as scores are improved with less practice. However, these additional movements add tenths of seconds to a technique originally intended for speed.

That's my several cents but, my final comment is to agree with RPD931 do what it takes for the instructor to qual you. He/She is calling the shots(pun intended) and you need to qual to work.