Many people practice and shoot pistols 2 handed yet there seem to be many instances of 1 handed shooting used in defense.

How many defense shootings happen that need a 1 hand hold?

Most people say to practice both, but which do you think should have more practice devoted to it?

Seriously? Practice shooting with both hands. Once you are REALLY good at that, maybe work on shooting with one hand for the rare instance when you are wounded in one hand or arm or are shooting through your window while driving in a high speed chase. Seriously though, 90% of your training should be with both hands because that’s how you will most effectively eliminate a threat.

Here is a video and the synopsis from the video (I did not write it).  It is of a police officer, so is not quite the same as carrying concealed, but...….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd3v_fssabI

Bob Stash has been with the Chicago PD since 1981, and he has been in 14 gunfights.

When he began with the Chicago PD, qualifications were at 7, 15, and 25 yards, and mostly bullseye. A two handed Isosceles or Weaver stance was used. And there was no time pressure or combat shooting.

He is a firm believer in carrying a back up. But he has had to draw one only a couple of times, and he has not used one in a shootout.

In his first shooting, he and his partner each hit a perp multiple times. His initial shot was at about 12 feet, and his last two were at about 6 feet. His last shot blew out the perp's knee which finally brought him down. The perp later died from the multiple wounds. After that shooting, Bob and his partner trained to make head shots to better assure a quicker stop.

He practices shooting at combat distances [out to 20 - 25 feet], and tries to shoot exclusively with one hand to learn to control the weapon.

In a gunfight, your off hand will be occupied doing something like pushing, opening a door, using the radio, etc..

He also said that standard range shooting positions are never acquired in combat. As to a combat crouch, he found himself almost sitting on his butt at times to get low, or behind something.

He is not a big fan of aimed fire, nor is he a precision shooter.

His shooting is instinctive shooting [like Point Shooting].

What you do, is point your finger at the target with your finger along the slide of the pistol.

When the top of the gun is at eye level, and the eye, front sight or muzzle, and the target are in line, you will hit what you are aiming at.

He is a big fan of 6 inch paper plates. If he can hit them with regularity, he is certain that he can probably do that at combat distances.

In his second shooting, he and his partner were confronted by three perps. They both shot at and hit the closest of the three in the head. The other two perps took off, and were captured later.

The maximum gunfight shooting distance was maybe 20 to 25 feet. Most were under 12 feet.

Only two gunfights occurred at distance [30 - 40 feet]. In those cases suppressive fire, not aimed fire was used.

He also has had to reload only 3 times. In those situations, suppressive fire was used.

In the 14 shootings, only two or three times was a two handed grip used.

He shoots about 300 rounds per month.

He says that gunfight experience gives you knowledge of what can happen, but they are never easy. When he shoots, he shoots to live.

It is not easy to fire a gun at another human being. But just like a soldier in combat, first of all, it's your duty, to do that - if those in charge did not want you to do it, they wouldn't have issued you a gun in the first place, or had you carry it.

He has shot 9 people. Five of them died.

Most perps are bad sorts, who if not stopped, would probably hurt/kill others.

Only one gunfight was a one shot stop event. The distance in that situation was about 4 - 5 inches.

His experiences are in line with the findings of the NYPD's SOP 9 study of thousands of police combat cases.

I didn’t check out the link in the post above, but I have watched Ayoob’s interview on YouTube with Bob Stash. I recall he shoots with one hand at paper plates around 3-5 feet away. His off hand was always occupied when engaged.And, he learned only head shots are stoppers. In his first shootout, he and his partner shot the perp11 times (45 Colt and 44 mags), good hits, and he wasn’t stopped!

I believe the first post is pretty spot on and I agree. I try to practice strong and support hand shooting whenever possible as I do believe being prepared for the worst case is important. I have my own protocols after many hours and years of training which has allowed me to cherry pick my favorite drills/curriculum. Never underestimate the ability to create space once a threat presents itself...

IMHO the most important skill not practiced is the situational awareness and tactical ability to move to and use cover.

Personally I don't think most people practice for the reality they are most likely to face.   Most practice is done with 2-handed stance with a nice modern combat pistol.  And for home-defense scenarios, that might be about right.

For CCW, it's going to be a small pocket framed pistol, usually with a heavy and long trigger (by design), and the engagement is quite likely going to be the outcome of an encounter, meaning it could very easily be within touching distance.  My practice now consists of stepping back rapidly from my target while drawing my CCW and doing one-handed expedient point shooting.   Should I find myself in a scenario where I do have to draw my pistol, yet have time and distance to do a nice two-handed hold and carefully aim - I certainly will.  I suspect that's an unrealistic best-case scenario (at least for CCW), and don't really train that way anymore.

Get out of here with logic and reason.  Oh wait this is tech forum you can say that...
Funny how many people are to busy checking social media and what they miss going on around them in day to day life.

Avoiding a conflict is better than any amount of shooting.  Shoot competition to build skills with moving, reloading, and drawing.  So many people do not even practice drawing from concealment or even practice basics.

If you suck at one handed shooting, practice it more.  If shooting strong hand only is good, but weak hand sucks, train weak hand more.  You want to be as proficient as possible with all your options.

While your trying to overt rain for one scenario, like an encounter is only going to happen in one form r distance, practice shooting that carry pistol long range too.  If you get decent at making 50 yard hits, your up close stuff will get better also.  Saw an article about a guy on a second floor apartment heard yelling, and saw a dude beating his baby, then started stabbing him out in the courtyard.  Guy took a shot with a pistol from second floor at about 45 yards or so and ended the threat.  Can you make a hit that far with your carry gun?  I can and would be confident in taking a shot like that if I decided it was the only option to end a threat.    The instructor I've been training with usually has a steel target at around 40-60 yards, and has students shoot it standing unsupported at the end of the day.  But at the beginning of the class, he has us shoot a 1 inch black square from 3-5 yards.  New students don't understand, the sight picture looks the same.

Point is, limiting your practice to "all self defense encounters are within 10 yards is just setting yourself up to not becoming a better shooter in all aspects.

I train to shoot “top of the holster”. Half the mag is fired as my arm moves forward then I go two handed if necessary. If carrying my snubby off hand is reaching for the spare ammo.

I practice both hands, right hand, and left hand. I learned in training classes, and it does become easier with practice. It is "real world" to do so.

short sighted.

You have every day to train for the rest of your life until you may or may not ever need to shot some bad guy.

Practice both till you're good with whatever.

I agree.
It's very important to be ready to move and especially to use cover.  Anything can be used in a pinch.  Simple light posts are often good enough to prevent a goof from getting his hands on you.  You do NOT want to go mano a mano.  And this is often the goal of the goof; to close his distance with you as quickly as possible.

Also, it is important to be able to shoot with either hand.

The main thing I always try to remind myself of is the adage; you don't get to chose your gunfight.  Your gunfight choses YOU.

Be prepared.
Expect anything, especially the worst.
And don't fall into the mental trap of phantasizing about hypothetical gunfights.  There's even a name for that, "My Gunfight".  It's the gunfight that will never happen to you, but is the one you always win.

Shoot a Dot Drill. Do Both.

Between holding my son, walking the dog, carrying groceries, coffee, etc there are plenty of times my left hand is occupied. Something's can get dropped, some can't.

Yup
Attached File

if you shoot USPSA/IPSC or IDPA, they have stages with strong hand only and weak hand only

these are skills worth learning

03RN,....that kid will be asking for your car keys in a blink of an eye

spend as much time as you can with him

A lot of defensive shooting shoot one handed.

Train to shoot with both. However if you have babies/toddlers it best to train with one hand most of the time. You have to take into account carrying your child in a gun fight. There also times when you using one hand to carry items. In these types of scenarios the victims didn't drop what they were carrying and used one hand to shoot the criminal. the victims probably more focused on the threats and forgot to drop whatever they were holding at that time.

females should train more in one handed shooting than male for obvious reasons.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DlFXdve3t2I&index=22&list=PLr9w0uxRdNytszUMsec2xO1tP_WO6y0OR&t=0s

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NG1vWq2uLK4

I saw his interview a long time ago. Most defensive firearms schools do not train their students to survive civilians gun fights. They train their students to fight a war or win competitions, IMO. Civilian shooting is very fast and brutal. Like I keeps pointing out civilians gun last around 2 seconds on advantage from the first shot to the last. At arm length or closer most of the time. No reloading.

His comments about point shooting reinforce the idea of getting the first out. Even if it is a miss will dramatic increase your survive rate in a civilian gun fight. Carry your gun loaded and shot first is how you survive a gun fight. Having a wide notch on the rear sight or using red dot gives you faster sight picture. Unfortunately most defensive handguns sights aren't designed for civilian shooting

This.  Very much this.  IDPA etc are all games that have little bearing on any real-world shooting event I've ever seen - usually with gear that almost nobody actually carries on them.  People buy guns and train based on what their range rules allow, the IDPA game rules, and what they find pleasant and comfortable (a good trigger and nice sights).  Most pistols people use and prefer in those scenarios are combat pistols, made for military or police level encounters - drawn and read.  They aren't tiny pocket pistols with shitty sights and heavy triggers, which is what you actually will be carrying, and they aren't from drawing inside your front pocket or well hidden inside the pants holster, which is what you actually will be using.

In an actual shooting encounter - it's going to be what's written above.  With a gun that's most important feature being that you can CHL with you often, loaded - and do so without worry of blowing your own kneecap off next time you use a public bathroom (i.e. a heavy trigger).

When I do drills at 3 yards or less under the above type of conditions - it ends up being point shooting, every time.

When they talk to people who've been through gun fights there is an astounding coralation between seeing the sights and success.

When I found myself shooting at people and missing I had to tell my self to refocus on the front sight, get my hits, then move on to the next insergeant.

I also don't know why you assume no one carries full sized guns with good triggers.

My experiences are the same as O3EN's.

In the hunting world it is called Buck Fever. In the real life shooting world it takes real will power to force yourself to follow the discipline of good shooting.

On the other hand it is the engagement scenario that will dictate what you do. Your actions to someone who is on top of you and beating the snot out of you is far different than someone who pulled a gun but is standing 7 yards away...

There is never ONE simple answer to all scenarios, so you practice several. If you don't think so, try wiping your ass with your off hand

There is never ONE simple answer to all scenarios, so you practice several. If you don't think so, try wiping your ass with your off hand

That pretty much covers it.

I shoot all my local matches in my normal gear plus 2 extra mag pouches, I even win sometimes too. the only completely unrealistic thing I have ever had to do in a match is shoot weak handed, but with both hands.

but to the actual question I think one hand shooting is very important. I have done both in force on force training. in a scenario or two i really got into I actually remember my sight picture. Im sure some people who have actually shot some bad dudes remember some of their sight pictures too. every once in a while I will force my self to only shoot a range trip one handed. up here in Minnesota during the winter it gets dark pretty early. its likely my hand will have a white light or be occupied with something.

Good stuff and you've got to take someone like this' experience/opinion heavily. From what I've seen a large portion of gunfights involving pistols (LEO or citizen with a gun) ends up with one handed shots. Sometimes its because the off hand is doing something else. Some times it appears the shooter isn't trained enough for a proper two hand grip/its not instinctive.

Seems like one of the most common themes is most people don't have a good stance/shooting position. Your likely to be walking, running, sitting (in a car) or crouching behind cover or something like that.

One of the most experienced gun fighters walking the earth asked in his training class. " When you do one handed shooting drills why do you transfer the pistol from one hand to the other ? When you get shot in the strong hand or arm what do you think happens to your weapon ? It's laying on the ground.  So practice picking it up from there the next time you train " ken Hackathorn

My style is basically shoot one handed keep pistol or revolver inline with wrist and elbow level with pointed index finger. Use support hand as just that. When shooting two handed it is one hand style with the dominant hand and the support hand is placed forward and nder the dust cover. Sort of like resting the pistol on a sand bag but the support hand functions as that role.

I do not prefer the iscocles, Weaver or other styles used in competition for field shooting, hunting or SD.

I have never had to use a gun in SD, but have experience with hunting.

It's impossible to train for or predict every possible situation one could encounter, most folks agree that this is the case.  The one other area of agreement is one most likely will not shoot from a traditional two handed stance.  Train accordingly!!  The two handed stances are great for learning fundamentals; however, good training must incorporated shooting from many other positions, not just one handed standing.

Another thing that I see many shooters do/not do, is ONLY practice slow, aimed, target shooting, and never practice quick shots from low ready, or double taps.

I've gone shooting with numerous folks I know, who've owned guns and CC'ed for years. Anytime I've gone to the range with them, all they do, is slow, aimed, target-style shooting. About 1 shot every 3-5 seconds.

They see me doing Mozambique and Bill drills, and when they even try a fast double tap, they can't hit shit at 7 yards. Shots aren't even on the paper, on a full size IPSC/IDPA silhouette target.

Instead of going, "Hmmm... if I ever needed this thing I've been carrying in a real fight, I wouldn't hit shit. Maybe I need to practice shooting accurately AND quickly", they just go, "Shit! I can't hit anything when I try to shoot fast, so I'll just go back to taking my sweet time to aim for a few seconds, before every shot".

Train 2-handed. Train 1-handed, strong AND weak side. If your range allows it, train shooting from a draw, train shooting while moving etc. There are a lot of folks in cities, without convenient access to ranges that allow shooting from a draw, or moving and shooting etc., but they can at least practice things like shooting fast doubles and Mozambiques from low ready, 2 and 1-handed.

P.S.
A lot of folks seem to have the 'Magic Talisman' mentality; as if simply having one, acts like a Magic Talisman that automatically gives them protection from harm, and aren't concerned with being able to use it effectively. I know more than a few who carry without 1 in the chamber, no matter what I've said, or what videos/reading material I point them to. They don't understand that the tool is only as effective as the wielder (and a compromised tool, simply hampers the wielder even more).

Same reason I dissuade women I know from carrying a collapsible baton with no training/experience whatsoever, because they think it makes them safe. When I show them how easily a guy can take it from them, it surprises and scares them.

I practice both, on both sides. Never know.

Also handy at a match, the look of terror in people’s eyes when there is a weak hand only portion in a stage is pretty funny.

I practiced shooting steel this week 1 handed.  Both sides, at 70 yards.  Did better than I thought.  Rang first bell cold with left hand on 4th shot.

If you can shoot well with 1 hand, you can shoot better with 2.

One and may be tied up controlling a spouse/child/friend, so better to be able to hold your own with 1 hand.

Both equally, also proficient weak handed.

Those are fun.  I am not grand master but I actually do much better than others when it comes time to shoot opposite handed.  I also am very ambidextrous with both hands when shooting, batting, pitching, catching, but not so much writing.

If you're just starting, you need to learn to do all three well. Once you you have strong hand only and weak hand only down, you can concentrate mostly on 2 handed. Then just run the single hand drills occasionally, to keep the skills up.

Learn all three well.
And take the advice of those who have been in gunfights on the streets of America.

Practice two hands strong hand only and weak hand only.
I attended a class with a long time respected trainer who analyzed dash cam and surveillance video that showed often even people trained and practiced with primary 2 hand shooting defaulted to strong hand only in close range fights

I had been thinking the same lately about 1 hand versus 2. I feel like there could be so many times you are forced to use 1 hand. But if you have the ability to use both hands you should be using that to maximize accuracy. So I would say the best would be to keep practicing with both hands to master your weapon. Throw in some one hand drills also to establish some skill in that also. There could be a time where you are forced to go to one hand shooting. But if given the chance, two hand is where you get the most benefit. Practice is important.

I agree with everything you said, especially about the kid asking for the car keys in the blink of an eye. It happens way too fast and mentally most of us are not prepared.  

I like CT Lasers on my defensive handguns. If I do have to shoot one handed while defending with the other hand the laser will assure me that while in the struggle the shot will land on the perp and not elsewhere. It is just another tool to help you in a very difficult situation.

ETA: For clarity. In a struggle you may not be certain when you can actually take the shot and the laser will simply let you know with certainty that you can pull the trigger hitting your assailant.

Strong hand and two hand should in theory be very close to each other with proficiency.

If you are carrying, you will interact with the world, you do that with your hands. One of the advantages of using a handgun is that it isn't taxing to use one handed. There are a lot of scenarios where one handed shooting is preferable.

Moving a loved one or clearing through a croud.

Mitigating a crash with a non-hostile 3rd party.

Controlling an attacker inside of arms reach. Particularly when tying up two of your opponent's arms with one of your own before appropriately accessing your own handgun.

Moving through a structure (home or office) with gun in hand can require a hand to interact with doors and light switches, while there will also be times where one handed shooting from non-conventional positions might be more advantageous to utilize cover and concealment.

Likewise, use of a handgun and handheld light, particularly in moving through a structure, may require the use of one handed, unsupported shooting.

Injuries really are only a small minority of reasons to shoot one handed. But if you train in jiu-jitsu, wrestling or mma, or are particularly active, you do run the risk of injury to your hands or arms. In that case, you should be proficient in using both hands also.

So, to answer your question, yes you should absolutely train with both hands, dominant hand and support hand. Get into a quality training class and get some instruction and or coaching to help build those skills.

Sources for my examples come from force on force training I've personally attended with Craig Douglas, Ron Sable, and others in combatives and shoot house style environments.