Not my question entirely but why one handed?

First topic message reminder :

I just experienced another one of those "why one handed" questions earlier this week at the range but this time with a confused facial expression followed by a comment that shooting pistol two handed is more accurate.  I don't have the experience to respond to questions like this completely but most of you here do.  So, speaking for those that ask me, why is Bullseye shot one handed?  What is the origin of the sport?  Is there an equivalent competition where two handed shooting is allowed?  Can one handed shooting be just as accurate as two handed?  And if one handed shooting can be just as accurate, why do BE rules require one handed shooting only?

Logical evolution? 
I accept that they started one handed.  Going to two hands is the change from tradition.
Ancient pistols had near straight handle grips.  They were I think "on body" carry where to access you used one hand as if another dagger. The rest is evolution.... from ancient duels to horses and technology and IPSC, and you now have two hands.  Don't overlook the gang banger sideways fotays.

And if you dig Wikipedia....
The pistol originates in the 16th century, when early handguns were produced in Europe. The English word was introduced in ca. 1570 from the Middle French pistolet (ca. 1550).
The etymology of the French word pistolet is unclear. It may be from a Czech word for early hand cannons, píšťala "flute", or alternatively from Italian pistolese, after Pistoia, a city renowned for Renaissance-era gunsmithing, where hand-held guns (designed to be fired from horseback) were first produced in the 1540s.^[1]
The first suggestion derives the word from Czech píšťala, a type of hand-cannon used in the Hussite Wars during the 1420s. The Czech word was adopted in German as pitschale, pitschole, petsole, and variants.^[2]
The second suggestion is less likely; the use of the word as a designation of a gun is not documented before 1605 in Italy, long after it was used in French and German. The Czech word is well documented since the Hussite wars in 1420s. ^[3]

CR10X wrote:The requirements are in the rule book. I thought there was the option for alternative position last year.  I can't find the alternative to 5.5 anywhere in the rules or the changes.  Anyone know what happened?

 
There was a Section 24, Probationary Conventional Pistol Match, on page 56 of the NRA Pistol Rules Effective April 1 2013 that allowed the use of one or two hands but the section is absent from the January 2014 edition.

Beeser watch Outlaw Josie Wales starring Clint Eastwood.  Mounted soldiers of civl war era using pistols for close quarters combat.  One handed.  I also enjoyed watching old videos from WWII using one handed "point shooting" techniques for quick training of commandos.  Blade in one hand 45 in the other.

Do you think Lee Marvin's military service as a Marine influenced this scene (toward the end) in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance?  Note the stance and the handling of the gun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP77V2X1Biw

Weren't pistols developed so man could shoot with one hand? Don't we always hear long guns are preferable if available? Why a contest to determine who can shoot a weapon intended for one hand best with both hands?
That being said I would use both for "serious" shooting and think the idea proposed for 2 hands to keep participation up in a league is OK too.

Cecil is right re: shoot something!

Ron Habegger

beeser wrote:Do you think Lee Marvin's military service as a Marine influenced this scene (toward the end) in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance?  Note the stance and the handling of the gun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP77V2X1Biw

Lots of Military moves there.  Pistol reversed at side.  Reverse hand grip.  Sweeping own body on presentation.  Closed eyes at firing. 

Hollywood military maybe.

Jack H wrote:

beeser wrote:Do you think Lee Marvin's military service as a Marine influenced this scene (toward the end) in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance?  Note the stance and the handling of the gun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP77V2X1Biw

Lots of Military moves there.  Pistol reversed at side.  Reverse hand grip.  Sweeping own body on presentation.  Closed eyes at firing. 

Hollywood military maybe.

Marvin's last shot - Feet placed about shoulder width apart at 45 deg. to target with non-shooting hand to side.  Looked like conventional pistol posturing to me.  Marvin was a Marine during WWII.  Wasn't that the form used in his training back then?

This documentary shows the origin of one-handed pistol shooting, particularly the lift used in the 25m international events.

(One of my favorite scenes in any Western   )

beeser wrote:I just experienced another one of those "why one handed" questions earlier this week at the range but this time with a confused facial expression followed by a comment that shooting pistol two handed is more accurate.  I don't have the experience to respond to questions like this completely but most of you here do.  So, speaking for those that ask me, why is Bullseye shot one handed?  What is the origin of the sport?  Is there an equivalent competition where two handed shooting is allowed?  Can one handed shooting be just as accurate as two handed?  And if one handed shooting can be just as accurate, why do BE rules require one handed shooting only?

The best way I can answer your question is that the origin of the sport is due to the origin of firing a pistol, which is with one hand.
This keeps it as pure as it gets for a shooting sport.
I have been shooting one handed for so long that using two hands feels very weird now 

Clarence

Because there is only one handle on a pistol. If GOD had wanted us to use two hands he would have put two handles on a pistol.

HUGHT wrote:Because there is only one handle on a pistol. If GOD had wanted us to use two hands he would have put two handles on a pistol.

DINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDING!!!!!

And we have a winner here, folks!

Actually, if God had wanted you to shoot with one hand, he'd have only given you one.

throttleup wrote:Actually, if God had wanted you to shoot with one hand, he'd have only given you one.

Waayyeeelll....my friend who had one hand taken away from him (use of the whole arm) doesn't believe in God...

[Holding my tongue on metaphysical arguments that another friend, religious then not and now again, called "convenient"...]

But he is starting to learn that it really is possible to do MUCH better one-handed than he had been doing since the accident.

[Can't resist mentioning that he says he values life and ethics MORE under his newer philosophical regime.  Easy guy to like based solely on his behavior, consistent with his words.]

This much I know--God wants us to be happy.  And I'm perfectly happy shooting BE one-handed without responsibilities for a four-legged animal conveyance.

If I recall the use of 2 hands in the National Match was for new shooters especially Juniors to get them introduced to Service Pistol with the .22 I think the NRA had something similar. The Made in America match was for Juniors but has been discontinued I think because of participation.

45 MIKE wrote:Zins one handed. Leatham two handed. that would be a match I would pay to see

I would on Brian every time.

Chip

It's called a handgun, not a handsgun.

AMEN Brother