# Semi auto grip?



## nhbuck1 (Feb 14, 2016)

Hey guys how much tension should be applied to your grip? I find myself shaking when I grip is this to hard? I use thumbs forward.
Thanks
Kyle


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## dereckbc (Jan 2, 2016)

Why are you gripping so tightly?

Here is what I have been taught and practice. Grip pressure is that of a firm handshake. 

Old school for competition shooting was a relaxed grip for accuracy and tight grouping. Firm for rapid, but not to the point of shaking. That worked great and still does for revolvers. However with Semi-Autos if the grip is too light or what I think is called "Limp Wrist" can cause a shell to eject properly as the power is from recoil rather than gas pressure. Today a firm handshake for Semi-Auto's


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

A firm grip is what you want to use. You'll be able to tell if your grip is correct in this regard if the muzzle returns to your point of aim after every shot and you don't have to reset your grip after each shot.


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## 1911crazy (Jul 16, 2015)

After running a 100cc chainsaw for 35 years I can sink my fingers into rubber grips. I prefer rubber grips on all my ccw guns. I prefer the rubber wrap around grips with the finger grooves.

Ease up on your grip a tad.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Well, I guess that I'm the maverick.
I tell beginners to use a "death grip." That is, grip as hard as you can. Small shakes? It's OK.

Here's why:
The key to successful self-defense shooting is trigger control. In my wife's dancer's terms, it's called "isolation."
You have to be able to maintain a firm grip on the pistol with your thumb and lower three fingers, but your trigger finger must be relaxed, and must move completely independently of the rest of them.
If your grip on the pistol "follows" the movement of your index finger on the trigger, you will "milk" the grip, and your shots will go low-and-left (if you're right-handed). Instead, your grip and your trigger finger must be separated from each other.
The easiest way that I have found to do this is to grip the pistol as tightly as possible, and, while doing that, to pay complete attention to the movement of your trigger finger and trigger. If you grip as tightly as possible, you don't have to think about anything but your trigger finger.
The trigger-finger movement must be as much of a straight-back press (not "pull") as you can make it. It should be a smooth press, not a jerk.

Oh, and by the way, you should practice everything about pistol shooting to be as slow and as smooth as possible.
Do not try to be fast or quick. Strive to be smooth. Speed comes with time, and lots of practice.
(Dry-fire practice is good for you, and it's free: No ammunition gets expended.)
And always remember these wise words: "Smooth is faster than fast."


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Well, I guess that I'm the maverick.
> I tell beginners to use a "death grip." That is, grip as hard as you can. Small shakes? It's OK.
> 
> Here's why:
> ...


Unless of course, you're really thirsty for a smoothie, and the only thing that matters is that they make it fast.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I've met many a smoothie in my day.
Some of 'em were delicious, and some of 'em were fast.
But none of 'em were quick.

(Was that too _risqué_ for this forum?)

Here endeth ye hijacking.
We now return you to your regularly-scheduled thread, still in progress...


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## pblanc (Mar 3, 2015)

You are going to find recommendations all across the spectrum on this issue. I have heard some experts claim you should grip hard enough with both hands to start shaking and then back off just a little.

I have heard other experts claim you should grip with your strong hand no harder than you would for a "firm handshake with a woman."

As for relative grip strength, I have heard some claim you should grip with equal force with both hands. I have heard many others say you should use more force gripping with your support (weak) hand. Some will try to quantify this along the lines of "60% (or 70%) support hand, 40% (or 30%) trigger hand" etc.

I would experiment and find what works best for you. For myself, if I grip very tightly with my strong hand I seem to lose fine motor control in my trigger finger and thus have less trigger control. So I apply more force with the support hand. As I shoot I sometimes find the grip strength in my support hand lessening and start pulling shots left (right handed shooter) and then have to remind myself to increase the grip strength of my support hand.

That applies to an isosceles stance where force is usually applied side to side with the two hands. For those who use a Weaver stance the customary wisdom seems to be to apply isometric forward and back pressure to steady the pistol, forward with the strong hand and back with the support hand. In that case the grip force would need to be relatively equal.


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## boatdoc173 (Mar 15, 2014)

Kyle

I do not apply much strength using my shooting hand. I do apply some strength using the suppor t hand

check out the perfect pistol shot( al league) blog and the book is on amazon--this is for marksmanship shooting not combat shooting

also this:


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## boatdoc173 (Mar 15, 2014)

steve is great at this-per usual
\
for me the death grip(mass ayoob style) wa s just too much to deal with. I over torqued the gun, shot left.

once I read "perfect pistol shot" it all came together for me.

face it--when an attacker is coming , you will shake, you will over grip, hopefully you remember to breathe. BUT if you have practiced a correct grip of your gun and trigger control until it is automatic--your shots will be right where they need to be. We cannot practice a live attack ,so we practice correct usage of our guns and train ourselves the right way ...just in case


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