How to Hold a Gun Correctly: A Basic Guide

In recent years, almost half of all gun owners said they bought firearms to defend themselves. What makes a gun the ultimate tool for self-defense is that it is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if it’s being wielded by a little old lady or a Viking mixed with a bulldozer; the outcome is going to be the same.

However, everyone needs to know three things before they can properly wield a pistol. They need to know firearm safety, how to hold a gun, and how to shoot properly. Learn more about how these factors play into each other in the rest of this article.

First Step: Firearm Safety

Holding a gun properly is integral to handling a gun safely during the actual shooting, but you need to develop certain instincts before you even pick the weapon up. As a gun owner, the four basic rules of firearm safety must be so ingrained in you that they become like your second set of DNA. Your actions while practicing at the range or at home, and while carrying in public, must always be built on these rules.

Second Step: How to Hold a Gun

It looks simple on screens, but that’s either because those people have trained for years or are doing it incorrectly (see step one). You’ll want to start by taking a two-handed grip. Shooting a gun with one hand is reserved for dire emergencies, professional cowboys, and people who want to look cool while missing the target.

Ensure that your dominant hand is wrapped around the grip with the hammer above the space between your thumb and index finger. This hand’s index finger is going to be the trigger finger.

There are different options for what to do with the other hand. Modern grip, favored by cops and other professionals, will have your pinky, ring, and middle fingers of the non-dominant hand placed in front of the corresponding fingers on the other hand. Your non-dominant index finger goes around the outside of the trigger guard, and you press your thumbs semi-tightly together.

You can also place your non-dominant hand below the grip, almost as if cupping the gun and the dominant hand. Once you have a position that suits you, spend some time finding the right grip strength.

Gripping too tightly or too loosely can make you lose control of your gun. This applies especially to the types of guns favored for self-defense, like .357, 9mm, .44, .45, and the rare pieces that shoot 10mm auto ammo.

Third Step: Shooting Well

You won’t learn how to shoot well by reading, but we can tell you about some common mistakes that make you less accurate. Don’t jerk the trigger back; rather, gently apply pressure with your index finger until the gun goes off. Be sure to control your breathing, breathe with your gut (not your upper body), and don’t neglect dry-firing drills or range time.

Become a Model Gun Owner Today

Learning how to hold a gun properly is the key to shooting well and being a responsible gun owner. Before you pick up the gun, you should be well familiarised with the basic tenets of firearm safety.

When holding the gun, you should use both hands for accuracy. There are a variety of different double-hand holds that work. The main thing you want to do is train in a position that gives you optimal control and speed.

Becoming the best gun owner you can be can improve and protect your life. Learn about other neat lifestyle improvements with our extensive library of informative blogs.