Let’s say you’re right handed. You’re shooting a revolver. Do you
(1) reach your right thumb up to cock, or
(2) reach your left thumb around?
I’m just now getting into shooting revolver (after 40 years of 1911) and I’m inclined to keep my right hand grip firm, and reach with the left thumb.
What do y’all do?
I am right handed shooter. I reach my left thumb up to pull the hammer. My left thumb rides over my right thumb.
Doing this i find that i am faster and stay on target better than when i try to use my right thumb.
^^Yes.
Using support hand thumb to cock hammer is most efficient.
You maintain a firing grip on weapon with “strong hand” this way- enabling quicker follow up shots, with greater accuracy.
Are you talking single action or double action revolver? IMO thumb cocking a double action is a bad habit to get into unless it is a hunting handgun.
I use my support side thumb to cock the hammer, preserving my firing grip.
Cocking the hammer of a DA semi or revolver is a viable tactic in certain conditions.
Support hand thumb.
This question is kinda … well just for sports, i used my big thumb and that it. while shooting with a stance with both hands, i use my left thumb.
Kinda what?
I use my strong hand thumb to cock the hammer either while settling in for the first shot or while bringing the gun down out of recoil. If I need to shoot one handed there is no real change in motor skills. Most of the time I shoot D/A revolvers D/A but I also own S/A revolvers.
If you watch video of the top SASS shooters they are almost semi auto fast using their support side thumb.
I’ve been shooting my way for over 40 years and don’t feel like like there is enough difference to warrant re-training myself.
I have always eared the hammer back on a revolver with my right thumb. Balance sixgun on the second knuckle, and press down. Cocking the hammer brings the barrel back down.
Train like you fight. The support hand should be just that: support. Support hand cocking is inelegant at best, and clumsy and forced at worst.
Saw mention upthread of SASS gamers. I’m glad they can rip off rounds fast. If you want to see how they really did it when the targets shot back, though, there are plenty of Frederic Remington prints and John Wayne movies. The “advisors” when the Duke started were almost to a man retired gunfighters or lawmen. Two handed shooting was considered such an eccentricity that the fastest revolver shot that has yet lived, Ed McGivern, only devoted a few pages to it and Elmer Keith only used it for long range (150+ yds) work.
Saw mention upthread, too, of only shooting SA when hunting. I disagree completely; SA shooting is always more accurate. If you have time to aim, you have time to ear a hammer back.
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My left thumb cocks the hammer
Support thumb is the better technique, but, old habits die hard.
Depends.
If holding the revolver one handed, I use that thumb to do that job (L or R handed).
Shooting two handed, I use the support side thumb.
I mostly shoot double-action revolvers exclusively double-action though.
I fired 100 rounds in the 686 this afternoon. Support hand thumb cocking it was.
As a kid, watching movie, hunting with my dad, trapshooting and being a general fan of the shooting sport. i figure “which thumb used for use for cocking the a gun/revolver” its like like being right/left eyed dominant…it all depends on what works for you and what you are comfortable with using.
“Are you talking single action or double action revolver? IMO thumb cocking a double action is a bad habit to get into unless it is a hunting handgun.”
Here it is. I knew it when I read the thread title. It only took 4 responses. That’s even quicker than I thought.
Right, I almost didn’t respond because I don’t thumb cock my DA revos but after thinking about I do sometimes when sighting in with different ammo along with bench resting the pistol. But that’s where it ends for me.
What is a re-vol-ver? And also, what is a hammer? :sarcastic:
One handed shooting I use that hands thumb. Two handed I use the thumb of the hand not holding the pistol.
This is the only logical answer.
Andy
I was always trained to never cock hammer to shoot a DA revolver.