dual wielding handguns-any purpose?

[4Freedom]

I think the virginia state massacre shooter used two handguns at same time. Not that it matters when all your victims are unarmed, scared and helpless.

 

[k9870]

yeah i can see training how to use a weapon 1 handed, train both hands in case your dominant arm is woune, but seriously not 2 at once, or 4 at once like in a collegehumor.com vieo i saw where he has 2 autos in each han

 

[coylh]

A gun in each hand, and your cutlass in your teeth. Arr!

 

[jjohnson]

No Real Benefit

No, not at least as far as I can see, even if the Lara Croft of Tomb Raiders makes it look cool. Most of us really aren't so adept with handguns that we can manage effectively two of 'em at the same time - better to be good with one and be able to reload if you have to.

How many of you guys SHOOT with your 'weak side?' I doubt most of you do.
Of those who do, can you actually HIT with one in each hand? Uh, huh, thought so. I had enough Law Enforcement firarms training to actually hit a full sized silhouette at 15 yards, weak side, but it wasn't shooting back.

What do you do when both run empty, anyway? Doesn't that make reloading kinda awkward? Sure, if you're big into CAS trickshooting, and have time and money to practice A LOT you could do it for show, but most of us don't have that. If I were going to carry two sidearms, ONE of them would be a shotgun or carbine.

 

[30mag]

I think dual wielding is one of the primary requisites of mall ninjas.

 

[Boba Fett]

Awww....you mean my favorite Black Lagoon anime character toting dual berettas isn't based on real world gun wielding techniques??

Just kidding if there is any doubt.

 

[James T Thomas]

stick 'em up!

I don't know if I want to add my post along with an Old Gezer, but when "Hoppy" got the drop on the guys wearing the black hats, he had a devil of a time with his old shoulder muscles; holding those heavy SA sixguns up until the law arrived!

Advantage? With enough pleasurable shooting practice, this discipline can
help correct strabmismus.

 

[k9870]

i noticed my hands can get around 2 browning hi powers and my fingers can get through both trigger guards, witth 2 in each hand, thats 13+1x4, so 56 rounds of 9mm. all four barrels blazing

 

[-v-]

Simple, dual-wielding is so that you can utilize eXtreme-Shock ammo to its full potential. There's a small notice on the back of the..umm.."box" that states that extreme shock ammo is only effective out of dual-wielded handguns, and using a single firearm will severely compromise the performance of the ammunition.

There you go.

 

[Boba Fett]

i noticed my hands can get around 2 browning hi powers and my fingers can get through both trigger guards, witth 2 in each hand, thats 13+1x4, so 56 rounds of 9mm. all four barrels blazing

I just have to ask, have you tried actually firing them like this yet?

 

[Doc_Jude]

No, not at least as far as I can see, even if the Lara Croft of Tomb Raiders makes it look cool. Most of us really aren't so adept with handguns that we can manage effectively two of 'em at the same time - better to be good with one and be able to reload if you have to.

I would agree with this sentiment. Of course, that doesn't prevent one from learning to effectively use two handguns, or rather, using one at a time, one in each hand. It's just like "double tapping", it's two aimed shots in rapid succession, not just some form of abrupt rapid fire.

How many of you guys SHOOT with your 'weak side?' I doubt most of you do.

I do, and most of the hand-gunners that I know do too. Not all of the time of course, probably 25%-30% of the time.

Of those who do, can you actually HIT with one in each hand? Uh, huh, thought so. I had enough Law Enforcement firarms training to actually hit a full sized silhouette at 15 yards, weak side, but it wasn't shooting back.

I can. Relatively accurate off-hand shots at 8-10 paces. After reading Ed McGivern's book, I'm starting to practice his methods for double-action shooting (one- & two-handed). When I get good enough to allow myself to be taped, I'll think about posting some vids ^_^

What do you do when both run empty, anyway? Doesn't that make reloading kinda awkward?

I believe that the SOP is to sheath the weak-hand weapon at that point and reload the strong-hand weapon. Of course, if you've emptied not one but two guns and the problem isn't taken care of, I wonder how many mistakes you made in your situational awareness to get into so much trouble???

Sure, if you're big into CAS trickshooting, and have time and money to practice A LOT you could do it for show, but most of us don't have that. If I were going to carry two sidearms, ONE of them would be a shotgun or carbine.

I agree with both points. However, how often are we able to just stroll down the road with a long gun? We are able to carry two sidearms relatively easily when compared to carrying long guns. Many folks practice a "New York" reload, thus they are carrying two handguns. How difficult would it be to have two guns in hand, taking aimed shots alternately or just emptying one gun and then transitioning to the other?

 

[Boba Fett]

Well said Doc ^_^

+1 to pretty much everything he said

 

[Doc_Jude]

Well said Doc ^_^

+1 to pretty much everything he said

Why, thank you!

 

[Diamondback6]

Well said, Doc. As for "what happens when you run out?"... well, if the bullets do their part, the guns do their part and I do mine, once my doublestack longslides are built if I run empty after almost three dozen rounds of .45ACP or .450SMC, I don't need more ammo, I need either A-10 and Apache support, immediate evac or an emergency absolution and last rites, 'cause whatever I'm facing ain't human... unless it's a mob, large street gang or a squad-size or larger military unit, in which case the order of the day is "tactical withdrawal".

 

[withdrawn34]

Hmm, dual wielding Desert Eagles works perfectly in counter strike, as does reloading them... so it must work in real life, obviously!

 

[SoCalShooter]

Its increases your SKILLS +6 when you dual wield although it lowers you accuracy by -4 but your total coolness and badass rating go up +5000

 

[Mr Kablammo]

Unless you conduct expensive and relentless practice, trying to shoot as fast as you can with a gun each hand is worse than useless.

 

[Doc_Jude]

...once my doublestack longslides are built...

Are you being sarcastic? Of course, if you're not being sarcastic, you plan on actually carrying "your doublestack longslides" en leu of something more concealable? Concealability is mostly about a low-profile handle, and a 15+round doublestack magazine isn't very concealable. Two of them, even less so. Unless you're an Anime character...

 

[LightningJoe]

Marty Feldman might have gotten some use out of the two-gun technique.

 

[notorious]

To answer the question definitively for you and only you, go to the nearest range where you can do it and try out dual-wielding yourself. Unless you are very skilled, I can guarantee you will land 1 or 2 lucky hits out of 2 full mags. Then there's the matter of reloading since you have wasted all your bullets.

However, like I said, it's only for you. There might be people that can and have a need to do it. I don't know of any but that's not to say never.

Easy and cheaper way to answer your question without trying it yourself... just ask yourself... look at people who sling guns for a living and who live and die by their firearm, e.g. soldiers and police. Do you see any of them dual-wield and if it is of any use, do you not think there would be some official training program?

 

[notorious]

Another thought, most shooters can't manage their one gun in their hands to be consistently good in their shooting, why would having 2 make any difference other than doubling your rate of misses?

Here's a thought on dual-wield though, there is a valid use for holding two guns but only shooting 1 at a time while using the other one to hold as a ready in hand reload. I guess you can also use one gun to hold one guy at gunpoint while shooting the other guy to make a point but that's a very rare situation as well unless you are a drug dealer or something.

 

[Doc_Jude]

Notorious: you have a very negative opinion of "shooters". Are you aware of what the popular definition of this word "shooter" is? Beyond the criminal sense, of course...
Shooters are those who have gone through the paces, those that have put in the range time & the dry-fire time to develop serious, serious skills, skills that can easily impress, easily entertain, and easily kill people.




***Being a straight shooter doesn't make you in the NRA,
& being in the NRA doesn't make you a straight shooter.***

 

[notorious]

How many of those guys in the posters live among us and qualify for the general question of what the OP is asking about?

I have the utmost respect for Ed McGivern and any of the trick shooters who mastered the craft but it is neither practical nor probable for 99.2384% of us to come close to any semblance of their skill levels.

 

[Doc_Jude]

How many of those guys in the posters live among us and qualify for the general question of what the OP is asking about?

Well, they're all dead. They all qualify as examples of what the OP was asking. Especially Ed McGivern, being a civilian that shot as a hobby until he had many years of experience and began writing and instructing LEOs.

I have the utmost respect for Ed McGivern and any of the trick shooters who mastered the craft but it is neither practical nor probable for 99.2384% of us to come close to any semblance of their skill levels.

Funny that you say this. I also have the utmost respect for Ed McGivern, & I've read his book. Have you? because he says in his book that his skills are not inborn but earned through practice. The biggest hurdle is the dry-fire aspect of the practice, THEN the accuracy and range time.
Even guys like Jelly Brice, who was in law enforcement for years but was a most excellent shot before ever getting into service, spent many many hours doing dry fire drills in front of a mirror. Is it neither practical nor probable for some 99% of us to practice these skills? I would say no.

"Even the Journey of 10,000 miles began with the first step"

 

[Brian Williams]

Nope, work hard at shooting one at a time and hitting what you aim at, throwing a storm of bullets downrange only works for missle defense for large ships.