Elbows, bent or straight

[Dframe]

My stance is very similar to the late Mr Coopers(though reversed since I shoot lefty). It' not something I set out consciously to do. It simply evolved over many years of shooting. I think locked elbows allow recoil to disturb sight alignment. The slight flex of bent elbows allows a little movement of the hands to occur during recoil but return the gun quickly to shooting position.
Anyway thats my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

[Old Dog]

Wow, some strong opinions here. My experience has been that different stances work differently for different people. I was a Weaver fanatic (thank you, USMC) for years until I found a stance that worked better for me. Yet, I still see guys who shoot great with locked elbows, and other guys who shoot equally well with crooked elbows.

 

[benzy2]

I have heard one justification for locked elbows that made sense. That was to drive the hands forward fully and lock at full forward. What this allows is a consistent, though maybe not natural, grip/stance under stress. If you have to back off or mentally check your position under no stress things will only head down hill with it. Maybe not the best idea, but it does have a hint of logic that could make sense in a high stress situation. Giving up a little recoil management for a repeatable setup seems like it could be beneficial. I don't practice it, but I wouldn't think less of someone using that logic to lock their elbows.