William D. Frazer - American Pistol Shooting

First published in 1929

First Skyhorse Publishing edition 2015

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file

Cover design by Owen Corrigan

Cover photo credit: Thinkstock

Print ISBN: 978-1-62914-386-6

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62914-856-4

Printed in the United States of America

Origin of pistol shooting. The first pistols. Where the name came from. Accredited inventor. Its value as a military weapon. The flintlock pistol. Duelling and its effect on modern pistol shooting. Influence of pistol shooting on our national history. Pistol practice in the Army and Navy. The use of pistols by law-enforcement officers. Recreational pistol shooting. Anti-pistol laws. Increasing popularity of pistol practice. Famous pistol shots.

Objectives in pistol shooting. The three main classes of practice. Military shooting described. Qualification badges and medals. Pistol training for the police. A comparison with military work. Type of weapons used. Methods of carrying guns. The pleasures of recreational shooting. Standardized target practice. Shooting for fun. Large caliber versus small bore. Miscellaneous practice.

Necessity for care in selecting pistols. The all-around pistol. Pistols for each class of practice. Points to be considered in purchasing. Beware of cheap foreign pistols. Used pistols. Mechanical efficiency, reliability and accuracy of pistols. Cost and availability of ammunition. Fit and balance. Unsatisfactory stock pistols. Test for balance. Good fitting grips. Special hand-made grips. Best all-around length of barrel. Military pistols. Revolvers versus automatics. Recommended military pistols. Pistols for police officers. The most popular police gun. The best gun for semi-military organizations. The authors recommendations. Pistols for general defensive purposes. Concealed arms. Pistols for recreational shooting. Deliberate fire pistols. Free pistols. All-around small bore pistols. Large bore pistols for general target practice.

Qualifications of a master pistol shot. What is an expert? The target shot and the practical marksman. The all-around shot. The essentials of mastering the art. The knowledge required. What constitutes skill? How may it be acquired? What is co-ordination? Some examples. Poor co-ordination and its effects. Obstacles to success.

The importance of good form. Principles that govern correct shooting positions. The ultimate objective. Differences in opinions. Effects of poor positions. Positions for each style of practice. For general practice. Unorthodox positions. Details of form. Holding the breath.

Hold em and squeeze em. The relations of two important essentials. Untrained nerves and muscles. Natural impulses. The effects of instruction and training. Rigid holding. Holding exercises. Physical condition and holding. The most important essential in pistol shooting. How to squeeze or press a trigger. The use of the finger joints. Side pressure. Rapid squeezing. Trigger squeeze exercises. Value of smooth clean triggers.

The solutions of aiming problems. Principles and methods. The sight picture. Binocular aiming. The master eye. The normal method of aiming. Other methods. The effects of the grip on sight settings. How to sight in a pistol. Rules for adjustment. Sights. Advantages of large sights. Bead and blade sights. Sporting sights. Eyesight and shooting glasses. Light effects. Artificial light problems. A solution. Effects of light changes. Calling the shot and its value in aiming.

The advantages of accurate rapid shooting. The development of co-ordination. Freezing. Practicability of rapid fire. A demonstration. Revolvers or automatics for rapid fire. Basic principles of shooting against time. Starting positions. Time wasting movements. The line of sight. Catching the aim. Revolver manipulation. Double action. Volume of fire. Three methods of cocking. Rapid fire exercises. Firing intervals. Automatic pistol exercises.

Origin of the game. The International Shooting Union. Rules for practice. The main objective. Time limits. Targets and ranges. Free pistols described. The technique of their use. Set triggers. Holding and gripping. Touching or squeezing. Application of American methods. Customs at competitions. Attractions of the game. Its advantages. Popularity in America.

Its possibilities and limitations. Reasons for failure. Important factors affecting ones success. The pistol to use. Fit and balance. Guns to be avoided. Caliber and trigger pull. Length of barrels. Aiming or gun pointing. The question always asked. The accuracy of gun pointing. Straight or bent arm work. Smoothness in movements. The use of both eyes. Where to aim and why. Two methods of snap-shooting. How to throw targets. A few principles. Mechanical target traps. How to teach aerial shooting. Snapping practice. Ease of learning. Amount of daily practice. Good targets. The use of large caliber pistols. Effect of aerial work on standardized target practice. The flinching complex.

The necessity of a pistol for personal protection. For home protection. In large cities and small communities. Defensive practice for guardians of the laws. For citizens who believe in preparedness. The essentials of quick drawing and shooting. Suitable pistols. Those to avoid. How to conceal weapons best. Shooting thru a pocket. Revolvers or automatics for defensive work. A special pocket gun. How it can be drawn and fired. The best methods of carrying pistols for quick work. The thigh position. On the hip. Below the armpit. The best position for a gun, all things considered. The draw across the body. What is the test of a poor position? Suitable holsters for quick drawing. The fallacy of fastening guns in holsters. How to acquire skill in drawing, cocking and firing. Starting positions of the hand. Feints. Accessibility of the gun. Smoothness and precision. How to get speed out of a single-action revolver. How to attain skill in gun pointing. The personal equation in defensive shooting.

A few points of especial interest to police officers. What is practical police practice? How should it be taught? Pistols versus fists. The trend of police thought. Evidences of greater interest in police marksmanship. Instructors for the police. Desirable practice. Encouragement of police teams. The National Police Team match. Police ranges. Police tactics. How to fire from kneeling, sitting and prone positions. Taking cover. Guarding the flanks and rear. Covering a crook. Firing at running criminals. Hints on disarming. Firing with both hands. Three methods. Poor tactics when under fire. Remedies. Double action work. Methods of carrying guns. The best holster for police work.

Why exhibition shooting? Amateur and professional work. What the crowd likes. Faking and legitimate shooting. The average stage exhibition. The showmans viewpoint. The average persons knowledge of shooting. Difficulties of shooting before a crowd. How to please an audience. Alibis. Necessity for rehearsals. Working out a program. The set-up. Suitable targets. How to prepare ones self. Lights and distances. Single shots. Firing with both hands. Breaking moving and stationary targets simultaneously. Splitting cards. The most satisfactory bullets. Hitting without sights. Mirror shots. William Tell stunts. Their dangers. Aerial stunts. Outlining designs. Toy balloon shooting. The ignorant critic.