P&S


POINT SHOOTING AS TAUGHT BY FAIRBAIRN, SYKES AND APPLEGATE.


Point Shooting as taught by Fairbairn, Sykes and Appleqate.

The books Shooting To Live by Fairbairn and Sykes, and Kill or Get Killed by Rex Applegate, plus online sources, provide the basic info on this type of Point Shooting.

The method goes by the recently developed acronyms FAS, and TFS for Threat or Target Focused shooting.

It was developed as a direct result or police combat encounters in China in the early 1900's. Conditions of those encounters mirrored those of today: close range, poor light, dynamic conditions, high stress, etc..

The grip used is a crushing grip. The index finger is placed on the trigger and the gun placed in the web of the hand and gripped until it shakes, and then released some. Here is a pic from KOGK.

apple1

A two hand Isosceles stance can be used with the grip, with the body squared to the target and in a crouch.

For one hand shooting, the gun is held in a low ready position and on center of the body, and with the wrist and arm locked. The arm stays locked as the pistol is then raised from the shoulder. And when on target, a convulsive squeeze is used to fire.

Here is a picture of the low ready.

3quarter

And here is a picture of the gun in the raised position.

apple2

The stiff arm prevents the muzzle of the gun from taking a nose dive, which it normally will do, if the gun is shoved out to full extension without the wist and arm being pre-locked.

I know that one can also sight down the-arm-and-gun to a target, and hit it at some distance.

A key to the method is said to be to FOCUS on the spot on the target that you wish to hit.


Fairbairn and Sykes, in their book: Shooting To Live With The One Hand Gun by Captain William Ewart Fairbairn and Captain Eric Anthony Sykes (1942), had this to say about target shooting versus gun fighting.

"Target shooting has its place and we have no quarrel with it...There probably will be a quarrel, however, when we go on to say that beyond helping to teach care in the handling of fire-arms, target shooting is of no value whatever in learning the use of the pistol as a weapon of combat.

"The two things are as different from each other as chalk from cheese, and what has been learned from target shooting is best unlearned if proficiency is desired in the use of the pistol under actual fighting conditions."

And Rex Applegate, in his book: Kill or Get Killed 1943, said this about target shooting versus gun fighting.

"Visualize the first-class target shot in the following combat situation: It is dark, he is in an alley, a poorly lighted street, or a room in a building. He can hardly see his gun at arm's length, to say nothing of the sights. His muscles are tense, his nerves keyed up to a fighting pitch.

"Suddenly the enemy starts shooting at him from an unexpected quarter.

"Even if he could see the sights, would he take the time to line them up and fire at the enemy's gun flash? Does he take up the trigger slack and squeeze off the shot as he has been taught to do in target shooting?

"Will he make sure that his feet are properly positioned and that he is breathing correctly? He certainly will not! He will grip his gun convulsively, raise it, point or shove it in the general direction of the enemy, and pull (not squeeze) the trigger.

"...In daylight he will do exactly the same thing....

"It is a matter of record that the average hand gun shooting affray takes place at a distance not exceeding 20 feet...Any distance not exceeding 40 feet can be considered as close quarters in the combat use of the pistol or revolver. Beyond that distance the capabilities of the average individual and of the weapon show a marked decline.

"...By proper training at combat ranges, man-killing accuracy, without the use of sights and with extreme speed, can be acquired by the average soldier or police officer. This can be done in less time, and with less expenditure of ammunition, than is required to become even a fair target shot."

Click here for a You-Tube "How To Do" video in WMV format.

Click here for: How To Shoot More effectively In CQB Situations. It contains more info on this shooting method plus text and pics from Shooting to Live and Kill or Get Killed.

Use your go back button to return to the prior page, or click here for the index.