Weaver stance
Encyclopedia
The Weaver stance is a popular technique for firing handguns. It was developed by Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff
Jack Weaver
during freestyle pistol competition in Southern California
during the late 1950s.
or revolver
and the support hand wraps around the dominant hand. The dominant arm's elbow is nearly straight while the support elbow is noticeably bent straight down. The shooter pushes forward with his dominant hand while the support hand exerts rearward pressure. The resultant isometric tension is intended to lessen and control muzzle flip when the gun is fired.
. The others are a large-caliber handgun, the flash sight picture, the compressed breath, and the surprise break.
, a range officer at the L.A. County Sheriff's Mira Loma pistol range. At the time, Weaver was competing in Jeff Cooper's "Leatherslap" matches: quick draw, man-on-man competition in which two shooters vied to pop twelve 18" wide balloons set up 21 feet away, whichever shooter burst all the balloons first winning the bout. Weaver developed his technique as a way to draw a handgun quickly to eye level and use the weapon's sights to aim more accurately, and immediately began winning against opponents predominantly using unsighted "hip shooting" techniques.
This technique was dubbed "the Weaver Stance" by gunwriter and firearms instructor Jeff Cooper, who widely publicized it in several books, as well as articles published in the then-fledgling Guns & Ammo
magazine. When Cooper started the American Pistol Institute (since renamed Gunsite) firearms training school in 1977, his Modern Technique of the Pistol was built around a somewhat formalized "Classic Weaver Stance". Due to Cooper's influence, the Weaver Stance became very popular among armed personnel. Though in competition and special operations work today it has been largely supplanted by a modified isosceles stance, it remains a popular technique with many shooters.
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Jack Weaver
Jack Weaver
Jack Weaver was a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff and the developer of the Weaver Stance, a popular position from which to fire handguns.-Biography:...
during freestyle pistol competition in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
during the late 1950s.
Description
The Weaver Stance is a two-handed technique in which the dominant hand holds the pistolPistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
or revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
and the support hand wraps around the dominant hand. The dominant arm's elbow is nearly straight while the support elbow is noticeably bent straight down. The shooter pushes forward with his dominant hand while the support hand exerts rearward pressure. The resultant isometric tension is intended to lessen and control muzzle flip when the gun is fired.
The Modern Technique of the Pistol
The Weaver Stance is one of five components of the "Modern Technique of the Pistol" developed by Jeff CooperJeff Cooper
John Dean "Jeff" Cooper was recognized as the father of what is commonly known as "the Modern Technique" of handgun shooting, and one of the 20th century's foremost international experts on the use and history of small arms....
. The others are a large-caliber handgun, the flash sight picture, the compressed breath, and the surprise break.
History
The Weaver Stance was developed in 1959 by pistol shooter and deputy sheriff Jack WeaverJack Weaver
Jack Weaver was a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff and the developer of the Weaver Stance, a popular position from which to fire handguns.-Biography:...
, a range officer at the L.A. County Sheriff's Mira Loma pistol range. At the time, Weaver was competing in Jeff Cooper's "Leatherslap" matches: quick draw, man-on-man competition in which two shooters vied to pop twelve 18" wide balloons set up 21 feet away, whichever shooter burst all the balloons first winning the bout. Weaver developed his technique as a way to draw a handgun quickly to eye level and use the weapon's sights to aim more accurately, and immediately began winning against opponents predominantly using unsighted "hip shooting" techniques.
This technique was dubbed "the Weaver Stance" by gunwriter and firearms instructor Jeff Cooper, who widely publicized it in several books, as well as articles published in the then-fledgling Guns & Ammo
Guns & Ammo
Guns & Ammo is a magazine dedicated to firearms, hunting, competition shooting, reloading, and other shooting-related activities in the United States....
magazine. When Cooper started the American Pistol Institute (since renamed Gunsite) firearms training school in 1977, his Modern Technique of the Pistol was built around a somewhat formalized "Classic Weaver Stance". Due to Cooper's influence, the Weaver Stance became very popular among armed personnel. Though in competition and special operations work today it has been largely supplanted by a modified isosceles stance, it remains a popular technique with many shooters.
External links
- American Handgunner Feature on Jack Weaver http://www.americanhandgunner.com/Ftrs/WEAVER08/WEAVER08.html