We've all seen the pictures and/or film of WWII era Army training showing GI's firing the .45ACP one-handed. I had wondered about this for a long time. So, when I was up at my Fathers (WWII Pacific Theater, Korea, Vietnam) showing him my latest acquisition, I asked him about it. He said it was to keep one hand free to hold something else, such as a knife. Would like to know any more info you all might have.

... or the reins of the horse depending on just how "old Army" you happen to be!

-- Chuck

I served during Vietnam -- mid-60s. I wasn't issued a 1911 as a duty weapon ... depending on station, I was assigned either an M-14, M-1 carbine, or M-16 ... but I was on a competition shooting team for awhile, and we fired the 1911 one-handed (duelist style).

__________________
Hawkmoon
On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

war story maybe, or old wive's tale, but it was explained to me that most people are right handed, therefore it was designed as a right handed weapon, which is why it does not have an ambi safety much less a left handed slide stop or mag release, and was designed to be shot with the right hand while the left hand held the reigns of the horse you happened to be riding.

So yes according to the tale I was told, you do shoot it one handed, or at least they trained that way

In the USAF in the early 1960s we used the 1911A-1. The horses were long gone but you would not know it by the way we trained. We not only fired one-handed, Camp Perry style, but we stood almost shoulder to shoulder and did not use hearing protection. The trigger pulls were almost as heavy as a small SUV but it was the lack of hearing protection that really made everyone’s scores so dismal. Later in the mid 1960s we went to the Smith & Wesson Model 15, Combat Masterpiece in .38 Special and fired two-handed. With arms extended the shooting hand was placed in the palm of the off hand. Not exactly Weaver but it certainly improved scores. The old-time sergeants sneered at the technique and derisively referred to it as tea cup and saucer. But then, these old boys could shoot the eyeball out of a gnat at 25 yards one-handed

When I was in th Marine Corps, we didn't get Barettas where I was stationed until late in 93 or 94 so I always carried a 1911.
We always get stuff late or stuff handed down to us it seems, but we make it work.

I would agree that back in the old days the one-handed stance was a matter of keeping one hand available to do stuff with, holding reigns, a K-Bar, whatever.

I do a lot of one hand and off-hand shooting simply because you never know what might happen, say something goes down and you can't use both hands, you better be prepaired.

As an aside, I was looking through a recent issue of Leatherneck (a Marine Corps oriented publication) a month or so back and they did an article on the military shooting matches, they are still done one-handed and at 50 yards to boot.

Them Gyrenes do know how to shoot. You gotta love ‘em.
When I was flying over Nam in the latter part of the war and there was a lot of racial tension and discipline was breaking down in the Army I always hoped if I went down and the USAF PJs could not get in with a chopper it would be US Marines that came to get me.

My Brother was a doorgunner with the 1/7 Air Cav. (Sister unit of the one portrayed in Apocolypse Now) He worked with Special Forces alot. Even went into Cambodia at night to rescue those guys. Would you have refused his help?

My Father , an Army Combat Engineer in the Pacific went in at night and cleared beaches for the Marines. The guys that were really there know who was first on the beaches on many of those islands. It wasn't the Marines.

If you want to believe the Marine Corp propaganda, go ahead. Me thinks you paint the Army with a very wide brush. And it grows very tiresome.

Bacon,

You have my apology if I offended you. During my career I worked with Army SF and airborne and have nothing but the profoundest respect for them as well as the US Army in general. Indeed, I respect and honor anyone who willing served his or her country. Yes I would have been delighted to know Army SF forces were coming to get me out. Heck I would have been tickled to see any American if they were armed. However, there were a lot of discipline problems during the Viet Nam War thanks to the Anti-American left. Not only the Army but the USAF and the Navy had problems as well. You may or may not have read that for the first time in its proud history the US Navy had a mutiny on a warship on the high seas. The USAF had its share also but the one service that held it together and kept everyone focused on the color of the uniform rather than the color of ones skin better than the others was the Marines. Certainly, part of this was due to the Corp being smaller, more cohesive, and a volunteer group. The Army was plagued with hippy conscripts who did not want to serve their country but rather wanted everything handed to them on a silver platter. But this is not the entire reason for the Marines maintaining discipline. Even the aforementioned would not have helped if it weren’t for the Marine’s Esprit de Corps and rigorous training. I assure you I am not an apologist for the Marines and readily enter into the inter-service joshing that is part of life for the professional soldier. However, we must give credit where credit is due. Even to the Marines.
Bacon, I did not mean to besmirch the reputation of the US Army or anyone else. My remarks were not intended to do so but if I expressed myself rather poorly and gave that impression I, again, apologize most sincerely.

Bill

Hi Bill,
No problem. I could have chosen my words a little better also.

As an engineer in the US Merchant Marine for the last 35 years I've served on government owned or contracted ships. From a troop ship pulling ROK Army out of Vietnam to a container ship suppling our guys in Desert Storm. And 3 ammo ships in between. As a civilian I am not considered a Veteran. However, I do know the sick feeling of working in the engine room of a big fat target in a war zone. People can bad-mouth the Merchant Marine all they want & it doesn't bother me. I know where my heart is and feel privileged to help out our folks in uniform. However, I get defensive about the fine people who have quietly served and died while wearing the uniform of the US Army. Those people are my heroes.

Sorry if I over-reacted and Thank You for your service.

Steve