22 G&A october 2019 |hAndGunninG
Another advantage of the neck-index approach is if fur-
ther force is required, it is easy, instinctual and safe to drive
the light back out to the pistol and assume the hand-held/
two-handed shooting technique.
So, which two-handed shooting technique should you
use? That depends on how you hold the light when you
search. Most instructors teach a flashlight reverse-barrel
grip with the thumb at the rear of the light. This works
whether the button is on the tailcap, allowing the thumb
to activate it, or on the barrel, allowing the pinky finger to
activate it. This posture also lets the searcher elevate the
light and move it away easily from the body. Most impor-
tantly, it lets the searcher easily transition into a shooter by
using the Harries technique.
The Harries technique is where the back of the
support/flashlight hand meets the back of the
primary/gun hand allowing the shooter to control
the recoil with isometric tension. This technique
works regardless of whether or not you happen
to be shooting using the Weaver stance or the
Isosceles stance. If you’re a Weaver shooter,
the support elbow stays pointed at the ground,
creating the tension. If you’re an Iso shooter,
keep both elbows bent and you’ll also be able
to make tension. Case in point: An isometric
contraction is carrying the pistol in front of you
while the weight of the gun pulls downwards.
Your hands and arms will oppose the motion
with equal force to go upwards. Since you aren’t raising or
lowering your arms, your biceps take on the duty of iso-
metrically contracting. The key is to keep the backs of the
hands pressed together using tension to control the recoil.
If the primary hand is sitting on top of the support wrist like
a tabletop, you’re not accomplishing anything.
If you search with your flashlight using thumb-forward
grip on the barrel, then transitioning to a neck-index
usually isn’t possible, although you can bring the light into
your chest, keeping the beam on the threat. If further force
is required, the shooter can then bring the light back out
to the gun using the Chapman technique. The Chapmen
technique is where the index and thumb encircle the barrel
of the light, and the three
remaining fingers wrap
around the primary hand,
approximating a two-
handed firing grip. I do not
teach this technique nor do
I advocate it. My personal
and professional experi-
ence has led me to the
conclusion that the transi-
tion from the neck-index to
the Harries technique works
much better for a wider
swath of students. Regard-
less of which technique you
choose, remember: Your shooting technique must match
your searching technique. Midfight is a terrible time to try
to figure these things out.
This leaves us with gun-mounted lights. Are they
necessary? While you are far less likely to need them
than a good handheld light, it’s still a good idea to have
gun-mounted light capability. If an arm or hand is com-
promised, you still have the ability to use a light and a
gun. Also, there may be times when you have no choice
but to aggress a threat, such as when children or family
members are involved. This is when the gun light gives an
incredible advantage. No matter how good your handheld
techniques are, you will shoot better with your preferred
technique and gun light; That’s just a fact.When searching,
point the light at
the floor or ceil-
ing, using the spill
of the light to scan
the room. This
helps preserve
your dark vision
as you look for an
intruder.Once an intruder
is detected, point
the light directly
at him to identify.
Draw the light
back to the neck
before drawing
the gun.The reverse-barrel grip on the light places
the thumb on the switch and provides a very
firm grasp. Use the pinky to turn on lights
with a barrel-mounted switch.No matter how good you are with a hand-held
light, you’ll shoot faster and more accurately
with a light that’s affixed to a pistol.The Harries technique places
the gun and light hands back to
back. Isometric tension between
them helps control recoil.