Cocking the hammer with your off hand, NOT fanning.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

 

A question.   I have seen in some old Westerns where folks would cock the hammers on the SAA's using the palm of their free hand, and then pointing their pistol with their other hand, one handed, at the target to pull the trigger.   This is not fanning the hammer, which we all know is not allowed.  It does look similar to fanning, but that's not really what it is.  It certainly violates the rules for Duelist style shooting.  But would this practice be considered against the rules in general?   I have no personal interest in trying it.  It was just something I saw on a Western and found myself wondering it it would legal according to our rules.   

[Dirty Dog Doug]

I used my off hand thumb to cock my pistols 

if I can hold the trigger down and shoot fast  or If I need to cock the gun then aim carefully

[Captain Bill Burt]

38 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

A question.   I have seen in some old Westerns where folks would cock the hammers on the SAA's using the palm of their free hand, and then pointing their pistol with their other hand, one handed, at the target to pull the trigger.   This is not fanning the hammer, which we all know is not allowed.  It does look similar to fanning, but that's not really what it is.  It certainly violates the rules for Duelist style shooting.  But would this practice be considered against the rules in general?   I have no personal interest in trying it.  It was just something I saw on a Western and found myself wondering it it would legal according to our rules.   

SHB page 15

Any unsafe handling in the course of a draw from the holster or any “fanning” to shoot a revolver is strictly forbidden. Slip-hammering is not the same as fanning and is legal.

 

SHB page 45

Fanning - A handgun (revolver, pocket pistol, or derringer) shooting technique in which one hand controls the trigger and the other hits the hammer singularly or repeatedly without any part of the cocking hand remaining in contact with the handgun or the support hand.

 

What you're describing sounds like fanning to me.  In your view, how does it differ from fanning?

[Assassin]

If it's done slowly it's not fanning. It's faux fanning.

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Fee-fie-faux-fannie. 

 

The hand doing the cocking has to remain in contact with the revolver or support hand.  If it's "flying around," it's fanning.

 

Good luck, GJ

 

 

[Equanimous Phil]

1 hour ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

It was just something I saw on a Western

 

Do you remember the title of the Western? I'd enjoy to watch that scene!

 

Equanimous

[Sarge]

I under stand what the OP is saying.  Typically fanning is thought of as holding the trigger down and fanning the hammer with the other hand wit the trigger held down.  OP is stating the trigger is pulled for each shot rather than held down.  I believe it is still fanning under the rule as the cocking hand leaves the gun.

[Captain Bill Burt]

Pinning the trigger back is slip hammering, perfectly legal. 
 

Holding a revolver with one hand only while hitting the hammer with the offhand is fanning, regardless of whether the trigger is pulled every time or not.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

1 hour ago, Equanimous Phil said:

 

Do you remember the title of the Western? I'd enjoy to watch that scene!

 

Equanimous

 

 It was on the TV Western Paradise/The Guns of Paradise starring Lee Horsely.   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_(TV_series)   For some reason, that scene popped into my head and I was wondering about it.

 

It looked like a very impractical, very slow way to get the gun ready to shoot, and I wondered why they were doing it that way.  The shooter brought the gun hand and the empty hand together to cock the gun, then reached back out with his gun hand to point and shoot.

 

Fanning is the fast slapping of the hammer to cock the gun and then release it as soon as the free hand is clear of the gun since the trigger is held back.

This was not that at all.   I figure that it probably would be *considered* fanning, but I was genuinely curious if people would think of it as really being that.

[Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667]

It seems like Bob Munden or some other trick shot artist used to fire two or three shots very quickly using different fingers, and perhaps the thumb or heel, of the support hand to run the hammer.  If that could be done while keeping the support hand in contact with the revolver throughout, it would seem to be legal.   Not that I would do it, or recommend it.

[Equanimous Phil]

3 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

It looked like a very impractical, very slow way to get the gun ready to shoot, and I wondered why they were doing it that way. 

 

Well, on TV someone maybe considered it cool...

In CAS I could imagine someone with two bad thumbs still wanting to shoot duelist could use such a technique, but not in duelist category, of course

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Oh well! I guess I won't shoot the Plainsman side match anymore. I've been getting an accommodation to cock with the off hand as long as I don't hold the gun with both hands. 

 

PS It is not worth it to me to lower the hammers or get new guns for something I am rarely able to shoot. I've only shot the side match as I can't load the guns and just change cylinders.

[Ringer]

1 hour ago, Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 said:

It seems like Bob Munden or some other trick shot artist used to fire two or three shots very quickly using different fingers, and perhaps the thumb or heel, of the support hand to run the hammer.  If that could be done while keeping the support hand in contact with the revolver throughout, it would seem to be legal.   Not that I would do it, or recommend it.

That is Bill Oglesby aka Badlands Bill.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

H.K., the way you described it sounds perfectly safe.  Years ago a local pard with arthritis in his thumbs shot that way, slowly.  But this same question came up here not that long ago, and the way the rules are worded it is not legal.

[McCandless]

A Match Director can do a lot of things to accommodate disabilities.   If someone needs to use this slower method in order to shoot, that's fine, better than not being able to shoot at all!

But yes, it does come under the SASS definition of "fanning"... maybe slow-motion fanning or has been mentioned, "faux fanning".

The fast fanning seen by exhibition shooters is done with highly modified guns and hammers that are illegal for SASS use.  All the other stuff is just "Hollyweird".

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

1 hour ago, Ringer said:

That is Bill Oglesby aka Badlands Bill.

 

I've seen Bob Munden do it, too.

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

It IS "fanning" under the SASS SHB definition quoted by Captain Bill Burt.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

5 minutes ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said:

It IS "fanning" under the SASS SHB definition quoted by Captain Bill Burt.

 

Fair enough.    I assumed it would be, but still wanted to ask. 

  

[Dusty Boddems]

Joe Bowman the showman ! 

 

[Yusta B.]

7 hours ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

Fee-fie-faux-fannie. 

 

Gee - thanks a lot Joe now I can't shake this playing  in my head .....

 

 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Eh...   I think Elmyra did it better.

 

 

Special "gag credit" from this episode:  Name inadvertently omitted from the Name Game:  Plucky.

[Yusta B.]

5 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

Eh...   I think Elmyra did it better.

 

 

You're not helping !!!   

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

43 minutes ago, Yusta B. said:

 

 

You're not helping !!!   

 

But I am having fun.   

[evil dogooder]

The key part is if your off hand is in contact with the gun or support hand.   If you can plant a pinkie or something your good to go

[Rye Miles #13621]

"If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck"

[evil dogooder]

On 12/22/2020 at 11:10 AM, Ringer said:

That is Bill Oglesby aka Badlands Bill.

Actually they both did