I have a question for you all, do you shoot your LCP with one eye open or both eyes open? I am a right handed shooter and shoot with right eye open and left closed, but I was wondering if anyone has tried shooting with both eyes open and if so could you tell a difference in your accuracy? I have not yet tried this.
One eye or two?
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
I've always considered it best to shoot with both eyes open when using a combat weapon. Closing one eye limits the amount of peripheral vision available in a gunfight and causes a lack of depth perception.
In a gunfight, you want all possible peripheral vision so that you can pick up threats that might be lurking outside your main target area. Keeping both eyes open is the best possible way to detect threats and make use of available cover. The experts are nearly unanimous in this regard.
Train to shoot with both eyes open and it will quickly become habit. We fight the way we train and it doesn't make sense to limit yourself to one eye in a fight.
When we discuss accuracy with a firearm, it helps to understand just exactly what type accuracy we should expect. The LCP is not a precision firearm capable of great accuracy at extended ranges. It's a deep concealment pistol and will probably be used at ranges not much over seven yards. In practical use, I find that I can keep the vast majority of my shots in the 8-ring of a standard B-27 target at 25 yards and can make head shots with ease at 7 yards. This is acceptable combat accuracy and all that should be expected of any small pistol.
During the last qualification I let a number of my fellow LEO's try the pistol and most of them could make head shots at 7 yards. From that experience a number of those officers ordered LCPs.
In a gunfight, you want all possible peripheral vision so that you can pick up threats that might be lurking outside your main target area. Keeping both eyes open is the best possible way to detect threats and make use of available cover. The experts are nearly unanimous in this regard.
Train to shoot with both eyes open and it will quickly become habit. We fight the way we train and it doesn't make sense to limit yourself to one eye in a fight.
When we discuss accuracy with a firearm, it helps to understand just exactly what type accuracy we should expect. The LCP is not a precision firearm capable of great accuracy at extended ranges. It's a deep concealment pistol and will probably be used at ranges not much over seven yards. In practical use, I find that I can keep the vast majority of my shots in the 8-ring of a standard B-27 target at 25 yards and can make head shots with ease at 7 yards. This is acceptable combat accuracy and all that should be expected of any small pistol.
During the last qualification I let a number of my fellow LEO's try the pistol and most of them could make head shots at 7 yards. From that experience a number of those officers ordered LCPs.
It's better to shoot with both eyes open if you can. Some people simply can't. One of the best shooters I know (my former shooting partner) always closed his non-dominant eye when using his sights.
The reality is that under stress, most people (a) won't use their sights and (b) will have both eyes wide open.
As for the LCP's accuracy, I don't think there is enough data yet to form a cohesive opinion. I'm planning to do some 25yd accuracy testing from a bench with three or four different commercial loads either later this week or next week. I'll be using a Crimson Trace laser to aim, which should help eliminate much of the human factor in terms of the marginal sights that are standard on the LCP. Still, even using just the iron sights, I've been able to keep all my shots in a 6" circle at 25yd offhand. Not spectacular but certainly adequate to the purpose.
The reality is that under stress, most people (a) won't use their sights and (b) will have both eyes wide open.
As for the LCP's accuracy, I don't think there is enough data yet to form a cohesive opinion. I'm planning to do some 25yd accuracy testing from a bench with three or four different commercial loads either later this week or next week. I'll be using a Crimson Trace laser to aim, which should help eliminate much of the human factor in terms of the marginal sights that are standard on the LCP. Still, even using just the iron sights, I've been able to keep all my shots in a 6" circle at 25yd offhand. Not spectacular but certainly adequate to the purpose.
I try to shoot with only one eye open, but it's hard to remember. When I was in my teens I had a marine battery blow up in my face which burned a few layers of my cornea off on my right eye. While I recovered my vision 100%, my dominate eye shifted from my right to my left. I didn't figure it out until later playing baseball I could no longer hit very well, and when hunting pheasants I kept missing way too many (shotguns you normally keep both eyes open). The dominate eye takes over focus, I was sighting using my right eye as I'm right handed, but my left eye was actually taking over. I was missing things by 2-3 feet. Now I try and force my right eye to focus by keeping the left closed as much as possible. BTW it's been 30 years and my left is still dominate, all from that 5 week period of healing with a patch on that eye.
While this is a out of the ordinary situation, no one method is right for all so I'm not a fan of sweeping statements.
While this is a out of the ordinary situation, no one method is right for all so I'm not a fan of sweeping statements.
Joined
·
57 Posts
I am Left Eye dominant and have fooled around with the both Eye shooting method. At first it is difficult for me to focus on all I need to encompass before I go BANG. But it seems to align easier with more practice. I am not sure I want to take the extra time to do this if I am in a situation where I need a quick aim. Practice,Practice, Practice is the rule they say. Being over 60, my eye sight "sucks" with bifocals and all that goes along with that. I have not been able to shoot my LCP yet but I have a CT on my XD-40 that lets me keep my eye's open and hit the intended target. .......Dave
When I was growing up, I always shot long guns dominant eye open but I have to say that what paw paw says makes a lot of sense to me. My concern would be, how well could I focus on the target? I am going to practice this technique and see what happens. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on this.
Joined
·
35 Posts
I was trained to focus on the front sight. Doing so makes it very hard for me to shoot both eyes open. I'm working on it, though. I find shooting both eyes open is easier if I focus on the target, but then my accuracy goes to pot.
I am FBI certified Handgun Instructor. Make sure the weapon is unloaded. Use right/left hand to draw and point. Which is more comfortable? Which hand allows more functional movement?
(Magazine release, Slide retraction, Magazine insertion, Etc).
Aim at a target. Your Master eye will keep target centered when you close the other eye. No big deal.
For LCP purpose, just get comfortable with carry and quick draw.
Both eyes open, make sure slide/weapon angle is in direction of target.
You ain't gonna have time to put a Crimson Trace or painted flourescent sight on target and "squeeze".
(Magazine release, Slide retraction, Magazine insertion, Etc).
Aim at a target. Your Master eye will keep target centered when you close the other eye. No big deal.
For LCP purpose, just get comfortable with carry and quick draw.
Both eyes open, make sure slide/weapon angle is in direction of target.
You ain't gonna have time to put a Crimson Trace or painted flourescent sight on target and "squeeze".
On further thought .....just aim the slide. Forget about the "sights". Both eyes open, fast response draw, slide (top) view parallel and on on line with target.
That's all "they" will give you for response.
Been there....
Don't try to improve the LCP as designed/intended. Perfect as is.
That's all "they" will give you for response.
Been there....
Don't try to improve the LCP as designed/intended. Perfect as is.
Joined
·
35 Posts
Makes sense. You have to aim one of the NAA mini-revolvers by sighting along the revolver's top strap. There's no rear sight, so the front sight is really only useful for windage ... and only marginally useful for that. At the ranges you'll need an LCP, sighting the slide makes good sense.
As a general rule, if the entire silhouette of the gun is within the silhouette of the target and you're pointing the gun straight ahead, you are going to hit the target somewhere.
The question becomes, of course, whether hitting someone "somewhere" with a little .380 is an adequate response.
The question becomes, of course, whether hitting someone "somewhere" with a little .380 is an adequate response.
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
