As police chased Raymond "Ready" Martinez through Times Square on Thursday, the street hustler and aspiring rapper fired two shots, holding the gun sideways "like a character out of a rap video." According to the New York Post, Martinez's side grip caused the gun to jam, enabling police to shoot and kill the suspect. What's the point of holding a gun sideways?
To look Hollywood, of course. Journalists and gun experts point to the 1993 Hughes brothers film Menace II Society, which depicts the side grip in its opening scene, as the movie that popularized the style. Although the directors claim to have witnessed a side grip robbery in Detroit in 1987, there are few reports of street gangs using the technique until after the movie came out. The Hughes brothers didn't invent the grip, though. In 1961's One-Eyed Jacks, Marlon Brando used it, as did Eli Wallach in 1966's The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Directors may prefer the style because it makes it easier to see both the weapon and the actor's face in a tight camera shot.
While the New York Post reported that Martinez's side grip caused the gun to "stovepipe"—that's when the spent casing gets caught in the ejection port, jamming the weapon—it's unlikely that the horizontal orientation caused the failure. In theory, tilting a gun sideways—90-degrees counter-clockwise for a right-handed shooter—means that gravity works against the ejection of the spent casing. As a practical matter, however, gravity is so weak compared to the force of the ejection that jamming is no more frequent in the sideways position than in the customary one. The more likely cause of the jam was Martinez's choice of weapon and ammunition. The MAC-10 is prone to stovepiping—a problem that's exacerbated by the use of hollow-point bullets, which may become deformed and scrape the inside of the barrel, or underpowered ammunition, which can slow the slide and throw off the mechanism's timing.
While the side grip does not increase the risk of stovepiping, it is terrible for aim. It's extremely difficult to properly use the top-mounted sight on a handgun that is turned sideways. Not that this matters much to the average street criminal. According to an FBI study, 60 percent of them don't even use the sight. Aiming a gun sideways has long been shorthand for risky, indiscriminate shooting. The title character in George Washington Cable's 1894 novel John March, Southerner, exclaims, "No man shall come around here aiming his gun sideways; endangering the throngs of casual bystanders!"
During the first half of the 20th century, soldiers used the side grip for the express purpose of endangering throngs of people. Some automatic weapons from this era—like the Mauser C96 or the grease gun—fired so quickly or with such dramatic recoil that soldiers found it impossible to aim anything but the first shot. Soldiers began tilting the weapons, so that the recoil sent the gun reeling in a horizontal rather than vertical arc, enabling them to spray bullets into an onrushing enemy battalion instead of over their heads.
Nowadays, the only time professionals use the side grip is while holding riot shields, which limit their field of vision. Turning the gun and raising it up make the sight slightly more visible.
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Rorschach: You see, Doctor, God didn't kill that little girl. Fate didn't butcher her and destiny didn't feed her to those dogs. If God saw what any of us did that night he didn't seem to mind. From then on I knew... God doesn't make the world this way. We do.
I think it's kinda cool actually. Let the trained professionals do it the right way, and let the criminals enjoy their lack of accuracy and spent cartridges in their faces. Plus if one were to use and kind of self defense technique
(not that I would, if you want something that I have to give you and not shooting me what it takes, then it's all yours no problem. if I don't have anything left to give but my life, then that's a different story)
the criminal has done half the work of turning and putting the arm and a really precarious angle..
but all in all I encourage any wrong-doer who uses a gun to hold it at the side. Please use crappy guns and inappropriate ammo for the gun.
__________________ "Form follows function - that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union." - Frank Lloyd Wright
I think it's kinda cool actually. Let the trained professionals do it the right way, and let the criminals enjoy their lack of accuracy and spent cartridges in their faces. Plus if one were to use and kind of self defense technique
Unfortunately they end up shooting senior citizens and kids before their intended target. Or, they hole up some cars and front doors.
re. MAC10 I thought they are reliable?? They sure are ugly and carry the ghetto stereotype, but a .45ACP 'pistol' that fires that fast is kinda cool Of course, you may have a hard time hitting your target...but I do OK with a suppressed 10 w/30rnd mag. I always though the majority of 'MAC10s' on the street were 9mm.
Unfortunately they end up shooting senior citizens and kids before their intended target. Or, they hole up some cars and front doors.
re. MAC10 I thought they are reliable?? They sure are ugly and carry the ghetto stereotype, but a .45ACP 'pistol' that fires that fast is kinda cool Of course, you may have a hard time hitting your target...but I do OK with a suppressed 10 w/30rnd mag. I always though the majority of 'MAC10s' on the street were 9mm.
Originally chambered for .45ACP -- later variants were made in 9mm and .380. I've always heard of it described as a POS weapon.
Real Mac-10, 11 and M-11/M-12s are very, very reliable guns. They are not the most accurate and you can really only use ball ammo (golden sabers also work in the M-12; don't know about the others.)
The Tec-9 and all it's derivatives and variants are true pieces of sh!t. They are very poorly made. The barrel will be shot out after a couple hundred rounds because Intratec used very soft metals and don't do heat treatment. They jam every three or four rounds. Also, they cannot use hollow points of any kind. I would love it if these were handed out to criminals.
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Hey Obama - Keep your change and let me keep mine!
To look Hollywood, of course. Journalists and gun experts point to the 1993 Hughes brothers film Menace II Society, which depicts the side grip in its opening scene, as the movie that popularized the style.
Journalists? Most of them seem to get their gun "education" from movies and TV and have no basis whatsoever in fact and reality.
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Hey Obama - Keep your change and let me keep mine!
Actually it might be hard holding my AK sideways with a full 30rnd magazine and even harder with the drum.
__________________
Rorschach: You see, Doctor, God didn't kill that little girl. Fate didn't butcher her and destiny didn't feed her to those dogs. If God saw what any of us did that night he didn't seem to mind. From then on I knew... God doesn't make the world this way. We do.
On a related topic, don't forget the gun show at Valley Forge this weekend!
This close to Christmas?
Pass....
I dont really need anything.....even ammo.
__________________
Rorschach: You see, Doctor, God didn't kill that little girl. Fate didn't butcher her and destiny didn't feed her to those dogs. If God saw what any of us did that night he didn't seem to mind. From then on I knew... God doesn't make the world this way. We do.
Gangsta holds gun sideways, Gun jams, Shot dead
Of course, you may have a hard time hitting your target...but I do OK with a suppressed 10 w/30rnd mag. I always though the majority of 'MAC10s' on the street were 9mm.
