A buttstroke or butt-stroking is the act of striking someone with the buttstock of a rifle, shotgun, or other long gun. It is a common case of the use of a firearm as a blunt weapon. Buttstroke is among the major offensive techniques with the rifle and bayonet in close-at-hand combat and is the recommended method of close combat if the rifleman has no bayonet or sidearm available. [1] [2]
Despite technological changes, modern soldiers continue to report that hand-to-hand combat is a continued occurrence in the field, with soldiers stressing the importance of training in grappling and the use of weapons in hand-to-hand combat. [3]
Buttstrokes are implemented by a variety of combatants, often trained in a series of transitioned movements to prevent wasted motion and ensure that the aggressor is able to make repeated attacks or quickly parry or guard following a failed attempt. [2] [4] Buttstrokes can be combined with kicking and kneeing an opponent's lower body to further increase effectiveness and provide more variety to routes of attack. [5] [6]
Buttstrokes carry the risk of damaging one's weapon, and, by some schools of thought, are considered best a method of last resort, recommending the use of bayonets, if possible, when engaged in close quarters combat. [7] Even if relying primarily on bayonets, a buttstroke may still prove effective as a transitional move following a failed bayonet charge, bringing the butt of the gun in a vertical, upward swing into the combatant's groin. [7]
Part of the butt stroke training regimen involves hitting padded dummies, alongside working through drills with partners in order to avoid damaging one's weapon. [5] [7] [8]
![]() | The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a
worldwide view of the subject. (October 2018) |
The 1918 United States Navy Landing-force Manual describes the following techniques of buttstroking which would be adopted by the United States National Guard and other branches of the military: [2] [4] [5] [9] [10] [11]
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A buttstroke or butt-stroking is the act of striking someone with the buttstock of a rifle, shotgun, or other long gun. It is a common case of the use of a firearm as a blunt weapon. Buttstroke is among the major offensive techniques with the rifle and bayonet in close-at-hand combat and is the recommended method of close combat if the rifleman has no bayonet or sidearm available. [1] [2]
Despite technological changes, modern soldiers continue to report that hand-to-hand combat is a continued occurrence in the field, with soldiers stressing the importance of training in grappling and the use of weapons in hand-to-hand combat. [3]
Buttstrokes are implemented by a variety of combatants, often trained in a series of transitioned movements to prevent wasted motion and ensure that the aggressor is able to make repeated attacks or quickly parry or guard following a failed attempt. [2] [4] Buttstrokes can be combined with kicking and kneeing an opponent's lower body to further increase effectiveness and provide more variety to routes of attack. [5] [6]
Buttstrokes carry the risk of damaging one's weapon, and, by some schools of thought, are considered best a method of last resort, recommending the use of bayonets, if possible, when engaged in close quarters combat. [7] Even if relying primarily on bayonets, a buttstroke may still prove effective as a transitional move following a failed bayonet charge, bringing the butt of the gun in a vertical, upward swing into the combatant's groin. [7]
Part of the butt stroke training regimen involves hitting padded dummies, alongside working through drills with partners in order to avoid damaging one's weapon. [5] [7] [8]
![]() | The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a
worldwide view of the subject. (October 2018) |
The 1918 United States Navy Landing-force Manual describes the following techniques of buttstroking which would be adopted by the United States National Guard and other branches of the military: [2] [4] [5] [9] [10] [11]
{{
cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires |journal=
(
help)