Buttstroke

buttstroke

Butt-stroking is an offensive technique. Today the Wikiworm consults Wikipedia to find out the best techniques to use whilst butt-stroking.

 

The buttstroke or butt-stroking, i.e., striking someone with the buttstock of a rifle, 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.

The 1918 United States Navy Landing-force Manual describes the following techniques of buttstroking:

Buttstroke I – Upward swing: Swing the butt up at the opponent’s crotch, ribs, forearm, etc.,-using a half-arm blow or advancing the rear foot. Buttstroke I is essentially a half-arm blow from the shoulder, keeping the elbow rigid, and it can therefore be successfully employed only when the right hand is grasping the rifle at the small of the stock.
Buttstroke II – Forward strike: If the opponent jumps back so that the first butt stroke misses, the rifle will come into a horizontal position over the left shoulder, butt leading; the attacker will then step in with the rear foot and dash the butt into his opponent’s face.
Buttstroke III – Downward cut: If the opponent retires still farther out of distance, the attacker again closes up and slashes his bayonet down on his opponent’s head or neck.
Buttstroke IV – Side blow: If a thrust has been made at an opponent and parried, the butt can be effectively used by stepping in with the rear foot swinging the rifle to the left and rear, so that the butt leads and is in front of the right forearm. Then dash the butt into the opponent’s face, or against the side of his head or jaw. When the opponent is out of distance, butt stroke III can again be used. In individual fighting, the butt can also be used horizontally against the opponent’s ribs, forearm, etc. This method is impossible in trench fighting or in an attack, owing to the horizontal sweep of the bayonet to the attacker’s left.

 

 

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About Author Profile: Worm

In between dealing with all things technological in the Dabbler engine room, Worm writes the weekly Wikiworm column every Saturday and our monthly Book Club newsletters.

One thought on “Buttstroke

  1. george.jansen55@gmail.com'
    George
    April 18, 2015 at 14:23

    After one of the battles on the Peninsula, Malvern Hill I think, the Irish Brigade of the Army of the Potomac required much repair and replacement of musket stocks. I think that the men may have used none of the 1918 methods, but simply grasped the barrel and swung it as a club.

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