History Main / FiringOneHanded

* The T-800 from [[TheTerminator Terminator 2: Judgement Day]] does this multiple times, most notably in the canal chase sequence (where he shoots and cocks a shotgun one-handed) and his firing of a grenade launcher at Cyberdyne Systems (to disable multiple police cars). Granted, he IS a robot and we get [[RoboCam POV shots]] of his targeting systems in action.
** Not to mention the terminators are strong enough that they don't have to worry so much about the shotgun's kick back. (Anyone else would likely get smacked in the face with it doing this...)
* At one point in ''Tombstone,'' Wyatt Earp blows away a fleeing enemy with a double-barreled shotgun...one-handed, while riding on a horse, at full gallop. Granted, since it's a shotgun, you don't have to be precise, but...

* JamesBond frequently fires one-handed. Marginally justified by his WeaponOfChoice for much of the series being the Walther PPK in 7.65 millimeter/.32 ACP, whose recoil is probably just about manageable one-handed.
** It's actually very manageable, even the more powerful .380 ACP version is easy to shoot one handed with proper training (really neither cartridge is very powerful), also for anyone with average to large hands the PPK is very awkward to shoot with a standard two handed grip due to its small size, and one handed shooting is often preferred.

* All the characters in ''TheMatrix'' fire all manner of weapons one-handed, sometimes while performing various acrobatics, including one character who at one point dual-wields a pair of drum-fed automatic shotguns. Since said action is taking place in the Matrix, where the characters can bend the laws of physics, it's not completely outlandish.
* DirtyHarry fires his famous .44 Magnum one handed. Considering he calls it, "The most powerful handgun in the world" (it no longer is, if it ever was, but it still has a huge kick), you wonder how he manages to be such a great shot with it. Then again, RuleOfCool is firmly in operation in those movies.

**** Except for his [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower freakishly oversized cantaloupe-smuggling arms]]. He [[BeyondTheImpossible pummeled a boulder to force it into lavaflow using them]] I remind you.

* The most recent film version of LastOfTheMohicans features the most inexplicably skilled Hawkeye yet: two flintlock longarms, two shots, two kills (and with a friendly between his two targets to boot).

* In Last of the Mohicans, Hawkeye uses two flint-lock muskets one handed during the end chase scene up the mountain side.

** But he is wearing his HEV suit, and it is some kind of power armor.

* Almost all single-actions revolvers are made to be fired with one hand and become very awkward when using the modern two handed setup. It also doesn't help that if that second hand isn't placed properly, you can lose fingers.

* The Russians in ''CallOfDuty: Modern Warfare 2'' manage to do this with American M240s. These are very heavy, very [[BuffySpeak recoil-y]] weapons.

** Scratch that; prior to ''Fallout 3'', supermutants always carry and fire heavy weapons one-handed. ''Always''. Even miniguns. Justified in that they're [[MightyGlacier Hulk expies]] and have more muscle weight than humans have body weight.
* In the cutscene that plays when launching Left4Dead, Francis does this with a shotgun while aiming out of the corner of his eye. Could be considered a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
* Oda Nobunaga of ''{{Sengoku Basara}}'' wields a SawnOffShotgun one-handed, with a sword in the other.

* In JurassicPark: {{Trespasser}}, main character Anne uses all weapons one handed, due to her other arm not being programmed into the game. This includes rifles. It also includes a ''pump-action shotgun''. And an ''extremely heavy metal mace''.

* In ''{{Boktai}}'', both Django and Aaron fire their smaller Solar Guns one-handed during normal gameplay. During the cutscene where Aaron fires his first shot, he uses both hands; the resulting shot is [[GameplayAndStorySegregation so powerful that it]] ''[[GameplayAndStorySegregation goes through]]'' [[GameplayAndStorySegregation the skeleton he was firing at]]... wait, change that. The shot was big enough to annihilate the skeleton and ''keep on going''!

* Almost all single-actions revolvers are made to be fired with one hand and become very awkward when using the modern two handed setup.

* In ''Videogame/HalfLife'', Gordon Freeman holds his trusty low-powered, low-recoil Glock 17/Beretta M9 two-handed, but somehow fires the high-power, high recoil Colt Python revolver with one hand. In ''[[Videogame/HalfLife2 Half-Life 2]]'' it's reversed, with the USP Match held one-handed and the Python held two-handed. It just goes to show that RevolversAreJustBetter.

* ''TabletopGame/WorldOfDarkness'' games, on the other hand, assume characters are firing pistols two-handed and has a higher Strength requirement for one-handed use.

* [[{{Boktai}} Both Django and Aaron]] fire their smaller Solar Guns one-handed during normal gameplay. During the cutscene where Aaron fires his first shot, he uses both hands; the resulting shot is [[GameplayAndStorySegregation so powerful that it]] ''[[GameplayAndStorySegregation goes through]]'' [[GameplayAndStorySegregation the skeleton he was firing at]]... wait, change that. The shot was big enough to annihilate the skeleton and ''keep on going''!

* Shepard in ''MassEffect'' uses two hands in combat, but only one when s/he wants to look cool (like at a photo op) or is threatening someone.

* In ''HalfLife'', Gordon Freeman holds his trusty low-powered, low-recoil Glock 17/Beretta M9 two-handed, but somehow fires the high-power, high recoil Colt Python revolver with one hand. In ''Half-Life 2'' it's reversed, with the USP Match held one-handed and the Python held two-handed. It just goes to show that RevolversAreJustBetter.

** The Spy actually needs to fire one handed, otherwise he wouldn't be able to see how much charge his InvisibilityCloak has left or hold the Dead Ringer.

* The Spy's Revolver in ''TeamFortress2''. The Engineer also holds his pistol one-handed, but the Scout (who wields an identical pistol, albeit with less ammo in reserve) uses two.

* In ''TeamFortress2'', the Heavy doesn't use his shotgun with one hand to fire, but he does [[SuperStrength twirl it around like a pistol in a taunt.]]

* ''{{Torchwood}}''. Captain Jack Harkness teaches WPC Gwen Cooper to shoot this way rather than the modern two-handed technique, though it may just have been an excuse to [[CovertPervert feel her behind]].

* ''TabletopGame/TheWorldOfDarkness'', on the other hand, assumes characters are firing pistols two-handed and has a higher Strength requirement for one-handed use.

* ''TabletopGame/THeWorldOfDarkness'', on the other hand, assumes characters are firing pistols two-handed and has a higher Strength requirement for one-handed use.

[[quoteright:330:[[{{Terminator}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/terminator_one_hand_shotgun_294.jpg]]]]

* ''WorldOfDarkness'', on the other hand, assumes characters are firing pistols two-handed and has a higher Strength requirement for one-handed use.

* In ''{{Predator}}'', at least one character is seen ''dual-wielding miniguns''.

* Certain bullpup weapons (such as the [[CoolGuns P90]]) are easier to use one-handed than conventional firearms, due to the ammunition and chamber (and therefore much of the weight) being behind the point where one grips it. While that doesn't mean they can be accurately fired one-handed, it's still more reasonable compared to using normal firearms one-handed.

* This was tested on ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'', and found to be reasonably accurate in comparison to the classic two-handed "Weaver" technique, and ''far'' more accurate than the GangstaStyle technique.

* A common misconception is that the only "proper" method of firing a handgun is using two hands. However, professional use of one-handed firing is not unheard of, moreso in the past than now.

* Invoked and subverted in QueenAndCountry: Russian gangsters hired to kill Tara Chace fire their guns one-handed; most of their bullets hit nothing, and one unlucky goon catches a stray bullet from his ally.

* All the characters in ''TheMatrix'' fire all manner of weapons one-handed, sometimes while performing various acrobatics, including one character who at one point dual-wields a pair of drum-fed automatic shotguns. Justified, I suppose, because they're in the matrix where physical laws don't necessarily apply.

** And, in the beginning of the second book, Roland loses several fingers from his right hand, which would make it diffictult to use a two-handed grip.

* ''Rainbow 6'' has the main characters using a two handed stance, but at one point their pilot hits the pistol range to blow off steam and uses a one handed side-on stance. It's realisticly portrayed as being a lot less accurate, but he's older than the other shooters and apparently that's how he was trained back in the day (whether this matches with actual historical training practices I have no idea).

* In one of the later episodes of the first season of {{Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex}} Motoko fires Saito's ''anti-tank rifle'' single handed. Admittedly she's a fully body cyborg (effectively a human brain in a robot body) and she only does it single handed because her other arm had been torn off but still. Keep in mind the first time we see this rifle is when it's being bolted down before firing to keep Saito from being blown away by the recoil.
** She is also really. *REALLY* [[UnstoppableRage Pissed]].
** Plus, she's not actually holding the gun in place, she uses the recoil to launch up to a position [[RuleOfCool where she can brace it against her leg,]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome allowing her to chamber another round before grabbing it by the grip to fire the next shot.]]

----
<<|GunsAndGunplayTropes|>>