A buttstroke or butt-stroking is the act of striking someone with the stock of a long gun, and is one of the most common types of the use of firearms as blunt weapons. Buttstrokes are the most prominent offensive technique available while using long guns in hand-to-hand combat and is the recommended method of close combat by the United States Marine Corps if no bayonet or sidearm is 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]
A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and the Salvation Army use formal salutes. Ordinary civilians also salute informally to greet or acknowledge the presence of another person, such as a tip of the hat or a hand wave to a friend or neighbor.
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped melee weapon designed to be mounted on the end of the barrel of a rifle, carbine, musket or similar long firearm, allowing the gun to be used as an improvised spear in close combats.
A quarterstaff, also short staff or simply staff is a traditional European polearm, which was especially prominent in England during the Early Modern period.
The Browning automatic rifle (BAR) is a family of American automatic rifles and machine guns used by the United States and numerous other countries during the 20th century. The primary variant of the BAR series was the M1918, chambered for the .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridge and designed by John Browning in 1917 for the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe as a replacement for the French-made Chauchat and M1909 Benét–Mercié machine guns that US forces had previously been issued.
The M1903 Springfield, officially the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1903, is an American five-round magazine-fed, bolt-action service repeating rifle, used primarily during the first half of the 20th century.
The .45 Reising submachine gun was manufactured by Harrington & Richardson (H&R) Arms Company in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, and was designed and patented by Eugene Reising in 1940. The three versions of the weapon were the Model 50, the folding stock Model 55, and the semiautomatic Model 60 rifle. Over 100,000 Reisings were ordered during World War II, and were initially used by the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and the United States Coast Guard, though some were shipped to Canadian, Soviet, and other allied forces to fight the Axis powers.
Marching refers to the organized, uniformed, steady walking forward in either rhythmic or route-step time; and, typically, it refers to overland movements on foot of military troops and units under field orders. Marching is often performed to march music and is typically associated with military and civilian ceremonial parades. It is a major part of military basic training in most countries and usually involves a system of drill commands.
Drill commands are generally used with a group that is marching, most often in military foot drills or in a marching band. Drill commands are usually heard in major events involving service personnel, reservists and veterans of a country's armed forces, and by extension, public security services and youth uniformed organizations.
A strike is a directed, forceful physical attack with either a part of the human body or with a handheld object, intended to cause blunt or penetrating trauma upon an opponent.
Strikes can be offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wrestlers frequently give their finishers new names. Occasionally, these names become popular and are used regardless of the wrestler performing the technique.
The Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle (SAM-R) is a semi-automatic designated marksman rifle developed and used by the United States Marine Corps. It gave users the capability to provide fire in support of a rifle squad, providing precision fire in support of an assault, and aid in observation and adjusting of supporting arms.
The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program is a combat system developed by the United States Marine Corps to combine existing and new hand-to-hand and close quarters combat techniques with morale and team-building functions and instruction in the warrior ethos. The program, which began in 2001, trains Marines in unarmed combat, edged weapons, weapons of opportunity, and rifle and bayonet techniques.
A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock, or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attached. The stock also provides a means for the shooter to firmly brace the gun and easily aim with stability by being held against the user's shoulder when shooting the gun, and helps to counter muzzle rise by transmitting recoil straight into the shooter's body.
A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction of the rifled musket. By the mid-19th century, entire regiments of riflemen were formed and became the mainstay of all standard infantry, and rifleman became a generic term for any common infantryman.
A pugil stick is a heavily padded pole-like training weapon used since the early 1940s by military personnel in training for rifle and bayonet combat. The pugil stick is similar to a quarterstaff or Japanese bo, and may be marked to indicate which end represents the bayonet and which the rifle butt. Dr. Armond H. Seidler of the University of New Mexico invented the Pugil Stick training method during World War II. It was initially adopted by the United States Marine Corps, but was later included in United States Army combat training as well. Seidler received an award from the Marine Corps for his invention.
Present arms is a two-part drill command used by many militaries and public safety professionals in the world as a sign of respect. It comes from the old British command "Arms to the present!"
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Reverse arms and the related rest on arms reversed are military drill commands used as a mark of respect at funerals and on occasions of mourning, especially in the armed forces of Commonwealth nations. When marching in reverse arms the soldier's weapon is held pointing behind them and grasped behind their back. When resting on reversed arms the weapon points towards the ground and the eyes are lowered.
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