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 ones 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]
Infantry is a military specialization of military personnel who engage in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, irregular infantry, heavy infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry, mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and naval infantry.
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, carbine, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon. From the early 17th to the early 20th century, it was a melee weapon used by infantry for offensive and/or defensive tactics. Today, it is considered an ancillary weapon or weapon of last resort, although it is still used for ceremonial purposes.
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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.
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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.
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The AKM is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It was developed as a replacement to the AK-47 introduced a decade prior.
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