Stan is right about hand placement. However, the wood forearm gave many soldiers the impression that they could use it as a regular rifle. I read one letter that is now in the collection of the Univ. of Michigan that described how someone in Berdan's Sharp Shooters lost a digit or two and that the men picked lead off each other's face after firing the Colt Revolving (or is it revolting?) Rifle. Mind you, if I had a repro, I'd shoot it (but with the support hand underneath the dominant hand).