First Glock - Can't shoot it worth a darn

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See if you can dry fire it enough to break it. By the time you do, you'll probably be pretty good... or dead of old age.
 
This $0.02 applies to every firearm you will ever own; The gun shoots acceptably well straight out of the box. Give it some time maybe a year & about 5K rounds before you start making changes. Don’t ever make permanent modifications either. For every modification I’ve actually made to my guns, I’ve been talked out of about 10 modifications. if you’re considering making changes before you even get it out of the store you’re buying the wrong gun to begin with. Right here is some good advice that has served me well.
 
You will get all the advice you want about how you are doing it wrong....but doesn’t it seem odd that you shoot your other pistols just fine, but you suddenly suck at trigger control with only your Glock? Yep...me too. I can shoot my P99, PPS, CZs, 1911s all dead nuts. But my Glocks ALL shoot low left. It is likely the little safety dangly interrupting your normal trigger press, but my PPS has it too. I’m sure practice will overcome the issue. Personally, I just don’t love them enough to really care if I do.
 
This $0.02 applies to every firearm you will ever own; The gun shoots acceptably well straight out of the box. Give it some time maybe a year & about 5K rounds before you start making changes. Don’t ever make permanent modifications either. For every modification I’ve actually made to my guns, I’ve been talked out of about 10 modifications. if you’re considering making changes before you even get it out of the store you’re buying the wrong gun to begin with. Right here is some good advice that has served me well.

No.
 
My accuracy with a Glock increased dramatically when I had a very competent instructor observe my grip. Sure that costs money - but just my experience.
 
I was wondering one thing...were your shots impacting in the same place, or were they all over and scattered?

Glock pistols can certainly have accuracy issues, where a cracked frame/slide, bad barrel, or a dozen other issues that may not be readily evident.

Just saying...
 
The only reason I can think of for this problem is that you must have some strange deformity involving your hands. Have you seen a physician? I would get your hands checked out first.
 
I have the same problem, except I've been struggling with it the past 30 years. I can shoot single action semi-autos and DA revolvers in single action mode with ease, but polymer striker handguns with pull weight above 5 pounds are a different story.

If you're like me, the difficulty is due to the trigger pull weight combined with stacking and over travel. This causes the palm of my shooting hand to apply pressure, along with the trigger finger, and when the trigger breaks and over travels, causes the palm to move in the direction of the pressure, like breaking an egg by squeezing it in your hand.

The solution is to apply pressure with only the trigger finger, which is easier said than done. Bigger and stronger hands would probably help. For me, I need to grip the gun hard with both hands and concentrate on increasing pressure with only the trigger finger. Using only the pad of the trigger finger helps me keep the gun still. Getting closer to the joint provides more leverage, but for me it results in increased pressure from the palm.

Experiment with your grip and trigger finger placement. Try putting your support index finger on the trigger guard. Shoot isosceles instead of Weaver. After 30 years, I'm still experimenting.
 
I was wondering one thing...were your shots impacting in the same place, or were they all over and scattered?

Glock pistols can certainly have accuracy issues, where a cracked frame/slide, bad barrel, or a dozen other issues that may not be readily evident.

Just saying...
I shot probably 45-50 round before I gave up and went to my Ruger 22, but about half or so of those shots were on the lower left, not really grouped, but I'd say could be covered by a 6-7" plate, then there were a bunch of random ones all over the paper, and even some that didn't hit the paper at all.
 
I have the same problem, except I've been struggling with it the past 30 years. I can shoot single action semi-autos and DA revolvers in single action mode with ease, but polymer striker handguns with pull weight above 5 pounds are a different story.

If you're like me, the difficulty is due to the trigger pull weight combined with stacking and over travel. This causes the palm of my shooting hand to apply pressure, along with the trigger finger, and when the trigger breaks and over travels, causes the palm to move in the direction of the pressure, like breaking an egg by squeezing it in your hand.

The solution is to apply pressure with only the trigger finger, which is easier said than done. Bigger and stronger hands would probably help. For me, I need to grip the gun hard with both hands and concentrate on increasing pressure with only the trigger finger. Using only the pad of the trigger finger helps me keep the gun still. Getting closer to the joint provides more leverage, but for me it results in increased pressure from the palm.

Experiment with your grip and trigger finger placement. Try putting your support index finger on the trigger guard. Shoot isosceles instead of Weaver. After 30 years, I'm still experimenting.
What is the pull on one of these anyway? I don't have a trigger pull scale, but compared to my P99 which I know is 5lbs, it feels heavier.

The other thing is the P99, once it's in SA mode, can be staged. It has some travel as it's in a forward position, but it's a low resistance pull, until it reaches the point of resistance, and from there it breaks cleanly. The Glock doesn't have anything like it, the trigger is partially back, but there's no "feel" for the point where it breaks.
 
What is the pull on one of these anyway? I don't have a trigger pull scale, but compared to my P99 which I know is 5lbs, it feels heavier.

The other thing is the P99, once it's in SA mode, can be staged. It has some travel as it's in a forward position, but it's a low resistance pull, until it reaches the point of resistance, and from there it breaks cleanly. The Glock doesn't have anything like it, the trigger is partially back, but there's no "feel" for the point where it breaks.

There is a wall after the initial take up, but it doesn't break like glass (meaning there is movement) and also over travel. Some people prefer to shoot the Glock like a double action revolver with a long slow pull with a surprise break. It can make for accurate shooting, but it's slow for self defense. Youtube videos of Rob Leatham and Jerry Miculek have helped me. They devote videos to the trigger pull and grips.
 
If the gun doesn't FIT you, then you can practice and dry fire to Jerico and back and it still won't fit you.
 
You have lots of potential variables. Try shooting it off a sandbag rest, to establish the gun is sound. Next have an experienced marksman shoot it. Lastly have YOUR marksmanship critiqued. Good luck.
 
After resisting the temptation to buy a Glock for more than 30 years, I caved in and bought a G19 3rd gen a month or so ago.

Believe it or not the impetus was not the pistol, rather I was intrigued by the NCStart VISM folding red Dot. And since Glock is one of the few guns that has slides designed to take a recessed optic, I bought the gun, then promptly bought an aftermarket slide with the RMR cut.

The aftermarket slide is made by , with the cut and the side cut windows. It looks really well made, and it has a nice DLC finish. I also bought a set of gen Glock internals to finish it. this way I can switch between the original and this by just transferring the barrel and spring.

View attachment 848292
So this past weekend I took it to the range, and after having some issues with the optic, I put back the original slide and tried to use it with the iron sights.

I really can't shoot this thing. I'm sure that it not the gun, it the gunner, but I've never been this bad. First of all, it shoots low left. I know that means I'm jerking the trigger, but I don't think I am, I was being very conscious about it and trying to gently squeeze it. Also when I mean it shoot low and left, it's like 6" left and 6" low at 15 yards. Since there's no adjustment with these sights (other than windage), I was doing some Kentucky windage adjustments and aiming at the upper right hand of the target. Even then, only about 1/2 of my shots were grouping, the rest were all over the place.

So the question: Is there some special grip, or technique that Glock shooters use to get some accuracy with these things?

I transitioned from 1911 to Glock many decades ago. Couldn't really shoot them well. Some better than others, I did pretty good with the 30 if I didn't aim (instinctual), galon jug 90% of the time at 20 - 25 yds. Rest of them were a little high on the first shot and really high on the next. Kept buying then bc hey everyone said they're great and so I figured I just need more practice. Kept trying different calibers and sizes (btw I shoot all the compact models better than the med or full size).

Long story short, I got a refurbed LEO Sig p229 and I hit really well, back like when I shot 1911s. I was so happy all the Glocks went in a box and I got another refurbed LEO Sig p229. So now I have a box-o-Glocks.

Since then, it's Sigs all the way for me in pistols (but I did divert and get a couple M&P's and S&W Gen 3s and like them really well as well).
 
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Personally, I think that if a person shoots other pistols well, but if, after quite a few rounds, cannot get good results with a new one, then it IS the gun, and not the shooter. I started pistol shooting in the early 80's, and did not get any pistols with Glock type triggers until some time in the 90's - a Kel-Tec P32 and a Kahr E9 (an economy version of the K9). I was surprised by how well they shot, despite their semi-double-action Glock style triggers. I had always been lousy firing revolvers DA.

If you are shooting fairly tight groups low and left, then to me that calls for adjustment of the sights. However, probably everyone else in this thread has much more shooting experience than I do. While I like target shooting, I am primarily a collector. That does mean I have shot a LOT of different guns, so I have some feel for when it is the gun and when it is me. My Indian Ordnance Factory Inglis High Power clone is quite accurate; my Browning BDM ("Browning Dual Mode") is not, to put it mildly. And I may be the only man alive who found a Colt 2000 to be decently accurate.

Trust yourself. If you are a good shot with other guns, and can shoot revolvers in DA mode fairly well, then it's not the trigger on the Glock that is the problem, IMHO.
 
I really can't shoot this thing. I'm sure that it not the gun, it the gunner, but I've never been this bad. First of all, it shoots low left.

If it always shoots low left, just move the dot or sights. If you have good or develop good trigger discipline you can do quite well with them, even if they are not the best out there.
 
I believe it’s the grip of death from your support hand that’s pulling you all over the place. Often referred to as a bad flinch. You’re anticipating the point of ignition way too much. Try shooting one handed and see if you suddenly get better.
 
I shot probably 45-50 round before I gave up and went to my Ruger 22, but about half or so of those shots were on the lower left, not really grouped, but I'd say could be covered by a 6-7" plate, then there were a bunch of random ones all over the paper, and even some that didn't hit the paper at all.

OK, this is very consistent with a pre-ignition push. The only question is whether you are seeing the sights move as you shove the gun around just before bang, or not. I assume you are not seeing that, because it seems likely that you would have reported it if you were.

This means you are blinking just as/before the shot fires. This is incredibly common. There are a heck of a lot of people who have never seen their handguns go off. It is also very common for this to happen with guns that are unfamiliar to the shooter and have a significant amount of recoil (compared to what they are used to) or have a very different recoil impulse. And a trigger that releases at an unfamiliar point can induce someone to mis-time their recoil management, too.

I would bet $10 that you are providing a bunch of recoil-control input just before the gun fires. Again, the best cure for this is to fire enough rounds to: 1) convince your brain that the gun is not going to blow up when it goes off; and 2) have a sense of where in the trigger's motion the gun goes off.

There is a difference between advice that is suited for getting shots from the 8 ring to the 10 ring at 25 yards or 50 yards (such as precise finger positioning on the trigger) and advice regarding a big pre-ignition push. Advice about how to hit the apex of a corner won't help the person who is having a hard time keeping the car on the road entirely.

Why am I so certain about my diagnosis? Because I am intimately familiar with the problem! I fought a flinch/blink/pre-ignition push with all pistols for a long time. And even today, if I pick up a strange-to-me handgun, particularly a magnum revolver or a very light service-caliber gun, I am likely to fire 1-2 rounds out of the first half dozen well low and left. My "acclimation time" to these guns is generally much faster than it used to be, but if you are a blinker-by-nature, as I am, then you will likely have to put some rounds through it before you can quit flinching just before bang.

As I wrote in my earlier post, the best way to get through this acclimation process is often to take away the target and just fire the gun without judgment or performative effort... all your attention just going to keeping your full visual attention on the gun.
 
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