Guns you like but don't shoot well and vice versa

[Shear_stress]

A recent thread on Springfield 1911s got me thinking. Have you ever had a gun that you really liked but, for whatever reason, just could not shoot to your satisfaction? Conversely, have you ever owned or shot a gun that you didn't particularly like, but you felt very confident with?

Case in point: I've got a parkerized Springfield Loaded 1911 that I love. Though it has some "modern" features, it's retains the classic 1911 look and feel. Still, even after a factory service and a professional trigger job, I just can't get that thing to group right at 25 yards--we're talking flyer city. It could just be me, but I have a Kimber 1911 that is a tack-driver at that distance--it's groups are less than half the size of the Springfield's. My Kimber is a higher-end model, but it doesn't totally explain the great disparity in accuracy. I even do better with my CZ compact than my Springer, despite the shorter sight radius. Is it possible that a certain gun isn't "right" for a certain person?

On the other hand, the Beretta 92 feels all wrong in my hands. I have nearly bought one several times on the basis of looks alone, but have been put off by the bulk. Still, I have shot several that were owned by friends and was surprised by how well I did with them.

Anyone else have similar experience?

 

[akluvr]

I know what you're talking about!

I had a similar experience with a Springfield V-10. I had to have one of the first ones out. I fell in love with the way it felt in my hand and the compact 1911 was just taking off in popularity. It was going to be an off duty carry for me. I took it out to see what it was capable of and any group was at least one foot low. I tried gripping it differently, tried to modify my stance, everything that I could without modifying the gun to no avail. A buddy came over and shot it- it was a total tackdriver for him. He offered me what I had in it and I sold it to him. I have always carried a Glock in one form or the other and have never had a problem with accuracy so I just stayed with them. I just recently picked up a Sig 239 and also shoot it well. Sig has always been a maybe for me but was cost prohibitive until recently. The 1911's have proven themselves for almost a century and are beautiful guns, but I just don't shoot them well.

 

[Onmilo]

Yeah, it's funny that way,,,,,,,
I like the look of the Ruger Redhawk but never could get mine to shoot as accurate as I expected.

 

[ID_shooting]

yup, my milsurps (German Mauser and Mosin 91/30 specifically). I am small in stature and have to have all of my guns cut to a 12 in LOP. Since this kills a milsurp gun, I leave tham all stock. They tend to kick the snot out of me, I can't get into the sights very well and thus I can't hit a thing with them.

Every day I spend at the range with them I just want to toss them and forget about it, but then I get back home and clean them up and get to admiring how cool they are.

 

[logical]

edit

 

[Black Majik]

Glocks for me. I like em', respect em', but I just cant shoot it worth a crap. It also points high for me so I constantly have to adjust my grip. I wish I could shoot it better.

Beretta 92FS. I like the way they look, and feel in my hand. But the trigger feels really vague to me and I dont get very good group sizes with that gun either.

 

[Dienekes]

Happens all the time. Biggest things for me are grip fit and trigger pull. If either is too far off I'm just wasting time and ammo. With a somewhat small hand many semiautos are just too big for me (i.e., SIG 220, Berettas). Quality of trigger pull is my nemesis with the Glock--it feels like breaking a green twig and no one can convince me otherwise. OTOH a 1911 feels good on both counts and lets me shoot up to my potential. BHP less so but I attribute that to the 9mm ctg and the poorer pull.

A good revolver is a different story. Usually the pull is decent to start with, or at least subject to improvement. You can find or tailor grips to make a K or J frame fit you extremely well in almost all cases. Ns are tougher in my case because you can only do so much when the basic size is that big. Fun to try, though.

The short version is that fit matters.

 

[Zeke Menuar]

I have owned three DA/SA Revolvers. Two S&W and one Rossi. Couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with them.

Consequently I sold my wheelguns and bought guns I could hit with.

ZM

 

[ezypikns]

I've tried a lot of semi auto pistols.....

Kimber, Ruger, Hi Power, Taurus. The one pistol I can shoot consistently well is the cheapest one I own, a Bulgarian Makarov. Revolvers are another story. My S&W revolvers look great and shoot like a dream.

 

[Longbow]

Beretta 92fs Inox. Shoots low left. ' sure is, a very nice looking gun though.

 

[FPNunes]

Sadly, I know the feeling. Many moons ago I bought a S&W 3914 and sent it to Joe Bonar for the modern ASP treatment (melt job, bob back strap, custom molded grips, re-cut crown, trigger job, reliability package, bar-dot NS, replaced ambi to single sided safety, bobbed safety and slide stop down like the ASP and finally 6 weeks waiting for Black-T by Birdsong). Took a total of 9 weeks and $1200+ total bucks to create the ultimate (for me) paperweight.

That thing was gorgeous and I couldn't hit sh$t with it. I carried a 1911 variant for 15 years prior to that and couldn't get used to that nasty S&W trigger. Sold it at a huge loss and never looked back.

Now I shoot the Glocks fast and accurate. I guess I just like a single trigger pull and can get used to it.

 

[Island Beretta]

what I find happens is that if we have the right fundamentals e.g. pull trigger straight back, then the guns will all shoot well. but every gun has a different feel and ergonomic and it is this we have to understand....

What happens though is we have pecularities that one gun will enable you to get away with whilst another one will punish you for..e.g. the pull that I use to get the Beretta DA trigger going barely moves the gun but this same pull jerks the Glock badly..my finger position on the Beretta differs from my finger position on the Glock and I manipulate the triggers differently...To get a clean break with the Glock I have to relax the last joint in my trigger finger; if I do this for the Beretta it jerks etc. etc.

 

[45auto]

I love the feel and look of a BHP, but have a tough time with the trigger and it's accuracy...no doubt related. That's being spoiled with 1911's.

 

[strambo]

Never cared for Glocks...really don't care for the triggers. I shoot them extremely well though and would feel well armed with one if it was issued/given to me.

 

[unspellable]

What works

As a general rule, I can do quite well with a double action revolver in SA mode, fair with a self loader, and not so hot with a single action revolver. In the case of the SA revolver I think the grip form has something to do with it.

 

[Vernal45]

I really like glocks, but I can not shoot them well. I am not at all a bad shot, I just cant shoot them as well as I can my 1911's, walther P99, Beretta, and my new HK USP.

Glocks are good, reliable guns. They are just not for me.

 

[Navy joe]

Beretta 92FS, Don't like it, shoot it very well. I bought it because the military has me carry one, it has really helped me with my DA revolver shooting. Hmmm, it is the only DA auto I own, I had a Makarov but sold it.

 

[AirForceShooter]

I had a Taurus PT-945.
Looked great. One thing though, I couldn't shoot the thing to save my life.
Dumped it for a 1911. I'm happy

AFS

 

[Seraph]

Don't like Glocks or XD's, but I can shoot them well.

 

[psyopspec]

I bought a Sig 229 a few weeks ago, got a good deal on it and heard great things about them, so I picked it up. I like the look of this pistol and I absolutely love the trigger, but after 500 rounds I'm still not punching holes with it as well as I'd hoped. Since it's proven to be reliable and it's fun to shoot, I'll probably never sell it. But the pistol and I have a long way to go in the comfort department before it becomes a regular in the carry rotation.

 

[tuna]

Ruger Super Blackhawk, couldn't get a group less than 6" at 25yds one day. Figured it was just me having a bad day. Decided to just play around, stood up from the bench and cranked one off at a 2x2 foot piece of steel at 250 yards. Bang - GONG! Repeated this for 5 gongs out of six tries. Stopped shooting it for the rest of the day, everyone thought I was an expert and no way could I have repeated that.

 

[Sean Smith]

I stink the with vaunted HK P7M8. I shoot a decent 1911 or a SIG P210 literally twice as well.

 

[chris in va]

Boy I really wanted to like the XD9 I had. Never could get it to hit what I aimed at.

My P11 won't hit anything accurately but I carry it almost every day now. Oh well.

 

[No_Brakes23]

I can't shoot any of my MilSurp bolt actions worth a damn. Of course that might just be because i am still troubleshooting with them.

On the flip side, I never would have picked the SIG P232 that my wife picked for her gun, but now I shoot it almost better than my 1911.

 

[Marshall]

I don't own 1911's therefore I don't own a gun I like and don't shoot well.