[johnmcl]

Hi all,

This is my first post after reading for a very long time. So hello!, and please excuse me if I hose up my initial post.

Problem: My new Springfield 1911-A1 shoots low. Please see the attached photo of a paper plate target shot six times at 15yds. A photo of the 1911 is attached for reference and grins too.

Background: I thought I'd see what all the fuss is about on this new design, so I bought a Springfield Loaded 1911 with Novak fixed Night Sights from my favorite gun shop. [I'm a long time Glock shooter (M21/M30).] :)

The pattern from both of those Roscoes would center on the dot on the paper target in the photo. The 1911 pattern is crisp, repeatable, and consistently low on a number of targets in a variety of lighting conditions. The load is 230gr Rainier FMJ, 4.8 grains Bullseye, Fed150 primer, and a mix of headstamps.

Questions: 1) I intend to shoot with commericial loads and then off the bench. If this produces the same result (expected) what is the next step?

2) What's an early guess on the root cause?

Thanks and I'm enjoying the forum and the 1911 immensely,

John

[ARGarrison]

I'll be the first to say, Hello & Welcome to The High Road.

[Sean Smith]

Have someone else shoot the gun and see if they hit low too.

If it is the gun, you can have the sights adjusted/replaced by a gunsmith to move the POI in line with the POA.

[Old Fud]

Welcome aboard, John. I know you will like it here -- I was certainly made comfortable in a hurry.

I had exactly the same problem when I bought my Springfield TRP.
Sent it back and they replaced the front sight under warranty.
Now it shoots POA just fine.

But I agree with the earlier posts.
Before you do that, have some senior bodies at the range fire it, and possibly different ammo too.
You need to know for certain that it is the gun before you go to the trouble of shipping it back.

Fud

[Technosavant]

Make sure you have a few hundred rounds through it before you send it back (just so you are sure there is nothing else at work with the gun).

Quite likely, the front sight is too high- that has happened a rather lot lately. If you call SA, get their FedEx account number so they cover shipping.

edit: D'oh! The front is is too high, not too low. Thanks for the correction.

[Walt Sherrill]

Nah. You got it backwards.

If its a sight problem, the front sight is TOO HIGH, causing it to shoot low. (Or the rear sight is too low...)

[johnmcl]

Roger that on the sight being too low. One wants to move the front sight in the direction of the shot cluster and the rear sight away from it.

My bench rest exercise will be (hopefully) done in an Ransom, so I'll know if its the gun right then and there. That should also remove the need for a senior member to shoot the gun.

That's an intersting perspective that others have the same problems with a too-high front sight from SA. Nothing, and I repeat nothing, will be changed on the gun until a couple of hundred rounds are through it. I think I have 200 through it so far. It cycles my reloads like a champ and is a ton of fun to shoot.

Thanks again,

[Bobby Lee]

Find the load that you intend to shoot in it all the time and file the front sight down untill it is zeroed.

[Walt Sherrill]

For those who haven't messed with sights much...

Talking about the shot cluster can be confusing; it would be better to talk about the INTENDED point of impact.

You move rear sights in the direction you want the point of aim to move to. You move front sights in the opposite direction.

Its easy to visualize with a ruler or pencil. Hold it up as though you were sighting down the barrel, and imagine sights on the front and rear. And see what moving the sight would do to how the ruler moves, when you realign the imaginery MOVED sights...

If you're shooting left, for example, you want the point of impact to move to the right. The way to do that is move the left sight to the left, or the rear sight to the right. (You could do both...) Works the same way with elevation.

[Bwana John]

Find the load that you intend to shoot in it all the time and file the front sight down untill it is zeroed.
I agree

[Maddock]

Find the load that you intend to shoot in it all the time and file the front sight down untill it is zeroed. I bought a Springfield Loaded 1911 with Novak fixed Night Sights
Filing on Tritium Nite Sites should be done with trepidation, if at all.
The capsule contains a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, and releasing it will not only ruin your sights, but could have health consequences.
:eek:

[nemesis]

It's a Springfield. I'd guess that the trigger break is reasonably crisp but is way to heavy. Thank you, ILS.

You are hitting low because you are pulling the gun down with your trigger finger due to the heavy pull. Most Springfields experience a rise in the POI as the gun wears in. You can help it along by replacing the ILS MSH with standard parts.

Otherwise, you can send it back for a lower front sight and replace that with a higher sight when the gun wears in enough to develop a lighter trigger pull.

My Ultra Compact shot low and left until I realized that I was responsible for it hitting left. Then, the POI gradually rose as the trigger pull lightened with normal wear. I did replace the MSH with normal parts though and now it always impacts at POA.

Too often we blame the poor gun for our own deficiences. There was a young man in at the range last Saturday with a magnificent plan to modify his magazines so that they would feed reliably. Regretfully, anyone in the range can fire his gun without a hitch but he limpwrists and is not willing to address the issue. We shouldn't always blame the gun.

[LiquidTension]

I have a Springfield just like yours that only has a few hundred rounds through it. While it hits POA, it doesn't feed reliably. Wanna trade? :neener:

[GoRon]

How does it do at 25yrds?

If it is sighted in for POA/POI at 25 it will shoot low at closer distances.

It can be frustrating for someone that is used to a 6 o clock sight picture.

Having said that my Springer shot low and I filed the front sight down a bit.