Think I'm turning in my autos

Status
Not open for further replies.
MidRoad

MidRoad

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Messages
1,748
Location
Upstate ny
Well was able to get out and do quite a bit of shooting this weekend. Was great. Just informal plinking paper targets at 10 yards. With the occasional can or so tossed in the mix. Great weather,great company,great time! However was not thrilled with my some of my shooting. I have come to think I'm ready to offload my last 2 autos for a few more revolvers.

I started buying handguns May 2016. I have 2 1911's left and 3 revolvers. Both 1911 aquired this year. One RIA 22 and the other an sr1911 5" in 45 acp. No matter what I do I can't group very well with an auto. Yes I do get the occasional good group( everyone has different standards I suppose). Had the same issue with my p01 and g17 which went down the road within the last few months.All the guns we're great guns, just not in my hands. I SUCK! Like 6" groups at 10 yards kinda suck. I shot my brothers sp2022 and buddy's commander 1911 this weekend aswell. I did get the occasional 2-3" group with a flyer or two,but nothing impressive. It's my fault and has to be the way I handle them. Some I shot better than others,but none to amazing.

Now in the same range session I would put down the auto and pickup my gp100,or my blackhawk produce beautiful tight little groups consistently . Like 2" or less .My best group from the last two days where from my brothers SBH 44 mag. I put one cylinder into an inch, not terribly impressive at such close range to many, but for me I was happier than hell. But I was still surprised that I could group so much more consistently with that Boomer than i could with my little 22 cal 1911. I also noticed that I am more recoil shy from the .45 acp than I am with the .44mag. I definitely tend to dip the nose on the 1911 in 45 alot nore. Even when alternating back and forth between the .22 and 45 to break the habit o would still occasional dip the 45. But than would Pickup the .357 with a cylinder full of 180gr buffalo bore and no dip. Put the bullets right on point:confused:.

So I think I'm going to sell the two 1911's and get another revolver or two. I shoot them better, and enjoy them more. Kind of a random post, but was wondering if anyone else has gone through the same thing?
 
I run the complete opposite. I love revolvers, love everything about them, except how I shoot them. I started out on automatics though, and have never had much consistent practice behind a wheel gun. My buddy has an old model 10 that I do ok with, but not like what I can do with a 1911. Is a shame too, as I have a mess of 38spl brass. If you're looking for a good home for your Ruger, let me know:)
 
The problem is you trying to pet a cat like a dog. Your grip on a auto is different then what you use on a revolver.
I have a friend in his 70s. He told me the same thing. I went to the range with him and with a little coaching he was able to shoot his autos 50% better.
Find a friend that can coach you and you will get better.
 
GunnyUSMC said:
The problem is you trying to pet a cat like a dog. Your grip on a auto is different then what you use on a revolver.
I have a friend in his 70s. He told me the same thing. I went to the range with him and with a little coaching he was able to shoot his autos 50% better.
Find a friend that can coach you and you will get better.
Click to expand...

I do grip them much different. Two thumbs forward for semis .I ride the safeties on 1911's with my main hand and support hand sits along the frame right around the slide catch. Revolvers I cross thumb. I used to only do it with small frames .Watched aaJerry mucelek video a while ago,tried it and really like it. More recently As suggested by MaxP in a recent thread I tried the cross thumb technique on a larger frame revolver ,and it works well with them too . I Lock my support hand thumb behind the first of my main hands thumb. And can use the support hand to thumb the hammer. Makes for a nice solid consistent grip.

But that's not saying your wrong. It's good advice and I would be well served being instructed by an experienced handgunner. It is definitely something with my technique.
 
Last edited:
Bones741

Find a friend that can coach you and you will get better.
Click to expand...

Listen to the Gunny; this is very good advice. Had a buddy of mine who had a similar problem with shooting semi-autos. I noticed he wrapped two of his fingers of his support hand around the trigger guard and every time he fired the gun his fingers lost their grip and he would pull his shots. I showed him a better way to help his grip with his support hand and his control and accuracy improved measurably.

Instead of selling off your autos and buying more revolvers try getting some help with your technique. It might be all you need to be more consistent and improve your shooting.
 
According to my father I was shooting 1" groups at 20 yards with his Remington 1911 when I was 2 days old. Unfortunately there are a few people that aren't born with innate knowledge of how to shoot a 1911 well and have to practice before they get good at it. LOL.

Get the handguns you like and enjoy shooting. Revolvers make great range guns and personal defense guns. I think there is a very good chance you will be kicking yourself for trading in your 1911's in a few years though.

Happy shooting!
 
I'm with Bones. I have not been shooting all that long either , maybe since 2011 or so. With the exception of a SP101 mentioned in another thread on this forum , putting rounds on target with a revolver comes easy to me ; I struggle with semi auto handguns. One auto loader I get along with is my Ruger MKI ; maybe there is a clue there. I have invested a fair amount of time with a really good instructor. It seems to be me ; others shoot my semi autos just fine.

The revolvers seem to point easily and naturally , for me anyway. Heck - I can shoot an open rear sighted , tiny service gripped 100+ year old .38 special S&W better than my Beretta 92 with adjustable rear target sights. Frustrating. I have not given up yet , but the contents of my safe lean heavily towards revolvers.
 
As others have said, semi-autos require a bit different technique than revolvers (and vice versa).

I routinely shoot semi-autos to the left. Adjusting the sights helps. Many of my "range" semi-autos have adjustable sights.

Recently, I've been working on my grip and I'm able to keep the sights centered. Trouble is, I have 30 years of muscle memory to change.

I'd keep the M1911s, at least the one chambered in 45 ACP. A 45 ACP M1911 is what other semi-autos are compared to.

I enjoy shooting my revolvers, but I also enjoy shooting my semi-autos.
 
Bones741 said:
I have come to think I'm ready to offloadmy last 2 autos for a few more revolvers.
...
It's my fault and has to be the way I handle them...

I also noticed that I am more recoil shy from the .45 acp than I am with the .44mag. I definitely tend to dip the nose on the 1911 in 45 alot more.
Click to expand...
You don't need to get rid of the autos...you need 30 minutes with a competent instructor to show you WHAT and HOW to correct.
 
Last edited:
I had a 1911, a genuine WWII Remington Rand, unmodified and in decent shape. I did not have it long, because I did not enjoy shooting it. As 45ACP pistols went, I could shoot my reblued Colt 1917 revolver with a rough bore MUCH better. (As long as I stuck to 230 grain FMJ, anyway. It wouldn't shoot anything else for sour apples.)

But there are many, many other automatic pistols that I enjoy shooting and shoot well (by my own low standards). You might want to give up on 1911's, sure, but I would not give up on automatic pistols as a genre. I wish I knew a gun to recommend to you, but I have been shooting a long time, and many of my favorite shooters are out of production. But you should try a 22 or a 9mm with a grip shape that suits your hand.
 
I'd start with some youtube videos on 1911 shooting. Before I got some actual training, I was able to improve quite a bit just from videos, mostly by professional competitors such as Todd Jarrett. It does take a fair amount of practice; I went through about a thousand rounds before I could finally keep both eyes open all the time while firing, for example. Books can be a big help too-- Brian Enos' Practical Shooting has a lot of useful tips, for one.
 
You will improve with better technique. I still shoot revolvers significantly better than semiautos, but the gap is slowly closing. Also, maybe the 1911 isn't the best platform for you. I shoot my Buck Mark better than almost anything else. My FiL's Ruger Mark II is another one I shoot very well. Give it time, you'll make the transition eventually.
 
I entered law enforcement not long after getting my first handguns, one of which was a .357 revolver and the other of which a Ruger .22 auto.

In LE, I was trained heavily in the revolver, and got quite proficient with it. Later, in anticipation of a voluntary switch to a 9mm auto, I purchased one and tried to learn how to shoot it. I wasn't very good at all, and classes were few and far between back then. I never carried that gun on the job, but did switch agencies to one that issued a 9mm of a different make. I was not formally trained with it, but was required to qualify with it, which I did by a somewhat decent margin. That was in 1990, I think.

Still, I always shot the "steel wheel" much better for a very long time. It's only been in the last few years I've been shooting the autos better, largely using information gleaned from here and quality YT videos. I only recently acquired and have shot a 1911, and I find it enjoyable enough.

Tallball writes:

I still shoot revolvers significantly better than semiautos, but the gap is slowly closing.
Click to expand...

Yep. This is me. ;)
 
While I think you can overcome technique issues and improve, I also think you should shoot what you like.

If revolvers are your thing, there's nothing wrong with that.

I'd give it more thought.
 
I may have missed it, but are we talking shooting the revolvers SA or DA?

I used to only shoot SA, but then my game was long rang silhouette, and bullseye. I looked down my nose at DA and thought that's only needed in a panic for very close quarter defense. Then I got into shooting action pistol events. I saw what Jerry and others could do DA. Now half my revolvers don't even have a hammer spur to cock them.

That said obviously there's a big difference in grip and trigger pull between DA and SA, as well as between SA and striker fired semis. I'll expend a couple hundred rounds this week getting ready for this weekend's ICORE match. Then I'll do the same at the end of the month to reacquire the feel of my G17 for the big GSSF match.

Point being before you say you shoot one or the other better, spend quality time with each one individually so that your mind and muscles can acquire the skills and feel of each.
 
I am one of those guys where if I can’t do something I find and work on the problem until I can and try and be as versed as I can in all firearm types.

That said, if you don’t like it and don’t care to find and fix the problem (FWIW might not be you), just get rid of them.
 
I really don't like pudding so I don't eat pudding. Lots of folk tell me I just haven't tried the right pudding but I see no reason I should like pudding.

If you are happier and more comfortable with a wheelie then choose a wheelie. But I just recently looked at buying a new gun after a couple decades of not even considering such a thing and found that if today I were buying what I have already have, I would not have most any of them. Think before you sell something off since a decade from now it might be a mortgage payment.
 
Last edited:
Bones741 said:
I do grip them much different. Two thumbs forward for semis .I ride the safeties on 1911's with my main hand and support hand sits along the frame right around the slide catch. Revolvers I cross thumb.
Click to expand...

same here with the grip.

to the OP. shoot what you want but maybe you are not shooting your 1911 as much as the revolvers. 6 inch 10 yrds is pretty good compared to most people i see on the range. i'm assuming you're shooting offhand.
 
roval said:
same here with the grip.

to the OP. shoot what you want but maybe you are not shooting your 1911 as much as the revolvers. 6 inch 10 yrds is pretty good compared to most people i see on the range. i'm assuming you're shooting offhand.
Click to expand...

Yea all we're shot off hand. I don't shoot as much as I should. I do whenever I get a chance but I work 6 days a week 10- 11 hours a day with a 35 min commute(well half days on Saturdays). So alot of my free time is at night after 8pm. So im lucky to get out and shoot once a month unfortunately.

Winter time I don't work Saturdays and hours are cut back a bit. So after hunting season. I might try to get an indoor range member ship. Guns are an expensive hobby lol.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

P
  • Locked
Supporting a revolver vs an auto loader
Replies
2
Views
588
Pierce
P
M
  • Locked
  • Poll
Thinking of Selling .44 Mag Revolver to Buy .460 Rowland
2 3
Replies
74
Views
5K
Red Tornado
R
B
  • Locked
The amazing .45 auto
2
Replies
48
Views
3K
Selfdfenz
S
I
  • Locked
  • Poll
I'm purchasing my first .22 handgun. I'd like your input.
2 3 4
Replies
81
Views
3K
billymarr
B
A
  • Locked
Thinking about my next purchase
Replies
16
Views
627
bannockburn
bannockburn
Back
Top