Confession time: guns we can't shoot

[Phaedrus/69]

For whatever reason I just could not shoot my HK USPc pistols well. On paper they were perfect- great capacity for a fairly compact gun, supremely reliable, reasonably concealable, etc. I actually had one in .40 and one in 9mm. But as much as I wanted to like them I could never shoot them accurately enough feel confident carrying one. It was baffling! The trigger in SA mode wasn't really bad at all and I know the guns were inherently accurate because over sand bags they'd shoot one ragged hole all day. It can't be size because I shoot my HK P2000 pretty well and they use the same magazine (and are nearly identical in size). And I don't have a general problem hitting with HKs since my VP9, USPf9, USP45 Tactical, P30L and P30S were all tack drivers in my hand.

I probably put a thousand rounds downrange between the pair of them before I finally gave up. Nothing wrong with the guns but for some perplexing reason I simply couldn't hit anything with them. My primary CCW is my P2000 now.

 

[FN in MT]

Grew up with S&W and to a lesser degree, Colt DA revolvers. I shoot those fine.

Despite fifty years of trying....I do NOT shoot SAA type revolvers well at all. Be it a Colt , Ruger or painfully....Freedom Arms. I love my FA revolvers. The fit and finish is second to none. They are superbly accurate....But I can not get comfortable with them. I can shoot my little M-97 FA in .44 Spcl OK. But the big M-83's...I have to really THINK of my grip, etc to shoot it reasonably accurately.

Whereas with a Smith DA revolver I am easily accurate.

Glocks, most striker fired, PLASTIC guns ......I can shoot them OK, b ut don't care for the platform.

 

[Schwing]

BSA1 nailed it for me. I have never had any training of any kind so, after years of developing bad habits, I am in the process of trying to break out of them (including getting some real training). My woe is a reoccurring flinch problem. I seem to pull myself out of it and then develop it again out of the blue every couple of years.

As far as my problem child gun goes; for me, that would be my Ruger Superblackhawk in .44 magnum. I anticipate the recoil so badly with it that are don't often shoot it anymore in fear of getting my flinch back.

If you are on this forum, shoot well but not awesome, you are not alone.

 

[d'zaster]

Im not accurate with my Glock 20. I think it's a matter if finding the right load. That's my excuse for the time being.

 

[hdwhit]

isudave wrote:
We're all fantastic marksmen on the internet here ,...

No such claim made here.

I have repeatedly said that the standard for accuracy I use is whether or not I can get 9 out of 10 shots into the circular divot on the side of a gallon milk jug at 100 yards, firing offhand. Depending on the manufacturer, the divot is 2.75 to 3.5 inches in diameter.

 

[Sauer Grapes]

I'm an expert with any handgun! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

 

[Archie]

It's the Savage that is all over the place.

A model 1907 if I recall correctly? I have several (I collect that category of pistol.)

The Savage 1907 series are pretty well designed and built sidearms. They were made for self and home defense in a simpler time. They usually fire on demand. On the down side, the sights are milled into the receiver body, any internal wear can either move or simply loosen the barrel to sights relationship, and the trigger pull is - uh - safe. Usually between seven and fifty-six pounds safe. Creep? How about a short hike? Not shooting one of those not as well as some others is expected.

I can usually keep all shots on an IPSC/USPSA/ABCXYZ silhouette at fifteen yards. Slow fire, both hands, indoors without wind, good lights and unhurried.

I wouldn't worry about target grade accuracy with that pistol were I you.

 

[25-5]

S&W Model 59. 35+ years ago, and my first semi auto. I did have an intense dislike for the firearm, which didn't help. I traded it in for a Colt Series 70 1911 and the problem was solved. Never touched 9mm again.
Although, I just purchased a Walther P4. Hope I'm not sorry, but at least it is a single stack.

 

[hot chili powder]

Disregard, my mistake

 

[hot chili powder]

Yo, Armoredman.....I've had a blackcapped chickadee land on my rifle barrel once while in a tree stand and also had one land on the end of my arrow while bowhunting...and it is kinda neat, just sayin'.

 

[Blacksmoke]

S&W Model 59. 35+ years ago, and my first semi auto. I did have an intense dislike for the firearm, which didn't help. I traded it in for a Colt Series 70 1911 and the problem was solved. Never touched 9mm again.
Although, I just purchased a Walther P4. Hope I'm not sorry, but at least it is a single stack.

My stepson has one of those. Other than that initial DA trigger pull, it is a decent enough. Reliable enough to have confidence in.

 

[km101]

I have a Beretta model 1934 in .380 that my father-in-law brought home from WWII. I am told it was manufactured in 1944 and has no markings because they were turning them out so fast that they didn't bother to mark them.

It has about a 14 pound trigger and the normal (original) fixed sights. I want to be able to shoot this gun well because it has such sentimental value to me and I really like it.

BUT IT HATES ME! Handloads with lead bullets or FMJ, or factory FMJ or hollow points...........it makes no difference. It will jam ( fail to feed ) as much as
1 out of 5. And when it does load and fire successfully it is all over the target. Normally about 12 - 14" at 15 feet. Factory ammo is even worse!

I don't want to do anything much to the gun because it's not a caliber I love, but I would like to make it a reliable shooter! But I will keep it forever because of its sentimental and historical value.

 

[Varminterror]

I've never been able to manage the skinny grip neck of Ruger Redhawks worth a dang, so without at least a Tyler T grip adapter, I struggle.

I'm also so used to shooting Glocks and Sigs, any time I take a CZ75 or SP01 to the range, I dive my front sight like crazy on my recovery, and will often print low if I let 'er buck too fast. Just not used to such linear recoil in a pistol, so I drive my front sight down more than I need to with the CZ's. Makes me appreciate how difficult it must be for guys going the other way, learning to manage more flipping recoil. It's easier for me to remember to not drive the front sight as hard than I believe it would be for a CZ shooter to manage the muzzle flip though.

 

[Riomouse911]

The H&K USP .45 was the worst duty gun I have ever bought. The mushy trigger made sure everything was safe that I was aiming at.

I sold it off quickly and never looked back.

The Colt Bisley grip is also one that I can't hardly even hold, much less shoot. I haven't fired a Ruger version so I can't say whether or not their design is a better one for me, but the Colt is downright funky.

 

[commygun]

The Beretta 92, which I really wanted to love. That half-mile of DA trigger pull drove me to distraction. I shoot a lot of DAO's just fine (love the Kahr's trigger) but I wasn't ever likely to get used to the 92.

 

[maxxhavoc]

The Beretta 92, which I really wanted to love. That half-mile of DA trigger pull drove me to distraction. I shoot a lot of DAO's just fine (love the Kahr's trigger) but I wasn't ever likely to get used to the 92.

That's funny - I am the exact opposite. I don't like Beretta 92's. They are too big, the safety is backwards, the trigger is mushy, and well, I just don't like them. But whenever I shoot my sister's, I shoot better with it than just about any automatic that I own.

 

[Overkill870]

I'm not terrible with them but I wish I could shoot my Glocks a little better. My 22/44, revolvers, 1911, and beretta m9 shoot like lasers. I shoot my Glocks decently but there's always fliers.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Ruger LCR in 22LR. Nice idea, but that terrible trigger pull and short barrel combined to make me a 6" shooter at 7 feet. I sold it.

 

[Ironicaintit]

I have a broomhandle Mauser that's in pretty rough shape, and has a broken firing pin. Can't shoot that one.
Also a beater cetme torn apart getting some HK style upgrades....it wouldn't shoot before, and I can't shoot it now!
Besides those..... I've never been very good with a glock.

 

[VThillman]

I can't shoot a Ruger LCP. Can barely hang onto it when it fires, say nothing about hitting the target.

 

[FROGO207]

Only passable with skeet shooting---no trophy there. With hand guns I always thought I was just an average shooter but my friends always seem to shoot worse for some reason.
I had a Dan Wesson 357 snub with changeable barrels, can't remember the model, that had THE worst trigger pull in the universe so shooting it accurately was out of the question. Trigger pull was around 20 lbs in single action! When I got it the first thing I did was shoot it for function. The trigger was gritty and it took two fingers to pull the trigger. I cleaned it and polished it and and gave it tender loving care where needed but it was still miserable. I traded it off with disclosure. Also I collect 32 S&W caliber top breaks. Many are the older Black Powder 32 Short types that were not cleaned well. Now those are the proverbial sewer pipe bores (I am a plumber) and none of them shoot accurately than a shotgun pattern no matter what you do. I still buy them often for some unknown reason though.

 

[Oldschool shooter]

Mine is a Savage Stryker bolt action pistol in .300 Winchester short mag. Don't know if it's all me, or if scope and mounts come into play. First couple shots look pretty good, then the group's open way up. And even with good shooting muffs, it hurts my ears something fierce.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

I am a decent rifle but an above average pistol shot. I cannot shoot "any" shotgun halfway worth a crap. Dependability? Minute of barn.

 

[Hokkmike]

Had a Winny 94 in 44. mag. Not an accurate gun to begin with. The best I could do was hit inside a pie plate at 100 yards. well, OK, a little smaller than that.

Sold it.

 

[H3NT3]

I once had a Nagant revolver. Shot it significantly better DA than I could SA. I am at a loss why that was. IIRC DA groups would be like 5" at 7 yards but SA groups were like 2' at 7 yards.

Military surplus ammo (1200fps? 98gr. ) did very well in it but hard to find unless you buy a spam can or two worth of it. The weak "target" loads (700-800fps 98gr. ) of modern assembly were horribly inaccurate but plentiful online and locally.

Sold it for $150 about a year ago. Sometimes I look back and regret that. Then I remember why I got rid of it.