Ive recently bought my first semi auto Pistol (39-2 9mm) i love it but i had some issues today when i took it out to play! i couldnt hit the broad side of a 747 if there was money riding on the shot! Ive only taken it out one other time and it didnt do so bad. The wind conditions werent as bad the first time out and i was really impressed in both myself an the pistol ( i never spent much time around firearms where i grew up). Now im now im not a horrible shot but at about 15 feet ( give or take few) i should have been able to hit the 10 inch target i set up any sugetions guys?

I think it might be something to do with the rear sights on the slide but im not sure.

hard to diagnose without being there.

Some things to try: load one round in the mag at a time. concentrate on making that shot perfect. Stance,grip, and sight picture all together. Then trigger squeeze. pulling the trigger should move the gun as little as possible.

HTH

if you practice correctly, you won't be a bad shot for long.

Ill try that, im not the best shooter in the world but i can hit a 10 in target at about 20 yards with my buddies revolver. Maybe i was expecting more from my semi auto.

39s were noted for their accuracy. 2" groups at 25 yds are common with the 39 and a good 115 gr load. You admit you have limited shooting. It takes practice. If you're not hitting 10" target at 15 ft that's not the gun. When we had someone on the range who complain that their particular gun was inaccurate we told them they first had to tighten the nut on the trigger and it would shoot fine.

__________________
183rd FBINA

Center the sight in the rear dovetail and move closer to the target until you can hit the target. Have someone that's a known good pistol shot try shooting it and listen to what they tell you.

@ispcapt. Im inexperienced with semi autos. This is the first one ive actually shot but i can hit a target at 20 yards easy with my buddys double action. I do know however that being an inexperienced marksman ive got a lot of practice to get in, thats not an issue. I need a little bit of helpful tips wherever possible though. And i had the target sighted in for a center shot but the bullets were pullling about 6.5 inches to the left. Im not sure if its maybe the sights or the slide?

I'm not sure of your experience level, but I know from personal experience that flinching will make you shoot low as you unconsciously try to compensate for muzzle flip.
This happened to me with my first centerfire pistol, a 5906. The first round fired went right through the bullseye. The remaining rounds all hit WAY low, most in the dirt in front of the target.

First off shoot the gun over a solid rest to help eliminate shooter induced error. Start at a close distance like the 15 feet that you mentioned.
Second, is to make sure that you are not putting too much of your trigger finger on the trigger which will account for a low and left shot if you are right handed.

If you are not totally confident in your own skills yet have a well experienced shooter do the same for you to confirm that all is well.

Also make sure that you are using good quality ammo as well. A box or two of Winchester white box or CCI Blazer etc. to confirm that it is not an ammunition induced problem.

Model 39's are usually quite accurate and very reliable....or at least all three of mine are and any others that I have had any experience with.

This is as far as I can diagnose without seeing what you are or are not doing. Keep us posted as to how it all turns out.

Randy

Just to add to the excellent responses here-

Just because you shot gun A does not mean you are any good with gun B.

There is a reason gunmakers have made different types of grips and frame sizes through the years.I once picked up a poly frame Ruger SR9 after putting 5 holes in the center with a Beretta .40 S&W and I couldn't even hit the paper.

Same problem with the 4506 pictured in my avatar. Great gun, but the distance from the trigger to the back of the grip was so long I couldn't point it worth a ****.I could shoot it straight if I had a bench or took a minute a shot, but in a short draw CCW situation the bullet was guranteed to go anywhere but on the bulls-eye.

Next time you pick up the M-39 look at your hand where it meets the gun. If your forearm looks like an upside down h, the gun is too big for your hands.

Next as has been stated before practice is key. You "accurize" a semi auto at the firing range by improving the shooter, not throwing bills at your local gunsmith.

I have owned two 39-2s, one years ago and one picked up recently. The current one is a peach, but I have to admit that the older one was a dog in the acccuracy department. Never could figure out why.

__________________
Pisgah

Thanks fpr te advice randy. Ive been shooting federals 115 grain and theyre filthy rounds. I was gonna experiment with the winchester white box but i also wanted to test out some good hollow points? And i heard hydroshocks were good as well. Any input on that?

6.5" left at 15 ft? That's not the gun. You're right handed correct? It's trigger control, not the gun.
I've seen a few thousand 39s over the years. You do know that the 39 was the basis for the 52 which is one of the most accurate guns out there. Many box stock 39s will shoot almost as good as the target 52.
Since you're pushing the shots to the left it's trigger control. More practice.

__________________
183rd FBINA

Im sure a good portion of it is my error but it was shooting better the first time i took it out. I was thinking maybe the sights were moving around but im no sure yet.

And yes im right handed lol. Im not thatbad of a shooter though

To give you an idea of what to expect from a Model 39, here's some data from a test I just conducted with eight Model 39s (well, one of them was a 59). I shot 10 shot groups at 25 yds off a bench rest; average size was 4.3"; the largest group was 7.7'', the smallest 2.8". This was with cast bullet handloads. Your pistol should be in this ballpark.

Hard to troubleshoot a pistol without seeing it. I would hold the grip, and see if you can get any motion at the muzzle of the barrel (make sure the gun is unloaded). Try to get motion at the rear, either sideways or up and down. If you get no motion, the problem may be as one person here stated; the nut behind the grips.

Lol. Ill try that when i get home! What should i do if i get any movement on the slide either sideways or up and down? I imagine that would be an expensive problem!

So i just checked for movement on my slide and ive got movement at the rear of it it. Its slight but it moves side to side and even slighter movement up and down. What should i do about that?

Many good suggestions so far, so I will relate a similar problem. I picked up a used Sig 229 in .40 S&W for a very good price including case, papers and 5 mags. When I tried it at the range it was hitting 5"+ to the left at 12 yds. My buddies both Sig owners had the same problem. I tried drifting the rear sight, it would not move. Had the local gun store guy try to move it but his tool could not move it. I ended up buying a Sig sight tool $100+, and now it shoots great. Since the gun looked near new, I am guessing some guy bought it for PPC/IDPA games and could not hit the targets well enough so he traded it in on something else.

His loss my gain. So in your case I would shoot resting my wrists on a bag rest, shoot at 10 yds for group size. If it groups well but is off point of aim right or left, get the rear sight adjusted. If it is high or low you will have to compensate with sight picture or buy a different height front sight.

__________________
Revolver luvin' Mountaineer

So im not totally familiar with all the lingo. What exactly is sight picture?

Ive got movement in my slide aswell. At the rear of the slide ive got slight wiggle side to side and up and down as well what could it be. Its old and its deffinatly got wear on it

Front sight centered in the rear notch top level with top of rear sight. The "hold" for the sight picture can be on the bull or at six o'clock under it. You can also move the front blade up or down in the notch but it is much harder to get a consistent hold that way. It is much better to move the point of aim on the target to correct the point of aim. Then you know how much to adjust the sights.

__________________
Revolver luvin' Mountaineer

Gotcha. My rear sight is a little wiggly as well. Any fix for that?

A loose sight or loose slide won't cause all your shots to go 6.5" left at 15 feet. A loose sight will cause groups to open up. That's because a sight that is loose doesn't maintain zero. If the group is consistently 6.5" left at 15 feet then the sight and slide is holding, it's you that's causing it.
6.5" at 15 feet is not the gun. 15 feet is point shooting distance. You're pushing it left at let off. Someone standing behind you, who knows what they're doing, would be able to see you off that much at 15 feet. And get someone who knows what they're doing to watch. Don't get your buddy who has 2 guns and plays video games. Find yourself a REAL firearms trainer. Have him watch and get some lessons.
Why is it when newbies can't hit anything then it's always the gun's fault? It takes practice and a lot of it. Get some training. Learn the basics. Shooting is a skill that has to be developed.

__________________
183rd FBINA

I guarantee you the pistol is not at fault here. Your question is good evidence of this. You need to start with a basic pistol course, forget everything you think you know and have a good instructor teach you.

Stop blaming the gun and get some training.

Forget the wiggling and all that other stuff. I think ISPCapt has correctly diagnosed your difficulty. The most effective way to solve your problem is dry-firing. Make ABSOLUTELY SURE you always practice dry-firing at an object that - if the gun would happen to fire - tragedy would not ensue. It is likely a few nights of careful dry-firing will do more to solve your problem than any amount of tinkering.

As to the wiggling, I have a P229 that is pretty wiggly (if there is such a word). It shoots just fine. Set that concern aside until you have dry-fired and you can follow through (i.e., your sights stay put when the hammer falls).

Ok. And its not a matter of feet its a matter of inches. Im extremly inexperienced with semi autos and no amount of video games would get anyone ready for a real firearm. Now i do need training yes but i can hit a target at 20 yards with a fixed sight revolver. The same target at 5 yards shouldnt be a problem with my semi auto! Ive grown past the flinchin uppn fireing thing for the most part.... As long as im wearin ear plugs lol

And ive figured out the issue. My sights were all they way to the left. Thanks for all the great advice guys! It deffinately helps haveing some constructive criticism! I do have room for improvement though. Who doesnt right?

While your dry firing, do the penny drill. Place a penny right behind the rear sight, when you can rapidly dryfire the gun in double action an the penny stays on the slide your where you need to be with the gun. Don't ever stop this drill, you may not need it all the time, but its a good refresher!!

I'm not trying to be a douche,but just how did you know the sights were the problem?

Just because you shoot a Da revolver better means absolutely nothing.I can shoot a 9mm Beretta real well,but with a 4506 my groups looked like shotgun targets.Semiauto A can shoot real well because of your hands and the distance from the grip to the trigger,but semiauto B can shoot poorly due to your grip causing a botched trigger pull.

The only time I adjust sights on my weapon is at the range.As stated above the problem is a case of 'pilot error'.

Your not being a douche my rear sight was all the way to the left and didnt notice! I adjusted it today at the range and was hittin pop cans at 15 yards all mornin! Also managed to come across a spare clip aswell! Woohoo haha