Cure for Shield shooting left

[Crabo]

Before I bought my shield, I tried my nephew's shield out at 7 yards. I used an IPSC target and loaded my 4.25 FS and the shield, and ripped off sbout three fast shots from one, than the other, then back and forth until empty. It convinced me that I wanted a shield. I did notice that the gun shot left for me.

After I bought my shield and I was spending my obligatory time in front of the tv, dry firing and shooting bad guys, I noticed that when I gripped the gun in a shooting grip, that the front of the barrel pointed a little to the left.

I got a roll of masking tape and made a pad to go between my palm and the gun. The sights then aligned perfectly for me. I ordered a set of Talon grips and built a pad under the grip area with extra grip material I ordered. I put the Talon grips on and the pad is there if you know to look for it. Otherwise, you can't see it.

Now when I throw the gun up, the sights align perfectly. So if you are shooting left, check your natural sight alignment and if it is pointing a little left, you might want to try the pad. I have big hands and I have to pin the grip safety's on my 1911s for them to always go bang.

 

[Willcoe]

First take the tape off. The problem you have is simply called getting used to the firearm. Your hand is just not used to grasping it properly. By adding **** to the weapon all you are doing is making things worse...and possibly unsafe. LEARN the right grip for the weapon. An old trick I learned about 40+ years ago is this: Pick up a pistol and holster it. Slowly draw it and bring it up to sight. If the sights are not where they should be from the first try. Adjust your grip one or two times. Or it just may not the "right" weapon for you.
The fact you say you have "big hands" and your trouble with it tells me you bought the "wrong" pistol.
Also I have to say the fact that you have pinned you 1911's grip safety really bothers me. That is not safe at all. In fact it is down right dangerous.

 

[Old TexMex]

Gee, is it o.k. to use a Tyler T on my J frames? Should I trash my custom target stocks that were made for my grip?

 

[The Preacher]

This is indeed a tough crowd. lol

The Preacher

 

[DJDave]

Left and low left is common for right handed shooters.

I had used revolvers for years and was very good with them using a modified weaver grip and stance.

Semi Auto's, Not so much. Low left was very common for me unless I really slowed down and worked hard to shoot straight.

My solution was taught to me by a MSP Pistol Trainer.

And that was learning the "Thumbs Forward" Grip and Stance.

Now I shoot Pistol Very close to the level I shoot my Revolvers.

It took some practice, But I did not have to move my sights or mod the gun to make up for my lack of technique.

Old dogs can learn new tricks...

I Hope this Helps.

 

[cleans up]

Interesting observation and solution. I don't see anything wrong with customizing the grip as you did on the shield. I am surprised you pinned the saftey on a 1911. Sure it's got other mechanisms for saftey but that just seems wrong to me, and potentially dangerous. If it's a range toy who cares about the occasional misfire, if a carry gun downright foolish.

 

[Crabo]

I knew when I posted this that people like Willco know more about me than I do myself. I have shoot lots of steel challenge, IPSC pistol and three gun, combat shotgun, sporting clays, and I know how to shoot.

I think it is pretty ridiculous for someone to tell me I bought the wrong gun. If your sights do not line up, you need to do something to make them line up. The gun needs to shoot where you are looking.

Low and left is common if you are milking the trigger. My point was that when I was gripping the gun, there was a misalignment of the sights, not while I was shooting. Read the post guys.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I knew when I posted this that people like Willco know more about me than I do myself. I have shoot lots of steel challenge, IPSC pistol and three gun, combat shotgun, sporting clays, and I know how to shoot.

I think it is pretty ridiculous for someone to tell me I bought the wrong gun. If your sights do not line up, you need to do something to make them line up. The gun needs to shoot where you are looking.

Low and left is common if you are milking the trigger. My point was that when I was gripping the gun, there was a misalignment of the sights, not while I was shooting. Read the post guys.

I don't think anyone was being intentionally mean. There are lot of people on this forum who have taught a lot of other people to shoot very well for a lot of years, and yours is the first post I've ever read that corrected a sight picture with masking tape on the grip of the weapon. The message they were trying to impart is that the proper correction to this issue is a proper grip. Unless you have some sort of physical deformity that prevents a proper shooting grip, it's a relatively simple issue to correct. In my humble opinion, what you have done is akin to a physician treating the symptom of a disease and not the cause. If it works for you, that's fine, but it's an unusual solution.

 

[Crabo]

All I did was create a palm swell on a gripless gun. No more, no less, the proof will be in the shooting. I used the masking tape to see if it corrected my grip and then used the Talon grip material for the palm swell. I put different grips on my 642 when I wanted a covered backstrap so it would fit my hand better. Same thing. Changing your grips to fit your hand is a common thing to do. I'm through defending it.

 

[Willcoe]

Crabo, I really don't care how many steel targets you've shot. Not all guns are made for all people. Some adjustment can be made. But when you start to jury rig a firearm like you do. It's a ticking bomb waiting to go off. If you were to show up on my range with a pinned back strap safety. You'd be banned for life. Membership paid or not. What you do to firearms, and you are unsafe.

 

[SoMoMule]

The Shield was just too thin for me. Tried the Pachmayr Grip Glove but it never stayed in place. If it's only (only?) a carry gun and not a shooter it might be OK. I'm trying a G23 now, I know it's not a S&W. I also tried a 9c and it wasn't right either. Different horses for different courses. Find something (anything) that works for YOU.

 

[Targets Guy]

When I shoot left I just aim a little to the right. Works like a champ.

 

[DartonJager]

Crabo, if I may ask, how big are your hands? mine are not huge, but at 8-3/4" from the tip of my middle finger to the edge of where my wrist and hand meet, they are bigger than average and it didn't take all that much effort to learn how to grip my Shield well.

As ALL Shield owners know, the Shield is a purpose designed self defense HG, not a target gun as long as I can keep my rounds consistently in the "0" zones of a IDPA target at 10 yards and less I'm doing back flips and at that my Shield is more than acceptable. FWIW I started out shooting low and left with both my M&P FS Pro and Shield but once I diagnosed my grip and trigger pull issues, I have not quite cured the issue but are well on my way to doing so.

Are you sure you can't learn to adjust your grip so as not to need to modify the gun itself using what looks like multi layers of tape?

Just my .02c worth. Good luck.

 

[DartonJager]

Left and low left is common for right handed shooters.

I had used revolvers for years and was very good with them using a modified weaver grip and stance.

Semi Auto's, Not so much. Low left was very common for me unless I really slowed down and worked hard to shoot straight.

My solution was taught to me by a MSP Pistol Trainer.

And that was learning the "Thumbs Forward" Grip and Stance.

Now I shoot Pistol Very close to the level I shoot my Revolvers.

It took some practice, But I did not have to move my sights or mod the gun to make up for my lack of technique.

Old dogs can learn new tricks...

I Hope this Helps.

Would you be so kind as to elaborate on what a "Thumbs Forward' Grip" for those of us les educated?

 

[gman51]

Wouldn't it be easier to just move the target to the left so you could hit the center of target? Just a smarty humor question.

 

[radar1972]

Shame on Springfield, Smith & Wesson et al for including different sizes of grip swells with many of their pistols.

 

[Rastoff]

I feel differently than many here. I applaud Crabo for taking something that wasn't working and making it work. Yeah, the tape might not be the prettiest way to do it, but if it's bringing the bullets to the center, that's a good thing.

Also, it is an incorrect assumption to say that it's the shooter shooting low/left. If that were the case, the rounds would still go left even with the tape. However, that is not the case.

Again, I like what you did. You had an issue. Rather than complain about how the gun is messed up (what most do), you took steps to make it fit you. I'll shoot with you any day.

 

[cyfman1]

I don't know much about much and have no where near the experience as the majority of the fine folks on here.I can relate to the low left hits from my Shiled. Here's my first time out with it



Look familiar ? I knew it was partly(mostly)me since I haven't shot a handgun in many years and knew I needed to work on grip and trigger squeeze.Got some good advice from folks and worked on it and still on other outings not much improvement

I wasn't thrilled with the sights that came on the gun and had some AmeriGlo I Dot sights put on and I noticed before having them installed it appeared the front sight was off center to the right. The Gunsmith confirmed it when installing the sights and he asked me are you hitting Left ? and I said Yep.

I also got the Hogue Handall Jr. grip because of the slight palm swells. Even though I have small hands the thicker grip helped with my grip and also gave me a much more solid and secure feel in my hand.

Here's the last time out(the first hits were the hits to the left and after a very small tweak with my grip and trigger finger placement --- well the results speak for themselves This is at 7 yards 50 shots fired.



Sorry for the long winded post,but sometimes the gun needs some tweaking and not just the shooter.I know I am still a work in progress but it's getting there

 

[Crabo]

Are you sure you can't learn to adjust your grip so as not to need to modify the gun itself using what looks like multi layers of tape?

Just my .02c worth. Good luck.

I will try to explain this one more time. My objective is that when I grab the gun, close my eyes, insert the gun into my line of vision, and open my eyes, I want to be looking right down the top of the slide with my sights. I don't want to be adjusting my sights. I want the gun shooting where my eyes are looking.

I also put an Apex trigger in it, and the 10-8 rear sight on it. Makes a huge difference. I want my gun to work for me, not to have to work to make the gun hit where I want it to.

My 1911s do this, my M&P FS does this, Glock 17 points to the sky, can't shoot it fast, my revolvers do it. It is all about the gun fitting my hand and pointing naturally were I look.

 

[cp2146]

Crabo, I say if what you are doing works for you, then by all means go for it. I'm certainly no expert, but modifying a grip sounds like a reasonable solution to me. After all, isn't that why they make custom grips in the first place...to make the gun feel better in your hand? You're not changing the mechanics of how the gun fires, just how it fits your hand. For me, being a right handed shooter, I suffered the dreaded low and left when I first got my Shield. After some research into shooting technique and practice at the range, I found that the thumbs forward method works great for me (in other words, changing how I was holding the gun). Not only did it bring the pattern up and right, where it should have been to start with, but it tightened up my grouping considerably. I'm not quite blowing the bullseye out of the target just yet, but I am improving.This worked for both my Shield 40 and Bodyguard 380 at distances between 5 and 10 yards. But again, that is what worked for me and may not have the same result for everyone. Happy shooting.