Silversmok3
Member
After seeing my thousand millionth thread on "my S&W is shooting low left", ive had enough of the "sending my defective gun to the factory" posts and wish to add some pointers as to why folks say its the shooter's fault.
One, if you own a handgun that's defective in terms of accuracy you will KNOW it. I do not mean low left with a tight group at 25 feet. I mean not hitting the target at all off a bench at 7 feet. If the handgun in question looks like a shotgun pattern at that distance, one has a case for saying the handgun is defective in some manner.
Two:NOT ALL HANDGUNS HANDLE THE SAME!
I don't care who makes it. I've been blessed to own several S&W 3rd Generation handguns, and they all handled *very*differently from one another. A grip which helps make accurate 3" groups from a 4566 generates ugly fliers from a 9mm 5906. Both weapons were made in the same building by the same company, but they don't handle alike. A thumbs forward grip on a full size M&P9 makes for nice close shots on the bulls eye. A thumbs forward grip on a 5904 results in me pulling the shots right.
It doesn't matter how well you shot gun X before. Unless the next weapon you own is exactly the same model, caliber, grip, and size as the last one, you may as well consider it a completely different gun and act accordingly. Subtle changes in grip can mean the difference between a tack driver and an inaccurate mess. Sometimes one just doesn't click ergonomically with a firearm. I like how the 4506 and 1006 look and handle, but ill never shoot them accurately because they twist in my paws as I shoot. Without modifications to the DA trigger or grip, I won't be able to shoot them nearly as well as my 5900 series models. Both guns in someone else's hands will be potential tack drivers, but in my mitts the last place any DA shot is going to go with those frames is where I aim it. Luck of the ergonomic draw, not "these guns are inaccurate".
Three
RACTICE BEFORE PURCHASE.
I don't have any compensators, fancy barrels, or tuned firearms in my modest collection. I suspect it will be a long time before I do avail myself of the options for competition type weapons, being that I just don't have the skills to take advantage of it.Its like nails on a chalkboard everytime I go to the range and someone's talking about buying a "competition model" because their groups with the box-stock Glock in their range bag look like shotgun patterns. Truth of the matter is, that shooter would be better off buying $600 worth of ammo and range time , than $600 worth of modified triggers, hyper-accurate aftermarket barrels, and super-tactical-mega operator sights. That box stock Glock/S&W/whatever will outshoot 99% of people who handle it, including myself.
Just my personal theories, but a lot of gun accesory firms would be out of business if shooters honestly realized that the can't buy their way to marksmanship. No competition shooter ive ever heard of started off with a $3000 race gun.
If a shooter's having accuracy problems-and Im not immune to this dilemma myself-an honest appraisal of one's skills and some extra time at the range will do a lot more good than blowing stacks of money at the Apex trigger webpage and moaning about a "defective" firearm which is shooting exactly where the owner pointed it at when the shot broke.
End rant.
One, if you own a handgun that's defective in terms of accuracy you will KNOW it. I do not mean low left with a tight group at 25 feet. I mean not hitting the target at all off a bench at 7 feet. If the handgun in question looks like a shotgun pattern at that distance, one has a case for saying the handgun is defective in some manner.
Two:NOT ALL HANDGUNS HANDLE THE SAME!
I don't care who makes it. I've been blessed to own several S&W 3rd Generation handguns, and they all handled *very*differently from one another. A grip which helps make accurate 3" groups from a 4566 generates ugly fliers from a 9mm 5906. Both weapons were made in the same building by the same company, but they don't handle alike. A thumbs forward grip on a full size M&P9 makes for nice close shots on the bulls eye. A thumbs forward grip on a 5904 results in me pulling the shots right.
It doesn't matter how well you shot gun X before. Unless the next weapon you own is exactly the same model, caliber, grip, and size as the last one, you may as well consider it a completely different gun and act accordingly. Subtle changes in grip can mean the difference between a tack driver and an inaccurate mess. Sometimes one just doesn't click ergonomically with a firearm. I like how the 4506 and 1006 look and handle, but ill never shoot them accurately because they twist in my paws as I shoot. Without modifications to the DA trigger or grip, I won't be able to shoot them nearly as well as my 5900 series models. Both guns in someone else's hands will be potential tack drivers, but in my mitts the last place any DA shot is going to go with those frames is where I aim it. Luck of the ergonomic draw, not "these guns are inaccurate".
Three
RACTICE BEFORE PURCHASE.I don't have any compensators, fancy barrels, or tuned firearms in my modest collection. I suspect it will be a long time before I do avail myself of the options for competition type weapons, being that I just don't have the skills to take advantage of it.Its like nails on a chalkboard everytime I go to the range and someone's talking about buying a "competition model" because their groups with the box-stock Glock in their range bag look like shotgun patterns. Truth of the matter is, that shooter would be better off buying $600 worth of ammo and range time , than $600 worth of modified triggers, hyper-accurate aftermarket barrels, and super-tactical-mega operator sights. That box stock Glock/S&W/whatever will outshoot 99% of people who handle it, including myself.
Just my personal theories, but a lot of gun accesory firms would be out of business if shooters honestly realized that the can't buy their way to marksmanship. No competition shooter ive ever heard of started off with a $3000 race gun.
If a shooter's having accuracy problems-and Im not immune to this dilemma myself-an honest appraisal of one's skills and some extra time at the range will do a lot more good than blowing stacks of money at the Apex trigger webpage and moaning about a "defective" firearm which is shooting exactly where the owner pointed it at when the shot broke.
End rant.
