Handgun's you can't shoot worth a flip?

I can't be the only one. So many fine firearm's out there with excellent reviews. but once in your hand, and on the range, everything goes to hell in a handbasket.

For me, it's the Springfield X series. I've shot the XD. XDM and the XDS.

I literally could not hit the broadside of a barn.

Let's hear it. I know TX Killer posted up awhile back, he had the Shield, and couldn't get rid of it fast enough.

S&W 5906, i'd be better off trying to beat someone to death with it than shoot'em

I have never been a fan of any of the double action S&W semi auto's. I have tried and sold them shortly thereafter due to my inability to fire accurate shots.

1911's of almost any ilk. I've shot colt's, kimbers, springfield. I can hit the target at 5 yards with one but, for a self-defense weapon, I would usually be winging them. Figure the cops would think I was torturing them.

XD's, M&P 9's and 40's etc. I can shoot quite well.

For me it was a Glock, just couldnt get use to the trigger pull/break. Now I can shoot better with my G26 then I can with my P226. I can rock a G17, to the point of shooting a 100 with almost 40 X ring hits during our police qual, might just be giving up the old P226

2" revolvers. I know they aren't known for their accuracy. They are what they are, but I bought one for my wife 2 years ago. At 15ft, I was hitting 1/10 on a 15"x15" piece of plywood.

You people need to spend more time with a pistol. I understand that some may not be as easy to shoot, but if you watch what you are doing, hitting a 6"x6" target at 20 yards is not hard. I have shot small carry pistols all the way to 45-70 Encores, and unless the pistol is extremely inaccurate, there is really no excuse not to hit your target. I may also add that I have shot many pistols that I really didn't like shooting, but it wasn't because I couldn't hit my target.

M&P 9

Had a Taurus 111 millenium pro as a truck gun. Couldn't hit jack all with it. Now glock is what I rock in the truck!

Any DAO pistol gives me fits. 100% because I do not practice enough with them. Anything with a lite crisp trigger I'm on.

I had a sig 232sl that I could never hit anything with. Of course it had to be the gun right? Let my step daughter shoot it and she was nailing it. So I sold it. Decent with the xd stuff but I found I shoot the gp100s the best.

Sums it up well. Believe Bob Munden was a perfect example of being able to shoot with any handgun.

Or Jerry Miculek...

My back up. Keltec pf9. That long hard pull throws everything off. Wish glock would produce a slim single stack 9mm.

Shoot it more often and watch your trigger control and front sight.

A buddy has a Sig .40 pistol (that he overpaid for) that he can't shoot sh**. He's all over the place shooting it. He offered to let someone else shoot it. One guy told his wife to shoot it. First shot, she was a little off. The guy said, "See, it's not just me." Second shot, dead on as were all the rest. It's like she had been shooting it for years. Handed it back to the owner and said, "It's not the gun." We all got a good laugh out of it. Only her husband and I knew her dad had taught her to shoot guns from a young age. But even then, he should be able to shoot better than he was.

X2

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I shoot Glocks and they are accurate, and I just got a M&P 9 a few months ago and it shoots great. I guess it's maybe my form and grip, but it's dead accurate!

I bought a new M&P 9 and first time out with it I really wondered what the hell. I fired two magazines at paper and it was all over the place, even at 7 yards. I spent two more magazines (16 each) at a full can of 7Up and couldn't hit it. Took it home, read some of the forums, and dry-fired it about 300 times. Next time out my semi rapid-fire groups at 10 yards were fist-sized. Same ammo, same lot both trips. This was the newer build M&P, too. Really liking it now.

First and only time I ever shot a Glock was similar-I couldn't hit a thing with it.

Only found one handgun I hated......the original Ruger Redhawk!

A regular 1911. I have a Dan Wesson C-Bob that I shoot well but any regular 1911 my meaty palm doesn't allow me to get a proper grip.

Yep. I can usually tell the difference by the time I leave the range. It groups better when I stage the trigger.

Years ago I bought a full size M&P 9 and just couldn't shoot it. It felt great in my hands but I just couldn't get it to shoot well for me. I like Glocks. Many don't like them but once I was shown the tricks to shooting Glocks well, I haven't had any issues. Funny thing though.. I have a Shield and shoot it quite well.

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haven't found one that I could not shoot yet. Some I shoot better than others, but barring loose sights or some other mechanical issue, I can shoot anything I have tried. Spend more range time. Work on trigger control and form. Focus on the front sight.

this subject has me wondering, why I go through so many. wife wonders also.

the reason I get different hand guns is that I want to get comfortable with all?

and sure some are harder to get a feeling for. but to be a shooter, isn't it better to be able to shoot all

everything I have shot at this point, I have been able to control to the point I hit, then I sell and move on

that of course is my thought.

but not having one I do or don't like hasn't been a problem.

sure some have been harder to get a feeling for but, to me that is what makes it interesting

and yes double action is different, but again isn't that what it is all about?

^ How I feel with most handguns.

I can't say any of them I can't shoot well, just don't like some of them. I'd say the worst one for me to shoot was probably a Taurus revolver. 2" and that trigger just suuuuucked. I shot it well but I hated it.

I love me a 1911. Any and all of them have a place in my heart

Practice practice practice

Anyone can learn to shoot almost any style of handgun with enough practice. If a gun does not fit your hand, that is one thing. If you "are not used to the trigger," that can be covered with experience, practice, and dry firing.

The one gun that has troubled me (I think due to my lack of trigger time on them) is the Desert Eagles. I've shot the 50 AE and the 44 MAG, but I consistently shoot them high for some reason.

Maybe cuz they're equivelant to shooting a cannon?

My XDS 45 is very accurate if I just shoot it but always hits lower than I'd like. Monkeying with my normal sight picture and playing with my grip has got me as fouled up as a golfer changing his swing.

-ww

Keltec by fsr the worst one yet. Taurus is a close second but tied with ruger. Can't hit squat. Be better off throwing rocks.

The one that should have shot awesome that didn't was a carry model kimber 1911. I was highly un impressed and I can shoot a pistol pretty well.

I've got a Ruger LCR .38 Special. I can shoot it fine. The problem is that the grip angle is very different than my other pistols so I have to angle the gun down before I shoot.

Maybe? But I shoot my 44 SW 629 PC perfectly well. I think it has something to do with the way the recoil works on a high powered semi over against a revolver. But, who knows. I'm certain with additional practice I'd figure it out.

I thought I posted mine, but I can't find it.

I learned I cannot shoot a NAA 22 revolver or a Colt Jr 22 (short) worth a flip. I cannot even hit paper with them. I handed them to my friend one time and he could shoot 5-10 shots in about the size of a quarter. All in the X. I guess I just cannot grip them. Apparently the trick is to do finger excersizes everyday to gain finger strength.

With the big guns, it's a matter of trigger time imo. ymmv

What do you mean you people?

Traitor

I mean all of you that shoot a pistol once or twice, have no trigger control, and say " I can't shoot this gun," and say it's a bad pistol.

Only pistol I've never liked was the Beretta M9. Oddly enough, it's probably the pistol I've shot more than any other, with several thousand rounds. 1911 and S&W shield are my favorites.

Glock anything or smith and wesson bodygaurd

I'm a awful shot with any handgun. To the point i hate to practice with them.
Rather play golf and I hate golf, but at least I can drink away the pain.

Yeah, I also suck with short guns and I probably have a dozen. The exception is my Python. I believe I could throw in on the ground and it would hit the bullseye.

It sounds like we need to have a practice session with some pistols.

There's 2 things you must do to shoot a pistol well.

1- front sight! Watch the front sight and keep it on target while doing #2.
2- trigger squeeze. Most pistol shooters will jerk the trigger as the front sight goes on target. This jerk will pull them off target. Squeeze the trigger. I also prep the trigger (begin squeezing and take up most of the trigger pull) until the front sight is on target, and then finish of the trigger pull with a smooth squeeze.

Also, dry fire your pistol. Fully unload the pistol, remove the magazine, and check the chamber first. I dry fire my pistol all the time. It will help smooth out your trigger squeeze. And it's free! This helps a lot!

Makes me wish I lived out in the country where I could setup
a 15y range in my backyard. That way it would not cost me $15
plus an hour and a half or more of time to practice something
so frustrating. I'm actually not that bad with a .38 revolver,
but I don't have one and don't want one. May have to pick up a
glock 17 or 34 and see if it improves anything, been wanting one
anyway.

I have a Ruger New Model Single Six. With the .22 lr I'm pretty spot on but when I switch to the .22 Win Mag I'm all over the place. Doesn't make sense.

heck Chad, I doubt if I could hit anything dry firing either.

Another very important aspect to shooting a handgun/pistol well is gripping the gun. Learning how to properly grip a pistol was the single biggest accuracy enhancer for me.

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Pretty much any sub compact, they are just to small.

I once spent quite a bit of time trying to only move the tip of my finger. I never really got there.

I thought the same thing with my Springfield XD .40 until I started shooting with both eyes instead of aiming with my dominant. It takes a little getting used to if you've done it all your life but it improved my shooting drastically.

X100

I call it "staging" the trigger. When I'm working at the range and people ask for help, this is hands down the most helpful bit of info for them. Second would be grip... get as high and as much grip on the gun as you can safely. Point thumbs at the target.

I found my Keltec PF9 can't hit the broad side of a barn with 115 grain rounds, but if I load it up with 147 grain rounds it is a tack driver at less than 7 yards.

Blasphemy

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LOL, he logs our trigger time

the little keltec 380

LoL... I know right! It just turned over 18,000 rounds ( i think 18,050). It's a darn fine gun, getting kind of loose and ugly in her old age

Why don't y'all just practice a little?

Well there are some pistols out there that by design are not very accurate but most offer enough accuracy to get the job done. When a person tells me they can't hit with this pistol I ask them to let me watch them shoot it. Usually by the first two shots I've spotted the problem and it's nearly always the same, most people just don't know how to shoot a pistol accurately. Stance, grip and trigger pull is where you start and if your short on any of those 3 you have a problem. Some pistols have a long and heavy trigger but a proper pull will override that. Shooting a pistol accurately offhand or off a bench required allot more patience and concentration than many will put into it, they just give up. The plain fact is pistols are just hard to shoot accurately and it takes allot of time and practice, time to get to know your pistol and practice to get comfortable with it. Don't give up!

I put a few hundred rounds through my PF9 and could not get it to have a nice, tight group with 115 grain rounds. Now, once I tried 147 grain rounds the accuracy increased greatly. Granted, this is on a sub compact 9mm.

So you're saying is that the pistol liked a different type of ammo and after you practiced with it and found something it liked better you got acceptable accuracy? Who'd have thought??

There's a # of pistols I shoot well and quite accurately. Know full well what my biggest problem is.

Lack of patience. If I don't shoot well after just a few rounds, I've already made up my mind, I hate the firearm and won't go back.

Fortunately, this has only happened with the Springer XD line.

I shot a Glock 29 OK, even though Glock had brought in an engineer from the Swingline staple gun company to design the trigger.

For me it's my 2.5" S&W M64 .38 Snubby...it's fine in CLOSE quarters (what it's meant for) but get out there a few yards and it's hard to be very accurate with.

And that engineer was having a really bad day!

I have a Beretta nano I could not punch paper if I had it pressed up against the target. put it in my wife's hands and she is deadly with it.

Ruger P90. Hated that trigger.

All of them!

My issue is i just dont practice enough and when i do im trying to make up for lost time and do too much at once.

I can hit paper with anything i own, but the pm9 gives me the most fits. So small and lots of jump and a reaaaaly long trigger. I dont kid myself i know if i ever had to use it, the assailant better be close

Taurus 709 slim... Couldn't stop shooting low and left with that bugger. I know it was my trigger squeeze- but dang it I just could never get the hang of that pistol. Ended up trading it in on a Taurus M856 .38 Special with a wolf spring kit and I am very happy with what I can do at the 15 foot line firing double action. I need to have the front ramp milled and painted so I can focus better though. My wife's S&W 637 Airweight is also a really good shooter- the trigger is much better than my Taurus 856 and I can actually consistently hit a 10" steel plate at 25yds with it on single action.

Funny enough, I saw someone posted they like the M9... I'm in the military and I hate that thing. I can never qualify expert with it and it just feels wrong in my hands. If it has to be a semi-auto, I prefer a Glock to tell you the truth. Otherwise I am a real big fan of wheelguns.

Sw9ve oh my god i hope it was just the pistol I had but .... Man that thing shot high and right .
Had 2 gunsmiths fix still shot off . Someone posted xds being awful .. I owned a xds in 9mm and was not into it at all .. I'm a 1911 guy just wanted something smaller for conceal.
Any way it was the 3.3 length man was it snappy after 200 rounds I was on point .it was me just not being use to the pistol way diff than a 1911 . I can see the 3.3 version in 45 being hard to get use to .. Sometimes you just get a built on Friday at 4:45 gun ..I still own a xds in 9 and a sig 238
For conceal . The sig is great for summer and shorts

For each there own

I feel your pain with the Springfield X model pistols. I want to like them and have never had a single problem out of the two I own, but I'm just not as accurate with them as I'd like to be

I shoot my XDS 9mm like hell. The trigger is horrific.

All of them. But with the parkinsons and tremors that run in the family I've come to grips that I'll never be good with one.

Sig P239 in .40 that my mom has is hard for me to shoot. I can shoot my buddies P226 in .357 Sig or my Papa's .38 6" like a boss. I need to practice more with my Glock 21 & 22.

I've got a Taurus model 85 (snub nose 38) and PT 24/7 Pro DS (full size semi-auto 40) and they have the best triggers of the 7 handguns I own (including S&W, Colt and Springfield). Both are extremely accurate.

To answer the original question, I don't shoot double action guns as well as single action, but that probably is true for most anyone. I've never shot a gun I couldn't shoot at all. Some more accurate than others. My least favorite was a Springfield Mil Spec 1911. Horribly inaccurate gun.

I shoot pistols pretty well, usually the best shot out of a group. The only guns I can't typically shoot worth a dang is hammer less snub nose revolvers and tiny double action .380's like the LCP. I have large hands, have trouble holding them correctly.

If you're shooting low and left you should try shooting the gun upside down

all of them

I have never had a pistol that I couldn't shoot. Some just took me longer to learn than others.

anything in 40.

I like the various 9's and 45's I've shot over the years. However, I've never really like the snap of a 40.

I can't shoot any of them worth a hoot anymore, eye won'y let me focus the front sight anymore.

I have laser on my XDM 9mm, it will shoot very tiny groups with the laser on. My other guns I can hit minute of bad guy

Too bad, I really like shooting handguns

This is the more accepted diagnostic.