Single handed shooting of polymer guns and accuracy

[Lior]

Dear shooters,

After shooting guns for some time, I consider it more difficult to shoot a polymer framed gun, such as a Glock or an M&P, than a steel one, such as an SP01 Shadow, with one hand (strong or weak). Even when dry fire with a laser seems okay (laser ammo cartridge), when I transition to live fire, the polymer gun's aim will drift in the direction of the path of least resistance just as the round is discharged. I don't get nearly the same effect with steel guns. And this happens regardless of finger positioning. Trigger weight exacerbates the phenomenon. The M&P's slide also moves a thousandth of an inch forward when the striker hits the primer.

Any tips? I haven't tried crush gripping the gun yet, but what should I be looking at to help improve this situation.

Thanks all.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Lior

[Hi-Power Jack]

Dot Torture Drill.

[Lior]

Dot Torture Drill.

Southpaw. 5.5 lb trigger

Edited October 15, 2015 by Lior

[TonytheTiger]

Tips? Shoot steel guns.

[AusGunner]

I found with the M&P if I canted the gun, it moved the recoil more "up and down" and less off on the angle. Saw it on a Saul Kirsch you tube clip, with a pretty good explanation on why this works (lack of the second hand meaning a point of lesser resistance that the gun will move to). This was a big factor in improving my SH/WH shooting in IPSC stages.... I have only just moved to an SP-01, so not sure on if it will hold true, though theoretically I see no reason for it to be different... Good luck!

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[PatJones]

Trigger control. Get more of it. The weight of the steel guns masks trigger abuse.

[MarkCO]

Trigger control. Get more of it. The weight of the steel guns masks trigger abuse.

Yep.

The gun needs to track up and down in the same manner as with 2-handed shooting and you need to be deliberate with the trigger control.

If you death grip the pistol with the trigger finger hand, groups open up. But you have lost more than 50% of the grip strength since your support hand is not helping.

Other than that, it takes some practice. The little amount of actual live fire practice time i get is Dot drills, scrambler drills and weak and strong hand groups. I try to do one of each every time I go to the range. 6 of my 8 highest classifier scores, and my only GM classifier score are due to this practice of just a few hundred rounds a year.

[V2plus25]

I found especially with WH shooting polymer guns, gripping the gun firmly with my 2 middle fingers helped keep the trigger finger relaxed enough to pull the trigger straight back. Another big deal was to not grip with my pinkie finger as that little finger (especially WH shooting) seems to cause excess wriggling of the front sight.

[Arc Angel]

Dear shooters,

After shooting guns for some time, I consider it more difficult to shoot a polymer framed gun, such as a Glock or an M&P, than a steel one, such as an SP01 Shadow, with one hand (strong or weak). Even when dry fire with a laser seems okay (laser ammo cartridge), when I transition to live fire, the polymer gun's aim will drift in the direction of the path of least resistance just as the round is discharged. I don't get nearly the same effect with steel guns. And this happens regardless of finger positioning. Trigger weight exacerbates the phenomenon. The M&P's slide also moves a thousandth of an inch forward when the striker hits the primer.

Any tips? I haven't tried crush gripping the gun yet, but what should I be looking at to help improve this situation.

Thanks all.

Hello Lior, It's been a long time!

Let's see what I can tell you? If you're right-handed, and the pistol is moving towards the weakest part of your gripping hand while firing then the gun is breaking towards your fingertips and you're throwing your shots to the left - probably towards the lower left. I, myself, came to polymer frame pistols late in life and after spending more than half a century running narrow, steel frame 1911's. It wasn't an easy transition for me to have to make, took quite some time to get used to, and where I really noticed it most was whenever I tried to point shoot. After awhile I began to realize that it was the wider front and backstraps on the new polymer frames that were throwing me off.

My best guess is that (I almost hate to say this to you!) you're not fully grasping the pistol from front-to-back in quite the way that you should. Try this little test: Do some point shooting out of the holster; the distance to the target doesn't matter. I'll bet you will no longer be bothered by the pistol torquing in towards your body's centerline while you are point shooting. Why? Because necessity will force you to tighten up the tendons in the top of your forearm, and you'll tend to fire from your elbow more than from your hand.

(It, also, helps to put a slight crook in your elbow by allowing it to cant downward and, thereby, tighten up the muscles in your upper arm - NOW, you'll be firing, 'from your shoulder' and that's a good thing for any one-handed shooter to do.)

Whenever you shoot one-handed you need to use more of your whole arm in order to control your shots. During my own transition from steel to polymer frames it took me a good year and a half to finally handle the wider frames and lighter muzzles of polymer pistols in the same way that I was able to manage a steel frame gun. So, yes, I know what you're talking about. Tighten up your grip from front-to-back, put more conscious control into managing the tendons in your upper forearm, and develop a sense of firing, first, 'from your elbow'; and, second, 'from your shoulder'. That's how I did it!

Once you learn how to aim the pistol with your entire arm, working one-handed with the sights will come much more easily to you; and that tendency to allow the pistol to torque inward towards your fingertips should greatly lessen.

Regards, David

[Joe L]

I shot bullseye matches with a CZ P-09 polymer 9mm pistol all of 2014. I won several matches with it. For 2015, I switched to a steel CZ-97, more weight, larger holes, LOL. Grip and trigger control have to be good with either pistol. I enjoyed shooting the light 9mm polymer gun so much, I may go back to it. This particular pistol is full of CGW parts and is a tack driver. I've shot it very well at 100 and 200 yards with good ammo.

Yes, the recoil distance off target is greater than with the heavier gun, but it is also quicker to get back on, so overall, not as big a problem as I thought it might be when I decided to shoot it instead of an all steel SIG in 2014.

Here is a practice session at a timed fire pace during practice at 25 yards, using Atlanta Arms 115 JHP ammo.

Joe

[JAFO]

Nice, Joe!

[59nolimit]

I am a absolute nobody but wanted to mention what helped me the most so far shooting one handed. (This may even be my first post outside shopping the classifides). It's doing something with the free hand. Dont just let it hang there. I usually push mine against my chest and shoulder area. Maybe being on the shoulder gives the feeling of a little extra support of rigidity of the firing arm @ that time? Either way get that arm supported somewhere and give it something to do.

[Ocrrhbow]

I don't practice this enough. I have both a steel frame CZ Shadow and a polymer CZ P09. I don't do well with either shooting SH/WH only but I don't think it is attributable to the gun. I believe it is my lack of practice. The guns do, however, react differently in recoil. I feel that there is more movement with the heavier gun but I also feel that it really wouldn't matter if I just spent the time getting used to the movement and dealing with it. There is no substitute for practice.