Newbie with tons of questions -- your help is appreciated!

[illtmprdman]

Dear Shooters,

I recently purchased a Para-Ordnance P14 Stainless Limited, .45 Auto w/Adjustable Sights.

Overall, I love shooting -- it is one of the best hobbies I ever acquired.  However, I am one of those people who isn't satisfied with simply knowing how to shoot my pistol -- I want to learn how to shoot my pistol better (more precision and accuracy).  Needless to say, I have a boatload of questions.  Some of my questions may not belong in this category, but I have so many I simply couldn't pick just one category, so please forgive me if this seems redundant or stupid.

Now, for the laundry-list of questions:

1. I know that shooting is requires mental focus -- nevertheless, what is the best way to perfect my grip and shooting stance.  In essence, what is good shooting stance/grip to use?  If I could see a picture on a website somewhere, that would help, too.  It seems that when my arms are slightly bent (like in a weaver stance) I shoot erratically.  Do many people shoot with their arms thrust straight forward?

2. What is the best way to clean/lube a gun.  Because I am a perfectionist, it takes me over an hour to clean my gun.  I take it apart, soak the parts in a good nitro solvent, use an old toothbrush on the slide and frame, stroke the barrel with a brush and a swab, blast the whole thing clean with Brake Cleaner/Gun scrubber, blow everything dry with an air compressor, wipe everything down with a light coat of Sheath (rust preventative/fingerprint remover, oil the slide, and put it all back together.  I am thinking about switching to a hi-tec grease for the slide.  Should I lightly oil/grease the barrel bushing and guide rod?

3. How do I learn to focus on my sights/target better.  I know the eye can only focus on one thing at a time.  I keep an eye closed and I wear regular prescription glasses.  Sometimes I shoot too high, sometimes too low.  I can't seem to establish good "groupings."  When I do seem to group shots, I am simply unaware of how I did it (or it was by accident )

4. What is a good follow through -- how do I perfect my trigger pull (what is a good trigger pull anyway), should I keep my eye closed and focused throughout the shot, how do I avoid flinching.  I shoot archery, so I understand how important "follow-through" is -- by just twitching the bow a tad, you can seriously affect the accuracy of your shot.  I know that if I learn to control my gun "follow-through" better, I can gain greater accuracy.  How should I go about this?

5. This may sound like a weird question, but has anyone ever tried to polish/deburr the chamber of their pistol.  I was thinking that if things were a little smoother (the ramp, the chamber, etc), the rounds would feed easier.  Yay or Nay?

6. This really isn't accuracy related, but I would like to change the magazine release, trigger, and mainspring housing on my pistol to aluminum or stainless versions (mainly for looks).  Do you gents reccomend doing this?  I also would like a set of rosewood grips -- are these a good idea, will they negatively affect accuracy.  Right now, I just want to get rid of the crappy plastic pieces beacause they just look tacky.  What is a good place to get gun accessories and parts? I know, I know, fundamentalists out there would like to beat me right now!

Well, for now, that's all I could think of, thanks for the help.  All suggestions are appreciated!

Sincerely,

illtmprdman

PS: The more I shoot my gun, the more I realize how easy it is to use one safely and properly.  This leads me to believe that most gun "accidents" are manifestations of sheer stupidity!    

(Edited by illtmprdman at 11:24 pm on Dec. 20, 2002)

[Ron Ankeny]

Welcome to the forums. There are answers to all of your questions somewhere on the forum. Some of the moderators are in the process of condensing information and moving it to the "Technical Threads". In the mean time, the search function would be worth a try. I also suspect some of the regulars will post a couple of links to get you started.

To begin with, there is a lot of information on Brian's main Web site. If you haven't read it, his Words/Tips page is a good place to start. You can find it here:

http://www.brianenos.com/pages/words.html#expanded

Hope that gets you started.

[IPSC CHIK1]

a newbie shooting a P14, gotta love em!

triggers, Dlask makes a very nice magnesium/titanium trigger/bow. they come in 3 lengths.  

mag release, i like the S&A ambidextrous mag release

( made in stainless)

grips, on my open Para i go without. for my ltd P14 i substituted Enterprise Arms grips, they fit better but they still look tacky.  i do not know of a source for rosewood grips for a Para but they sure would look good and NOT affect accuracy.

mainspring housing, try Brownells catalog. they have a boat load. it is the Sears Roebuck Christmas catalog to practical shooters.  Speed Shooters International is an EXCELLENT source for practical shooting parts/gear.

grease, see this web site for Slide Glide

re: cleaning, will you clean mine too?!?!?!

regarding sight picture,grip etc. buy Brians' book and study it WELL.  mine is dog earred from re-reading. oh, and keep BOTH eyes open.

chamber/ramp polishing. ramp polishing is pretty much standard on a competition pistol.  if your chamber is rough see your gunsnmith, if you get too generous in chamber polishing you run the risk of damaging the transition zone from chamber to rifling.

as a diehard Para shooter i have probably made most of the equipment mistakes so feel free to ask, i may save you some aggravation and money

btw newbie, where do you shoot?

ah, and regarding reloading equipment, any press as long as it is robins egg blue.

good luck and welcome to a fabulous sport

SharonAnne L2387

[Steve Anderson]

1. Buy Brian's book. Read it once in small sections, then keep reading it. The first time you read it, you may think it's too analytical and overcomplicated. After a time, you will have many "Ahhhhhh" moments where the book will become crystal clear.

2. Use the search function for every subject that perplexes you.

3. Welcome to the most informative website on the planet for a competition shooter.

SA

[jkmccoy]

I shot a P14-45 in USPSA for about 2.5 years. Recently upgraded to an STI .40 only because I won one in a raffle.

I upgraded a lot of parts in my Para. The vast majority of the changes worked out great, better function, better feel.

Get a Brownell's catalog. They have lots of parts for Para's. I use a lot of Ed Brown parts (safety, mag release, mag release catch, extractor, grip screws) and have had good luck with them, but there are a lot of other good manufacturers out there.

I used a Dlask trigger for a while but changed it out for a Guncraft (I needed a longer trigger than the Dlask I originally installed, don't remember any reason for changing brands). Both triggers are MUCH nicer than the original.

When you change out the mainspring housing you might consider going ahead and installing a Smith and Alexander mag well (if this is a competition gun).

I bought a pair of Navidrex rosewood grips for my Para from Brownell's. They are really beautiful but are too thick to fit me well (my hands are a little small). They've been sitting on a shelf in the garage unused for 2+ years. I wound up modifying the factory grips. I used a carving chisel to carefully remove all the checkering to leave flat recessed panels. Then I cut pieces of skateboard tape to fit that recess. Actually looks better than the original and fits much better.

I used Brownell's Action Lube (synthetic moly grease) for years with good success but have recently switched to Slide Glide. I find that either makes cleaning easier (stays soft and doesn't cake up hard with powder fouling) and because it stays soft you can go longer between cleanings.

Buy the book and search this sight. You can probably find everything you want to know.

Cheers,

[illtmprdman]

Thanks, gent's you've been a big help--

So far, I was thinking about a Dlask trigger, an Ed Brown SS mainspring housing, and a new ss mag release.

I like the widebody frame, but my fingers are a tad bit short (short fat-fingered guy).  I was thinking that a medium sized trigger might be nicer, so my trigger finger would be perpendicular to the trigger pad.

What do you guys think?

[warpspeed]

no experience with a Para but I too have short fingers.

On mt STI's, I shoot a short trigger. I like the way my finger fits it, perpendicular and w/o having to reach for the trigger.

[vluc]

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Quote: from illtmprdman on 2:46 am on Dec. 22, 2002

Thanks, gent's you've been a big help--

---

I don't think all your help was gents!  

[illtmprdman]

My bad, thank you, Ladies and Gents

[illtmprdman]

Oh, yes, in response to someone's question --

I shoot at Bass Pro Shop in Gurnee, IL.  It costs $8 (expensive)

I wish there was someplace I could go because I would like to do some plinking -- I always enjoyed shooting milk jugs and cartons with my compound bow.  Any ideas?

[IPSC CHIK1]

regarding trigger length.

i wear a womens' large glove which is a bit smaller than a mens' small. with a Dlask short trigger my finger pad sits square on the trigger.

SharonAnne L2387

[Carlos]

SharonAnne has offered excellent advice - as have the others. Welcome to the sport!

As for cleaning the barrel of your Para, you might consider giving it up altogether. Look at the main USPSA website and click on the sponsor link for Schuemann Barrels. Then, go to Will's thoughts on cleaing.  Read it over and you decide. I never clean the bore anymore - ever, just the chamber. My STI shoots as accurately as anything else out there.  Would I do the same w/ my .223?? Of course not, but w/ my pistol, I do what works.  Again, welcome. D.

[DogmaDog]

illtmprdman,

congrats on the new acquisition!  I haven't yet read Brian's book, but the "beyond fundamentals" part suggests that it's not quite the best starting point for first learning to shoot. (I do wanna read it, and you should, at some point, as well).

I got my start in the Marine Corps, where everyone was turned into a competent rifle shot through the simple expedient of dry firing 10 hours per day for a week, followed by a week of live fire.  We had a coach, but he really couldn't tell what we were SEEING.  "Sight alignment" and "trigger control" were our twin mantras--we strove to see a sharply focused front sight, perfectly centered in the fuzzy rear sight aperture, and we tried to achieve a slow, steady squeeze of the trigger with a surprise break (it should surprise you when the gun goes off).

Anyway, you can download the Marine's manuals on rifle and pistol marksmanship.  Just go to http://www.usmc.mil and select "publications" from the menu along the top of the page, then "doctrinal publications" and then "training series" (I think).  Rifle Marksmanship and Pistol Marksmanship should be there.  They'll contain lots of stuff specifically about M16s and Berettas, but also stuff applicable to any platform.  These manuals cover the basics.  They won't make you even a B class IPSC shooter (I shoot high "expert" scores in the Marines, and may get my IPSC "C" classification pretty soon).  They will describe the absolute FUNDAMENTALS of marksmanship.

Now quit reading the forums and go dry fire your Para!

Semper Fi,

DogmaDog

[EricW]

[shameless Plug Mode ON]

FWIW, "Beyond Fundamentals" is meant in the vein of not including the basic hold your breath, squeeze, fire, don't point loaded guns at your toes stuff.  Aside from *total* beginners, most shooters will get a lot out of Brian's book.  In fact, it will help you avoid chasing down a lot of dead ends while you're learning.  I wish I would have known about it when it first came out.

E

[TDean]

Since we're talking about P14s, I might as well test an image of mine.....

.......oh-ya, looks good.

(it would look even better if the words SV were on it)

[Loves2Shoot]

Dogma,

I would have to disagree with your coments on where to start. This is a game, there are many BASIC things about this game that will not find in the marines manual, but only in specific forums and publications, ie Matt or Jerry's Videos, BE's book. I would highly recommend watching/reading these resources BEFORE "getting out there and dry firing," especially if you are new to the sport.

Why make a foundation that you are going to have to rebuild once you plateau and relize that your foundation is not technically sound?  I would say get as much info as you can get. You will find there are things that everybody agrees on as technically sound, use those tools, then take the rest of the tips where people differ and try them out and keep the ones that work for you.

This game is an advanced sport and the marine "basics" might keep you from shooting yourself and putting holes in paper, but they won't get you very far if you use them as you "basics" for this sport. "Beyond the Basics" is, in my opinion, the starting point for IPSC shooting and maserty of the basics is the end all we strive to achieve.

ps. I prefer to know exactly when my gun is going to go off, but that is one of those personal preferences.

[Flexmoney]

Brian goes into the difference between fundamentals and technique...most readily in Matt Burkett's tapes/DVDs.

Brian defines the fundamentals as:

1.  locating the target

2.  getting the gun lined up on the target

    2b.  keeping the gun on target until the bullet has exited the gun

Techniques, Brian says, are what you have to do to accomplish the above fundamentals.

Brian book, Beyond Fundamentals covers that...and a whole lot more.