Shooting Left: Squeezing Fingers?

L

lwestatbus

New member
I am having some challenges with a S&W 3913 9mm shooting to the left when shooting from a Weaver unsupported stance. I'd previously reported on some extensive POI problems with this pistol in this thread and have improved considerably, partly by work on the pistol and partly from me getting used to it.

I am now shooting vertically at point of aim but still slightly to the left. I get nice tight groups about 1 1/4" left of POA at 15'. If I shoot from a rest I'm drilling the center of the bulls eye and I've had others shoot the pistol and they are doing the same thing.

The pistol correction chart says this is a problem with too little trigger finger but I've tried every finger/trigger position from the very tip to the first joint with no change--groups remain tight and in the same place.

One instructor has told me that this is a problem with squeezing my non-trigger fingers on my right hand. "Tightening fingers" is listed on the chart as an explanation of lower left impacts so this could be my issue. But, how do I tell if I'm actually doing this or how do I stop doing it? I'm 63 and have been shooting handguns since my first S&W K22 Masterpiece bought at Montgomery Wards in the early 1970s (with no paperwork, though my father had to buy it because I was under 21). I don't have this issue with any other handgun.

Can anyone help me tell if I'm actually doing this and, if so, how to stop it? I have tried to focus on these fingers while firing and just can't detect that I am doing anything with them other than griping the pistol.

Thanks.

Larry
 
Yes tightening the rest of the strong hand fingers just as you press the trigger can cause shooting to the left but usually a little low too. Try practicing dry firing with the pistol unloaded and watch the front sight as the hammer drops to see if it moves off target or not.

Another thing to try is to focus grip pressure front to back on the pistol grip with your strong hand pinching it into your hand rearward. Proper support with your support hand in a good 360 grip on the pistol can help mitigate shooting to the left.

It could be that the particular pistol just does not fit your hand very well compared to other pistols that you are not having a problem with. That does not mean that you may not be able to be dead on with it but it may take more effort.

Flinching can cause shooting to the left with a right hand shooter but that is usually left and low. Having someone put a dummy round in a magazine for you at the range would be a way to tell if you are flinching by watching what happens when you drop the hammer on the dummy round.

This video on pistol grip may be helpful with some great tips on gripping a semi auto loading pistol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJrA7wMXuuQ&t=21s
 
Many thanks. Just finished watching the video. The most relevant aspect for my situation seems to be the advice on using a more relaxed grip with the strong hand and using the support hand more to control the grip. I'd actually stumbled into this approach on my own in my efforts to focus on finger pressure and it helped considerably.

I'm going to need a range session on this one. I realize that I am not positioning my support hand as recommended in the video with the slight downward cant--my 'natural' grip is more horizontal. The video was on controlling recoil and I'm not sure how much this affects my POA vs POI issue.

My biggest concern is whether adapting new techniques for just this pistol will mess up my competent shooting with my other handguns. I like this 3913 as it is light and concealable and the 8 + 1 initial capacity of 9mm gives me some reasonable firepower, both in terms of available rounds and punch. But I'm not sure if I want to build up muscle memory for this pistol that will conflict with shooting my other handguns. My absolute preferred carry pistol is a Kimber Pro Carry 4" in .45. I shoot this very well but it is a bit of a beast to carry around in Florida's summer and the 3913 is easier to get on and off my belt which I have to do because of State law and workplace regulations here in Florida. In addition, I recently acquired a Kimber Micro 9 as a pocket pistol but this is subject to being put on safe inadvertently as the recoil rocks the safety lever against the strong hand thumb. I've already had to make one adaptation to my grip for this and the high grip recommended in the video would exacerbate this problem on the Micro 9. I'm going to have to see if I can adapt to multiple grip styles for different handguns or if the recommendations from the video translate to my other handguns.

I really suspect that your comment about the grip shape is very relevant. The 3913 has a longer front-to-rear profile (or feels like it) than any other pistol I own*. I'd put the Hogue grips on it to fatten it up some and that helped but it is still different than my 1911, Micro 9, and S&W Model 60 grip profiles.

* I do own a S&W 6906 with a similar profile but it is a double stack. I don't shoot this all that much as the double stack grip is too large for my hands. It's the night table handgun and not something I carry.
 
Correcting a shooter related problem shouldn't negatively impact you shooting with other pistols unless you've done something to compensate for the issue with those other pistols. Given the difference you've noticed in your hand with the feel of the pistol it may likely be that your other pistols simply don't see the issue manifest as much and require less effort at correction. I've found this myself with relatively small single stack pistols. Where I place my finger and how my hand grips the pistol change notably or I'm hitting left all the time.
 
"...too little trigger finger..." Hold your hand like you 're holding a pistol and look how your finger moves when moving it like you're pulling a trigger. Note where it comes straight back. That's where the trigger should be.
That can be affected by how the thing fits your hand. The fit can sometimes be fixed with a change of grips.
Mind you, a S&W 3913 can be the issue too. Guy I used to shoot with had a 39 that nobody in the club, including some guys who were Olympic grade shooters, could get the thing to shoot well.
 
Get a set of Gripmasters. They work on grip strength while allowing you to isolate individual fingers. They're very good for training the muscles to have three fingers hold while the trigger finger moves independently.

GmMain.jpg
 
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I love those ProHands exercisers. They work great and as you build strength you can upgrade to ones with more tension.
 
Wehn I got my Glock 17 back from Glock Service (New barrel) I discovered that it shooting to the left. Well I got out my hammer and drift pin and I tapped the rear sight a few mms to the right. Problem fixed.
 
Back in the old days we moved the sight.....to heck with trying to change my grip , my stance , my trigger placement.....drift that rear sight right....No Problemo !
Maybe things are different now but I still like the easy solution to a problem....not the hard ones.
Gary
 
Many believe this is one reason why so many people shoot the Glock 26 so well. It takes their pinky finger out of the equation by tucking it under the magazine and they don’t milk their grip left.
 
Runt1122 said:
Many believe this is one reason why so many people shoot the Glock 26 so well. It takes their pinky finger out of the equation by tucking it under the magazine and they don’t milk their grip left.
Click to expand...



What’s funny about that to me is I use the extended baseplates with my G26 and I still shoot it surprisingly well, better than I’d expect.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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