I have a membership at a somewhat infamous training school and I've been twice, each time taking a 4 day handgun course. The last time I was there (or did much shooting) was with my wife back in 2013. I'm going back with a buddy in a few months.

The class has a graduation system where you need to score 70% on the skills test to graduate (which is meaningless), and 95% to "distinguished graduate" (which is required to move on and take more advanced classes). First time I missed DG by about 20 points, last time by 5.

Both times I've shot the class with a BHP. I shoot it more accurately than any other gun I've ever shot. However, I've got it in my head that its the gun thats holding me back. The sights are crude, slide to frame fit wiggles a good 1/16", the mags dont drop free and are slow to insert, safety is spongey and hard to manipulate. I know Jerry Miculek would spank the course with any POS gun out there, but I'm not Jerry Miculek.

I bought a G23 a few years ago. Couldnt hit anything with it. Being a BHP fan, I bought a CZ SP01 and had it converting to SAO. Great gun, but still didnt shoot it as well. Admittedly I got hard up for cash and sold it before spending much time with it. I do OK with my 1911, but the course basically penalizes shooting anything other than 9mm.

Now I'm considering picking up a G34 with all of the Dawson goodies... All just to pass this class. This is dumb, right?

edit: I'd also appreciate recommendations on dry fire drills

Just my .02 but seems you're missing a component and going about this process the wrong way in your purchases.  You are asking others what you will shoot well and you keep throwing money at purchasing guns trying to find one that you shoot well.  Ive made this mistake and have guns that dont fit me and dont shoot well from my early days.

You are a member of a distinguished club......well that club probably has guns to rent.  If not find a range that does with the guns you're thinking about.  Rent them and see if they work for you.

Seems like a basic thing....with all your training why keep throwing money away.  You buy cars or a chair without driving or putting your tookus in it.  If you do i got a sweet deal for ya!  I'll even give it to ya half price.......

Ask others what works well for them get information to edjucate yourself but dont blindly buy shoot it first.  And your club should have instructors who can tell you if its your grip etc......while you are shooting.

I'm not a BHP student, but why not take it to a good smith and have it worked over?

If it were me, and I wanted a new system to start working with coming from a classic design such as the BHP, I would go to a range that has a ton of pistols for rent and try out all of the flagship models in 9mm and buy whichever one you shoot best. Glock, M&P, HK, Sig, whatever plastic fantastic you like and get used to that. After getting used to it, you will likely do noticeably better with a gun that has more functional sights and ergonomics that will facilitate in transitions/reloads and target acquisition as opposed to your old gun. I like the BHP, but modern designs have an advantage, especially with the degree of modularity that these new pistols offer. Many of the adjustments that you would want to perform on your pistol would be able to be done yourself as opposed to possibly sending out a BHP to a qualified shop, also swapping the sights on a Glock or a Sig 320 for example would be much easier and less hassle than the process involved with the BHP.

Send it to a smith. New sights, new safety, clean up the magwell, polish your mags. 

Then you'll see it's you and not the gun!

Beretta 92fs/M9. IMO one of the most accurate handguns out of the box. the slide feels like its on ball bearings, it has little recoil and this from the Beretta website ", short-recoil delayed locking-block system, which [b]yields a faster cycle time and delivers exceptional accuracy[b

Ans yes im a Beretta fan boy

I won't try to talk you out of another gun, but I would say that you would be better off getting a couple of cases of ammo and practice the drills that they grade.

This.

Unless this is some fru-fru specialized course with 300 yard pepper poppers, most modern made firearms are more accurate than the operator.

I'd practice the drills set up in the same configuration as the range they use.

I'd also look into dry fire, or a LASER to help see what you're doing. You said you missed the scores by how much, but how were you patterning? Or, was the school some kind of I say red, you shoot the red triangle and you keep shooting the yellow star kinda issue?


Gun is the last piece of the puzzle. I'd narf the more likely culprits first, but if you are positive cough *golfer* cough it's the club and not you, let someone else run the drill with your piece and see what they say.

I'd use what the majority of the other students use. Glock I presume.
Get a gen4  G17 and ammo and practice.

New sights on the HP. New safety on the HP. And get rid of the mag disconnect so the mags will drop free. I'll bet with sights you can use, a safety you can use, and mags that drop free (this must be a disaster in slow motion), it will speed things up considerably and make you like the gun better.