Posted: 7/4/2007 2:28:29 PM EDT
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Alright, so I just got hired by the PD where I live. Now I've been a shooter for quite some time, but only plinking/"target". We were issued our pistols today which are Glock G21 .45 Auto, 1st Gen. The issue I am having problems with, for some reason, I can't quite get my shooting back on target. Seems I am over-anticipating the cartridge going off and just before I pull the trigger I pull the pistol down a bit. At first I was pulling down and to the right, but my instructor told me to use less finger, and that corrected that problem for the most part. I just can't seem to quit pulling the pistol down. Any suggestions??? 
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Sounds like classic beginner's recoil flinch to me (actually not beginners, I have seen it in quite a few shooters with more than a little practice, including myself at times). You have to focus better mentally and keep yourself from dropping the muzzle in anticipation of recoil. I never tried this to cure mine - I have heard extensive practice with a .22 will help alleviate it. You could also try a gun with a light single action trigger but substantial recoil (a good single action revolver or DA fired with the hammer back or 1911) to rule out whether it is your trigger pull or the recoil anticipation. |
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This is a fairly common problem with Glocks as the trigger stacks just prior to breaking. Remember that slow is smooth and smooth is fast. You must learn to utilize one smooth continuous trigger pull, start to finish. To do this concentrate on your sight picture beyond all else. If you concentrate on your sight picture hard enough you'll never even know the trigger has broke untill the gun recoils. Repeat. I normally charge for lessons. 
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Common problem. The standard solution is "ball-and-dummy." Load your magazines mixing up live ammunition with random dummy rounds. (You can buy orange plastic dummy rounds pretty cheaply.) Either have somebody else load your mags, or load several mags, so you won't remember which are the live rounds and which are the dummies. Shoot carefully. When you get to a dummy round, the gun will go Click instead of Bang. The first couple of times, when the gun goes Click, you will about yank your arms out of their sockets. After only a few Clicks, you'll get the idea, and then the gun will remain motionless when it goes Click. Another one, especially effective with Glocks: When you fire the gun, do not release the trigger. Hold it all the way back. Then, slowly release the trigger, and you will feel and hear a quiet (click) as the trigger resets. Learn how that (click) feels. Then, when you shoot, instead of thinking Bang Bang Bang, think Bang(click)Bang(click)Bang(click). You'll be amazed at the difference in your shooting when you feel the (click). It's cheap. It's easy. It works. Now go forth and flinch no more. 
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This is one of the fundamentals we went over, really did help quite a bit, but still tended to pull down... I like the idea of loading dummies, but my ex wouldn't fit in the mag  .. I keed, i keed  ... I've been dry-firing all evening off and on, I've got a few weeks til we hit Quals at the academy.
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Work on slowfire, distance shooting. 4" dots at 10 yards is a good goal. Press the trigger back so slowly that you really don't know when the shot will break. Only shoot about 6 rounds before bringing the gun back down and resting. Give yourself enough rest time so you are not getting all tensed up. Once you have good control in slowfire you can try speeding it up. DO NOT just keep shooting if you are tense and anxious. Take a break, walk around, pick up brass, whatever, until you are relaxed again. You are training yourself to perform a complex activity. Training under stress at this stage will not help you. Make sure you are not over gripping the gun. Your support hand should be squeezing from side to side and your firing hand should be squeezing front to back. Understand that you are only "managing the recoil", not stopping it. With the right grip and stance, you dont have to fight the gun to get it back on target, it just goes right back. Make sure you have your weight forward, kind of on the balls of your feet. When you practice, make sure you have lots of ear protection, plugs and good muffs. The quieter it is, the better. Gringop |
| Find a revolver with at least a 4 inch barrel it should have a flat top put a dine on the barrel at the front sight then dry fire that thing until you can fire it very quickly with out the dime falling off. Then the glock will never be a problem revolvers will teach you propper trigger pull! |
Good advice, I actually did the dime on the Glock front sight, and I'm gettin pretty good dry-firing without it moving. I also just bought a S&W DAO .40 with a decently stout trigger pull, so i'm gonna try it too. Thanks!! |