SA 1911 Loaded Sight Problem

[thunderbolt]

Hello all,

I just got back from the range with my new SA 1911 Loaded and while I love the gun I'm disappointed with the targets. The sights are still factory and shoot about 2" low and 4" left @ 30'. The groups are good but not on target.

I'm fully ready to admit it might be me. This is my first real handgun but I'm a very good rifle shot (IMHO). My question is how do I adjust the sights or do I even need to. After some research I'm going back to the range to check my shooting fundamentals. I'm afraid that the sights might need more adjusting then I'm comfortable with. Thanks for any help.

[SarcoBlaster]

Not a knock on your shooting skills, but maybe try having somebody more experienced with handguns shoot it and see if the sights are off?

[NiteQwill]

Have someone else shoot the gun. Or shoot from a bench. Confirm shot placement and sight picture.

If the gun itself is still shooting as you described, either have SA handle it (for free) or take it to a smith to adjust the sights.

Just FYI

[ChessRatz]

new gun and low left? i put my money on the shooter.
here is something for you to look at...

http://bullseyepistol.com/training.htm

try using some dummy rounds mixed in to your mag to see if there is something happening. they will reveal a lot.

[BNuge]

It is very common for newer shooters to pull low and left if they are right handed, it has to do with your support hand pulling as well as your trigger pull and what part of the finger you use on the trigger. Split the pad of your finger in half and focus on pulling straight back. Get your sight picture lined up properly, take the travel out of the trigger, and most importantly gently apply pressure until the gun goes off. Try dry firing with this same procedure and you may see your sights dip low and left the first couple of times. Practice dry firing with the above method until you see no movement of the sights, load up and do everything the same. Also slow down and relax a bit.
Benching the gun with some sandbags is also a good idea. Possibly ask the rangemaster to take a shot or two if this is feasible where you shoot. Rangemasters love free shooting as much as anybody. I also live in Sacramento. PM me if you feel like shooting sometime. Good luck.

[xrMike]

Just curious, are you shooting "point-of-aim" (setting your front post in the center of the bull) or a 6 o'clock hold? You should be using point-of-aim...

I'd probably do this, in order:

1. Try again from the bench, at short distance (say 10 yards), with sandbags. Really concentrate on good trigger pull with a surprise break, as described above.

2. If still low/left, have somebody else who is a proven good pistol shooter try your gun (using the same hold you are using) and see what happens.

3. If still low/left, you can always send the gun back to Springfield and they will fix it and send it back, usually with a target with the center blown out, saying: "Here's how it shoots now!" Only problem with this solution is you might be without your gun for a month or more. They're pretty busy, but they will take care of you eventually.

[NavDoc]

Don't forget good follow-through. Watch the front sight rise and fall when the pistol goes off, don't be in a hurry to see where your bullet hit the target.

[Knauga]

Try shooting at closer ranges and working your way out. It definitely could be the sights. I'd also have somebody else shoot it to be sure. I had a problem with my Springer GI shooting low and to the left about the same distance. It was a problem I didn't have with my other guns, including other 1911's. I sent it to Springfield, they changed the sight, test fired it and sent it back and it worked perfectly ever since.

[Kruzr]

New to handguns, shooting low and left? It's not the gun or the sights. It is trigger control.

Practice dry firing. Don't expect to be hitting bullseyes right away. It would be like shooting par your first few times on a golf course.

[thunderbolt]

I was shooting point-of-aim putting the front post just below my intended target.

Got rained out this morning so no new reports but I feel a bit better about my fundamentals. I shot a friends Kimber when I was doing research into getting a 1911 and was hitting a 2 liter bottle just fine. Maybe tomorrow I'll give it a try from the bench and see. Thanks for all help.

[xxdabroxx]

Sand bag, and don't forget to breath.

[9mmepiphany]

if your in the Sacto area, i'll meet you at a range and check it for you...i'll even let you aim it, i'll just work the trigger

[xrMike]

I was shooting point-of-aim putting the front post just below my intended target.

Point of aim (also called a center hold, let's just call it that from now on, easier to understand that way) is when you put the top edge of the front post EXACTLY where you want your bullets to impact.

For example, if you were aiming for the center of a bullseye using a center hold, you would put the top edge of the front post across an imaginary line running from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock across the bull.

If you are aiming for a bullseye using a 6 o'clock hold, you would put the top of the front post UNDER the bullseye, with the center of the post just touching the 6 o'clock position of the bull.

What I'm getting at is, if you're currently using a 6 o'clock hold, some of your "lowness" problem will be solved by using a center hold.

But if you're already using a center hold, well, it's either you or the gun then, and I'm sure you'll figure it out.

[xrMike]

if your in the Sacto area, i'll meet you at a range and check it for you...i'll even let you aim it, i'll just work the trigger

This is a pretty effective training technique; I had a more experienced guy help me out this way when I first started shooting. I was amazed when suddenly I wasn't shooting low/left anymore, once my trigger pull was taken out of the equation.

[thunderbolt]

Got out to the range this morning and tried my 1911 again. Here are the results at 25'.



I guess it was just me after all. After two mags from the rest I felt confident enough to shoot unsupported. The first shots were a little off but I soon got the feel of the gun. In the end I was hitting clays and bottles at 25-30 yrds. Thanks for all the advice. It helped a lot.