Due to a fool acting agressively toward me and my family in front of our abode, my wife found herself suddenly nervous while I work nights. Good. At least the point is driven home that you must be vigilant, EVERYWHERE.
So, off to the range we went. What gun were we to make the house gun? She doesn't trust the tired old .38 S&W that I gave her when we were dating 5 years ago, and I don't either. Springs are tired, and it sometimes goes "click" instead of "bang."
So we started her on the Buckmark at 4 yards. Very good, but 6" low. I'm talking .75" groups, 6" Low. Thinking the sights were off, I spied a grasshopper at the corner of the target. I borrowed the Buckmark. No more grasshopper.
So we went to my Gold Cup. Same exact grouping. Low and tight.
I pulled out a Mk IV Series '70 .45. Low and tight. (230g LRN over 6.5g Unique for ~850fps.)
At this point, we're shooting numbered paper plates at about 5 yards. "#2!" I shout. "Bang-bang." "#5!" "Bang-bang."
All the shots are going low. At 5 yards, they're about a foot low, now! I put my hand under hers, and feel the low flinch as she pulls the trigger. This is one of the more consistant flinches I've seen!
Just out of curiosity, i raise the rear sight of my Gold Cup about 16 clicks. It helps, but not much.
I tell her what I think is the problem, and she endeavors to correct.
We now are shooting her late father's Berretta M.90 .32 acp. She's surprisingly good with this, firing tight groups in the middle of our plates at 4 yards. She, of course, wants to rely on the .32 (some emotional attatchment has to be part of this, but the little pistol really is a sweet shooter). I wanted to try a little more.
With my 6" Officer's Model Special .38 Special and 158g lead SWC, she was golden! Double action, everything was X-ring. This is the house pistol for her! I was very impressed. I think that the D.A. pull helps her overcome that downward flinch.
On a hunch, I tried her on the Kel-Tec P-11, not generally considered an easy pistol to shoot well (hard DAO pull, short sight radius, 15 oz pistol with full-house 9mm loads). She did great! All shots inside of the 7-ring, so to speak. I gave her her choice, and she preferred the Colt. Well, so do I.
---
It was getting dark, so we loaded up the 1100 with 8-shot, and proceded to practice charging it, bringing it up, and quickly engaging multiple tartgets at 6 yards. I'm going to need new target backstops.
On the way driving back in, we discussed contengency planning with firearms.
This was a lengthy process, but I feel a bit better when I leave the family at the house, now. So does Chris.
------------------
Will you, too, be one who stands in the gap?
Matt
So, off to the range we went. What gun were we to make the house gun? She doesn't trust the tired old .38 S&W that I gave her when we were dating 5 years ago, and I don't either. Springs are tired, and it sometimes goes "click" instead of "bang."
So we started her on the Buckmark at 4 yards. Very good, but 6" low. I'm talking .75" groups, 6" Low. Thinking the sights were off, I spied a grasshopper at the corner of the target. I borrowed the Buckmark. No more grasshopper.
So we went to my Gold Cup. Same exact grouping. Low and tight.
I pulled out a Mk IV Series '70 .45. Low and tight. (230g LRN over 6.5g Unique for ~850fps.)
At this point, we're shooting numbered paper plates at about 5 yards. "#2!" I shout. "Bang-bang." "#5!" "Bang-bang."
All the shots are going low. At 5 yards, they're about a foot low, now! I put my hand under hers, and feel the low flinch as she pulls the trigger. This is one of the more consistant flinches I've seen!
Just out of curiosity, i raise the rear sight of my Gold Cup about 16 clicks. It helps, but not much.
I tell her what I think is the problem, and she endeavors to correct.
We now are shooting her late father's Berretta M.90 .32 acp. She's surprisingly good with this, firing tight groups in the middle of our plates at 4 yards. She, of course, wants to rely on the .32 (some emotional attatchment has to be part of this, but the little pistol really is a sweet shooter). I wanted to try a little more.
With my 6" Officer's Model Special .38 Special and 158g lead SWC, she was golden! Double action, everything was X-ring. This is the house pistol for her! I was very impressed. I think that the D.A. pull helps her overcome that downward flinch.
On a hunch, I tried her on the Kel-Tec P-11, not generally considered an easy pistol to shoot well (hard DAO pull, short sight radius, 15 oz pistol with full-house 9mm loads). She did great! All shots inside of the 7-ring, so to speak. I gave her her choice, and she preferred the Colt. Well, so do I.
---
It was getting dark, so we loaded up the 1100 with 8-shot, and proceded to practice charging it, bringing it up, and quickly engaging multiple tartgets at 6 yards. I'm going to need new target backstops.
On the way driving back in, we discussed contengency planning with firearms.
This was a lengthy process, but I feel a bit better when I leave the family at the house, now. So does Chris.
------------------
Will you, too, be one who stands in the gap?
Matt