Hi ya AUN.
I suspect it is your hold that is causing the problem. Definitely watch the Todd Jarrett Video clip Axion provided.
I attended a course at USSA in Tulsa with Phil Strader and Mike Seeklander. Phil is an up and coming IPSC/IDPA shooter, and wins often. He tends to shoot more Iron Sight than Open class, since he's shooting more so he is better for real world situations. He mentioned he competes to get faster and better with heightened adrenaline, not so much because he wants to win the contest, though he does enjoy that
Mike was the Air Marshall's head trainer before he joined USSA. They both teach the hold you'll see Jarrett describing.
I'll describe it as I understand it, after attending their course and having a couple months to work with it since
As TJ mentions, make sure the sights align with your arm bone. The gun will feel odd at first, as it will sit more to the right than you are used to if you grab it with what most people would consider a comfortable grip. Make sure to get the webbing of your thumb as high under the beavertail as you can for better recoil control. If positioned correctly, and the gun isn't too big for your hand, when you place your finger on the trigger, you probably won't be able to get the first knuckle onto the trigger. Those with larger/longer hands, may still be able to, which is why TJ mentioned bending the trigger finger so only the meaty portion of the finger tip is on the trigger.
Most important though, is your offhand. Your offhand is doing around 70% of the work holding the gun steady, NOT your shooting hand. Your right thumb should be doing nothing other than resting on the safety lever, you shouldn't have a lot of pressure applied to the gun by the thumb or fingers of the right hand. Also, you want to be able to "pull the trigger" with just your index finger, and with NO movement by any other part of your right/shooting hand. If you can not do this now, you will need to practice. Phil suggested to me getting an empty water bottle (say 16 oz size) where you can wrap your shooting hand around the bottle. Get a rubberband, and putting one end around your index finger that is on the bottle, and stretching it to the left hand (thumb I suppose), draw the rubber band tight, like you might do if shooting the rubber band across the room. Now, try to pull the band with your trigger finger without pressing in on the bottle, which will collapse in if you put any pressure on it. This will help you isolate the muscles of the index finger, as well as train your brain to only send it signals, not the whole hand
As to your left hand, once wrapped around the gun, you should squeeze with that hand so hard that the nails of your right hand are imprinted on the palm of the left hand. When Phil used his left hand on my gun/shooting hand, so I'd have an idea how hard he wanted us to hold with that hand, he about smashed my fingers. It seemed to be about as hard as he could possibly grip with that hand. And the thumb pointing that TJ's video mentions, that's also a big key.
As to Troy's statement that why would you buy a gun that needs a special grip, the simple answer is, it doesn't. That you are having trouble shooting a 1911 design is an indication you have an improper grip to start with. The only difference in grip when using a 1911 or other manual thumb safety model, and something like a Sig or Glock which has no manual safety, is you'll want to move that right thumb away from the side of the gun, and place it more or less over the left hand. I lay it over the outside of my left thumb. Why you ask do you not leave it in the same place you do with a 1911? On many guns, like Glocks and Sigs, that right thumb would much of the time make contact with the slide release, and that slight pressure will prevent the slide from locking back. So unless you have a 'thumb rest' such as a 1911 safety to keep that right thumb from touching the slide release lever, the shooting hand thumb (well, the right thumb really, unless a lefty has an ambi slide release, otherwise this issue doesn't affect them) should be placed away from the slide. This also helps reduce how hard you grip with the right/shooting hand, so it's not tense when trying to pull the trigger. When the trigger hand is tense is when you will typically pull the gun while pulling the trigger
So really, all guns should use the same grip, it's just seeming to be more noticeable for you with this new gun. But now you'll start to learn a proper grip, and when you shoot other guns, you'll find you are more consistent and don't have the type of problem again
Rogueone
