My Shots Are Low On 1911 45

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“My pistol shoots low”

13-Apr-09 – 16:12 by ToddG

I just spent 20 minutes visiting half a dozen different popular handgun forums. Every single one of them had threads started by someone claiming that his gun shoots low. How low? 6-12″ at 21 feet. 10″ at 25 feet. Three feet at 25yd.

The threads generally begin asking if the problem is the gun or the ammo.

The gun or the ammo!

Here’s a simple professional opinion: if your handgun is shooting three feet low at twenty-five yards, it’s you. I’m sure someone will be able to come up with an exception, but any major brand handgun with standard ammo will not be shooting that low.

The response from many shooters, especially less skilled shooters, is invariably, “it doesn’t happen with any other gun I have” or “I had some friends shoot it and it did the same thing.” Sorry, it’s still you. Just because you can shoot a single action target .22 well doesn’t mean that you can shoot a double action .40 S&W well. Just because the local Rangemaster says your gun sucks doesn’t mean he knows what he’s talking about no matter how many cool stories he has about learning to shoot sixty years go.

Who makes the best 1911 45 acp

Cimarron 1911 Standard ($455.71) For history fans on a budget, reproduction-firearm retailer Cimarron offers a WWI-era 1911, complete with the military-style sights, vertical slide serrations at. My shots were all consistently low grouping around the 6 o'clock edge of the plate group. This was at 25 yds. I thought Hmmmmm. Must be me with a new pistol. American Eagle 230gr ammo. Over time this pattern repeated predictably. If I used a 12 o'clock hold the shots would group around the 'bullseye'. 1911 Troubleshooting: Feed Failures. Fully 95% of all feed-related failures are can be traced straight back to the magazine. The remaining few causes are due to the extractor and/or the ammunition, with only about 1% attributable to the gun.

So what to do?

First, try shooting the pistol from a support position, like a sandbag rest. This will reduce the effect of anticipating recoil. If that doesn’t magically fix things, though, you need to work on your fundamentals. This is the approach I recommend:

  1. Wall Drill. Practice this until you can press the trigger every time without the front sight moving out of alignment.
  2. Ball & Dummy Drill. Practice this until you no longer flinch at the end of the trigger press.
  3. 3×5 Card Drill. Take your time and get your hits.
  • In each of those classes I fired about 800 rounds through my carry 1911 without cleaning it and with zero malfunctions. At the NTI last year, I dropped an impact target with about an eight inch square vital zone at approximately 80 yards, from an awkward position, with one shot from my carry 1911, while being filmed by a TV crew.
  • At 25 yards aiming at the center it will go completely under the target. Shot my first 45 in 1971. I just don't go to the range much anymore. I got a new 10 22 and have been working on getting it sighted in with a scope and decided to take the 45 this morning to.

1911 45 For Sale

You’ll soon be amazed when that same gun & ammo that used to shoot a foot low at 21′ now suddenly hits a little notecard at twice that distance.

Sure, it’s possible that a factory gun with certain ammo will shoot a few inches low at 25yd. Heck, you might even notice a difference of an inch at 21 feet. But if it’s low enough that it bothers you, odds are it’s the guy behind the gun.

Who Makes The Best 1911 45 Acp

Train hard & stay safe! ToddG

Photos & Information
Disassembly Instructions
Parts Identification
Production Dates
Government Model .45 Instruction Sheet PDF (1.68MB)
pw: coltautos.com
Coltautos.com Recommended References from Amazon.com
COLT MODEL 1911 .45 ACP
General Characteristics
Technical Specifications
Colt Model of 1911No. 1866 Description of the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 1911 Serial Numbered edition No. 39314
Early Colt Model 1911 Handbill
Announcing the adoption of the 1911 by the U.S. Government
Type I MagazinesPair of Type I magazines (exposed floor plate) with leather pouch.
Colt Model of 1911 Special Army
Serial Number 4 (Pre-production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 4 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 83 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 198 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 292 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 403 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Navy
Serial Number 612 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Navy
Serial Number 897 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. ArmySerial Number 1024 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. ArmySerial Number 1062 Issued to Capt. G.F. Perkins (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. ArmySerial Number 2362 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. ArmySerial Number 2425 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Navy
Serial Number 2725 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Navy
Serial Number 2970 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army - USMCSerial Number 3624 U.S. Marine Corps Shipment (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army - USMCSerial Number 3780 U.S. Marine Corps (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Navy
Serial Number 6737 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Navy
Serial Number 7403 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 12218 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Navy
Serial number 13199 (1912 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 20514 (1913 Production) - pistol has been refinished
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. ArmySerial Number 69918 (Augusta Arsenal rework)
North American Arms Co.
Model of 1911 U.S. Army

Serial Number 14 (1918 Production)
Remington UMC Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 3303 (1918 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Sample sent to Winchester for Tooling Use

No Serial Number (1918 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 108583 (1915 Production)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Navy
Serial number 109967 (1915 Production)
Springfield Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 126398 (ca. 1915)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. ArmySerial number 130778 with Commercial to Military Slide (ca. 1915)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 135428 (ca. 1916)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. ArmySerial Number 137309 (ca. 1916)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 143615 (ca. 1917)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Serial Number 145555 (ca. 1917)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army - USMCSerial Number 216593 U.S. Marine Corps (ca. 1917)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army - USMCSerial Number 217289 U.S. Marine Corps (ca. 1918 Last Shipment)
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Black Army Serial Number 446933
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. ArmyViet Cong / Captured Colt U.S. M1911 Serial Number 584325 - Article by Bo Ramsour
Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army
Black Army Serial Number 599216
Model 1914 Norwegian Contract - Nazi (Waffenamt) marked