I was given a Para USA Model 1911 45 ACP for Christmas about fifteen years ago. I have enjoyed it immensely. It is the same basic design as the Model 1911 Colt. My dad was in WWI and I inherited one of the original manuals on the Model 1911. It is in incredibly detailed. It takes two pages to describe what happens when you pull the trigger. However, it is what I have discovered about the Model 1911 that makes it most interesting. One of the first things I noticed when I first got the Model 1911 was that it fired to the left. I took it to a gun smith. He fired it and agreed, it did fire to the left. He tapped the front sight to the left using a brass hammer. Since then I have bought my own brass hammer to periodically correct a short fall in the design. Not often, but a couple of times in the last fifteen years or so. The easiest way to describe the 1911 is that the barrel is in constant motion when it is fired and the barrel just happens to be aimed at the target when the slug leaves the barrel. The barrel moves up and to the left when fired. The 1911 has three major components, the barrel, the slide or bolt and the frame. All of which move somewhat independent of each other. When fired, the barrel recoils to the rear. A lug in the upper rear of the barrel engages the slide and the recoil of the barrel causes the slide to move to the rear. As it moves to the rear, a link connected to the frame pulls the rear of the barrel down and the barrel becomes disengaged from the slide and the slide continues moving to the rear. As a result, the front of the barrel is moving upward while the slug is moving down the barrel. Even more interesting is why the Model 1911 fires to the left. The rifling in the barrel causes the slug to rotate counter clockwise. As an opposite reaction, the barrel tries to rotate clockwise. The link which causes the barrel to disengage is connected to the frame. When the barrel pushes against that link, the rear of the barrel moves to the right. You would think that once the sights are aligned to compensate, that would be the end of it. However, as the mechanism is used, there is more slop and it continues to move more.. I can see this in the sight alignment. The front sight is now set .045 inches to the left. The rear sight, which I have never adjusted, is set .040 inches to the right. That is an offset of .085 inches in a 6 ½ inch distance between the sights. Without that correction the gun would fire three inches to the left at twenty feet. The rear sight was already set to the right to compensate on the right to left movement of the barrel as the gun is fired when the pistol left the factory. So apparently this was part of the design.
There are a number of mechanical forces beyond the slide design, barrel, and linkage that might have subtle mechanical effects on recoil, including the right side trigger, linkage system. However, as much as the 1911’s design was a balance of slide weight, recoil spring, magazine spring tension, etc. built around the early .45 acp cartridge for optimal reliability, probably the largest factor Is the operator. From you description, I am guessing you are right handed (a good guess anyway considering the odds) but hand bias often favors opposite side target hits from the hand bias, often due to differences in grip... easily overcome. But, more often, sight alignment and finger/trigger mechanics are more telling. One of the first tests I do for shooters, is to initially test reliability and neutralize the sight aim point and point of impact using a Ransom Rest and mechanical trigger, then, have the shooter perform several strings of 5 shot groups. If the groups are relatively tight, but differ consistently from Ransom test groups, the group variation can often indicate one of several operator problems that can be corrected. Ideally, you can have a good shooting coach watch you shoot. There are diagnostic targets that can, to a degree help. I shoot left handed and like most guns, find 1911’s favor right handed shooter (discrimination!Lol), but over the years (55+) have learned to control my grip and trigger mechanics to compensate for any gun design. That said, on my first .22 bolt, I dropped almost as soon as I got I (about Age 10) dinking the front sight. But I learned to subconsciously adjust my aim and could hit rabbits on the run from 20’ out to 75yrds almost without thinking. My da would give me 5 rnds, which required me to bring home 5 of what I hunted, of face a long inquisition.
I believe I have pretty much eliminated the right hand trigger pull bias. I have a 38 special revolver. I load a couple of live rounds and fill the rest of the cylinders with empty brass. I then spin the cylinder so that I do not know when it will fire or hit on an empty chamber. I do that both right and left handed. When I squeeze on an empty round, I am getting zero movement of the weapon. I can truthfully say I am getting zero affect from the way I am holding the weapon and pulling the trigger.
That is a way to self diagnose and cure a flinch. But each gun has different ergonomics for different shooters, so the subtleties of trigger mechanics may vary across platforms and grip does make a difference under recoil. Often there is a difference between shooting a revolver vs a SA semi auto for any given shooter. I have small hands and shoot lefty, and some guns I can definitely shoot better with POA to POI than others, my grouping is usually tight, but may consistently impact differently on the paper. BTW, when I see that happening, and it can when switching between guns I shoot frequently from those I shoot infrequently, I consciously go back to the basics. I am the biggest variable in my accuracy with the gun I am shooting. I would suggest ruling out the gun itself in a Ransom Rest type device; many ranges have them available. If a shooting coach isn’t available, being aware of the possible issues, finger to trigger contact, gripping too tightly, angle of finger to the pull vector, anticipating the sear break, etc. are all variables that can be adjusted.
Hi Kriman, I am a firearms instructor and have been for a long time. Here are my thoughts ... First of all, it is not uncommon for the point of impact to be slightly off from the factory. The sights may have been installed slightly off. In that case, an adjustment may be made to the rear sight or, if it's not pinned and it's adjustable, to the front sight. Another possibility is that all machines need to be retooled from time to time. While the machines that cut the barrel lugs make those cuts, the machines themselves undergo wear. This wear is translated into a cut that is not exactly to spec. And so it is possible for the barrel to line up very slightly off center because the machine that cut it was slightly worn from cutting. This however, can be solved with a sight adjustment as well in most cases. And shooting to the left can be shooter induced, especially with a right handed shooter. There are two ways to do this, but both boil down to the same thing. Keep in mind that energy always finds the path of least resistance. So one way a right handed pistol shooter can cause shots to hit left is to hold the pistol with a locked out right arm and a bent left arm. Guess which side offers the most resistance to recoil? And which one provides the least resistance? The right side offers the most resistance; the left side offers less resistance. This allows the pistol to move ever so slightly to the left as recoil begins, just as the bullet is exiting the barrel. The point of impact is therefore slightly left. This phenomenon is fixed by locking out the left arm. Here's the other way. I noted that you said that when you dry-fired the revolver, there was no movement as the hammer fell on empty chambers. That's good! You're not anticipating the shot, pushing at the pistol and affecting the shot. But! ... What this doesn't measure is the amount of grip strength being applied by the left hand. It shows you that you don't anticipate the shot, but it doesn't tell you anything about your left hand grip pressure. It is extremely common for a right handed shooter to hold a pistol more strongly with the right hand than with the left hand. When the shooter makes a conscious effort to squeeze harder with the left hand, the point of impact comes back to the point of aim instead of slightly left. I cannot even tell you how many times I have fixed right handed shooters who are shooting left - who are not anticipating the shot - by getting them to straighten the left arm and increase grip pressure with the left hand. Many, many, many times. There's my Seth
@An Taibhse taibHese @kriman Your method of using a Ransom rest and mechanical trigger is a good one. It takes all of the "human factor" out of it, giving a true reading on whether or not the sights are lined up. If the gun shoots to point of aim in the Ransom rest, but not in the shooter's hands, then the flaw is shooter induced. If the gun shoots left in the Ransom rest, then it's a sight alignment problem, not the shooter.
Firing to the left is a characteristic of the 1911 because of pressure on the barrel to frame link. Just because there are other possible causes does not eliminate this as a cause. We do not have a convenient firing range. I have used the one in Fort Carson Colorado on occasion, but that is nearly a thousand miles away. Most of my firing is done in our back yard. Sometimes with one of my sons who is a weapons instructor participating.
My 38 Special sights are not adjustable. They are machined into the barrel. They are not offset to the right or to the left. My grouping is dead center. Neither left nor right.
I own a match grade Colt 1911. It shoots dead straight (from the factory) absent any modifications. I also own a Glock 21. It shoots dead straight. From a Ransom rest. From my experience, shooting left is a compensatory reaction of the shooter to the action of firing.
It could just be that the front or rear sight on your 1911 was just slightly off from the factory which is not uncommon. I assume that tapping the front sight over brought the point of impact to the point of aim, fixing it. You said that you've had to tap it over a couple of times in the past 15 years. That also is not terribly uncommon. Sights that are held in a channel milled into the top of the slide can move a little over time owing to the vibrations of hundreds or thousands of rounds being fired through the gun. This can also happen if the sights get bumped into something. People who carry pistols in a hip holster day after day (like police officers) are bound to bump the rear sights as they enter/exit patrol cars or pass through doorways. I've done that many times. (I'm a retired police officer.) Cheers!
I have experienced the same thing with my Glock 21. Dead on from the factory. Great pistol in every way!
Never had a 1911 before I am thinking of getting this what do you guys think? Colt 1991 Government Model Semi-Auto Pistol with Blued Finish .45 Automatic Colt Pistol
[ If you are new to shooting, I’d recommend renting one at a range and seeing how you get along. It may also depend on what you want to spend and what your intended use is. In the few of Colt’s 1991 models I noticed the early production serial#s seemed of a lessor quality in their finish those of later production. The earlier few had plastic triggers and had edges that weren’t as nicely rounded as later versions with anodized aluminum triggers. Those differences didn’t seem to me to be indicative of either reliability or accuracy. If acquired used, I always wonder why it is being sold; reliability issues... other issues. Were any mods done. I have seen people try to sell 1911s they’ve mucked up by DIY reliability fixes. I personally never buy a used gun (price can affect that choice) without a thorough examination to figure what, if any post buy costs will be needed. But that said, I am one of those fans of the 1911; I have owned several.
Seems like a lot of the knock offs have a few problems. Mine is a Para USA. They went out of business and the warranty was picked up by Remington. Mine started kicking out about one in ten brass straight up with a notch in the open end. I shipped it off to Remington and they could not duplicate the problem. I don't think they tried very hard. I took to a local gun smith who almost immediately figured out the problem. The extractor was dropping the brass before it got back to the ejector. The slide would then go forward and pinch the brass against the hood over the rear of the barrel. The fix was to adjust the extractor which amounted to pulling it out and putting a slight bend in it so that it clamped down on the brass a bit tighter. However, that fix turned out to be temporary and it is doing again. It has never caused a jam or misfire so I live with it. It just ruins the brass for reloading. Possibly a replacement better quality extractor might fix it permanently. It is a fun pistol, but I still prefer a revolver. I just love simplicity and the sound and feel of the mechanism of a well made revolver. Mine does not qualify as a well made revolver. I was in the Air Force Base Exchange and they had it on sale for $200. I have no regrets because it is still fun to shoot.
