Hey everyone, new user here!
Well, I purchased my first gun last month at the gunshow. It's a H&K USP Compact 9mm. Today when I was shooting at the range, one of the officers noticed my sights were a bit to the left. After 2 of them tried it out, they both said it was going to the left.
Can anyone recommened a good gunsmith for me that'll dial it in for me?
Thanks!
Good gunsmith for fixing sights in Houston?
Moderator: carlson1
Good gunsmith for fixing sights in Houston?
Last edited by Sileighty on Sun Feb 11, 2007 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jbirds1210
- Senior Member
- Posts: 3368
- Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2005 5:36 pm
- Location: Texas City, Texas
Make sure that the officers were not slapping the trigger and causing the shots to go left. That is a pretty common problem with a new trigger (or an old one for that matter) when I am behind the gun.
Sorry I can't recommend a gun shop in Houston. I use T's guns and ammo in Texas City and they do a pretty good job for next to nothing. Take care.
Jason
Sorry I can't recommend a gun shop in Houston. I use T's guns and ammo in Texas City and they do a pretty good job for next to nothing. Take care.
Jason
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"No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child."
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"No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child."
What's most important is not whether the gun was shooting to the left for the officers, but whether it's on-target for YOU.
As Jbird said, some folks "do" different things as they're shooting. Some slap the trigger, some flinch slightly, etc. All this makes for different points of impact for different people with the same gun and the same sights.
Shoot the gun yourself first. Familiarize yourself with it, and get your shot patterns as consistant as possible first, so that you know where it shoots FOR YOU. Consistancy is key here. If every shot winds up 2 inches left at 10 yards, make as small a hole as you can 2 inches left. A person who has a nickel-sized group in the eight-ring of the target is a better, more consistant shot than the person who has a base-ball-sized group around the X-ring.
Once you are able to consistantly shoot to the same place every time, you'll know for sure if the sights are off. However, unless you're able to determine how well adjusted the sights are for you, drifting them left or right will have little effect on your own shooting.
That being said, it's entirely possible that the sights are off.
My advice - 9mm is cheap, so this is a good excuse to hit the range again before you have them adjusted, "just to make sure!"
Familiarity with your weapon of choice is always good.
As Jbird said, some folks "do" different things as they're shooting. Some slap the trigger, some flinch slightly, etc. All this makes for different points of impact for different people with the same gun and the same sights.
Shoot the gun yourself first. Familiarize yourself with it, and get your shot patterns as consistant as possible first, so that you know where it shoots FOR YOU. Consistancy is key here. If every shot winds up 2 inches left at 10 yards, make as small a hole as you can 2 inches left. A person who has a nickel-sized group in the eight-ring of the target is a better, more consistant shot than the person who has a base-ball-sized group around the X-ring.
Once you are able to consistantly shoot to the same place every time, you'll know for sure if the sights are off. However, unless you're able to determine how well adjusted the sights are for you, drifting them left or right will have little effect on your own shooting.
That being said, it's entirely possible that the sights are off.
My advice - 9mm is cheap, so this is a good excuse to hit the range again before you have them adjusted, "just to make sure!"
Familiarity with your weapon of choice is always good.
Thanks for the replies!
I'm a new shooter, and the first couple of times I went to the range, they've hit the area around the where I was aiming at, and I was able to create a little hole as well. But for the past 2 times I've went, all my shots seem to go over to the left. They still create a hole, but instead of being close to where they used to be, they seem to be an inch further to the left.
I also tried out my friend's gun who has the same one as me and the shots didn't go to the left as it did when I shot my gun.
Not sure if I'm just losing my mind here
Forgot to add, if you take a look at the rear sights from a top view, you can tell that they are off to the left. I'll try to get a picture of it.
I'm a new shooter, and the first couple of times I went to the range, they've hit the area around the where I was aiming at, and I was able to create a little hole as well. But for the past 2 times I've went, all my shots seem to go over to the left. They still create a hole, but instead of being close to where they used to be, they seem to be an inch further to the left.
I also tried out my friend's gun who has the same one as me and the shots didn't go to the left as it did when I shot my gun.
Not sure if I'm just losing my mind here
Forgot to add, if you take a look at the rear sights from a top view, you can tell that they are off to the left. I'll try to get a picture of it.
Hmm....
Could be trigger slap. But I also had the thought that maybe your sights got whacked by something and accidentally drifted to the side. It'd probably take a decently strong whack to do that, too...
Ya haven't dropped the thing recently, have ya?
That, or if you carry it right-side and something hit you over the gun/holster could have caused it as well.
Check to see if the sight's loose
or dented, possible indicators it got hit hard.
Could be trigger slap. But I also had the thought that maybe your sights got whacked by something and accidentally drifted to the side. It'd probably take a decently strong whack to do that, too...
Ya haven't dropped the thing recently, have ya?
That, or if you carry it right-side and something hit you over the gun/holster could have caused it as well.Check to see if the sight's loose
or dented, possible indicators it got hit hard.
I think the only way to assess sight alignment on a handgun is to benchrest it. It takes a master marksman to tell anything other than generalities when shooting freehand.
Assuming you don't have a rest that will actually lock the pistol down and remove the human element from the shot--not many of us have one of those lying around--you might want to glance at this short article about benchresting:
http://www.gunsandammomag.com/techside/ts0406/
Some careful checking from the bench on your next trip to the range would tell you for certain if, and how much, the sights are off.
Assuming you don't have a rest that will actually lock the pistol down and remove the human element from the shot--not many of us have one of those lying around--you might want to glance at this short article about benchresting:
http://www.gunsandammomag.com/techside/ts0406/
Some careful checking from the bench on your next trip to the range would tell you for certain if, and how much, the sights are off.
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Welcome to the forum.
[/img]
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Welcome to the forum.
[/img]Thanks for the replies everyone!
Thane - I've thought it was trigger slap too, but I'm not so sure anymore. When I shoot my friends gun, my shots aren't going as far to the left as they are with my gun. I checked around the sights too, nothing indicating that it was hit hard at all. I haven't dropped it or anything else at all, i've been trying to take good care of my first gun.
Skiprr - It was benched for about 2 shots. Probably should of tried it a bit more, but it wasn't benched by me. One of the range officers tried it out for me.
fm2 - I've been using the Winchester white box from walmart. I'm positive i've shot over 500 through the gun already. I've also cleaned it once already as well.
Venus Pax - Thanks
KinnyLee - I've thought about buying that as well.
I would like to get it fixed this week, I'm taking the CHL class this weekend I'd rather have my gun adjusted correctly before I take it with me. Since I plan to carry it, I rather not have it mis-aligned or at least check to make sure it is properly aligned.
I get my camera back tomorrow and I'll post a pic. Maybe you guys can tell me if it really looks like the sights are shifted over to the left or if i'm getting paranoid
Thane - I've thought it was trigger slap too, but I'm not so sure anymore. When I shoot my friends gun, my shots aren't going as far to the left as they are with my gun. I checked around the sights too, nothing indicating that it was hit hard at all. I haven't dropped it or anything else at all, i've been trying to take good care of my first gun.
Skiprr - It was benched for about 2 shots. Probably should of tried it a bit more, but it wasn't benched by me. One of the range officers tried it out for me.
fm2 - I've been using the Winchester white box from walmart. I'm positive i've shot over 500 through the gun already. I've also cleaned it once already as well.
Venus Pax - Thanks
KinnyLee - I've thought about buying that as well.
I would like to get it fixed this week, I'm taking the CHL class this weekend I'd rather have my gun adjusted correctly before I take it with me. Since I plan to carry it, I rather not have it mis-aligned or at least check to make sure it is properly aligned.
I get my camera back tomorrow and I'll post a pic. Maybe you guys can tell me if it really looks like the sights are shifted over to the left or if i'm getting paranoid
[quote="Sileighty"]Thanks for the replies everyone!
I would like to get it fixed this week, I'm taking the CHL class this weekend I'd rather have my gun adjusted correctly before I take it with me. Since I plan to carry it, I rather not have it mis-aligned or at least check to make sure it is properly aligned.
[/quote]
Sileighty.
You state above that your group "create a hole" had moved 1" to
the left of a previous group.
I don't think you mentioned the range (distance to the target) that you were shooting.
This will be important info for a gunsmith to determine how far to drift your sight.
He will use this formula: Inches of error divided by inches to the target
multiplied by inches of sight radius.
Most of us just move it a little; reshoot; and readjust as required.
As a practical matter, the amount of available light, the angle of available light, (morning or afternoon) how much coffee you had, etc, can greatly effect perceived sight alignment. I would shoot this gun many more times before I started moving the sights around due to the symptoms that you describe.
Also, as a self stated "new shooter", you are to be congratulated on
being able to shoot a tight enough group to determine the center.
Good luck. Hope this helps.
I would like to get it fixed this week, I'm taking the CHL class this weekend I'd rather have my gun adjusted correctly before I take it with me. Since I plan to carry it, I rather not have it mis-aligned or at least check to make sure it is properly aligned.
[/quote]Sileighty.
You state above that your group "create a hole" had moved 1" to
the left of a previous group.
I don't think you mentioned the range (distance to the target) that you were shooting.
This will be important info for a gunsmith to determine how far to drift your sight.
He will use this formula: Inches of error divided by inches to the target
multiplied by inches of sight radius.
Most of us just move it a little; reshoot; and readjust as required.
As a practical matter, the amount of available light, the angle of available light, (morning or afternoon) how much coffee you had, etc, can greatly effect perceived sight alignment. I would shoot this gun many more times before I started moving the sights around due to the symptoms that you describe.
Also, as a self stated "new shooter", you are to be congratulated on
being able to shoot a tight enough group to determine the center.
Good luck. Hope this helps.
Appears left of center to my in both pics.
How bout the rest of you guys.
How bout the rest of you guys.
Carry 24-7 or guess right.
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