Alignment of the Bore with the Armbone

[Crash]

How important is it that the bore of the handgun be aligned with the armbone? Some shooters say that if getting the correct placement of your finger on the trigger causes the breech end of the bore to be angled away from the bone (to the left for right-handed shooters) the gun is too big and you should get a smaller one. On the other hand, some say that isn't correct because when you are in an isosceles stance and have both hands gripping the gun, if the bore is aligned with the armbone, it will cause the muzzle to angle to the left (again, for right-handers).

What say ye?

Crash

[Mike S]

If the pistol is too large for the shooter's hand, the strong-side grip will suffer. The shooter's trigger finger will end up 'reaching' for the trigger, resulting in the back strap riding against the base of the thumb knuckle. Every time the gun discharges, the recoil will be directed against the base of the thumb knuckle resulting in an inconsistent grip (gun moves slightly in the hand with each shot).

This may be saying the same thing as your inference that the gun will be pointed slightly inboard (slightly left for a right hand shooter).

[Beiruty]

Never complicate issues. Keep it simple.
1) Correct firm Grip
2) Front sight placement at the intended target
3) Trigger finger work meant to activate the trigger while the pistol grip is undisturbed.
4) Mental focus, assess, repeat or move to the next target.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Proper alignment of the bore with the arm/bone ranges from desirable to critical, depending upon may factors such as the gun, generated recoil, shooter's strength, body mass, and experience. Proper alignment is typically mission critical for women shooting semi-autos. While improper alignment can and often does impact accuracy, it most often causes malfunctions. Again, whether this occurs depends upon the above-listed factors. Many instructors misdiagnose "limp-wristing" in women when the actual problem is the gun doesn't fit. The shooter is forced to sacrifice a proper grip to get proper trigger finger placement. The result is the gun recoils against thin air rather than bony structure.

I know some folks are going to tell stories of people who can shoot very well and reliably with a horrible grip and hand/bore/bone alignment. Yes, they do exist, just as J.J. Watt exists. Most of us can't duplicate No. 99's prowess on the gridiron.

Just as people won't wear shoes that don't fit and they should not shoot a gun that doesn't fit.

Chas.

[Sport Coach]

In agreement with both Beiruty and Mr. Cotton. If the purpose of shooting is target practice only then all parts must align just right. If shooting is for defensive skill acquisition then you must be able to shoot in all sorts of "poor alignment" positions and shoot reasonably well. A properly fitting firearm is a must for the arm-hand-finger-shooter abilities. Don't complicate it, try various guns to see which one you shoot best.

[TexasJohnBoy]

Just sayin'
The responses to this thread are why I love this forum.

[oljames3]

I am not understanding the geometry here. When I present my pistol, I push out to full arm extension with the pistol under my dominant eye and my shoulders as square to the target as possible. Both of my wrists are angled. It is impossible for my pistol to align with my arm.