inaccurate S&W 45acp....questions
Hey
My step father gave me a S&W 457 .45acp that he bought about five years ago and only shot once!
The problem is that i can't hit a damn thing with this gun!!! LOL
I've shot other smaller caliber handguns and never had a problem so i figured that my problem with this gun was the caliber size until i let a buddy who has been shooting pistols this size for many many years (leo) and he couldnt get a decent shot out of it either. Hell i could barely hit the target shooting a whole clip!
I'm no S&W or semi-auto guru but i've found something i think might be the problem. I've noticed that if i lock the slide back the barrel moves up and down, left and right more than a 1/4". Is this normal? Somebody who looked at it at the range said it was, while somebody else said it wasn't!! LOL If i place the slide in the forward "firing" position the barrel is nice and tight and doesnt move.
Anyone else know why this gun can be so inaccurate.
Thanks for the help!
Mike
My step father gave me a S&W 457 .45acp that he bought about five years ago and only shot once!
The problem is that i can't hit a damn thing with this gun!!! LOL
I've shot other smaller caliber handguns and never had a problem so i figured that my problem with this gun was the caliber size until i let a buddy who has been shooting pistols this size for many many years (leo) and he couldnt get a decent shot out of it either. Hell i could barely hit the target shooting a whole clip!
I'm no S&W or semi-auto guru but i've found something i think might be the problem. I've noticed that if i lock the slide back the barrel moves up and down, left and right more than a 1/4". Is this normal? Somebody who looked at it at the range said it was, while somebody else said it wasn't!! LOL If i place the slide in the forward "firing" position the barrel is nice and tight and doesnt move.
Anyone else know why this gun can be so inaccurate.
Thanks for the help!
Mike
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With the slide back the barrel is not in "battery" and will be loose and I think it just feels like a 1/4 inch [:D]
You didn't say if your stepdad bought the pistol new or used. If used the barrel could be bad. If it was bought new there cold still be a barrel problem but as the pistol would have been test fired before leaving the factory the odds would be against a bad barrel.
Another thing, maybe the most likely is a problem w/ the sights.
The 457's have a long trigger pull that is less than ideal for target type shooting, but the pistol, being a service piece, should be capable of groups of 4 inches or less at 25 yards from a rest (sandbag, rolled up towels, or whatever). Granted w/ a 3 and 3/4 inch barrel it is a short sight radius but with a steady rest and slow deliberate trigger pull you should be able to do it.
If shooting from a rested position does nothing to help it, take it to a gunsmith and get it checked out as it sure as heck has some mechanical problem.
If you can hold a 4 or so inch group from the rest and the point of impact is off from the point of aim you can adjust the sight to correct that.
Hope this helps.
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
bbl bushing sounds worn or poorly fitted. how old is the gun? did he buy it used? find somone with a radsom rest and lock it in. fire it and see if they go in the same hole at 5 yds out.
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.0 -
Thanks for the help guys. The gun was bought brand new by my dad. As far as i know it was only shot once by him and then it sat around for a while until he gave it to me. At first i thought i was just having trouble because of the caliber but even a friend of mine couldnt hit the target...LOL
I shot it with my arms at rest on a "bench" but it didn't help.
Mike0 -
I'm assuming you have already done a strip/clean/lube job on it.
From a "bag" rest (bottom of frame from the trigger guard forward on the bag, mag almost touching the bench) fire some 7yd groups. Use 185, 200 & 230gr bullets, and at least 2 different brands of ammo. Why? Because the gun may not like the brand or weight of ammo your using now.
If you still can't get a acceptiable group, than it's time to go see a good pistol smith.
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.0 -
I live and breath 45 acp and Tailgunner is of the same mind as me. Try different bullet weights and ammo manufacturers. The weight of the slug and the charge make huge differences in accuracy. If you hand load, try lightweight slugs with a low fps charge.
James
Do your troops train with live cobras? ROYAL THAI ARMY DOES!0
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