One cure for FTE with new shooter.

[Sidecarist]

I had an interesting problem while coaching a new shooter.

She is new to handguns in particular, and a novice with long guns.

The problem was regular stove pipe/FTE failures with a S&W shield 9, and also with a Sig P320 in 9mm. Nothing I suggested would cure this. My thinking was that she was limp wristing. After some very careful observation I noticed that her trigger finger was coming off the trigger on reset.

As much as I had emphasized pressing the trigger she was aagressivly anticipating recoil and muzzle blast. This anticipation or pushing the gun was the cause of the stove pipe FTE.

It took some time but slowing down and deliberately pressing and holding the trigger to the rear (follow through) for each shot solved the problem, 100% reliability was achieved. Speed will have to be worked on, but I don't expect that to be a problem.

This isn't my idea, I remember reading it somewhere and it just clicked when I saw her pushing the gun and her hyper agressive reset.

I thought that this might be helpful to others.

[Oh Shoot]

...
It took some time but slowing down and deliberately pressing and holding the trigger to the rear (follow through) for each shot solved the problem, ..

 

"Follow through" is my biggest fault with pistol shooting. Not to the point of malfunction, just for hitting something. :)

 

Seriously, for some reason, I'll lapse into moving the firearm so quickly after a shot that I'm actually apparently moving it during the shot. Much like looking up during a golf shot before the ball is gone, and as they say, you'll generally just see a bad shot.

 

- OS

[Sidecarist]

Decades of coaching smallbore rifle has taught me the value of follow through, but that is with single shot rifles. Different dynamics...

I never realized that you could force a malfunction this way, I think the is actually caused by recoil anticipation but encouraging follow trough was the solution.

I learn something every day and I thought this one might be helpful for other's.

[Photoguy67]

I got over a bad flinch by shooting a few magazines slowly while watching the front sight for the muzzle flash. Guess I was blinking too soon, but watched my groups shrink dramatically afterwards. Just a thought for new shooters too. 

[Schadenfreude]

If you're blinking at all you're blinking too soon, both eyes open all the way through, see the sight picture twice for each shot.

[peejman]

My wife had (has) some follow-through issues as well.  It took some coaching to get her to hold the trigger to the rear until the sight picture returns.  I think doing that helps keep her grip firm through recoil instead of relaxing immediately after the shot breaks.  I first noticed it in the form of her resetting her grip after every shot.  It takes some discipline to only move the trigger finger and not relax the whole hand during trigger reset. 

 

 

If you're blinking at all you're blinking too soon, both eyes open all the way through, see the sight picture twice for each shot.

 

 

That'd be 4 times for me as keeping both eyes open has me seeing double. 

[Sidecarist]

[quopte name="peejman" post="1362607" timestamp="1456780975"]My wife had (has) some follow-through issues as well.  It took some coaching to get her to hold the trigger to the rear until the sight picture returns.  I think doing that helps keep her grip firm through recoil instead of relaxing immediately after the shot breaks.  I first noticed it in the form of her resetting her grip after every shot.  It takes some discipline to only move the trigger finger and not relax the whole hand during trigger reset. 

Yes, the more I think about it the more I think she was almost releasing the grip in anticipation of recoil. Encouraging follow through helps keep the grip firm, or in full contact allowing the slide to cycle fully. I think this is also made worse by wanting to shoot multiple shots quickly. One shot at a time with good follow through really helped.

[jgradyc]

My first experience with FTE was with the Kel Tec P32. The KTOG forum taught users to lock the gun in position by pulling back towards you with the weak side hand grip and resisting that motion with a forward pressure to keep the strong hand in the same position. It seems work with all handguns that I've tried.

Edited March 1, 2016 by jgradyc

[peejman]

Got this the other day and thought it was applicable here.  Gives some options I hadn't thought of.

 

http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/whats-wrong-grip/