Glock 19 Accuracy

sparlou · Mar 2, 2016

Hey guys. I recently made my first handgun purchase though ive been shooting them for a couple of years now. The first thing i did when I picked up my Glock 19 from the shop was take it to the range and put 350 rounds though it. I also shot my fiances Ruger sr9. My glocks accuracy compared to the Ruger was HORRIBLE. Now my question is , is this expected ? Im sure it will get better over time , but are there any upgrades you suggest to improve accuracy ? Thanks.

redeemed.man · Mar 2, 2016

sparlou said:
Hey guys. I recently made my first handgun purchase though ive been shooting them for a couple of years now. The first thing i did when I picked up my Glock 19 from the shop was take it to the range and put 350 rounds though it. I also shot my fiances Ruger sr9. My glocks accuracy compared to the Ruger was HORRIBLE. Now my question is , is this expected ? Im sure it will get better over time , but are there any upgrades you suggest to improve accuracy ? Thanks.

What generation is your Glock? Grip angle may make a huge difference when comparing to another gun. I strongly prefer the Glock grip angle, many others do not. If you have a gen 4 you can change grip angle.

Describe your lack of accuracy, was everything off center but tightly clustered or all over the map? Hard to know what caused it without more info.

sparlou · Mar 2, 2016

Its a gen 3. And it started out all over the place. But as i settled in towards the end of the session they were MOSTLY low left

Second Amendment · Mar 2, 2016

sparlou said:
Hey guys. I recently made my first handgun purchase though ive been shooting them for a couple of years now. The first thing i did when I picked up my Glock 19 from the shop was take it to the range and put 350 rounds though it. I also shot my fiances Ruger sr9. My glocks accuracy compared to the Ruger was HORRIBLE. Now my question is , is this expected ? Im sure it will get better over time , but are there any upgrades you suggest to improve accuracy ? Thanks.

No, it's not expected, and it's probably you. Maybe have someone else shoot it to check it's accuracy. I've owned many Glocks, and every one has been accurate out of the box.

G29guy · Mar 2, 2016

I agree the issue is likely not the glock...I've never seen one be notably inaccurate...however I do know for me that the "3 dot" sights work better for me than the glock "circle in the box", and glock also has a pretty nice trigger reset as well..so I recommend changing the sights out...Ive used beat to shit Gen2s and also Gen3s and they've all performed fine..also I've found some people who are used to other guns and then move to glocks have an issue at 1st w/ the weight difference and seem to let the gun "float" or "sway" a bit while they're shooting..so make sure the fundamentals are solid...

are you a lefty or righty?

Xshot · Mar 2, 2016

sparlou said:
Its a gen 3. And it started out all over the place. But as i settled in towards the end of the session they were MOSTLY low left

Low left means you're over gripping and anticipating recoil. Don't squeeze the gun any harder than you'd squeeze your d!ck and you'll do better. Also, get your thumbs off the gun. That'll make the biggest improvement, until your where you wanna be keep them off then start slowly and gently laying them back on the gun.

shocker998md · Mar 2, 2016

my g19 was a shooter. I don't have it anymore but it was a good shooter.

Melnic · Mar 2, 2016

I mostly shoot older pistols and favored the ones with short crisp triggers. Those of my are easier to shoot and dead nuts on. The longer pull of the Glock being a duty pistol took some time to adjust to. My rear sight was indeed off a tad but me shooting left was most of it cause wig the longer pull I was moving the gun left. It takes some time to adjust to it and pull straight w/o moving the gun on the Glock I was told by many others. I still have he goal post sight on the rear. My dad's XDM 9 did not take as much time to adjust to.
I tell you what, my Glock 17gen 3 seems to be a reliable SOB

alucard0822 · Mar 2, 2016

GLOCKs are notorious for exposing issues with grip and trigger control that can be masked by other pistols, especially when you hit "low and left", affects a LOT of people that fire one for the first time, especially newer shooters. Clamp it in a rest and it will almost certainly shoot under 4" at 25yds with most ammo, but in the hands a few things will throw off shots. Probably the most major issue is pushing the trigger, especially if you treat it like a long single stage pull instead of the segmented 2 stage pull that it is. You pull, pad of the finger pushes from right to left as it hits the release point, pushing the entire pistol to the left just as the shot breaks. Try putting more finger on the trigger, pull straight back, and stop when at the end of the first "takeup" stage, and before the heavier, shorter "break" stage. From here squeeze the trigger slowly, adding pressure till it releases, don't release the pressure till after the shot fires and you are back on target, then just let up enough that it clicks and resets, leaving you right at the "staged" trigger position squeeze again. This is how the trigger is intended to be worked, really the only way to shoot fast and accurately.

Your grip also can cause issues, grip it high, with thumbs forward, both hands comfortable and nestled together, firm grip, and locked the bore axis should roughly line with your strong hand wrist. Avoid having your strong hand thumb wrap around low or putting pressure from the heel of your support hand against the lower side of the grip this will push a shot left. Most of your grip pressure should be around the top of the grip to control recoil, and support the pistol, not low AKA a "milking grip", rolling your arms inward slightly to put more pressure high and extending them fully with locked wrists to gain better control. Might take some experimenting rotating the pistol to line up the proper spot, and to get your finger in line with the trigger, but it quickly becomes natural. One good thing is most grip and trigger techniques can be practiced with dryfire at home for free, the sights shouldn't move with the trigger pull or reset. Once you get it though, with some practice it is automatic, and translates to other pistols well, often improving your group and speed with pistols you already shot OK before the GLOCK.

There are some mods that I really like, they don't change the pistol, just slick it up a little, and help reduce my chances of screwing something up slightly. Don't consider changing a thing till you are comfortable shooting it out of the box. First to go is the stock sights, don't like the dot in bucket picture at all, Arotek are my go-to GLOCK sights, clean clear 3 dot picture, simple easy install with tools included, and nice smooth snag-free profile. I recently put a set of Vickers sights on a new 19G4, and do like them, but pair the excellent Vickers rear with a .240 Ameriglo pro-glo front instead of the intended Vickers front, they are much taller than the Aroteks. I like a Vickers mag release and slide stop, a little more rounded and smaller than factory extended, a little easier to reach than stock. Smooth G17 trigger(SP00357) and stock connector polished, smooths the trigger, more comfortable, slightly reduced chance of pushing it to the side. A polished slightly radiused safety button, a little smoother takeup, with a lighter spring it is even better. Heavier trigger spring, increases reset tension, decreases the stage 1 pull weight, more distinct stage 2 break and reset.

Blaster229 · Mar 2, 2016

Second Amendment said:
No, it's not expected, and it's probably you. Maybe have someone else shoot it to check it's accuracy. I've owned many Glocks, and every one has been accurate out of the box.

It is the pistol, until he gets used to it, like you are. When someone knows about this, it is expected. The Glock grip angle is horrible and wholly different than other pistols. Get used to that grip angle and a person will be more accurate with it.

RoadDawg · Mar 2, 2016

alucard0822 said:
GLOCKs are notorious for exposing issues with grip and trigger control that can be masked by other pistols, especially when you hit "low and left", affects a LOT of people that fire one for the first time, especially newer shooters. Clamp it in a rest and it will almost certainly shoot under 4" at 25yds with most ammo, but in the hands a few things will throw off shots. Probably the most major issue is pushing the trigger, especially if you treat it like a long single stage pull instead of the segmented 2 stage pull that it is. You pull, pad of the finger pushes from right to left as it hits the release point, pushing the entire pistol to the left just as the shot breaks. Try putting more finger on the trigger, pull straight back, and stop when at the end of the first "takeup" stage, and before the heavier, shorter "break" stage. From here squeeze the trigger slowly, adding pressure till it releases, don't release the pressure till after the shot fires and you are back on target, then just let up enough that it clicks and resets, leaving you right at the "staged" trigger position squeeze again. This is how the trigger is intended to be worked, really the only way to shoot fast and accurately.

Your grip also can cause issues, grip it high, with thumbs forward, both hands comfortable, firm grip, and nestled together, shift the pistol to better line up the bore axis with your strong hand wrist. Avoid having your strong hand thumb wrap around low or putting pressure from the heel of your support hand against the lower side of the grip this will push a shot left. Most of your grip pressure should be around the top of the grip to control recoil, and support the pistol, not low AKA a "milking grip", rolling your arms inward slightly to put more pressure high and extending them fully to gain better control can help. Once you get it though, with some practice it is automatic, and translates to other pistols well, often improving your group and speed with pistols you already shot OK before the GLOCK.

There are some mods that I really like, they don't change the pistol, just slick it up a little, and help reduce my chances of screwing something up slightly. Don't consider changing a thing till you are comfortable shooting it out of the box. First to go is the stock sights, don't like the dot in bucket picture at all, Arotek are my go-to GLOCK sights, clean clear 3 dot picture, simple easy install with tools included, and nice smooth snag-free profile. I recently put a set of Vickers sights on a new 19G4, and do like them, but pair the excellent Vickers rear with a .240 Ameriglo pro-glo front instead of the intended Vickers front, they are much taller than the Aroteks. I like a Vickers mag release and slide stop, a little more rounded and smaller than factory extended, a little easier to reach than stock. Smooth G17 trigger(SP00357) and stock connector polished, smooths the trigger, more comfortable, slightly reduced chance of pushing it to the side. A polished slightly radiused safety button, a little smoother takeup, with a lighter spring it is even better. Heavier trigger spring, increases reset tension, decreases the stage 1 pull weight, more distinct stage 2 break and reset.

Excellent assessment. :thumbsup:

Mike OTDP · Mar 2, 2016

Dry-fire. Watch the sights. If there's any movement when the shot is released, you need to adjust either your grip or your trigger finger position. Make those adjustments, and you should be able to get the gun shooting relatively straight.

byf43 · Mar 2, 2016

alucard0822 said:
GLOCKs are notorious for exposing issues with grip and trigger control that can be masked by other pistols, especially when you hit "low and left", affects a LOT of people that fire one for the first time, especially newer shooters. Clamp it in a rest and it will almost certainly shoot under 4" at 25yds with most ammo, but in the hands a few things will throw off shots. Probably the most major issue is pushing the trigger, especially if you treat it like a long single stage pull instead of the segmented 2 stage pull that it is. You pull, pad of the finger pushes from right to left as it hits the release point, pushing the entire pistol to the left just as the shot breaks. Try putting more finger on the trigger, pull straight back, and stop when at the end of the first "takeup" stage, and before the heavier, shorter "break" stage. From here squeeze the trigger slowly, adding pressure till it releases, don't release the pressure till after the shot fires and you are back on target, then just let up enough that it clicks and resets, leaving you right at the "staged" trigger position squeeze again. This is how the trigger is intended to be worked, really the only way to shoot fast and accurately.

Your grip also can cause issues, grip it high, with thumbs forward, both hands comfortable and nestled together, firm grip, and locked the bore axis should roughly line with your strong hand wrist. Avoid having your strong hand thumb wrap around low or putting pressure from the heel of your support hand against the lower side of the grip this will push a shot left. Most of your grip pressure should be around the top of the grip to control recoil, and support the pistol, not low AKA a "milking grip", rolling your arms inward slightly to put more pressure high and extending them fully with locked wrists to gain better control. Might take some experimenting rotating the pistol to line up the proper spot, and to get your finger in line with the trigger, but it quickly becomes natural. One good thing is most grip and trigger techniques can be practiced with dryfire at home for free, the sights shouldn't move with the trigger pull or reset. Once you get it though, with some practice it is automatic, and translates to other pistols well, often improving your group and speed with pistols you already shot OK before the GLOCK.

There are some mods that I really like, they don't change the pistol, just slick it up a little, and help reduce my chances of screwing something up slightly. Don't consider changing a thing till you are comfortable shooting it out of the box. First to go is the stock sights, don't like the dot in bucket picture at all, Arotek are my go-to GLOCK sights, clean clear 3 dot picture, simple easy install with tools included, and nice smooth snag-free profile. I recently put a set of Vickers sights on a new 19G4, and do like them, but pair the excellent Vickers rear with a .240 Ameriglo pro-glo front instead of the intended Vickers front, they are much taller than the Aroteks. I like a Vickers mag release and slide stop, a little more rounded and smaller than factory extended, a little easier to reach than stock. Smooth G17 trigger(SP00357) and stock connector polished, smooths the trigger, more comfortable, slightly reduced chance of pushing it to the side. A polished slightly radiused safety button, a little smoother takeup, with a lighter spring it is even better. Heavier trigger spring, increases reset tension, decreases the stage 1 pull weight, more distinct stage 2 break and reset.

RoadDawg said:
Excellent assessment.

Agreed on most points. (Well, all but one......)

OP, the grip angle on the GLOCK is more like the P-08 Luger, than the 1911.
The Ruger .22 is close to the same grip angle of the Luger.

I agree with everything that alucard0822 said, except for the grip or grasp of the pistol.

That 'thumbs forward' "stuff" doesn't work with/for me. It feels too un-natural.
I'm a firm believer in using the stance/grasp/grip that works for YOU.

I grasp all pistols and revolvers, using a Weaver Stance or slightly modified Weaver Stance.
"Push/pull". Thumbs slightly curved and relaxed.
When the pistol is aimed at the target, I have much more control over the pistol and any recoil.

Here is what that G19 should be capable of.
This is the FIRST group fired from my (then) new G19 Gen3.
This group is one magazine full, using a 6 o'clock hold on the 10 ring.

15 yards. Ammo was CCI Blazer (aluminum cased) 115 gr FMJ.

I found out that MY pistol shoots to where the top of the front sight is, out to 25 yards.
The grip used was a Weaver Stance. Standing. No artificial support.
Group was shot at St. Charles Sportsman's Club indoor range.

Sorry. This is a crappy cellphone pic, from my old flip phone. (I wasn't expecting to take photos at the range.)

mtb · Mar 2, 2016

I got a glock 19 recently, and found that I shot it like crap the first couple times I shot it (and I normally group very well). It took some getting used to and some fixing some grip problems I had before I shot it well. I started shooting it well the 3rd time I shot it.

Melnic · Mar 2, 2016

alucard that should be a Glock sticky
It took me an hour or more reading multiple threads after getting my Glock to get all this info and tell me my other pistols made me a spoiled shooter

sparlou · Mar 2, 2016

Ok thanks for all the great answers guys. I figured it had to be me. I guess other pistols kind of conceal the problems in my fundamentals while the glock points by them out. This is good because it will help me improve. Getting practice with this thing wont be an issue as i love the way it feels in hand , so i plan on shooting it till it falls apart.

byf43 · Mar 2, 2016

sparlou said:
Ok thanks for all the great answers guys. I figured it had to be me. I guess other pistols kind of conceal the problems in my fundamentals while the glock points by them out. This is good because it will help me improve. Getting practice with this thing wont be an issue as i love the way it feels in hand , so i plan on shooting it till it falls apart.

The 'stock' sights leave a lot to be desired, since this is not a target pistol, per se.

Keep the front sight in sharp focus and the target and rear sight should be a soft blur.

My two favorite semi-auto (centerfire) pistols are my G19 and Colt Gold Cup NM.

balext · Mar 2, 2016

Second Amendment said:
No, it's not expected, and it's probably you. Maybe have someone else shoot it to check it's accuracy. I've owned many Glocks, and every one has been accurate out of the box.

Have 8 Glocks and all have been accurate out of the box. I tend to use my 19 for all the training classes I take.

MaxVO2 · Mar 2, 2016

****A couple of years back a well known IDPA guy used a factory Glock 19 with stock sights and ball ammo, and *crushed* us all in our defensive pistol competition shoot, with guys on very high dollar rigs (Les, Wilson, Nighthawk, etc..). It's probably you - the gun is more accurate than most shooters in my experience.

redeemed.man · Mar 2, 2016

Blaster229 said:
It is the pistol, until he gets used to it, like you are. When someone knows about this, it is expected. The Glock grip angle is horrible and wholly different than other pistols. Get used to that grip angle and a person will be more accurate with it.

When you are used to the Glock grip angle everything else is horrible.

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