Fixing a Pistol Flinch... Getting Frustrated...

[Certaindeaf]

By watching the sights not move I usually pick a fine point on the wall or an object. When I do my real flinch, as revealed by mixing in dummy rounds with live rounds, the flinch is very pronounced and very obvious.

I can also feel myself doing it during live fire. For a split second as the shot goes off I get this feeling like the gun is going to jump out of my hand and I panic and squeeze it.

Do as others have said. Squeeze the trigger in a controlled manner with the sights properly aligned until it goes off. You'll not know exactly when it will go off but if you do this, by definition, the sights will have been on target and you'll hit the target.
It sounds like you're snatching at the trigger when you want the gun to go off/ it's getting close to going off. Don't do that.

 

[titsonritz]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=li0rGtXh23I

 

[Nutty4Guns]

OP

Just...

 

[Catfishmoon]

Since you already know that you are flinching… no need for dummy loading snap caps…

I agree, dummy rounds just verify that you are flinching, you already know that...

Calling your shot refers to having an educated guess of where your bullet landed on the target immediately after the round was fired, often from a distance far enough from the paper target that you can't actually see the holes from where you are standing. This ability grows as you shoot thousands of rounds. Over time you begin to sense/feel where that bullet impacted the target; 12:00, 6:00, 3:00, bullseye, etc..
Some individuals suggest you can overcome flinching by using a very strong grip: holding hard enough right up to the point of your arms shaking.
I overcame flinching (most of the time) by strong concentration during the trigger pull process and saying to myself "no-flinch, no-flinch, no - flinch" during slow fire and then shooting faster as it got better. I also double my hearing protection with plugs and muffs.
Taking @Cerberus Group up on his offer of assistance is probably the best idea as he is a very experienced firearms trainer.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

And another thing... How tight are you gripping the gun? I was taught that if you grab it and squeeze the bejeepers out of it then you won't be able to tense up when you press the trigger because you're already tensed! There's a Jerry Mikulek video out there about this somewhere.

 

[Boyandhisdogs]

And another thing... How tight are you gripping the gun? I was taught that if you grab it and squeeze the bejeepers out of it then you won't be able to tense up when you press the trigger because you're already tensed! There's a Jerry Mikulek video out there about this somewhere.

Not a death grip but pretty tight. Like a hammer.

 

[edzz]

Since you already know that you are flinching… no need for dummy loading snap caps…

Load the magazine with a single round.
Move your concentration to the target.

This method doesn't work for everyone, but single loading can help the operator focus on the target… The target is the reason that you have your firearm in your hand(s)… Now that you are focused on the target, let that trigger break on it.

If following what MTpockets is suggesting do as he wrote and load from a magazine for each shot. Same goes for loading the gun to full capacity, load first round from magazine than remove magazine and top it off. Dropping a round in the chamber and letting the slide go home is hard on the extractors of most traditional 1911's. I don't know if the OP's 1911 S&W E-Series is problematic in this regard however for a fact it's a problem with traditional 1911's and many other autoloaders, good way to break the hook off the extractor.

 

[ScottInPDX]

This video made me rethink what "flinching" really is and what to do about it:

View: https://youtu.be/xoE5UkDrDQw?si=K9D40O4_pQWsQJaE


The short version is this: flinching is just poorly timed recoil management. It's only a problem if the movement starts before the shot occurs, so dummy rounds mixed in with live rounds isn't a very useful exercise - the movement after the hammer drops on a dummy round looks dramatic, but if that same movement occurs right after a live round had been fired, then it would have been a correct motion to compensate for recoil.

The solution? Lots more practice, both dry and live, with those other firearms to fix your timing. Don't try to train the "flinch" out, focus on shifting it to the right time.

 

[L84Cabo]

Recurring flinching has been the bane of my shooting existence.

Figuring out the cause, however, is half the battle. And that assumes that you have properly diagnosed the cause and that there isn't something else going on instead or in addition to. For example, you may indeed be tightening your grip on the gun at the last minute. But might you also be anticipating the coming recoil and pushing the gun down before the shot breaks? To this end, it's never a bad idea to get someone else to watch you shoot and see what they notice. It might also be worthwhile to spend a little money and get some one-on-one with a good instructor who has experience diagnosing and, hopefully, solving flinching issues.

For me, I have struggled with both issues at times...increasing grip pressure at the point of firing and pushing the gun in anticipation of recoil. Dry firing hasn't done much to solve this. I can dry fire perfectly, all day long. My brain knows that the gun ain't going to go bang during dry fire. It's smart enough to know when the gun is loaded and when it isn't.

One thing I've found that tends to help me...and it's really dumb...but I have a couple little mantras that I will repeat in my head while I'm shooting. They are, "finger only" and "don't move hand." They both mean the same thing which is me telling my brain and body not to be moving my hand/wrist, and only pulling the trigger. For some reason this helps me focus and not move things so much.

One thing I would also suggest to you is to switch to 9mm while you're trying to sort this out. There is noticeably more recoil with 45 acp compared to 9mm. And if your flinching is about recoil anticipation...then less recoil may mean less flinching. 9mm is also cheaper which means you can afford to shoot more, while you're trying to solve this.

Good luck...and may the odds be ever in your favor!

 

[Bswhite1976]

Two tricks that work for me.
First: Touch, wall, press. Start with just touching the trigger, that's it. Then going to the trigger wall. I try to start all my trigger presses here. Then the press. From the wall I stat adding a little pressure at a time to the trigger while holding the best sights I can. Focus on the sights, add a little pressure, pause, and repeat. The shot should surprise you. You are knowing turning the gun on, but the exact moment the trigger breaks is a surprise.
The second trick also starts at the wall. Verbally say the word "press". I think of adding air to a tire. The psi should go 3psi, 4psi, 5psi, ect. Again, you are knowing turning the gun on, but the exact moment the trigger breaks should be a surprise.
Hope that helps.

 

[mesa]

Man, I just got my Walther P1 and took it out the first time yesterday. Haven't shot anything but mouse guns for 6 months, mostly my baby browning, and within a box of ammo through the P1 I developed the most horrific flinch.

big part of why I love my baby browning is the trigger, the pull isnt long, its SA and 5lb, but with zero takeup all creep, you couldn't feel when the things gonna break if you tried.

I know I should just practice dealing with the shorter wall but I have urges to give modifying my sear a try... wish I could just buy a roll trigger for these things, lol.

 

[Deavis]

And for a dissenting opinion:

Few people want to shoot a handgun slower. Most def not for defensive or hunting or action sports purposes.

Why practice that? You just might learn it.

The more time it takes you to move the trigger the more time you have to try and capture the perfect sight picture/flinch/anticipate/move the gun.

Discharge the gun without moving the gun (more than it is wobbling)

Use a mental mantra if that helps. Saying to yourself something like, "One speed" or "press press press" or "discharge the gun without moving the gun"

Once you start the press DO NOT STOP.

One speed straight to the rear at the speed of life.

You can jerk the trigger like you are trying to set the hook on a fish if you do it straight back and not move the gun whilst doing so.

I doubt with a good grip and stance the lowly finger alone is driving you low left. I bet there are other body parts involved.

 

[Oxygen Mask]

I find when my shots start going low and left it's usually my grip has loosened. I swapped in the thicker back strap so my finger finds the right spot more naturally, that helped. I watched Hunter Constantine's video about his grip, and that helped a lot. Locking that grip up like a vice, but also locking the wrists, made a real difference.

 

[RedRover]

Simply adjust your POA(Point of Aim) a little to the upper-right of your intended POI(Point of Impact). Problem solved.

Seriously though...
Good tips already suggested in this thread.

 

[spost]

Dry fire practice drills such as Trigger Control at Speed will help this. As a right hand shooter your are probably tensing your dominant hand while pressing the trigger. Firm grip dominant hand, crushing support hand grip. The answer is not to slow down the trigger press. We need to learn to consistently press the trigger at speed without putting input into the gun and disrupting our sights. Trigger control at speed dry fire and live fire will help this.

 

[Deavis]

Spost also speaks the truth. Slow is not the answer.

I should clarify:

If you are bullseye shooting, or indoor air pistol, olympic training or some such maybe some of those techniques will work.

Otherwise…. Discharge the gun efficiently without moving the gun.

Easier said than done I know but most practical handgun applications dont favor you being slow. The animal you are hunting, threat you are engaging and co-competitor all want you to be real slow.