Newish shooter training and gun selection

[RJ]

I have the means of keeping both pistols and have already paid for my first round of training. I’m trying to convince myself to stick with one platform and just focus on training. But also to determine if my lack of training is just shown more on the Glock vs 509 platform...grip I’m assuming. I’m dry fire, I can keep the front sight rock solid on both pistols.

Here's an idea, if you have done this already, feel free to skip it.

Go to the range with both pistols and a pair of NRA B-8 targets. Mount both targets at 10 yards. Cold, shoot 10 rounds through each gun in 10 seconds. Score your results out of 100.

Are all rounds in the black? Does one gun or the other have a significantly different score? That may help your decision which gun to focus on.

This is one of my favorite drills for keeping me honest. Bearing in mind I pretty much suck at shooting vs. most of the members here, my average with a Glock 19 over the last 18 months is about 85. But I really like it as a drill because you have to shoot accurately, rapidly, and doing it cold means it represents your "best" performance you can do on demand.

Just an idea.

[DAB]

how did you decide who and where to get training from? what criteria did you employ?

i read a lot about various trainer and schools, and they seem to be all over the place.

[CTX44]

Glock factory sights are some of the worst factory sights on any handgun.

Replace them with nearly anything--trijicon night sights are great value for money--and you'll shoot the gun twice as well.

Throw an aftermarket trigger connector in, do the 25 cent trigger job, add some sandpaper grip tape, and go to town.

[Sauer Koch]

I’ll second the recommendation for Hardwired Tactical. I shot with Wayne at TacCon a few months ago, and sat in on a lecture (Mission Drives the Gear Train) with Darryl, and both were excellent, and made me want to train with them again. Considering they’re in your area, it’s a no-brainer, IMO.

[Brianjkeene]

I’ll second the recommendation for Hardwired Tactical. I shot with Wayne at TacCon a few months ago, and sat in on a lecture (Mission Drives the Gear Train) with Darryl, and both were excellent, and made me want to train with them again. Considering they’re in your area, it’s a no-brainer, IMO.

I want to train with Hardwire, sent an email about training actually but didn’t get a response - I should have called but found someone else via recommendation. I went with these guys for my first training. https://www.kranzftg.com/

[farscott]

I have the means of keeping both pistols and have already paid for my first round of training. I’m trying to convince myself to stick with one platform and just focus on training. But also to determine if my lack of training is just shown more on the Glock vs 509 platform...grip I’m assuming. I’m dry fire, I can keep the front sight rock solid on both pistols.

If you are dry firing, you are well ahead of me when I was a newbie shooter. I came of age in the time when dry firing was supposed to be a surefire way of destroying a gun. By the time I learned better, I had a lot to unlearn.

If you enjoy shooting a platform, I encourage you to do so. Making good practice enjoyable is a lot better than having to force one's self to the range with a pistol you do not like to shoot.

[CraigS]

One other thought, and it may be why you shoot the 509 better. look at the grip angles of the two guns. The Glock grip angle is different from 90+% of other pistols. Not by sales volume, just by model volume. I for one, really don't like it. So I'll never own a Glock.

[Brianjkeene]

Update. I installed some hackathorns on the g19 and installed the medium backstrap and it seems that the stars have aligned for me. I feel just as comfortable shooting the 19 now as I do the 509 and am as accurate.

[nwhpfan]

The gun doesn't matter.

I would suggest you buy Ben Stoeger's Practical Shooting book. It's a very simple break down of technique. Also get one of his dry fire books.

The trick to getting better is realizing that learning is through your own trial and error.

Get a Dry Fire book so you know what's required. Get the Technique book to help you find the answer. Then dedicate yourself to do the training.

Sell one gun if you have too. As you improve you probably won't want to switch anyway. I'd suggest keep the G19 because their are longer term advantages to Glock. GSSF being one of them. Ease in getting springs to keep it maintained. Lot's of holster, sight choices, etc.

[Guerrero]

I would suggest you buy Ben Stoeger's Practical Shooting book.

Could we have a double-check on that title? I found (on Amazon) "Practical Shooting" by Brian Enos, "Breakthrough Marksmanship: The Tools of Practical Shooting" by Ben Stoeger, and "Practical Pistol Reloaded" by Ben Stoeger.