"Find the gun that feels best in your hand"

[Chuck Haggard]

I actually cringe almost every single time I hear anyone talk about "feel" when it comes to guns, because 99.9789857% of the time they have not idea what they are talking about and have made or are about to make a poor choice.

As noted in the past "the timer doesn't lie". I know several people who have told me that the small grip on their M&P "feels" better, but they they shoot the gun noticably better in time and/or accuracy with the large grip installed.

Two quotes I stole from the LF forum are "Feel will be important when they make a gun that feels like a C cup", and "buying a gun by feel at the gun counter without ever shooting it is like buying a car after sitting in one on the showroom floor while making "vroom vroom" noises".

[JodyH]

"This gun feels the best to me" (said while limply holding it in a teacup grip).
As a CCW instructor I have to deal with this crap all the time.
"I know the gun store clerk said "X"... he lied".

[Mr. Goodtimes]

"This gun feels the best to me" (said while limply holding it in a teacup grip).
As a CCW instructor I have to deal with this crap all the time.
"I know the gun store clerk said "X"... he lied".

I can sort of relate. I am the gun store clerk and it's usually me apologizing; telling them that the other gun store clerk (that works in the same place I do) has no earthly clue what he's talking about and no .45 wont blow some ones arm off if you wing em. All the while with them looking at me with a "why the hell should I listen to you face." Typically because what the first gun store clerk told them is also what their redneck cousin told them, and he owns like thirty guns so he knows a lot about them and stuff.

[1986s4]

How a gun feels to the hand can be a squishy notion. I don't shoot Glocks well but they do feel good in my hand. I like the HK USP series for how they shoot but the USP is one of the few pistols that doesn't feel good to my hand.

[walkin' trails]

I think a better term would be "fit" the hand. In my first LE academy, I switched out grips on my revolver, not realizing that they were too big. The issue gun came with finger groove grips and I wanted a set without. Switching back, my scores improved. After graduating and getting out into the field, I started carrying a Glock 17 I had and had gotten used to the way it "felt." I shot fairly well with it, although there were other pistols that "felt" better in my hand. I do not care for the Sig P228/229s because they do not fit my hand as I was accustomed, even though they seemed to "feel" good. I went thru an academy with the p228, shot a lot of rounds thru it, out shot one of the instructors during a steel match in class, by never shot as high has I knew I was capable. I switched back to Glocks as soon as I could because I was used to that platform. When I first hefted the S&W M&P, it seemed to fit my hand better than any Glock. I seemed to be on target quicker, my reacquisition of a sight picture was faster, and that's what I carry now. Although I'm not a big 1911 fan, I will admit that a customized specimen "feels" great.

I suppose "feel" may play some part in one's perception to how well they will shoot a particular platform, and I've handled and shot some guns that just didn't quite make it into mainstream acceptance that simply did not feel good to heft. In summary I supposed you could finish the sentence, "find the gun that feels best in your hand, and learn how to shoot it."

[JodyH]

"find the gun that feels best in your hand, and learn how to shoot it."

I'd rather someone learn how to shoot then worry about finding a gun that fits.

[Zhurdan]

I'd rather someone learn how to shoot then worry about finding a gun that fits.

Well, therein lies the problem. How many new shooters know someone who's going to let them perpetually "borrow" a gun to learn how to shoot? Perpetually because, as we all know, it's not something you learn over a weekend. I think we're all looking at this from the point of view of those that would even visit this site, long time shooters. That being said, new shooters have very little to go off of and feel just might be the factor that gets them started down the path to even possibly becoming proficient.

[JodyH]

Well, therein lies the problem. How many new shooters know someone who's going to let them perpetually "borrow" a gun to learn how to shoot? Perpetually because, as we all know, it's not something you learn over a weekend.

I disagree.
With 4 hours and 100 rounds of ammo I could take someone from "never touched a gun" to "educated enough to make a smart purchase".
Just knowing the proper grip makes a HUGE difference in how a handgun "feels".
Knowing what all the buttons and levers do gives them an idea of what's important to be able to reach and what's not.
"Trigger press 101" would allow them to gauge the difference between a decent trigger and a horrible trigger and the proper trigger reach/distance.
Understanding sight alignment/picture would steer them away from tiny "bump sights" and into "notch and post" at a minimum.
A 15 minute explanation on quality and why a Taurus/Rossi may look like a Glock/Beretta/S&W but isn't, would help counteract the used car salesman behind the gun counter.

A new shooter is far more handicapped by trying to shoot a POS Rossi revolver (bought because it was pink) than they would be by shooting a M&P with the wrong backstrap.
There's a difference between a handgun that's "close but not perfect" and a handgun that's a "football bat".
With a half day on the range I can usually steer them into a gun they can work with and away from complete crap guns.
I know this because I do it in every CCW class I instruct.
I hear:
"I'm going to go buy "X" (Glock 26, S&W 642 or S&W Shield) first thing Monday morning! Thanks!"
"I wish I knew all this BEFORE I bought my gun."
Followed by:
"You know anybody who wants to buy my "X" (Taurus, Rossi, Kel-Tec...) real cheap?"

[Zhurdan]

Jody,
I can agree with that being that it's a well defined situation. Most of the rest of it, including my first post wasn't really fleshed out enough, hence why I said what I did in my last post.

It may just be the "new shooters" I've met as of late, who did absolutely zero research, have never touched a gun before and ran off to the gun store to buy a gun because OMGBANONGUNSCOMINGTOMORROW!!1!eleven! THEN, they run into me at the store and suddenly remember that I've offered to teach them to shoot like a hundy times and they proudly tell me about the POS gun they just bought and now they want me to show them how to shoot.

(posted during your edit... which is exactly the same thing I've been dealing with)

[JodyH]

Jody,
I can agree with that being that it's a well defined situation. Most of the rest of it, including my first post wasn't really fleshed out enough, hence why I said what I did in my last post.

It may just be the "new shooters" I've met as of late, who did absolutely zero research, have never touched a gun before and ran off to the gun store to buy a gun because OMGBANONGUNSCOMINGTOMORROW!!1!eleven! THEN, they run into me at the store and suddenly remember that I've offered to teach them to shoot like a hundy times and they proudly tell me about the POS gun they just bought and now they want me to show them how to shoot.

Yup...
People pay "stupid tax" all the time on all kinds of purchases.
The worst are the ones that call you up and pick your brain for 45 minutes and then completely ignore your advice and buy a POS anyway.