P97 shoots low and left.

Hey yall, new member here!

I have a P97 that at ten feet shoots 4-6" low and 4-6" left. Sights are useless, and this gun is practically brand new. I purchased it years ago at a store that is not in business anymore, but never got around to shooting it until recently.

I know buy a gun, then dont try it out. Dumber than Homer Simpson, so flame me mercilessly...

Anyways I recently read that some of the barrels are 2 piece affairs, that have these issues. I think I have one. Ruger cant do anything, they no longer make the barrels (they claim) and the aftermarket is not well represented in this pistol.

Any ideas? I have hit the limit with my searching.

Well, considering they dropped the model back in 2004ish, it makes perfect sense they're not making anything for them, including bbls. First thing is are you absolutely sure it's the gun? (ppl always blame the gun first) At such a short range, that POI does seem way off from POA. I'd have another well seasoned shooter try the gun. (seen it myself, a person blamed the gun when it fact it was their technique)

Have you been firing it from a rest or just free handing it?

I have a P97 that at ten feet shoots 4-6" low and 4-6" left.

Click to expand...

This is often the result of jerking the trigger and/or squeezing the hand along with the trigger finger. Do you shoot any other handguns?

Welcome to the forum.

I was annoyed for years (and years) with finding the same low/left on ALL my pistols. Some adjustable sights were even adjusted to the point of falling off, and STILL my groups were all too often around 8:00 and off the score ring too much.

A little sharp eyed coaching, a serious consult with a couple good pistols shooters and careful examination of my own style, led to the resolution.

It WAS me. And squeezing too tight just as I actuated the trigger, pulled the sight alignment that way. It turned out it was the remnant of an old flinch I had given myself long ago, when using maximum loads in heavy caliber pistols....typically the old IHMSA loads.

I still have to careful tend myself, or they tend to creep back in to my practice sessions.

Heavy sand bags and shooting slow-deliberate-without moving gun, WITH a coach carefully watching, then him showing me HE could use the same sight picture and consistently hit Xs all day.

Or maybe not. Good luck.