My wife cant shoot our P-95!! ... Solved

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dacaur

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
346
Location
Utah, usa
At least 75% of the time when my wife fires our P95, it either stovepipes, or the new round just doesn't feed. Obviously she is limp wresting it, because I can fire an entire clip with no problems. I can load a clip, fire 3 rounds, no problem, hand the gun to her, she shoots once, stovepipe, clear it and shoot again, next round doesn't fully feed, I take the gun back and shoot 4 more rounds with no problem, hand the gun back to her, same thing, stovepipe or the next round just doesn't fully feed....

I have tried telling her to hold it firmly, pull with the support hand and push with the main hand, dont anticipate the shot.... I dont know what else to do other than get her a revolver...

Can anyone give her some advice so she can shoot this thing?

Thanks.


Edit:

Problem solved... we went out again today and she shot several clips without a problem... The problem was definitely her grip... once she held as far up on the grip as she could, the problem went away...[/b]
 

Plinker MKII

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 16, 2008
Messages
49
Location
Nevada Desert
Is she an experienced shooter? or is fairly new?

My suggestion is for her to shoot the pistol so she can get used to the feel of it.
Don't use the sights, just relax, hold steady and fire down range.
Kind of like instinct shooting, tell her not to worry about shot placement, just shoot the pistol untill it locks up and is empty. Load the mag wtih 5 rounds, shoot and repeat. This way she won't have to hold the pistol with a full mag and get tired along the way. Kind of like little short sprints.

Hopefully after a few boxes of ammo is through she will not be bothered by the recoil and then start to hold the pistol properly and then improve her technique.

As the instructor, stand by real close and make sure she is safe and watch for any faults to correct. Good luck!
 

Anthony Williams

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 23, 2003
Messages
288
Location
Massachusetts
:roll: My wife says, "Why would she even want to?" Have either of you considered a smaller caliber revolver as another option for your wife to learn on :?:
 

Mr_banjo2

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
43
I have / am having the same problem with my wife (and me to a lesser extent)

We could both shoot other guns without a problem but the p95 will tell you if your limp wristing even a little bit.

What fixed my problem, and greatly reduced the malfunctions the wife had was a new stance and grip, but it sounds like you've covered that.

I would just keep practicing, bend your knees slightly and lean into the shot perhaps... I know it sucks for her and she wont enjoy shooting a gun that wont work for her, i've been there.

My wifes about 110lbs and has gotten much better just from practice / trying different grips etc and not getting pissed off with it. Tell her shes not alone, try not to get too fustrated with it and stick in there.

I put a hogue grip on but havnt shot with it yet, i feel i have a much better grip on it and ill let you know how the wife does with it. That may help you (It does add more bulk to the pistol, but its worth it for better grip)
 

Anthony Williams

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 23, 2003
Messages
288
Location
Massachusetts
Jezuz H. Have a heart fellas! Next thing I know you guys are goin' to be complaining that your little 110lb wives are having a difficult time while trying to play tackle for the Pittsburg Steelers :roll: Why insist upon making a woman do something that she is neither equipped to do, or has little or no interest in doing. Go off and shoot your P-95 by yourself, and for God's sake leave the poor woman alone :!:
 

Mike J

Hunter
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
4,204
Location
GA
I haven't really tried to get my wife to shoot my autos much. She seems to have trouble racking the slide. If she can't load it-clear malfunctions or isn't willing to take the time to learn then it is a poor choice for her. She has a little Taurus model 85 she had when we met that she likes because of its simplicity.
 

tkarter

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
477
Location
Kansas
My only suggestion is to have her take the highest grip possible.

Since women tend to lean shoulders back when the sights are lined up they will be down the grip aways.

Everyone needs to grip as high as they can on any pistol IMHO.

Some are more forgiving of a loose low grip than a P95 is.

tk
 

cce1302

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
4
My wife had a little trouble with stovepiping until I made sure that she was using a good weaver stance. She loves shooting my P95.

The push/pull of the weaver stance helps strengthen the grip.
 

dacaur

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
346
Location
Utah, usa
Thanks guys... Ill let you know how it goes next time we go shooting.... until then, I'm open to more suggestions!
 

tkarter

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
477
Location
Kansas
One more suggestion. Tell her to forget the last time she shot it. Be confident. She can shoot it. No problem. Then pull the hammer back for the SA trigger for the first shot. That way she doesn't have to squeeze or milk the grip to get the trigger pulled.

tk
 

Fulmanate

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Messages
7
Location
Houston Texas
Before I purchased my SR9 I was shooting my 1911 my wife would come with me and we would rent a 9mm pistol at the range she had the same problems. So the range owner had her try a Ruger 22 auto pistol and she just loved it she got to where she could shoot it very well (after 1000 rounds). Now she has no problems with failures even with the 9mm she first started shooting. Now the problem she has is pulling the slide back on both the range 9mm and my SR9. She has started to exercise to build up strangth in her arms and hands.
 

TXRugerFan

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
1
Great opportunity for some self deprecation ...

I bought a P89 a year ago, ostensibly for shooting IDPA, IPSC, and steel matches.

After a couple of matches the gun started stove piping, going into slide lock mid-mag, all kinds of crazy stuff. The first time it happened towards the end of the match. I persevered and took my tail kicking. The gun got its usual cleaning and was put it up for next time. In the meantime I went back to my old S&W 686 for home defense until the P89 went thru its paces again.

The next time the problem got worse -- I'd get clean runs on every other string or course of fire but would invariably be sidetracked by a slide lock or stove pipes. Happened with gun clean, gun dirty… Cleaned the heck out of the mags between courses of fire. No change. Started thinking I'd get better results by throwing the gun at the target but I hung in there, hoping it would pass.

The next time I started catching grief from the ammo snobs (I was shooting CCI Blazer – a couple of condescending reloaders blamed the ammo but I didn't believe them -- I'd been using it for years in other guns without a problem).

I started to hate the gun but I kept shooting it despite frustration while I figured out my next purchase.

Next time it happened at a match (shooting steel), one of the better young shooters in the area (a 16 year old who was scorekeeping and doing some part time RSO duty) somehow noted that I was letting my left thumb "drift" a little rather than keeping it tucked against the grip and left index finger and placing my right thumb atop it (I'm a right handed shooter). He offered up the advice mid-string but I let it pass and finished out the stage while cursing under my breath. I closed the loop and asked him to share his thoughts after we left off the firing line. He elaborated a bit, but basically thought that my thumb could have been hitting the slide lock.

Darned if he wasn't right. Corrected grip fixed the problem. Somewhat embarrassing as I've been shooting for 30 years but only started hitting matches when I bought the P89.

That started a renewed love affair with my P89. 1500 rounds since. No misfeeds, jams, stovepipes, nothing. I bought myself a second P89 for Christmas.

Could be the same thing with your wife -- Check out her thumb placement on her nondominant hand. Make sure she's got it nicely "tucked"

Good luck!
 

roaddog28

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
260
Location
Winchester, CA
Fulmanate":2jxsidhz said:
Before I purchased my SR9 I was shooting my 1911 my wife would come with me and we would rent a 9mm pistol at the range she had the same problems. So the range owner had her try a Ruger 22 auto pistol and she just loved it she got to where she could shoot it very well (after 1000 rounds). Now she has no problems with failures even with the 9mm she first started shooting. Now the problem she has is pulling the slide back on both the range 9mm and my SR9. She has started to exercise to build up strangth in her arms and hands.

I agree with Fulmanate. Have her try a Ruger Mark II or III. My bet is she will fall in love with shooting the Mark. As she gets better then you can move her up to the SR9. When I started shooting semiautos I started with a Mark I. I came from the revolver world. The Mark I helped my get use to shooting a semi-auto. Now I am shooting 9mm semi-autos.

Try it and see what happens. You have nothing to loose and your wife might gain confidence shooting the Mark and then she can move up.

Goodluck,
roaddog28
 

dacaur

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
346
Location
Utah, usa
I do have a mark II 22/45 that she likes to shoot and does so without a problem. The 9mm is our home defence gun, so this issue is a big one.... We will try your suggestions next time we go out, hopefully she can get it down...
 

tkarter

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
477
Location
Kansas
Do tell her that she can shoot that P95. They aren't that hard to get to work.

I have seen some mighty big guys limp wrist.

The grip has to be high. That means the web of the hand as close to the slide as possible. It has to be semi firm.

I really feel the reason for most limp wrist issues is the hard DA pull on the P95. Folks tend to relax every thing but the thumb and the trigger finger to over come the DA pull and the pistol rocks back really fast and hard in that condition.

I am not a big guy. Nor do I have big hands. I love shooting my P95. I limp wristed the first one I shot too. I knew what happened though I felt it.

She can shoot that P95 and that is one thing you and her both need to understand before the next outing with it. Confidence climbs hills that seem hard where defeat happens before one tries.

Let her dry fire it plenty at home. Then let her go shoot.

No woman needs a revolver for self protection. IMHO they don't hold enough ammo.


tk
 

Cheesewhiz

Hunter
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
2,114
Location
Chicago, IL
tkarter":2rilhzda said:
The grip has to be high. That means the web of the hand as close to the slide as possible. It has to be semi firm.

tkarter is absolutely right about the higher grip.
I've seen many new shooters hold the pistol as far down the grip as they can, what they are afraid of is a mystery to me.
 

jbender

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 21, 2009
Messages
35
I started seriously shooting handguns a few years ago and just bought my first handgun (p95) back in november. Of course my wife HATED having the gun around when i first got it. Thinking this was just ignorance i made her come to my families farm where i built a shooting range a couple years ago. I made her shoot my buddies jennings 22 first and she shot it without a problem. Then i gave her my p95. The first time she shot it, it scared her a little she thought itd be similiar to the 22 obviously not so much. she limp wristed for the first two or three rounds they stove piped. I told her to hold that thing tight and wouldnt you know she shot a tighter group than i do? Amazing that this woman had NEVER shot any kind of gun to that point she grabbed right ahold of my p95 and shot it more accurate than i did. Thinking this may have been beginners luck i just took her to the farm today she was shooting at 3 targets put about 50 rounds though the gun and hit dead center every time. I took her to the sheriffs office today to get her paperwork for her permit and called my gun dealer to have him order me another p95 for her. Next time we go shell be teaching me how to shoot.
 

tkarter

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
477
Location
Kansas
Good hearing protection will help too. The more bang heard the more the perception of recoil.

tk
 
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