SERIOUS accuracy issues with my S&W Model 3913LS - Need help!!

MostToysWins · November 6, 2005, 03:14 PM

Well my wife and I took out her "new" 3913LS to the range today for the first time, and all I can say is that we both had serious issues with shooting this gun accurately. I field stripped it yesterday and cleaned it well. It came no where near the accuracy of my Sig P226 at only 7yds.

At first I thought it was just getting used to a new gun, but after shooting it for almost 2 hours we got so frustrated we just quit shooting it. My wife could barely keep 3 or 4 out of 5 on a paper plate from 7 yds. Everything was going low or left.

She had no accuracy problems with my Sig, her .38sp. snubbie or my GP100 6".

I tried shooting the 3913 with different grips, finger positions on the trigger, stances, off hand, two handed, one handed, even shooting off of a sandbag, but the groupings were very mediocre at best.

My wife and I are decent shots, by no means experts but we know what we are doing, and have no problem keeping "8 on a plate" from ranges up to 25 yards.

The pictures below show 2 targets shot back to back, slow fire, 10 shots each, standing 2 handed Weaver from only 7yds. with 115gr. FMJ factory reloads, one with the Sig P226 and one with the 3913LS.

I know the 3913 is a smaller gun, but the accuracy from 7 yds. should not be THIS much different between the 2 guns. Oh and by the way, my wife shoots my Sig just as well as I do.

Believe it or not, this was one of the best groupings I had with the 3913 all day, and I REALLY had to concentrate to shoot it this well. Notice I completely missed the paper with 2 of the shot!!! :barf:

Is it our shooting? Is it the ammo? Could there be a defect in the gun? Could the sights be way OFF? Should I send it back to S&W? Do they have a lifetime warranty?

Please help! My wife loves how the gun feels but hates the way it shoots

.

I will post this on the S&W and Sig forums as well for additional help.

Detective_Special · November 6, 2005, 03:24 PM

I would try different ammo before I do anything yet. Changing brand and/or bullet weight might make a difference.

fastbolt · November 6, 2005, 03:43 PM

The different ergonomics of the little S&W single stack, compared to your SIGARMS, as well as the much shorter SA trigger reset ... combined with trigger control patterns gained with your other pistols ... could certainly account for the low/left POI's (presuming you're BOTH right-handed, of course).

Not uncommonly observed.

Some of the earlier 3913/14's also had some tall front sight posts, too, which could be corrected by installing a shorter one.

Either the front or rear sight could be drifted a bit off the wrong direction, too.

Installing a set of Hogue grips is often found to be helpful by some folks. Personally, I think they improve the handling and ergonomics of the little pistol.

BTW, using either my personally owned 3913, or any of the several we occasionally issue to small-statured, small-handed folks at my agency, I can generally quite easily make consistently 'called hits' on small wooden clothespins on the target backboards at 5-7 yards, and fairly consistently at 10-11 yards ... and that's using 'inexpensive' W-W 147gr Personal Protection (white box, if you will) contract ammunition and standard factory sights. When one of our folks was complaining about their 3913's inherent accuracy one morning at the range, I took their pistol and fired an unsupported 2-handed 2-shot pair of hits on the head of a silhouette target at approx 15 yards, and the holes were not quite touching. They can be capable of better accuracy than most of us can utilize ...

S&W TDA triggers are a bit different from SIGARMS TDA triggers, and may require some adjustment time for you, if nothing else ...

Just my thoughts, and presuming everthing is normal and in good condition with your pistol, of course ...

November 6, 2005, 03:14 PM	#1
MostToysWins Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2005 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 274	SERIOUS accuracy issues with my S&W Model 3913LS - Need help!! Well my wife and I took out her "new" 3913LS to the range today for the first time, and all I can say is that we both had serious issues with shooting this gun accurately. I field stripped it yesterday and cleaned it well. It came no where near the accuracy of my Sig P226 at only 7yds. At first I thought it was just getting used to a new gun, but after shooting it for almost 2 hours we got so frustrated we just quit shooting it. My wife could barely keep 3 or 4 out of 5 on a paper plate from 7 yds. Everything was going low or left. She had no accuracy problems with my Sig, her .38sp. snubbie or my GP100 6". I tried shooting the 3913 with different grips, finger positions on the trigger, stances, off hand, two handed, one handed, even shooting off of a sandbag, but the groupings were very mediocre at best. My wife and I are decent shots, by no means experts but we know what we are doing, and have no problem keeping "8 on a plate" from ranges up to 25 yards. The pictures below show 2 targets shot back to back, slow fire, 10 shots each, standing 2 handed Weaver from only 7yds. with 115gr. FMJ factory reloads, one with the Sig P226 and one with the 3913LS. I know the 3913 is a smaller gun, but the accuracy from 7 yds. should not be THIS much different between the 2 guns. Oh and by the way, my wife shoots my Sig just as well as I do. Believe it or not, this was one of the best groupings I had with the 3913 all day, and I REALLY had to concentrate to shoot it this well. Notice I completely missed the paper with 2 of the shot!!! :barf: Is it our shooting? Is it the ammo? Could there be a defect in the gun? Could the sights be way OFF? Should I send it back to S&W? Do they have a lifetime warranty? Please help! My wife loves how the gun feels but hates the way it shoots . I will post this on the S&W and Sig forums as well for additional help.

November 6, 2005, 03:24 PM	#2
Detective_Special Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2004 Posts: 293	3913 I would try different ammo before I do anything yet. Changing brand and/or bullet weight might make a difference.

November 6, 2005, 03:43 PM	#3
fastbolt Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2002 Location: northern CA for a little while longer Posts: 1,967	The different ergonomics of the little S&W single stack, compared to your SIGARMS, as well as the much shorter SA trigger reset ... combined with trigger control patterns gained with your other pistols ... could certainly account for the low/left POI's (presuming you're BOTH right-handed, of course). Not uncommonly observed. Some of the earlier 3913/14's also had some tall front sight posts, too, which could be corrected by installing a shorter one. Either the front or rear sight could be drifted a bit off the wrong direction, too. Installing a set of Hogue grips is often found to be helpful by some folks. Personally, I think they improve the handling and ergonomics of the little pistol. BTW, using either my personally owned 3913, or any of the several we occasionally issue to small-statured, small-handed folks at my agency, I can generally quite easily make consistently 'called hits' on small wooden clothespins on the target backboards at 5-7 yards, and fairly consistently at 10-11 yards ... and that's using 'inexpensive' W-W 147gr Personal Protection (white box, if you will) contract ammunition and standard factory sights. When one of our folks was complaining about their 3913's inherent accuracy one morning at the range, I took their pistol and fired an unsupported 2-handed 2-shot pair of hits on the head of a silhouette target at approx 15 yards, and the holes were not quite touching. They can be capable of better accuracy than most of us can utilize ... S&W TDA triggers are a bit different from SIGARMS TDA triggers, and may require some adjustment time for you, if nothing else ... Just my thoughts, and presuming everthing is normal and in good condition with your pistol, of course ... __________________ Retired LE - firearms instructor & armorer Last edited by fastbolt; November 6, 2005 at 10:46 PM.