MY GLOCK SHOOTS LEFT (?)
This particular Glock has sights mechanically centered in the slide, but many Glocks do shoot slightly left. This is my target from a while back after shooting the FBI Bullseye Course, which is shot at 15 and 25 yards.
I’d like to start by apologizing for the slow rate of articles as of late. Many real life events are conspiring to keep some of our authors and me from the keyboard.
This latest topic was born from a recent email I received from a couple readers asking about whether or not Glocks shoot left, and if it is something about which he should be concerned. While I would not describe myself as a Glock guru, though it is currently my preferred sidearm for work and play, I have seen a few of them on the range over the years, and have spoken with some knowledgeable individuals. Here is my take on the issue, for whatever it is worth.
There are a couple prevailing theories as to why Glocks seem to shoot a little left. The first is that the guns are simply built that way, either due to some kind of design anomaly (feature) or tolerance stack. Another on is that the Glock’s grip angle, pivoting trigger shoe, the characteristics of the trigger mechanism and length of pull, tend to cause the right handed shooter to push shots left. There are additional factors, such as the front sight not being set in the slot very well. Honestly, the amount the pistol actually shoots left (when it does) has not inspired me to research or test much further to see what the actual cause may be. Perhaps locking a bunch of different Glocks one at a time into Ransom Rests might work, but since I don’t have easy access to one, this is somewhat moot.
All of the sights I’ve installed start out installed in the mechanical center of the slide. The 10-8 Performance front sight tabs are slightly oversized and are either an interference fit or require just a tiny bit of filing to get it into the slide. I like this as it ensures it doesn’t twist and will stay put. A few minutes with a hammer, punch, a flat piece of G10 stock and a caliper ensure the rear sight is centered. A few of my pistols shoot just fine with the sight centered in the slide, but some of them do need some adjustment, typically by drifting the sight a little bit to the right. Any sight adjustment is usually quite minor and around .010″ or less. Most of the time, the typical shooter has a profound lack of trigger control that masks whatever left shooting tendencies the pistol may have.
Regardless of the reason why the Glocks tend to shoot left, the effect is fairly minimal and a minor sight adjustment typically takes care of it. Regardless of the pistol you shoot, be sure you sight it in at a reasonable distance (I prefer 20 or 25 yards) with your preferred defensive and training ammunition. Better to be surprised that your pistol doesn’t shoot point of aim on the flat range rather than when it actually counts.
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