WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MY GUN MORE ACCURATE?

The first suggestion I’d make is to select the proper ammunition. Just like you like some foods and not others, every gun has a preference in the ammunition it likes to shoot! So purchase different manufacturer’s rounds in different configurations – from the type of bullet, to the powder charge, until you find the most reliably consistent ammunition your gun likes. Note that this does NOT mean the rounds all hit the bullseye. What you are looking for is consistent small grouping. If the rounds are all concentrated, say, in the upper left corner of the target, that’s okay. Again, what we are looking for is that all the rounds are in as close proximity to one another as possible. Once you have the “right” ammunition, if you still need or just want to improve the accuracy of your firearm there are things we can do:

RIFLES

1. First we need to ensure the sights are tight and if a scope is installed, the scope is installed properly. If not installed by a qualified gunsmith the very first thing I’d suggest is remounting the scope. Please see my article on scope mounting.
2. We can re-crown the barrel. When the bullet exits the end of the barrel, if there are even the tiniest scratches, imperfections, or if the crown of the barrel (the end where the bullet exits) isn’t perfectly perpendicular to the bore of the barrel, the bullet will be canted off-center by the exiting gas behind it. Because powder charges cannot be 100% uniform that means not only will the bullet not fly straight but the next round won’t hit in the same spot as the previous one.
3. We can perform a trigger job. Please see my separate article on trigger jobs for details. I can’t over emphasize how important having a smooth consistent trigger pull with minimum over-travel is to shooting accuracy!
4. We can pillar bed the stock. This is the process of removing flexing of the receiver of the gun (where the bullets go) to the barrel. When you shoot the gun the receiver moves under recoil very quickly. It takes some time for the barrel to “catch up.” Some barrels want to be “free floated,” meaning it doesn’t touch anything on the gun except the receiver. You should be able to pass a flat dollar bill between the stock and the receiver before you shoot to ensure the barrel is free-floating. However, some guns don’t respond well to this process. In fact, they need to be “pressure-bedded” which is the same as “free-floating” except the barrel is intentionally made to contact the stock such that it is supported constantly. Normally we would start with free-floating pillar bedding and try the rifle out to see if the shooting groups have tightened up or not. If not, we pressure-bed. Bedding of either sort is a process of installing metal sleeves in the areas where the stock is attached to the barrel and receiver, and lining the inside of the receiver and possibly barrel exterior such that there is close to 100% contact between the receiver and end of the barrel, reducing flexing of the receiver to near zero. If pillar bedding doesn’t improve accuracy we would need to replace the barrel.
5. We may need to adjust the gun’s “headspace;” that is, the gap between the fully seated bullet and the bolt face for rimmed rounds or from the bolt face to the chamfer on the round or case mouth for others.
6. Then there is the “lead” space, which is the gap between the bullet and the rifled portion of the barrel. If too large for your ammunition the bullet has to “jump” from the end of the case through a short space before it enters the barrel. That means the bullet enters the barrel offset because of gravity
7. We can blueprint the bolt, including the bolt face, lugs, and mating surfaces on the receiver/barrel to make the bolt head as perpendicular to the bore (center of the barrel) as possible.

REVOLVERS

1. See Rifles 2 and 3 above
2. We may need to “range” your revolver. If the cylinders don’t align consistently and near perfectly with the barrel when the cylinder locks up, when the bullet enters the barrel part of the bullet will be shaved off the side of the bullet making the weight of the bullet skewed to one side, causing it to fly offset to one side and possibly even tumbling! This is a VERY common undiagnosed problem with revolvers.
3. Likewise, the cylinder latch may not be tight. The cylinder latch is the part that rises up into cutouts in the cylinder and locks it into place prior to firing occurring. If the window of the cylinder latch is too large, the cylinder latch is too small, or the cylinder latch isn’t properly shaped and fitted, the cylinder will not consistently lock up in the same place and the cylinder may or may not be in “range” when you fire on that cylinder chamber. We can replace the latch with an oversized latch custom fit to lock up the cylinder perfectly and tightly.
4. The cylinder revolves on a shaft called the “base pin.” If the base pin is too small in diameter the cylinder can’t possibly align properly with the barrel. We can install a custom fitted over-sized base pin to ensure proper alignment which will ensure when the bullet enters the barrel it is entering it “straight” and fly straight.
5. And then there is the “forcing cone.” The forcing cone is the area the bullet encounters immediately upon leaving the cylinder into the barrel – it is actually machined into the back end of the barrel. Think of it as a funnel shape that helps the bullet enter the barrel when it leaves the cylinder. The forcing cone may not be machined perpendicular to the barrel or may be rough – retain machining marks from the manufacturer. Either of these will cause the bullet to enter the barrel deformed and not fly straight and true. Please note that this is a CRITICAL are for safe operation of your firearm and may ONLY be corrected by a qualified gunsmith (like me) or manufacturer. I’d suggest the same is true of all the other suggestions, but this one is just too easily messed up ruining your forearm and possibly injuring yourself, or more likely, a bystander.
6. To improve the smoothness of the barrel and forcing cone we may need to “fire-lap” the barrel. This is a process of firing specially prepared lead bullets that have been intentionally impregnated with lapping compound - think of fluid sandpaper - then firing them through the barrel until the barrel is smoothed out.
7. Last, the cylinder may be able to slide back and forth along the axis of the base pin, allowing gas to escape unevenly behind the bullet, causing it to be canted in the barrel. There are several ways to address this based upon the manufacturer and model of the revolver but it can be reduced, increasing accuracy.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC HANDGUNS

1. Sometimes we just need to replace the sights with ones you can actually see!
2. See Rifles 2, 3, and 5 and Revolvers 6 above.
3. Okay, see Rifles b again – there is usually a LOT we can do on triggers and fire-control mechanisms on handguns. By design the trigger is forward of the hammer, meaning there has to be a way to move the movement of your finger several inches behind your trigger finger. Even in expensive handguns it is very common the manufacturers have left sharp edges and machine marks on the parts and receiver (frame) that can be smoothed out to make for a crisper trigger. With the exception of long-range rifles, trigger jobs are the most important thing you can do to improve your semi-automatic handgun accuracy. We can usually improve the trigger and fire control mechanism you have or we can sometimes replace it with a completely different system that is much better than what came from the factory.
4. Most semi-automatic firearms have barrels that intentionally move as part of the firing process. Wherever you have movement you have potential for sharp edges, burrs, or parts that are loosely fitted. We can do a lot to improve accuracy in these areas.
5. Sometimes we have to replace the barrel. Not all manufacturers manufacture their own barrels. Sometimes the barrels they purchase from their supplier are sub-par and the only fix is to replace it.
6. For tipping lock-up barrel guns we can smooth up and shape the end of the receiver where the barrel is supported. For some guns, like 1911’s there is a removable bushing in this area. I can replace this with a custom fit “spherical” bushing that has a bushing inside the bushing that rotates with the barrel ensuring a zero-tolerance fit.
7. Again, for tipping lock-up barrel guns that have a link we can replace the barrel link with an oversized link which will tighten the gun’s barrel-slide lockup. As you might have guessed, ANYTHING we can do to make the barrel, slide, and frame lockup tighter is guaranteed to improve accuracy!
8. And with the above we can lap the slide and rails the slide moves upon to smooth out the action and for some guns we can actually tighten the fit of the slide to it’s rails. For some guns we might actually need to replace the slide in order to improve lockup.
9. Sometimes it is necessary to refit the slide to barrel lockup. Again this is custom work I can take care of for you.

SHOTGUNS

1. See Rifles 2 and 5 above. Although I can perform a trigger job on most shotguns, that usually doesn’t present an accuracy problem with shotguns.
2. For single and double-guns we may need to tighten the lockup. If the lockup isn’t tight the shot charge will exit the barrel slightly “off” from where you are aiming.
3. Extend the barrel’s forcing cone which reduces pressure and makes the shot transition from cartridge to barrel easier, reducing felt recoil and helping tighten up groupings

Making Rifles More Accurate

Making Semi-Auto Pistols More Accurate

Making Revolvers More Accurate

Making Shotguns More Accurate