Need an expert's opinion here..

[airboss]

The wife and I went shooting today, this is odd but here goes.

In particular, we were at one point shooting an FNH-X-45. Sweet. For me it was. Her? Not so much.

Here's what happened. Nearly every round she shot, the brass would not fully eject and ergo jam. Almost every time.
I took a short video and here's a representative sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kok7cilbe_4

Yet, I could shoot the same weapon, using the same ammo, and it worked flawlessly. Every time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12k020UkRqU

Ammo was 230 gr. I don't see where she was doing anything wrong.

In the words of a statesman whose name escapes me, 'riddle me that, Batman.'

Any ideas?

[treadlightly]

She needs a firmer grip. If the frame is allowed to jump back, there isn't enough energy transferred to the slide so it doesn't cycle properly.

My guess, anyway.

[jt88]

Sounds like she was limp-wristing it. If you don't grip it firmly enough, the frame will recoil back along with the slide and prevent it from properly cycling. Since you were shooting it fine, I'd wager anything that that's what her problem was.

[airboss]

Hmm. It doesn't occur with any of the others we shoot.

She's got a pretty decent grip, and she took training from an ex-HPD officer before she got her CHL so it's not as though she is a beginner.

Not saying that's not it, but in the video I don't see the gun jumping upwards all that much whilst she is shooting.

[pushpullpete]

Sorry airboss, I also agree with the general concensus above. The amount of 'flip up' doesn't need to be much if 'timed' correctly whether on purpose or not. Anyway you look at it, limp wrist it is.

[OldCurlyWolf]

It might be a different version of limp wristing. The actual reason might be in the shoulder, the elbow, the wrist or the hand or a combination thereof and the recoil spring might be just a little extra stiff.

A tighter grip with her shooting hand..
A little tighter in the muscles of her arm and shoulder...
A little lighter recoil spring...

Experimentation will eventually provide an answer.

[airboss]

Did you watch the video of her shooting?

[Charlies.Contingency]

Did you watch the video of her shooting?

I did, and I suggest you go back and compare the amount of movement difference there is between you shooting it, and her. There is a large noticeable difference. If you would like a seasoned shooters opinion, look at her bracing it more closely. I've seen my wife stove pipe with one gun, and not another, all fit differently from brand to brand, and model to model. By no way do I mean to insult your wife, but I would seriously look there.

[airboss]

Ok, thanks very much for the input. No insult taken. It just seemed odd to me that this is the only gun she's had this sort of trouble with.

I suppose the best solution is to go back to the range and have her spend some quality time with an instructor. Thanks again.

[RPBrown]

My wife can shoot her XD9, and my XD 45 just fine but has the same issues with any of my 1911s

[Pawpaw]

It looks to me like she's leaning back just a tad instead of leaning forward. That would allow the recoil to push her shoulder back just enough.

Have her lean into it a bit... nose over toes.

[mojo84]

Some guns are more susceptible to a weak or limp grip than others. It's obvious to me the gun isn't held near as firmly or solidly when she shoots it than when you do. You can see the recoil in her strongarm at her elbow. Also, look at how far her right shoulder moves when she shoots. Looks like it recoils two to three inches.

I would suggest she take a few shots without worrying about shot placement and focus solely on maintaining a firm solid grip to see if that helps. If it does, she knows what she needs to work on.

Wish you the best.

[The Wall]

It's all in the wrist. Have her try gripping it differently and tighter. Actually push forward with the right arm before squeezing the trigger. How many rounds have been fired through this gun? Maybe it needs a little more break in or lube on the slide. Thanks for the videos.

[Charles L. Cotton]

It's hard to tell for sure in the video, but it appears that her grip may be the problem. When a person's fingers are short enough that they cannot reach the trigger with a proper grip, they are forced to rotate the handgun slightly. This results in a grip that is far less effective in controlling muzzle flip. This is more common with women shooting double-stack handguns.

You can tell if this a the problem by having her hold the gun with a firing grip with her finger on the trigger. If the barrel/slide are in line with the bones in her forearm, then it's a proper grip. At least that part of the grip is correct. However, if the barrel/slide are not in line with the bones of the forearm, but are offset to the left (right-handed shooter), then this improper grip could be the problem. This problem is often misdiagnosed as "limp-wristing" because the muzzle flip is exaggerated and failure-to-eject malfunctions are very common. Although the symptoms are virtually identical, it's not limp-writing because the wrist/grip can be rock solid and still have malfunctions. Vickie Farnum mentions this in her book Teaching Women How To Shoot. I'll post a photo from her book when I get back home.

Chas.

[ELB]

Ok, thanks very much for the input. No insult taken. It just seemed odd to me that this is the only gun she's had this sort of trouble with.

I suppose the best solution is to go back to the range and have her spend some quality time with an instructor. Thanks again.

I'm assuming that you wife is shooting at least partly for the purposes of self-defense, so another solution may be to avoid that particular gun (at least for daily carry), since she does well with others. A gun that you have to have perfect hand and/or body position in order to get it to work is not a great choice for a defensive firearm.

Of course one should develop as perfect a technique as possible, and practice-practice-practice, but if "the time" comes it is entirely possible that she (or anyone else) will not be able to execute a flawless grip -- but you still want the gun to fire. I don't know if there is something about that model of firearm that doesn't agree with your wife, or it's just that particular gun, but if she can shoot lots of other guns just fine, I would stay away from that one for serious defensive purposes. Practice, plinking, sure, but not a carry gun. It's not like she is a member of a police or military unit and has to adapt to the "standard" weapon.