TexasCHLforum.com

In my experience, somewhat limited compared to some, the first step is finding a pistol that feels good in your hand. Of course, you should learn proper grip, mechanics to make this easier. I shot every pistol in the rental cabinet at the LGS and range before deciding on my first pistol, a Sig 226 Navy. This was a decent choice but as I gained experience I sharpened my sensory inputs about grip. The 226 was decent but the XD9 was even better. I'm left handed so I started looking for a lefty friendly pistol and came up with the P7M8, a truly terrific little gun with many amusing virtues.

Gaining experience, and practice, helps accuracy with a pistol that feels right in your hand. I attended a number of weekend shooting schools taught by Bruce Gray, who is a big advocate of dry firing. Practicing every day, at zero cost, getting a good grip, aiming, increasing pressure on the trigger until it breaks, without moving the gun leads to accurate shooting. Bruce is noted for saying, "Shooting is dry firing with noise!" An hour a day of good dry-firing will improve your accuracy in pretty short order assuming you are doing it correctly. Then you can worry about other characteristics of the pistol than whether you shoot it accurately enough. Shot placement is all important. If you have to shoot at someone, hit 'em, don't just scare 'em.