Accuracy of my Sig .40

Question
Hello Kyle,
 I bought a Sig .40 Model P229. I am having some difficulty with my accuracy with this particular gun. I have owned several handguns previous to this one and can't recall having this much trouble. Keep in mind that the other handguns were of different cal. (.22,.38 special) and neither were semi-auto weapons.
 I am a member of a local shooting club and have lots of experience with guns in general. Growing up, I was a Jr. Deputy and a pro marksman with a .22 rifle. My point being, I dont think it's me.                     
 Do you know of any problems with this model gun?  
Can you suggest anything, pointers, advise, or reminders of technique's that I may be overlooking or have forgotten.
 I eagerly await your response!  

 Thanks,
 Darren  

Answer
Darren,

Sig pistols tend to go through more hand-tuning at the factory than most other makes of handgun on the market today. Their design also features guide rails that run the full length of the frame, locking the slide assembly to the frame tightly. As such, Sigs tend to exhibit better out-of-the-box accuracy than most any other production gun on the market.

Transitioning from revolver to semi-auto can be a bit tough. The reciprocating motion of the slide throws a lot of shooters off at first and may be part of the problems you're experiencing. You may be anticipating recoil, "Heeling" the grip with your palm or a myriad of other factors. Of course, it's not impossible you got a pistol that was goofed up by the factory or where the sights weren't installed properly, and with any other make of gun I'd consider it a high probability, but we're talking Sig here and I'd be quite surprised if it was truly off.

If the sights are adjustable, I'd fire a five-round group from the benchrest position, single action, at a target no more than 20 feet away, see where the group falls, and adjust the sights accordingly. It'd be better still if someone at your club happened to own a mechanical rest, like a Ransom Rest, to take all human error out of an accuracy evaluation. Failing that, a few sandbags and a solid benchrest ought do the trick. If the sights aren't adjustable and the gun is printing off from from a benchrest position, it's safe to say something's amiss and a gunsmith probably ought to look at it.

If, however, the gun prints to point-of-aim from the bench and then the groups begin to wander once you're firing off-hand, you may be doing something to throw them off. Once you've made sure your sights are zeroed, write me back with what clock position away from the center of the bull's-eye your groups are printing at (i.e. high and slightly right would be 1 o'clock, etc.),  and whether you're right or left-handed; based on that I might be able to tell you what's happening.

In the meantime, just remember: Bring the sights up to your eyes (don't hunch), let half your breath out as you ready your shot and hold it, put just the pad of the most distal joint of your trigger finger on the trigger, focus on the front sight, mentally imagine pulling that trigger straight back into the frame of the gun, apply constant and even pressure until the trigger breaks, maintain your shooting position as you follow through. Wrap your support hand around your shooting hand, not under it, but don't grip the fingers of your shooting hand with your support hand.

Hopefully I've been of some help. If you've any other questions or want to tell me where your groups are printing, please feel free to ask a follow-up.

Kyle