Do your shooting a few times like this, till you get used to the pistol.
You will find the recoil different from that of a single-shot pistol or a revolver.
Instead of the recoil coming back directly on you it will be softened and, even with the best of automatics, the pistol will have a tendency to wriggle and “tap,” not recoil back in one clean kick.
When practising, make a point of putting the safety bolt on and off, using this safety bolt as you would in putting a single-shot pistol to half-cock.
There is this difference. Whereas, in English makes of guns and sporting rifles, the safety bolt puts the weapon automatically at safe each time it is reloaded, having to be taken off before each shot can be fired. Military firearms are only at safe when the safety bolt is purposely put on with the thumb.
The usual automatic pistol is made on the military idea. The safety once off, it remains off till the user puts it back at safety, no matter how many shots he has fired in the meantime.
The Colt automatic pistol, like the Smith & Wesson hammerless safety pocket revolver, remedies this defect by having a second safety which makes the pistol safe, even if the first safety slide is not at safe. This consists of a lever at the back of the stock which is at safe till the hand presses it in firing and which keeps the weapon safe till the stock is gripped in actual firing.
Any one who is a pistol shot grips the stock instinctively when shooting, but I have known men unused to firearms, unable to shoot a pistol having this safety grip, as they pull the trigger without squeezing the stock.
I was asked to give expert opinion as to whether a good revolver-shot had shot a man accidentally or on purpose.
The pistol he used was a Smith & Wesson hammerless safety pocket pistol.