Try putting the center dot on center of mass of the target rather than slightly below like you normally would. Also, try as many different brands, bullet types and bullet weights as you can until you find that "golden" round that shoots best for you on your gun. My PT-1911 loves the Taurus Copper 185 grain Barnes. Yours will probably like something else.
When loading don't baby the slide forward. With a magazine loaded, either release the slide release or pull the slide back and let go. Also, don't drop a round in the chamber and release the slide on it as it will cause the extractor to break sooner or later. Let the slide pick up a round off the magazine as it goes forward into battery.
If you intend to change the finish, look at Duracoat over at
http://www.lauerweaponry.com. Its relatively cheap, easy to apply, durable and comes in many, many colors.
