I had very good accuracy with the SIG229, but sold it due to weight and DA/SA, they do seem to be more accurate than the Glocks. Which of the non 1911 pattern pistols are most accurate?

Not off the shelf, but off the shelf-ish...I shot an 4.25" M&P with a stock trigger and an Apex barrel and got 3" groups at 50 yards.

It would be hard to pick a winner unless you tested at least two or more examples of every other pistol out there.

I will throw this one's name into the hat - the Kahrs I've tested have been exceptionally accurate.

This is a 10 shot group from a CW45 with the 3.6" barrel, fired over sandbags at 25 yards, Winchester white box 230 FMJ ammo. The 2 shots at 8 and 4 o'clock expanded the group to 1 3/4" but the 8 in the center cover exactly 1". And this is literally "out of the box", those are the very first 10 shots I put through the brand new pistol.

K-frame.




Travis

My Sig P239 in 357 Sig is about as good as it get in the accuracy department

My experience with my CW9.

I once shot a cloverleaf at 40 yards with a SIG 228, in .357 SIG. Only three rounds I ever shot out of that gun, too. I knew I couldn't do it again, and didn't want to prove it. I handed it back to its owner.

Personally, the best shooting gun I've owned, excluding 1911s, is a Browning MkII Hi-Power. That particular gun would do 1 inch at 25 yards with the right ammo. I wore it out, after a little tinkering (bobbing the hammer so it wouldn't bite me, removing the mag safety, changing the sights, and Spegel grips).

I am beginning to wonder about the barrels myself, my 44 magnum with 4 inch Smith and Wesson barrel seems a lot more accurate than a std. G19.

You got rid of the one I was going to recommend, Jimmy.

K frame S&W, Glock 17/19, Glock 42-43.

After a bit of fine tuning and different sights my all steel Colt MKIV Series 80 Government .380. One of the most accurate "mouse guns" I have ever shot.

That's way better than most here can ever realize.............

MM

I have heard or read that the Glock 30 and 36 are really good.

Both my Glock 32 in .357 Sig, and my Glock 20 in 10mm will shoot 1.5" 5 shot groups @ 25 yards off of a sand bag rest.
And I've got a Ruger BlackHawk in 45 Colt that will shoot 1" 5 shot groups @ 25 yards off of a sand bag rest with my best handloads.

Five rounds of Perfecta 40/170/FMJ at a measured 100 yards, rested shooting, Sig P229. The group is 8 1/2" if you count the one I tossed high and grazed the top of the box; 6 1/2" for the four on the paper.

Sig's target model pistols, like the various single action only P220's are usually quite accurate. The P210's are supposed to be unreal, but are also quite spendy. Ditto S&W's 952's and 945's...

For accuracy check out the CZ's. For carry, the CZ P-01 or P-07. I've yet to run into an inaccurate CZ.

H&K's are always very accurate. The new VP9 is the best pistol I've ever seen from H&K; just outstanding!

To bad Sigs are to heavy for you.
Of the dozen or so handguns I have, the Sig P226 and P225 are the most accurate.
Never found DA/SA to be a problem.

You'd have a tough time beating a 6" K-frame in a PPC course.

And the 4" version isn't a real slouch either.

Whether that meets the definition of a self defense pistol is up to the individual I guess.



Travis

I have a CZ SP01 and a Tanfoglio (two rather) in 9mm that are pretty accurate. But they are sort of Comm block 1911 rip offs.

Gen4 Glocks are developing a reputation for very good accuracy. Most HK pistols are also very accurate, and they have various options aside from TDA. But no matter what pistol you choose, ammo is the real key to accuracy. Nearly every pistol shoots one load better than almost anything else. Also, a lot of FMJ practice ammo is basically crap that just makes the gun go bang. You have to try a lot of different loads to find what your pistol shoots best, but once you find it, the accuracy can surprise you.

Most modern pistol are very accurate, but a lot of the time, people just don’t shoot them well. If you’re really want to maximize accuracy, pick one pistol, stick with it until you master the trigger and sights, and shoot a lot of 5-shot groups at 25 and 50 yards with different loads.


Okie John

The most accurate I've used out of the box, other than 1911 as stated, are CZ, Glock, and XD-M, in that order. I carry Glocks, for several reasons besides accuracy, but the good CZ pistols I've had and shot gave pretty impressive accuracy.

Some people rave about accuracy of the HK P7 squeeze cockers, but both of my gen4 Glock 19 pistols shoot better than either of my P7's. (Sold both P7s, they are way overrated IMO.)

Much truth to what okie john says.

Most people want to chase mechanical accuracy in a pistol, but don't have the skill to put it to use. Finding a good load and putting in the practice is a lot more effective than buying another gun, if you're chasing accuracy.

I hear you, but the Smith 44 magnum says I can shoot a single action pistol pretty good, I also agree the SIG 229's are very accurate its just a bigger heavier pistol than my usual G19. Sights make a big difference I think.

Python !

Who cares...

two that i think are sleepers
theP6 sig
the cz82 makarov.

An off-the-shellfish Glock 40 with a custom fit Bar-Sto barrel.

I have a CZ 85 Combat model that is quite accurate

The Beretta 92FS is pretty accurate, out of the box.

True 'dat. True 'dat.





Dave

Yep, but if he thinks the 229 is too big and heavy. He'll really hate the 92

I've got 2 M9's and don't hate them.

That said, don't think I'd want to try and CCW one around all the time.

My buddy has one of those and I really like it.



Dave

Bruce Willis carried one.



Dave

I wouldn't carry either of them concealed but they are accurate as schit.

The ones I've shot anyway.




Dave

Dude,

Sig P-229.

Why would you sell a Sig P-229?

Handgun accuracy ain't what you're lookin' for if you're talkin' self-defense.

Revolvers are a pain in the ass to conceal carry. They hold only six rounds & take too long to reload.

See if you can buy your P-229 back.

The M9/92's are accurate as schit.

If I start sucking at handgun shooting, I can always pick up one of my M9's and redeem myself.

As far as Sigs go, haven't shot many of them. But, if the rest of them shoot anything like a slicked up Sig 1911 a new friend let me try out this past Thursday along with his Glock 41, call me impressed.

If you want a very accurate, yet light weight, compact carry gun, take a look at the CZ P-7, or the P-01.

Yeah... But He hated those 'ceramic Glocks'.

Jerry

The HK P7 is compact and very accurate. I carry mine in a Crossbreed IWB holster loaded with HST's. It's flat profile makes it easy to conceal/carry.

My 92FS was very accurate but my P7M8 gets my vote.

HK P7 in any of it's variants.

Albeit a bit rare, the Walther P88 is one exceptionally accurate pistol out of the box.

Thompson Contender.

How accurate do you need for self defense? I shot this group after working up loads for my daughter's M&P 45 Compact. I believe it was 25 yards. When we were shooting together later, she told me she didn't think it was sighted in correctly, so I put 5 in an inch at 12 yards. She said she could be wrong though. I shoulda kept this gun and bought her another.

CZ-75's are my favorite and seems to be radar guided but, my Sig P-220 is the most accurate .45 I've ever had.

Self defense pistol & shooting from sandbags are 2 totally different things.

I look for what pistol shoots best for me standing on my own 2 feet.


Mike

I'm not big on grip safeties, but I had a XDM 45 with a 4.5" barrel that outshot any other auto I've ever owned.

Who the hell uses a revolver on a PPC course?

There are two inviolate rules of gunfighting:

1. Don't get in one

2. If Rule 1 is unavoidable, don't get shot

Jim, I'd say you need to break in that CW45, and get some trigger time, maybe tune your load Fine Shooting!

Do you 45 guys seem to see better accuracy than 9s, in the same guns? What about 40s?

It does seem 10mm shooters have good fortune, or any chance barrels are held to tighter tolerances? Or is it just "inherit?"

Not so fast Gitem, I looked at a Legion 229 in 9mm today and the follow up shot reset is like... damn...only thing is that the size of that pistol begs for the 40SW but that cartridge popularity is kind of low right now with the new 9mm loads.

There are tons of good 40 ammo available, and excellent SD loads as well

Or buy the legion in 9mm


I finally got a bit of trigger time on a 226 legion and it was pure bliss

H&K VP9 based on my limited experience with various pistols

Hey NVHntr, your sigs in 9mm or 40SW?

The Springfeild XD's are quite accurate IME

Glock 19 for me

Followed by the Glock 43

Browning Hi-Power

You got it in one.

SIGs are the best off the shelf handguns by far in my experience.

Never owned a Sig229 so can't comment on that other than to say that my BIL is ex-Navy Seal & that's his preference.

Best I've personally seen is the Beretta 92......better than any of the Glocks or M&P's that I own.

And there's a lot of competitive shooters using them in the accurazied mode too so, IMO, that carries some weight.

MM

Reminds me of something I read by Ross Seyfried. The gist was that if you want an accurate handgun, spend $1,000 on primers.

Or $100 dollars on #11 caps, powder and swaged 454 ball. I find that going back to the old stuff occasionally helps my perspective as a handgunner. Six shots, 25 yards, duelist stance. It shoots hard & never misfires.

Here is another pistol i own that is amazing accurate

What is that?

CZ makes some accurate handguns.

Yup. That applies to trigger jobs too. The best trigger job you can get is between your ears. We see a number of guys here lately complaining about how bad Glock triggers are; what they're really saying is their trigger control is poor and they aren't willing to work on it.

Its a Smith of which several model #'s resemble that. I had a near NIB 639 and it was one of the poorest pistols for accuracy I ever shot. Many people have them that are nail drivers but mine the barrel seemed loose like it wasn't locked up right and it just shot terrible groups.

Smith Model 645 in 45 ACP

The Beretta is far more accurate than it has any right to be since it has no lock up at the front of the barrel. Yet every one I have shot will just drop 'em in there lights out. It's because the rear of the barrel has a metric ton of support.

I thought it was a Smith, but a 645, now that's a nice pistol. A few guy's carries them back in the day.

If you run out of ammo you can beat them to death with it

Yeah, Sonny Crockett for one! That was the earlier days before the Bren 10.

I don't know if revolvers count, but for accuracy I doubt any defensive handgun except maybe a really well tuned 1911 will out shoot my Performance Center .357 627 eight shot.

Sonny carried the Bren Ten before they armed him with a 645. The mags for the 10 became too hard to obtain. Everytime they'd stage a shootout, somehow gun nuts would find out the location and show up to scarf up any mags that weren't picked up immediately.

I had an old first gen model 21 Glock 45 ACP that shot really well with anything I put in it, 185's to 230's, that pistol didn't care, I loaded all ammo for it with AA#7 powder back in that day.

Had must mean you pucked up and got rid of it, should have keep it

For me it's my H&K P7M8. Hasbeen

YUP, sold it to a buddy Bea, as far as I know he still has it, I'll ask him.

The 645 meets my standard of "MOJR".

These are real sleepers, and quite fun.

...I passed one up in 10mm last year that a friend was selling before I got "into" 10mm...a bad mistake.

My 645 has never failed to function regardless of what i feed it. One of the most underrated pistols Smith ever built. The accuracy is about as good as it gets from a semi auto 45