Buying hits?

[fxvr5]

Assuming quality ammo, I haven't seen any significant difference in accuracy between most of the better modern plastic pistols, and a high end $4000+ 2011.

Give or take the difference between a combat trigger and a race trigger. It's hard to mitigate a poor trigger, even with a ransom rest.

I've seen a difference and my 1911 is hardly high end. The better modern plastic pistols i'm referring to are a G19 and a M&P9. The 1911's groups were, on average 2.4" smaller at 25 yards from a Ransom Rest with the same ammo. The gun can make a big difference.

 

[Zerodefect]

Pretty sure my G41, and even my G34 can do 2.5@25.

 

[fxvr5]

Pretty sure my G41, and even my G34 can do 2.5@25.

That's nice. An accurate 1911 will do under 1" at 25 yards, and some will do under 1" at 50 yards (10 shot group, 9mm and 38 Super, according to Bullseye gun builders). I've produced 20-shot groups under 1" at 25 yards, and an average 20-shot group of under 1.7" with 10 different different overall lengths of the same load in 9mm. That's pretty consistent. Only one group exceeded 2".

The data in my previous post is based on 50-shot groups.

Polymer guns can shoot well, but they don't do as well as consistently as the pricey 1911/2011 pistols you mention. I suspect the failure of the polymer guns is the slide to frame fit, which will not match a well fit 1911. The barrels in polymer guns can be quite good, and they're only limited by how they fit the slide/frame. For the record, I have a 25-shot group from a M&P9 under 2" and a 50-shot group under 2.2", but with a properly fit aftermarket barrel (Apex Tactical), and a 10-shot group with a stock G19 under 2". So, I have nothing against polymer guns 'cause I have several, but their accuracy seldom compares to a gun built for accuracy like a 1911/2011.

The polymer gun's aren't intended to be bullseye guns, just 'combat' accurate. They can do that just fine with the right ammo. And even an accurate 1911 will shoot like crap with ammo it doesn't like. The link I posted in post #2 shows a gun that shot a 50-shot group at 25 yards at 1.91", and the worst 50-shot group was 5.92", all with factory ammo. Ammo can make a big difference.

 

[crestoncowboy]

But he is talking about 8 inches at 7 yards.... I doubt any gun made, let alone many, aren't capable of that. Its not the gun(s), not sights, and not trigger. Some of my hunting handguns will do under 8 inches at 150, but my 21a will do better than 8 inches at 7 yards

After thinking farther on it. The two absolute least accurate p.o.s. guns I ever fired were a 38 special darringer (bond arms i think) and a 17 HMR of some kind, possibly naa. One of those that you remove the cylinder and poke out the empty hulls. It was keyholing at 10 yards but would group better than 8 inches, The 38 I'm pretty sure would have as well, but just.

 

[Pure2nd]

The OP's friend and I share some issues, but one we don't share is i can't afford to buy a new pistol every month.

My 1st new purchase was last year, a 92fs, and for 4 months of almost daily shooting, i was ready to sell the gun because i couldn't hit anything with consistency. About this time i started watching a lot of instructional YouTube and working that research into my range work.

Keeping both eyes open and understanding your eye dominance makes a huge difference, (I'm right handed but left eye dominant as well) and once I learned proper grip and stance, my accuracy and consistency have both improved dramatically.

Another benefit for me was taking video of my sessions and applying the research to what the video shows.

Put the work in and results will follow.

 

[ATLDave]

As everyone vigorously agrees, he clearly has a persistent problem with fundamentals. With difficulty holding an A-zone in slow fire at 7 yards, he's either got a true trigger control problem (he physically has not learned to isolate the trigger finger's movement and use it to apply force in a rearward direction) or he has a flinch/recoil-anticipation problem. The former can be fixed with dry fire, the latter requires live fire and certain approaches that get results. I'd suggest you help him figure out which issue he has.

That out of the way, using this guy's experience to explain why nicer guns aren't actually nicer is like arguing that Porsche's aren't faster than Buicks because your 94-year-old great uncle keeps putting his Porsche in the ditch.