Most accurate handgun?

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

DontBurnMyFlag

Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2004
Messages
891
Location
VA
Just a quick query. Ive shot plenty of handguns in my life and some stick out more than others. But Ive been wondering what is the most accurate, non-rimfire handgun. Ive shot some Kimber 45's which are amazingly accurate even for a mediocre shooter like myself. Then Ive shot some older guns which no matter how well I think Im shooting, makes the target look like I shot it with buckshot.

Now, I know ammunition has alot to do with it as well. And I know that out-of-the box guns can be suped up into race guns etc and made even more accurate. But just as a general all around question. Whats the most accurate handgun?
 
NRA once said the most accurate handgun they ever shot for a Dope Bag report was the Freedom Arms .22 lr, even more so than a single shot Free Pistol.
 
The sig 210 is supposed to be extremely inherently accurate, with excellent sites so the user can actually tap into that accuracy

of course while it is a production gun, it is heavily hand fitted etc, and is basically as expensive as a S&W performance center handgun, or the bottom level of tricked out 1911s
 
Insofar as handguns in handgun calibers, the S&W 945 is the most accurate I've ever come across.
 
You probably need to qualify it a little more

Flat out "hit the littlest stuff at long ranges".....T/C Contender/Encore or Remington XP hands down. There is no common auto or revolver that's gonna be in the running

Common type pistol. Probably a super tricked out 1911 45 acp since that's what the bullseye shooter use.
 
That's kinda like asking what's the most accurate golf club. Different tools for different applications. Use the one that suits the task at hand. If you're hunting, a scoped handgun like a TC, if you're shooting bullseye, a tricked out 1911, if you're shooting steel plates, a race gun, etc. Is a putter more accurate than an iron or a wood?
 
In revolvers, a Freedom Arms of almost any type will be unGodly accurate.

FA revolver cylinders are made with a "line boring" process. The cylinder is mounted in the gun and a drill jig is screwed into the part of the frame where the barrel will go later. So each cylinder bore drilling is done "specific for that gun" - that frame and cylinder are forever a matched set. FA will supply more cylinders later but only if you ship your frame back to them; if you want a multi-caliber gun (357/38spl/9mm triple cylinders have been done fr'instance) it's much cheaper to order it that way from the get-go.

Gunblast tested an FA mid-frame ('97 frame) .22 and got better than MOA out of it - genuine sub-1" groups at 100yds. Bigger-bore specimens grouping almost that well are common.

Understand that this isn't a "target shooting only" gun. The '97 series has a transfer bar safety similar to a Ruger or whatever, while the bigger '83 series has a hammer block safety. These guns are safe for field carry or even CCW if you're so inclined.

The bolt-action handguns like the XP100 or Striker are the only things that can keep up, or the single-shots, but those aren't anywhere near as "packable" as the SA wheelguns of Freedom Arms.

I really doubt anything so "streetable" is as accurate.
 
The most accurate single shot handgun I have ever shot was a Remington XP-100 in 6mmBR with a 7x Burris scope. 3 shots into 3/8" at 100 yards with handloads.

The most accurate semi-auto I have ever shot was a Smith & Wesson Model 52 chambered for the flush seated .38 Wadcutter. 10 shots into 1 1/4" at 50 yards with factory Winchester ammunition.

The most accurate revolver I have ever shot was a Freedom Arms Premier Grade .454 Casull with 4x Leupold scope. 3 shots into 1" at 100 yards. I stopped shooting after that because I did not want to spoil the group with the other two shots :).

The sad part is that none of those guns belong to me :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
Revo: My FA Premier Grade .454 Casull Seen Here It too has a 4X Leupold EER scope. I have on a few occasions shot 5 shots into 1.5 -2.0 inches, using reloads, but all conditions must be right and I have to be having an "on day".

Semi: My worked/tuned/overhauled/ Colt Gold Cup .45 ACP. After 5000 rounds it still shoots 185gr Nosler JHP into 3/4" inch at 25 yards (from a sandbag of course:D ) My S&W Model 52 holds a close second (seen here)

Single Shot: My 10" bull barreled Thomson/Center Arms in .223. It has a Leupold 2.5 - 8 EER scope and I can consitantly put 5 shots into 3/4 of an inch (from 100 yards)
 
Last edited:
....

I'd guess one of the bolt action huntin' hand guns, or one of the various single shots out there.


This is interesting....I am going to go do a little research.
 
TC Contender is just spooky accurate. You disallowed rimfires in your question, but a common 10" .22LR put 3 in the same hole at 25yds for me one time. Not a cloverleaf, mind you. I thought I had somehow missed a 2x2 target backer with two of the shots until I went and looked at the "exit wound". You could barely tell that there were 3 bullets that had gone thru the cardboard target backer. This with a 2x Bushnell Phantom scope and Remington standard velocity ammo, off sandbags. The trigger on my 1st gen Contender could be adjusted to an incredible pull/letoff. Don't know if the most current versions will allow that.
 
I saw pictures of a (modified) ruger mkII make groups like my anschutz at 50 yds. It was set up like bench rifle though. Keep in mind, .22 LR might be the most researched cartridge to improve it's accuracy, it remains an inherrently inaccurate round because of it's design. This is coming from a 3p and prone smallbore shooter too...
 
One of the most accurate i've seen recently is a buddy's factory Savage Striker 22-250. We were getting .5-.75 with all the factory bullets we shot from it, and when we tried the old 60 JLK, it went .35 for a 4 shot gp. This with a 4-12X Bushnell Banner. We put a 6-24X Burris Signature on it after that to see how far out we can go on a pr. dog soon.
 
Freedom Arms is probably the most accurate, but for .45 autos here's what Wilson Combat says....

"Yes, Wilson Combat rifles and pistols have accuracy guarantees. Depending on the model of pistol the guarantee is 1 inch or 1.5 inches at 25 yards. Rifles feature a 1 MOA guarantee at 100 yards or 1.5 MOA guarantee at 100 yards, depending on the model. You can see which firearm models feature what guarantee by viewing the product web pages.

Please Note: The accuracy guarantee is valid only with the ammunition and stipulations listed below:

Handguns:
1 inch or 1.5 inch accuracy guarantees are based on the pistol's ability to place 5 consecutive shots (center to center) into the guaranteed group size from a distance of 25 yards when fired from a Ransom machine rest by at least one of the following ammunition types:

Federal Classic 45D 230 gr. JHP
Federal Hydra-Shok 230 gr. JHP
Hornady 200gr. XTP
Black Hills 230 gr. XTP
Winchester SXT 230 gr. JHP


Handloads:

6.4 gr. VihtaVuori N320, Nosler 185gr JHP
6.3 gr. VihtaVuori N320, Hornady 200 gr. XTP"

http://www.wilsoncombat.com/faq_handgun.htm
 
The most accurate I have shot was my Contender with the 14" .223 match barrel and 7x scope, a sub MOA handgun when fired from it's harris bi-pod, I could never hold it steady enough with some sort of help.
 
A few years back in the benchrest community, there was a move to promote benchrest handgun matches. What happened were more like short rifles, but they were legally handguns. So those legally win...

Off the shelf, the Remington XP100. Again, tho, that is a rifle action registered as a handgun.

For a repeater type thing, well, sometimes you might get lucky, but 99% is on the shooter.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

P
  • Locked
Most Accurate Self Defense Handgun
Replies
19
Views
2K
The Lone Haranguer
T
Idahou
Most accurate handgun platform...for noobs
2 3 4 5
Replies
104
Views
4K
Varminterror
Varminterror
A
  • Locked
Most Accurate Handgun in 9mm / .357MAG
2
Replies
48
Views
4K
Capstick1
C
J
  • Locked
What's the most accurate handgun you've fired?
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Replies
237
Views
14K
Route 66
R
X
  • Locked
A few Questions
Replies
14
Views
661
XD40Assassin
X
Back
Top