What is the most accurate out-of-box 9mm available for $3-400?

[mgmorden]

Those of us who own the original SR-9s have good pistols, I wouldn't spend $50.00 on one of the new ones. They're not the same as they used to be.

By all accounts the newer ones are actually a LOT better than the old ones. The triggers certainly are night and day better on the new versions. As a matter of fact mine is an older one and I'd swap it for a newer model in a quick minute. Heck if the Ruger 9E had been available in stainless I'd swap it for one of those. I don't like the adjustable sights or the LCI.

I personally would have to recommend the Shield. It's as good as my original SR-9 and is smaller and much easier to carry. My Shield is extremely accurate and is a pleasure to shoot. It is what the SR-9 used to be.

They're not even the same class of gun. You're comparing a full/duty sized gun to a single stack compact carry gun. I have no idea how the M&P Shield is what the SR9 used to be. That's about like saying Tony Romo is what Nolan Ryan used to be.

 

[plexreticle]

It's hard to buy points at the $300-$400 range and most any gun will work if you have decent ammo. A lot of guys show up to the range with the cheapest ammo sold and think the gun has a problem.

Get a few boxes of different ammo and see what it likes, you made be surprised what you current pistol can do.

 

[Captcurt]

It's hard to buy points at the $300-$400 range and most any gun will work if you have decent ammo. A lot of guys show up to the range with the cheapest ammo sold and think the gun has a problem.

Get a few boxes of different ammo and see what it likes, you made be surprised what you current pistol can do.

This so true. I once ran a cheap brand of ammo thru my Hi-Power and couldn't hit a car's passenger window twice at 25 feet. (Running ballistics test). The same gun with my handloads will shoot 3" at 25'.

I learned a lot about hitting glass and car bodies at different angles. You should try it sometime. It will really open your eyes.

 

[krupparms]

I would give the S&W, SD9VE a good look! Accurate & reliable, made in the U.S.A. by Americans! Great grip & is cheap to upgrade! Check one out. You wont regret it!

 

[strykerfire]

A used Glock 17. And the thread should be finished. Even a new 17 if you shop around. Bought my 17 gen4 for 429 out the door.

 

[Wil Terry]

ANY---ANY, pistol I've owned in the past sixty[60] years was and is perfectly capable of meeting that standard, and folks, that is well into the hundreds of 'em ! SIGHT-ALIGNMENT-TRIGGER-CONTROL; there is in a nutshell.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Am I the only one who thinks the Springfield XD9 is a good choice. You can buy a basic 4" XD9 online from Bud's Gun shop for $407 including shipping.

 

[Sport45]

Until I read the "has to be 9mm" part I was going to say get a Ruger 22/45.

Like others have said. It's probably not the gun. 9 out of 10 into 6" at 15 yards unsupported would disqualify 90+% of the shooters at the ranges I go to based on what I've seen. I could qualify on one of my good days, but not every day.

 

[Armor Snail]

Used CZ 75,
Turk CZ clone.
Witness or Armscor Map1

$450 will buy you a brand new P09 if you like that plastic stuff.
It'll also buy a Grand Power K100.

Another great choice at the $300 is an Arcus 98.

 

[BigBL87]

SAR B6P or K2P would be a decent upgrade for not a whole lot of money. I got my B6P for $250 plus FFL fees. Tanfoglio Witness is essentially the same gun, store around here locally has them for $270. Both are very well done CZ-75 clones.

I can't personally attest to the accuracy because I just recently started shooting a handgun and am still terrible at it, but when my father in law shot it he was very impressed with its accuracy and is considering getting one instead of the SR9 he was planning on buying.

 

[wanderinwalker]

I'm just going to throw out some thoughts here, so please bear with me:

1) A 6" group at 15-yards isn't an insurmountable standard. However it is a bit tighter than most marksmanship tests I've heard of. There's a local indoor range here that requires you to place all shots on the paper of a standard NRA 50' pistol bull before you get signed off. (Note: not all in scoring, just visible on the paper as I understood it.)

2) More ergonomic, "better" designed equipment does make the shooter's task easier. No offense at all intended to those who own them, but I've never seen anybody shoot well with a Hi Point. For a $300-400 budget I'd take a long, hard look at the new Ruger SR-9E. A friend has a stainless SR-40 that has made me rethink my stance on the .40 S&W. At 10-yards I was able to plunk 5 shots in the black of a 50' NRA pistol bull with one hand. And that was about the 4th magazine I'd ever fired through it. Very impressive pistol for the price, and I am not a rabid Ruger fan.

3) Read Potatohead's thread. Start your own and get some feedback. Also find and watch videos from folks like Todd Jarrett and Jerry Miculek. Establish a safe place to perform some dry-fire routines. Dedicate the time to perfect practice. Find an instructor who will look at what you're doing and break it down to the basics for you. Do NOT go to the range with 300-rounds and a plan to just "shoot it all." That won't help you at all.

4) Practice! Learn to reload if it interests you. You're going to go through lots of ammo and time getting and staying proficient. Steel plates are a great way to make a bucket of ammo disappear without trying.

Lastly, just about any modern manufacture full-size or compact 9mm will last for tens of thousands of rounds, so don't overlook the used case. Of all of the various 9mm semi-autos I've fired since I started shooting, I can't think of one that wouldn't be capable of producing 6" 50' groups, and that includes a couple mini Kel-tecs (P-11, PF-9), a baby Kahr and an old beater Hi Power that didn't have a rear sight. Most people aren't going to put enough ammo through one to "wear it out", so keep your eyes open.

Good luck and good shooting!

 

[illinoisburt]

Agree with what others have said. It's likely the case of the indian over the arrow. The Hi-Point is not the greatest pistol made by any stretch, but every C9 and JP45 I have seen is capable of meeting that accuracy standard. The issue is the guns are heavy and not very ergonomic for people with medium to small hands. Given a limited budget, the best advice would be to get some coaching and shoot more. Learning proper stance and sighting technique will make huge improvements. A good shooter can generally pick up any given gun and do well enough after a few practice shots to familiarize with the weapon.

If you are set on getting a different 9mm, rather than blindly buying what someone else likes suggest you stop by a range that offers gun rentals and try out at least 3 or 4 medium and full size styles of handguns to see what feels most comfortable to you. Glocks, 1911's, Beretta, S&W all have unique handling characteristics that are different from your C9. Just like ice cream flavors everyone has their favorites but they are all generally good.

 

[murf]

how many minutes a day do you dry-fire?

do you shoot one shot at a time, or just pull the trigger five times?

what is your shot process (e.g. acquire target, align sights, squeeze trigger, follow-through, reset)?

not looking for answers to these questions. just some things you may want to ask yourself to improve your accuracy.

luck,

murf

 

[Toprudder]

Agree with others it may be more of a practice or ammo issue than the gun. But, if you are intent on buying a gun, I go along with those that mention the CZ clones. I have three Witness pistols, Polymer frame 9mm and 40, and a steel frame 45. All shoot extremely well. The 9mm is my wife's and is her favorite range gun. The 40 is my favorite range gun - very accurate. The polymer frames can be picked up for ~ $315 in my area when you can find them. These are the "full size small frame" guns that use the pre-2005 magazines.

 

[mavracer]

Most any middle of the road service 9mm is gonna be more than accurate enough to stay well within that test.
Some I'd look at in that range would be EAA Witness or one of the other CZ clones, I'd also suggest looking at the used Smith 5906s that are flooding the market right now at the current prices I'm seeing they are a heck of a lot of gun.

 

[Eb1]

Look at the Tisas 1911 9mm single stack. If it shoots as good as my Tisas .45 ACP GI 1911, you'll be a very happy owner.

 

[illinoisburt]

Most likely the OP's biggest issue is a lack of shooting skills. It's not as if going to a range and blasting through a couple boxes of rounds will magically turn people into ace pistol shots. If anything, far from it. You need practice to learn anything.

Let me start by stating I am not the world's greatest pistol shot. Shooting clay targets at 25 yards with a 1911 is the best I can do without a rest. Watching a friend who is a former ISPCA champion pop half a dozen golf balls with an iron sighted 45 hardballer at 50 yards is truly amazing, but displays an exceedingly rare talent which very few people can match regardless what folks may claim.

Taking a class will help learn basic skills and dry firing can build familiarity with the weight and feel of a particular weapon. Neither are anywhere nearly as affective as actually shooting something. Many really good shooters fire thousands of rounds a year. That's probably not realistic for most people to do with their firearms. However for $40 you can get a CO2 bb pistol that clones pretty much any of the current popular centerfire handguns (fit and feel are very close, don't worry about difference in trigger pull, it works itself out). A couple boxes of CO2 cartridges and 10,000 BB's is maybe another $20. The air pistol has very little kick and is relatively quiet, so you can focus on learning sight picture and proper technique. Daily shooting at home will build muscle memory and give you skills that would otherwise take years of occassional range visits. Start close like ten to twelve feet and use small bullseyes (quarter size or less). When you find it painfully easy, increase the distance a few feet and continue daily sessions. Within a month you will pass that shooting test with flying colors.

 

[Tcruse]

One suggestion, find a range that rents different guns and try some out. ShootSmartUSA ranges allow you to try any of the guns in their rental fleet for one fee.

You might go to a gun show and see if you could latch on an imported 1911 in 9mm. The 1911 has a trigger that is not hinged, so a lot less likely to move gun when pulling the trigger.

Here is a list of reasonable choices to look at:
http://www.best9mm.com/

 

[PzGren]

My son bought a RIA Tactical in 9mm Luger around last Christmas and finds it more accurate then his SP-01. He paid $369 plus transfer. The gun initially had accuracy issues but after sending it back to RIA, it is shooting great.

 

[savanahsdad]

can you use any gun to qualify ? if so get a Ruger MKII 22lr great practice gun, cheep to shoot, and you can pick them up for under $300.00. get lots of practice and then work on your 9mm skills ,

 

[AgentOrange2004]

Cz po9

I bought the CZP09 a couple of months ago and for right out of the box, it is very accurate. I am very impressed with all the CZ pistols in 9mm. That 6 inch circle at 15 feet is a doable target, it is just going to take practice, practice and some more practice. Suggest you go to Automatic Accuracy and check them out. They are a distributor for CZ and the owner, Matt, is sponsored by CZ. Needless to say, he does a lot of shooting and is really, really good. He shoots a 9mm with 135 grain rounds which is what a few of the competitors have switched to for competition. My next 9mm will be a Shadow series CZ.

 

[mikemyers]

.......I am very uncertain that I can ever meet this standard with my current handgun. So I am considering getting something a bit more accurate.......

I'm coming here late - just had some free time to look around THR tonight. I think all the answers you need are up above in the responses, but I remember once when I thought all that stuff was nonsense, as I KNEW that I'd shoot better with a more accurate gun. Well, unless your gun has a problem, and needs repairs, maybe you could watch this video..... It's almost certainly not the gun, it's you, and the suggestions above will make YOU better once you accept that. Anyway, here's a link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVzSAm5VhfE

 

[Jim NE]

My SR9c is the most accurate 9 mm I have in that price range. It'll actually be a few bucks over 400, in fact. Add another 100, and you can start looking at CZ's.

 

[PzGren]

WVGunman,

Basically the target is the size of a paper pie plate. I come from an ISSF target shooting background and have taught my sons pistolcraft since pre-k.

There is a lot of truth in mikeMyers post. Most pistols can stay in the black bullseye at 25 yards. I was never impressed with the blocky Ruger P85 until I shot it. The Ruger, S&W M&P, as well as Any 9mm Glock can hit a pie plate at 15 yards.

This is not so much a hardware problem. When it comes to personal preference and personal performance, a lot of variables come into play. This is why the SIG Sauer competition guns of the X line has a trigger adjustable for weight and length. Some guns just fit a person better but this will not make any perceivable difference on a pieplate at 15 yards.

Shooting for accuracy is something that takes practice and focus. The old adage from IPSC shooters is true; Masters are made at 20 yards.

 

[Radagast]

I'll throw my 2 cents in.
When I joined an IPSC club, the club gun was a CZ75B. These were rough and rattled. They probably could not hold on a six inch plate.
I bought a Glock 17 and it was better than the CZ.
I changed the trigger connector for the 3.5 pound minus marked competition connector, a sub ten dollar part. My group size halved.
I changed the sights for Heinie Slant Pros and they halved again.
I ended up competing with that gun for a few years and qualified for the Australian IPSC team with it. At the time I expected to put 5 rounds inside three inches, preferably two inches, at 15 yards. I'm not so good these days.
Subsequently I bought a custom heavy barrel, polymer framed 1911. I could manage sub two inch groups with that gun at 25 meters, but never warmed to it.

So the choice of gun can make a big difference to group size at the start, but consistency comes from practice.
I shot a lot, ten to twenty thousand rounds a year. But a lot of that was noise and smoke, without any real improvement Dry fire practice at home made a major difference. Balance a coin on the front sight and squeeze the trigger. If the coin doesn't fall then you are doing it right.
Then practice swinging between targets, keeping sight alignment, squeeze the trigger and not drop the coin. Then you are developing smooth.
IIRC THR member Mr Borland has a video of a similar dry fire drill with a double action revolver. He doesn't drop the coin. He's also one of the best in the nation.
So try that with your Hi-Point at home. It's cheap, 'cause there is no expense at all.