Most accurate autoloader?

ironworkerwill said:

You guys are makinge want a Ruger Mk...and a Colt gold cup.

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And if you get a chance to buy a Colt Woodsman, don't pass it up.

Two, different situations. Smith 41. Colt Gold Cup 38 Worcester. My Smith 52 was close.

RX-79G said:

This is really the only answer to the OP:


This covers rimfire and centerfire.

"What's the most accurate combat pistol?" is a very different question.

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What pistol is that? It looks interesting and looks like it might be the best answer to the OPs question.

Wilson Master Grade 130 I had built in 1989.

Just incredible. The physical accuracy and the trigger make it an extension of my hand, and mind. The bullets go where I am looking.

Had to give it up for an issue Glock. Retired, picked up a new LE job, back to carrying it.

Cz tactical sport /w Cajun gun bushing

bullzeye8 said:

What pistol is that? It looks interesting and looks like it might be the best answer to the OPs question.

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That is a Hammerli 280.

I'd argue that the newer SP20 is probably even more accurate. Any Hammerli is going to be crazy accurate. In addition you can add the various Pardini's and the Benelli target pistols as well. All of them are serious Olympic grade target pistols. All the others listed might be OK but the Hammerli is the standard in semi auto pistol accuracy.

Guess I'm the odd man out. The most accurate semi I have ever fired is my Astra A-100 in 9mm, it will consistently hit 30-06 shells at 65' 9 out of 10 times with Winchester white box. Next up is my Springfield Range Officer 5' in 9mm, it likes to put smiley faces at 10 yards consistently.

One of the most accurate pistols I've owned Tanfoglio Witness Match with flat trigger.

My most accurate centerfire pistol is a plain jane Tanfoglio CZ75 clone that I purchased as military surplus from Israel. Even a mediocre shooter like me can look like he knows what he's doing when he shoots it.

Except for one, each of the competition frame Tanfoglio/Witnesses that I've ever fired are very accurate as far as production guns go. You can do better, but probably not without spending big bucks on a custom build.

The bulk of my handgun experiences has been with DA/SA, of the two I currently own my BDA is the best of that platform.

Since I've been shooting a G-23 I would have to admit it's the most accurate overall even though the .40S&W has more snap to it than the other calibers.

Just about every pistol I've owned was capable of accuracy in excess of which I was capable.
My CZ 75D PCR - amazing
My Wesson Valor - ditto

My friend's S&W 945 Performance Center has to rank as one of the most accurate semiautomatics I can remember shooting

The 1911 Les gave me as a retirement present. The gun writer put two hundred rounds through the gun for his article, and when I got it I decided to put one magazine through it, just to say that I had shot it. At 25 yards it put all seven shots into one hole. From a rest. It is a safe queen now and will go to my son when I am gone.

RX-79G said:

This is really the only answer to the OP:


This covers rimfire and centerfire.

"What's the most accurate combat pistol?" is a very different question.

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The Hammerli 280 was my first thought, too.

Yup, Hammerli. But I could have used a picture of a similar model Benelli, Pardini, Walther, etc. I'm not sure what is to be gained by asking a random group of people what was accurate for them when most shooters don't concentrate on accuracy and don't have pistols designed for it. Most of the answers you get are going to be the most accurate seeming of whatever handful of guns they've happened to shot, and why they seemed accurate might have little to do with the gun.

In rimfire the Ruger Gov Target MKII was awesomely accurate. And in centerfire the Kimber Custom just puts bullets where you want them to go again and again. Good enough is good enough.

These two Springfield Loaded shoot pretty well for me...



While they're very satisfying to shoot at paper and at steel silhouettes, I have a sneaking suspicion that it's going to be quite some time before I might shoot up to these pistols... and they're just one-third the cost of many of the over-the-counter boutique 1911-pattern machines.

Reading thru these replies I see very little useful information

If you want to discuss accuracy you need to know three things: distance, group size and procedure

For me the "standard" for testing the possible accuracy of any handgun is 25 yards, from a solid rest
Leaving out the dedicated target pistols like Hammerli, Benelli, Pardini, Walther, etc and the custom 1911's that cost more than my 1997 truck;
You will find that any full size .22 auto loader (Ruger Mark, Buck Mark, Beretta Neos, etc.) will produce 25 yd groups of about one inch - with the right ammo

Most quality center-fire revolvers will deliver groups of 2 - 3 inches

When looking at service size center-fire auto loaders, things get interesting (and frustrating)

Over the last 25 years I have tested numerous service size auto loaders and found that they pretty much all will group in the 4 - 7 inch range
Samples tested include: P-08, P-38, 1911's from Colt and Remington, CZ-85, CZ-82, Kahr K9, H&K P7, Norinco, Zastava, Astra 600, FEG Hipower, Makarov, Star Firestar, Steyr M9, etc.

There was one exception: The AA Arms AP-9 would consistantly produce 1.5 - 2" groups
But I would not call it service size


Now 4 - 7" is in general, better than most people can hold in slow fire and is suitable for almost any "normal" use the handgun will ever see

But if you are intent on becoming a practiced shooter, or you want to compete, 4 - 7" won't cut it

An accurate gun won't make you an accurate shooter
But an inaccurate gun will take an accurate shooter out of contention in any but the most informal competition

That is the reason that $3000 1911's exist

The other issue is that Gun A and Gun B that are the same make and model will not necessarily both have the same performance level.
Also, performance from a bench rest is not necessarily be the same ranking as normal target shooting by hand.
Ammo, is also very different from batch to batch and brand to brand.

Ruger Mark I, made in 1972. Allowed me to achieve "Distinguished Expert" (NRA) in competitive club shoots. The closest competitor was someone using a Hammerlii, which cost six times as much.

Ascot500 said:

Over the last 25 years I have tested numerous service size auto loaders and found that they pretty much all will group in the 4 - 7 inch range
Samples tested include: P-08, P-38, 1911's from Colt and Remington, CZ-85, CZ-82, Kahr K9, H&K P7, Norinco, Zastava, Astra 600, FEG Hipower, Makarov, Star Firestar, Steyr M9, etc.

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You couldn't get a better group than 4" from a Luger or P7?

Not consistently, but I plan running more trials on the Luger

The P7 was a surprise to me
With its fixed barrel I had high hopes for it
In fact it was slightly less accurate than the Kahr K9