Fixed Barrel Pistols More Accurate?

[Tequila jake]

Are semi-autos with fixed barrels more likely to be accurate than recoil-operated pistols like the BHP or 1911s? I know that both the BHP and 1911 can be extremely accurate, but it seems to me that a pistol with a fixed barrel might be intrinisically more accurate than one with a barrel that moves, especially if the barrel doesn't come back to the exact same spot at the end of the cycle.

I'm not talking about self-defense or combat accuracy; I know that depends more on the shooter than the gun. However, for "absolute" or "target" accuracy I was just wondering about this.

 

[cdrt]

I commented on a similar thread a while back regarding why .22 autoloaders are more accurate than say a 1911. The main reason is the fact that the barrel on a .22 is generally fixed to the frame and only the rear of the slide moves to load a new round from the magazine when the gun cycles. This arrangement also allows the sights to be fixed to either a rib or the frame, so they are not moving with the slide, like on a 1911. You do not need to deal with barrel bushings, slide rails, barrel links and all those other moving parts that can affect accuracy.

Just a note: they are all recoil operated, but what the recoil moves, is different on different pistols. In a .22 it is just the rear portion slide; on a 1911, it is the entire slide.

 

[CWL]

This is true. Fixed barrels have one less moving part to screw up accuracy with.

A good example is the HK P7 family of pistols. Fixed barrel really makes those short barrels accurate.

 

[Jim Watson]

The difference is largely theoretical and academic at the level of accuracy required for a repeating centerfire pistol, even one for NRA 50 yard slowfire. The point being that the barrel of a recoil operated pistol can be MADE to come back to the same position for every shot... if you want to pay for it. It takes a darned fine automatic to equal a plain old K38. But people are willing to pay for it, because it loads and cocks itself.

The Pachmayr Signature system started with a barrel that would shoot into 3/4" at 25 yards. The finished gun would shoot into 1" at that range, which indicates just how closely it returned to battery. And that was 30 years ago.

 

[don95sml]

Well, the old Luger pistol was certainly accurate.