most accurate Automatic pistol under 800 dollars (no .22's)

[draconianruler]

Sig 220. Very accurate.

[f4tweet]

+1 Sig 226/ 9mm

[Wulf]

Glock 29 or 30 with a quality JHP.

I own an 29 that's unusually accurate and have seen other accounts on the web and in print of exceptional accuracy from those models. People have generally noted that these guns shoot straighter than their full sized counterparts which are accurate guns to begin with.

[Astig Boy]

I own a Sig P220, P226, and P228. All three are very accurate. But the Kimber Custom II is more accurate then all three. This being in my hand and a beginners(GF, +2 friends) hand. I shoot a Springer Loaded regularly as well, I feel it falls into the same accuracy level of the Sigs.

[aca72]

++ SIG Sauer P220, P226, P228.

[zorkieo]

i have to admit, yesterday i shot an XD 9mm with a 5" barrel. the thing points and shoots very well. The problem with the XD design in my opinion is that its so top heavy, and that takes some getting used to. But i found with a tight grip you can reduce mussle climb to what looked like an inch or so. I still am going to say the Kimber Custom II is more accurate, but dollar for dollar that 5" xd puts up a fight.

[trashman]

I would have to say something withOUT an internal or external tilt-barrel lockup system -- a fixed-barrel .380 of some nominally useful length. The less moving parts during battery the better.

--Neill

[Aluisious]

ok i have a good noggin scratcher here. i am looking to find out which AUTOMATIC (NON .22) pistol is most accurate for under 800 dollars. again no revolvers or .22's are allowed in this.

my vote: .45 acp Kimber Custom II

your turn

I'd say the Kimber Custom II is a good bet.

Other stuff could be mechanically more accurate, but will they be reliable? Easy to shoot?

A Custom II will shoot better than I can. It's much more accurate than a Glock or a USP in my hands.

Sometimes it's best to know when something is "good enough."

[zorkieo]

probably the best response yet.

[koiloco]

It seems like you are looking to confirm your pre-conception regarding Kimber as the best choice

Personally, I think CZ is quite decent but then any good 1911 around $800 would fall right within the same group.

Once again, as bwiese said your question is quite broad to be fairly and accurately answered in the appropriate context.

Now, if u narrow things down to just 1911's, we could have a much more applicable discussion

[zorkieo]

i wanted to keep it open ended though, becasue there are a lot of good mid-priced auto's out there that shoot streight other then 1911's.

[Mr. Mildot]

There are many factors at play in defining your answer.

You must take into consideration what fits in your hands the best, if you cant manipulate the pistol and all its controls with precision, you will loose accuracy. So if you have smaller hands or chubby hands you may want to avoid something with a larger grip. How it fits your hands is of great value to potential accuracy.

Also consider recoil, how you are affected by it in terms of flinch and target re-aquisition. If you are recoil sensitive then stay away from lightweight pistols in large caliber like a Glock in .45ACP or compact models.

Take the sights into consideration, it took me a while to transition from three dot to Glock's window type sight. If you can't use the sight's well you won't be accurate. (sure sights can be changed, but you're on a budget right?)

Ammo cost is a factor in accuracy, because your accuracy can only really be as good as 1) your ammo will allow and 2) your skill level. You can't just go buy "the most accurate semi auto" and take it from the box and start winning matches. You have to practice, practice and practice some more, and that takes a lot of ammo. So no 10mm if you're on a budget and want to be really good.

Your $800 budget puts you right on the line of some really good pistols, consider dropping just one more bill to get you in the $800 to $900 range that a lot of good guns live.

If I was you though, and I was once, I'd buy a G19 for about $500 and get 2k rounds of 9mm and go shoot it all up with somebody who knows what they're doing and can teach you. Do that and you'll be able to outshoot 80% of police officers these days.

Since you excluded .22 and revolvers, you are clearly not going for what's MOST accurate period, so define what accuracy means to you. If it's shooting two inch or less groups at 25 yards, you may never get that with anything listed here except a 1911 and that with lots of practice and some work on the gun. But if you want to hit say, a dinner plate at 25 FEET with 5-6 rounds in a second or two, buy you a Glock and shoot yer but off, you'll get there.

[zorkieo]

i wasnt really doing this to pin downa gun for me to buy. i voted kimber because i already use one regularly. I like the idea of buying 2k rounds and a 500 dollar gun (but i wouldn't buy a glock. they feel very top heavy as all polimar guns do, not to discredit them, because i konw they can be very nice guns). i probably should have done that for my first pistol. but i have no complaints. i have taken some good shooting classes over the years. I just wanted to see what people thought, and stimulate some discusion. and yes it was open ended and there are other factors. i konw this, it was said on page one of this discusion. also i excluded pistols and .22's becasue they are quite obviously the most accurate. take a 8" revolver, and you have a huge sight radious, so its gona definetly be more accurate.

[grammaton76]

Since you excluded .22 and revolvers, you are clearly not going for what's MOST accurate period, so define what accuracy means to you.

I'd love to know how a .22LR pistol is somehow more accurate than another caliber. Last I heard, 22LR's were more subject to the vagaries of wind and irregularities in the loading process.

Unless perhaps you're saying that in the price range (sub-$800), you can buy a 22LR and a lot of custom work?

[Fjold]

I'd love to know how a .22LR pistol is somehow more accurate than another caliber. Last I heard, 22LR's were more subject to the vagaries of wind and irregularities in the loading process.

Unless perhaps you're saying that in the price range (sub-$800), you can buy a 22LR and a lot of custom work?

Because 22's have the lowest level of recoil and one of the largest factors in handgun (really any gun) accuracy is recoil. It's a lot easier to make a gun more accurate when you don't have to spend any engineering sweat on handling mechanical recoil, less barrel and frame flex, etc. You don't see 300 magnums on the 100 and 200 yard benchrest lines for a reason.