looking for most accurate pistol.

[Click Boom]

I have a compact s&w 3913 which is a great pistol for a variety of reasons, but I am not accurate with it. At 20 yards I shoot minute of barn door, pretty much. I am looking to get a full size pistol with the longer barrel, sight radius, bigger grip, etc.

What do the good people here recommend? I want good reliability and at least a 4.5" barrel. Im more used to sa/da designs, but am sorta into the idea of getting something else. I really would like to be able to be able to consistently tag a silhouette target out to 50 yards, which I just cannot come close to doing with the compact single stack 9.

So Im thinking about various glocks (21, 17, 19)

1911's

M&P

Being stuck in Cali makes deciding on full-sized pistols with <10 round mags challenging.

I would love to get a 9mm with a full size double stack 17ish round mag, but how much sense does it make to get one of those and run short mags? That's one of the reasons the glock 21 appeals to me; as it's 10+1. I would like to stay with 9mm for ammo commonality, but are there good full size CA legal 9mms that don't waste ammo space for legal reasons?

1911's are cool but Id prefer to have the full 10+1 compliment. I know a lot of people shoot 1911's In competition but they are heavy (which helps with accuracy) and I am trying to build a nice kit loadout that includes a rifle and am not sure if I would regret the weight of the 1911 compared to a glock or m&p or something else polymer.

So what do you recommend for maximum amount of cali-legal firepower in an accurate, handy full size platform. A glock 34 weighs less than a 1911, would it be more accurate? Do the glock 17/19's have accuracy in the same ballpark? What pistol would you get im these criteria? Thanks in advance.

[Lugiahua]

With respect, most of time the handgun accuracy is based on the shooter, not the pistol.
Unless we are talking about USPSA Open class or similar competition shooting accuracy here, all full or compact size handguns from reputable brand today are quite accurate.

Just pick the one you feel most comfortable in your hand, and master the trigger control and sight alignment with it.
I would recommend taking handgun training from a qualified instructor as better investment than buying new firearms.

[Noggles]

With my 3913 I can hit an orange or a tin can with 9 out of 10 shots at 20 yards.

You're doing it wrong.

[smith and wesson]

Yeah I'd say it depends on what feels comfortable. I wasn't very accurate with the m&p 9 full size but most people seem to be. My vote goes for cz and kahr.

Get yourself a 22 and practice practice.

[ElDub1950]

Well, if you really like you 3913, spend your $$ on some 1 on 1 training with a great instructor.

If you want a more general purpose range gun, Glock 17 or 34, M&P 9 or M&P Pro.

Even if you go for a new gun, Never underestimate the value of a couple hours of private instruction. It'll be far cheaper and your improvements will be faster that blasting several thousand rounds downrange on your own .. which just tends to reinforce anything you're currently doing wrong

[Click Boom]

I totally agree that practice is key and my form is probably less than ideal, ut I want a full size pistol to practice with. Id rather just put the rental fees towards th price of purchase because it's not like this will be the last gun I buy.

I was exaggerating about "minute of barn door" but ya know what I mean. Im looking for a combat pistol to practice with and master, so to speak.

[Click Boom]

Im also considering an m9, but dislike the idea of using cali mags on something that can handle more, but im not totally against it. The 3913 is really more my old lady's gun than mine, so to speak, and im a good shot with rifles, so I need another pistol regardless.

[Click Boom]

I started shooting with break barrel air rifles which require a lot of technique to shoot accurately, so I know and am willing to put the time/training in... im just fishing for recommendations.

Also, is it worth going thru sse to get a gen4 glock or should I just get a gen3 if that's the direction I go in?

I kknow weight and accuracy are related, but id prefer something light-ish that can still get the job done.

[mabilis_matulis]

I would recommend G34

[hk200085]

I say, go for a Browning Hi Power

[keenkeen]

Walther PPQ M2 5" in 9mm...

You will need to SSE it.

[keenkeen]

I say, go for a Browning Hi Power

Or what he said with some trigger work...

[Blackrain7557]

I really like my XD9 or the Glock 19 I have even though it seems to shoot a consistent left. Good grouping though.

Still haven't beat my Kimber 1911 for acuraccy, most 1911's will shoot a tight group so find one you like. Kimber was mine, Springfield gets a lot of nods from people. And of course any thing like Wilson or Nighthawk etc would be a good purchase.

Glock 17's, XD9 Tactical, M&P full size or the M9 as you mentioned would serve you well for your stated purposes.

I'd also suggest Sig or HK but those tend to get pricey and I'm not sure what your budget is.


In any case pick on up and make sure you like it, you mentioned you'd like to save rental fees but shooting a model or two would go a long way towards figuring out what you like.

[ElDub1950]

I agree about rentals .. I often recommend rentals when a person has no clue what category of gun they 'might' want. But to decide if a gun is great for me, the rental and a couple thousand rounds of their expensive ammo would mostly exceed the price of buying one.

Selling one you don't care for is easy as long as you ask a fair price for a used gun. With that in mind, it's hard to go wrong starting with a Glock or M&P full size or duty/competition sized. They'll help you figure out if you want/need a big step up in quality (price) for your future purchases.

[ScottyXbones]

I can bullseye targets with a Ruger Blackhawk SA revolver at 50 yards. It has a crisp 3.5lbs trigger and low recoil since it has the 7.5" barrel and weighs about 3lbs. It's going to take a lot of technique to get that accuracy in a semi-auto, even with a competition-ready model like the G34. The Les Baer mentioned above sounds like your best bet