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Originally Posted by dgludwig
Have you tried using factory match, 185 grain, semi-wadcutter ammunition through your 945?
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Not yet but I will soon.
I reload my own ammo. I do not have any match bullets or match ammo at the moment, since I have stocked up on bulk bullets for action shooting.
I will keep you posted on how my accuracy experiments go. I will also shoot my 4506 and Les Baer 1911 for reference in future experiments, to take the shooter out of the formula without going to a Ransom Rest which I do not have.
I would like to quote Massad Ayoob from his
945 review article:
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Hand-held off a bench, as this pistol was tested, groups in the 3" range aren't great, but aren't really awful either.
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Now, let's get subjective for a minute. If I'm gonna pay $2 grand for a target-grade pistol, I want it to put all five rounds into 1" from my own two hands.
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S&W's Jim Rae tells me a 5" 945 does not have any particular accuracy spec it has to meet before it leaves the Performance Center, but will generally put five shots into 1" to an 1 1/4" at 25 yards.
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I am now trying to find out how my pistol performs. I have a suspicion I might end up buying a replacement barrel and having it fitted tighter than the original barrel.
I do not understand the mechanics of the 945 barrel fit yet, but there seems to be room for improvement on my pistol. When installed just in the slide, the rear of the barrel moves a couple of several thousandths from side-to-side and fore-and-aft. The hood has been machined or filed a bit short, the gun takes a 0.002" feeler gauge between the breech face and barrel hood. I do not know where the side-to-side play comes from and which parts should stabilize the barrel when it is in battery. When the bullet travels through the rifling it tries to twist the barrel, and the barrel should be so well supported sideways that it will not twist with the bullet.
Patrick Sweeney says in one of his books on pistols (The Gun Digest Book of 1911 - Volume 2) that you should not have to sacrifice ammo versatility or reliability to get accuracy.
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If you can get good accuracy only with a particular bullet, or ammunition, or load, then you have to ask if it is worth it.
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you can get a top-quality barrel installed, and pretty much count on good accuracy with everything...
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The last point is proven by my SW1911PD, which shoots 2" groups with this Remington 230 FMJ bulk ammo. That pistol has a professionally fitted Ed Brown barrel. It shoots great even though the slide to frame fit borders on nightmarish: it has around 0.010" vertical and horizontal clearance, where match guns are fitted with only up to 0.001" clearance. The gun shot 5"-6" groups with the factory barrel, which was not fitted properly at the lower lugs and the hood. S&W offered to repair the gun but sending it in from overseas was not feasible, but anyway I am happy with the outcome even though it cost a few hundred dollars to achieve.
I expect 3"-4" 25 meter groups from 9 mm service pistols, but definitely not from match pistols. Any pistol that shoots more than 4" groups at 25 meters even after trying several types of ammo is going to be inspected for problems and then repaired. For example I just bought a factory mid price range 1911 that delivered 5"-6" groups - turned out the barrel lower lugs were not fitted properly and the gun went out for warranty work (for longevity reasons, not for accuracy).
With revolvers I expect to get 1"-2" groups at 25 meters. If I cannot do that, there is something wrong with the gun. So far reasons have ranged from nicked muzzle crown to misaligned chambers to under sized or over sized cylinder throats.
I am not a gunsmith so I am laying out my thought processes to be criticized and corrected. I am trying to learn, the end goal is not so much a super accurate gun but rather more knowledge.
EDIT:
I checked how the slide stop pin supports the barrel from below. This seems to be pretty good?
I definitely have to give this gun a chance with good match ammo. The barrel fit seems a lot better after doing some measurements.