I'm a pretty good shot with a handgun and am wanting a nice, accurate 9m/m with a good trigger for plinking, pest, and small game. I don't shoot at paper much or want to compete and I don't want to spend a lot of money, but I want at least a 5" barrel and thumb safety, and don't want another 1911. I was thinking of the M&P 2.0 tan color 5" gun and I have seen them priced at about $440 plus rebate. I don't really like the tan/FDE color but if I could get one with a great $100 trigger job and rebate I think it might make me happy. Any thoughts or other options?

How about a Beretta 92FS? They're pretty darn accurate right out of the box, usually.

If you can locate one and the asking price doesn't scare the heck out of you I think the Performance Center 5" IDPA version of the 3rd generation Model 5906 would be what you're looking for.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Neither one fits your criteria but two of the most accurate 9mm's I own are my Sig P226 and my HK VP9. Neither has a five inch barrel or a thumb safety but they are both crazy accurate when I do my part. The Sig can be found in a SAO version with a thumb safety but it won't satisfy your "don't want to spend a lot of money" requirement.

Have you considered a full-sized CZ?

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Because of the metric system?

Sig P210. Not cheap though.

A CZ 85 Combat worked for me. 85 means a 75 with ambidextrous safeties that can be applied while the hammer is cocked. Combat means no firing pin safety for a lighter trigger pull, a more carefully adjusted trigger, a longer magazine release button and adjustable sights.

While I've never owned one I do not think S&W's M&P pistol line was ever intended to compete with single action pistols for best trigger pull.

Virtually any old S&W .38 or .357 revolver will group 2" or less at 25 yards and, as far as I know, an M&P's trigger can not be made nearly as good as their stock single action pull. They really are better guns for pests and small game.

Do you really need more than a .22 LR?

What about a HiPower?

You say you don't want a 1911, but what you described wanting would lead me straight to STI. The Trojan is the entry level now, at about $1200 MSRP. Very accurate and excellent trigger. I have two, and am considering converting one to .38 Super.

I don't currently own either but the guys mentioning CZ or a Browning Hi-power have really hit the nail on the head when it comes to accurate 9mm's with thumb safeties.

Canik TP9SFX


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I've had a couple CZ 75s and they were very accurate and I liked them a lot. The last one I bought was an Omega and it had a great single action trigger but the double action was REALLY heavy. Their long barreled target model would be nice but they are really heavy and pricey.

In the $550 price range you mentioned, you would probably do well in a CZ platform.

A side benefit of that choice is the aftermarket options available to make them even better if you choose. These parts are available for DIY upgrades or installed by well regarded smiths at CZ Custom and Cajun Gunworks.

Another path available once you have that platform is the .22LR conversion kit that's considered one of the best.

A really accurate 9mm?
Maybe a S&W 952 or a Sig P210.
I still think the CZ is the best kept sercet out there..
So, a CZ 75 TS or CZ 75 TS Czechmate.

THE most accurate 9mm I ever fired was a S&W 952 AND get this....it shot CCI aluminum case Blazer better than anything we could handload!!

I know that it is not in the price range indicated.....however...WOW!

In the price range indicated....I would suggest as others have that you look at the CZ 75B...although my M&P 9mm Pro is right behind it and not by much either....

Randy

SIG Sauer P210
SIG Sauer P210 - Wikipedia

For plinking, pests and small game? I'd forget handguns and go to rifles. Unless you really want to do all that with a handgun. Then, like someone else mentioned, I'd go with a .22. Why 9? Ammo is gonna be 4 times as much for just plinking, and there's plenty of .22 long barrel plinkers as accurate as you can make them.


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The cz75 or cz85db is the one you want. The double action first shot is awesome so is the accuracy. Larger mag capacity.

CZ or Beretta. No striker fired trigger will come close. For not much more you can get a CZ clone, the Tanfoglio Elite, which is like a CZ TS but for half the price. But they are hard to find in 9x19.

I shoot mostly cast bullets in handguns, but I've used a good bit of jacketed ammo, just not recently. My results are based on samples of one gun only, but I've been shooting a Beretta 92F and a Sig P226 for almost thirty years. Both guns were purchased new and have been fired a lot. The 226 is somewhat more accurate than the Beretta, though the Beretta does shoot well. However, the Beretta is a huge, clunky gun, but never fails to fire and will feed anything reliably, even lead SWC bullets designed for the .38 Special. But, then, so will the slightly more compact Sig.

I've never been able to see the usefulness in a 15 -17-round capacity magazine and the attendant uncomfortable grip that goes with such guns. If you don't have a need for all that ammo, you might consider a pistol that uses a single-stack magazine. Good luck-

Another vote for the CZ75B....a very accurate 9mm and I love mine.

I tend to agree with that assessment. My 92FS is my most accurate 9mm handgun. I had an early Sig 228 that shot as well or maybe better, but it's very close call. I foolishly traded the Sig off over 20 years ago, and I still miss the old girl. I'm hanging on to this Beretta though. YMMV

My vote is for the S&W 952 if you are looking for a true tack-driving 9mm

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

There are a lot of 9mm semi auto pistols that have sufficient mechanical accuracy to fit the OP's bill.

It does not have to be a Walther P88, or a costly SIG P210 to get great accuracy, a CZ SP-01, Star 30M, RIA 1911, Beretta 92, and even a Glock with a trigger job and improved sights will fill the niche of an accurate plinker, maybe not always within the $500 limit but close to it.

Besides of the mechanical accuracy a gun has to fit the owner to make use of the accuracy potential and has to have good trigger characteristics, so there are no absolute best handguns, imho, but it is always a personal choice.

I can shoot my Glock 17 with a Vanek trigger and Sevigny sights as accurately as my P210-6 but a whole lot faster with better results.

.

Can you 'tune' a 1911 style 9mm the same accuracy as a 1911 .45 APC ?? If so, that would be my first choice.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

EAA Witness Match Elite.


Outstanding gun. Highly underrated. Excellent trigger. Very accurate.

Or Colt Government Competition.


Pretty good trigger out of the box. Wide notch rear sight and fiber optic front sight. Plenty accurate.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Uh... Yes they will. I have a TAURUS (you read that right) that shoots insanely accurate but it's a .45. It's a PT-145 so no 5" barrel but that doesn't change how accurate it is. Out to 25 yards it is every bit as accurate as my Sig P220. They make the same line of pistols in a 9mm but there is a recall on all of the line. They sometimes fire when dropped even when the safety is on. I could sell mine back to the company if I wanted but I'll keep it thank you. For one thing I dropped it out of my holster a couple times. I was sitting down but still. And I keep it where it isn't likely to be dropped on anything hard. I no longer carry it for that reason plus I have a higher capacity SA XDm .40 that works really well.

The Taurus will put 11 rounds in a 8" target at 20 yards in 10 seconds. A friend set up 4 .45 casings with 2 at 20 yards and 1 at 25 yards. I hit the 2 at 20 yards both on the first try. I missed the one at 25 yards by about a quarter of an inch. It has a thumb safety too. My Sig shoots great and shoots a longer distance but it would cost about 3X as much to buy one today. And it doesn't have a 5" barrel either. It's 4.5". I actually don't see many 5" 9mm pistols.

It's really hard to go wrong with a CZ though. They make high quality firearms all around and their pistols are no exception. You can buy them at a decent price and they are very accurate. But I don't think I've seen one with a 5" barrel. The CZ 75 SP-01 has a 4.6" barrel. They run a little high for CZ's IMO but you get one heck of a pistol. I guess I still want a CZ 83 for $200 which used to be available everywhere.

I am also a pretty good shot but I am old enough to know that about 99.8% of us would never be able to approach the accuracy of something like a Sig P210. The plain truth is that most of us just don't shoot precisely enough to benefit from a pistol that can shoot 2 inch or smaller groups at only 25 yards. Yeah, I have managed to get down to 7/8 inch at 50 yards but that was off a rest, with a handgun scope, and after 6 weeks of practicing twice a week. Today I have no interest at all in that type of shooting and am quite happy with 4 inches at 10 yards shooting offhand at a 1/3 second split.

Point is that if you want to shoot a handgun with rifle like accuracy you will most likely need optical assistance, a rest, and be willing to put in many hours of practicing. If that doesn't sound very appealing that I would suggest you look at something like the M&P Core equipped with a Red Dot sight. Just be aware that it is very easy to become very dependent on these sights, which is why I only rarely get out one of my J Point equipped revolvers.

Scooter,

what the P210 gives you, besides mechanical accuracy, is a great trigger that will improve performance. There is a point of diminishing returns involved, though. Shooting a handgun without optics is what I had to do to compete successfully in UIT and military pistol matches and there are few people willing to learn the basics of pistol marksmanship and practice enough to become proficient.

There are plenty of 9mm handguns out there that are sufficient for ever kind of shooting but high-end competition - and those often have other issues when it comes to practical shooting.

CZ 75 SP-01 was stupid accurate in one review I read. Like, 1.5 inches at 25 yards. That's better than I could ever shoot.

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Release the Kraken

I have both a CZ 75B and a CZ 85 Combat in 9mm. I recommend both, however I usually configure the 75B with a .22LR Kadet conversion and shoot the Combat as a 9mm. The 85 Combat comes with an adjustable rear sight matching the Kadet slide. So shooting both .22LR and 9mm Luger I have the same sights. The 85 Combat I prefer as a 9mm.

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I'm fortunate enough to own pretty much all the high end 9mms from around the world that were built over the last 50 years or so, with multiple copies of a lot of them. While you can spend many times the price, the best bang for the buck in terms of accuracy is the CZ Tactical Sport, in my experience.

If you're looking for an accurate 9mm, I wouldn't waste time looking at service pistols, especially polymer.

Pro Series 5" barrel M&P.


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They don't get any more accurate than a Hi Power like this 1993 MKIII

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John

I own a few 9mm guns and the most accurate is a Glock 34. I know it doesn't have a thumb safety but you said it is for pests and plinking. I also own a Sig 320RX, a Glock19, a Shield and a Ruger all in 9mm. The Sig is almost as accurate but doesn't have a 5" barrel but you can get it with the thumb safety.

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

Choice #1. CZ-75. Choice #2, though way above your price point, SIG 210.

Another vote for the CZ-75. I have SIG P-226 that's about as accurate, but after that, all the other nines, from the P-08 on, are just mission adequate service pistols.

For the purpose you mentioned and what you want to spend my recommendation is this:
Find a trade-in Browning Hi Power. It won't be beautiful to look at, but that's not what you said you wanted. Most accurate handgun I have ever shot. They can be found many places for $300-400 (Try Cabelas)...or, consider a 9mm pistol caliber carbine by Hi-Point. Cost about $350 new, are accurate, rugged, and reliable enough for your purpose. Hope this helps.

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Stay protected my friends.

That's why I suggested the OP doesn't buy a service pistol, unless its something like a P210-2.

Even in a P210, I'd recommend one of the target variants.

I own all sorts of 9mm pistols ranging from military surplus P08 Lugers to a new purchased CZ75B and really most all shoot very good.

A couple really great shooting 9mm pistols I own are a crusty 1920 DWM Luger and the CZ75B Omega I got new(like 2014 dated)

I will state that the test target that came with the new CZ75 was awful! I was really worried after eye-balling the CZ test target...but nothing to worry about as the new CZ75B shoots perfectly to point of aim.

I can't really think of any of my 9mm pistols that shoot bad. I even own a rather crude Norinco 213 9mm that shoots quite decent. Glock 17 and Glock 19 I wouldn't recommend largely because of the heavier triggers. My Star 30M is pretty good for accuracy...but it's a heavy gun and mags are hard to find.

Yeh...for a new pistol probably the CZ75 series may be the best bang for the bucks spent.

OP: Have you considered a revolver? A S&W 929 holds 8 rounds (moon clip required), and is easily twice as accurate as a semi-auto at the same range. 1-1/2" groups at 10 yards are easy, and I'm not that good of a shot. I haven't gone 9 MM, but having a lot of fun with a 625 (.45 ACP).

I have a moon clip tool, and load up 100 or more rounds for a trip to the range. It takes less than 15 minutes. All the brass comes home with me, instead of losing 25% to 100% (outdoor) scattered about the range.

Revolvers are plenty accurate but I think you're selling autos short big time. My brother and I would go shooting at the farm and shoot down into a river about 40 yards almost straight down (no problem with ricochets because of the high bank opposite where we were shooting) and I would consistently hit leaves floating downstream with my Sig P220. And it isn't the most accurate auto I've seen. That would be a Ruger MkII with a 10" barrel and a competition trigger. It would shoot 1.5" groups at 50 yards shooting with a rest. I've been trying to swindle err... trade my friend for that gun for years. I have a Buckmark that shoots pretty well too. I had my wife shooting 5" groups at 25 yards with it in about half an hour and she had never shot a handgun before in her life.

How do you group semi autos all together like that?

I have plenty of semi auto 9mms as accurate as any revolver and I'm talking some very accurate revolvers.

I own several pistols that cost a lot more than what I am going to suggest

but with the parameters the OP laid out, I can and do recommend one of the CANNIK TP9 pistols

do a search here on the canik TP9 pistols and read the reviews from those who own them, you will see a lot of folks who will put down the guns but no one who owns one

I love smith revolvers, but have never liked the M&P series

my first experience with a Cannik tp9 was amassing, best factory trigger I have ever felt, shooting 1 hole groups at point of aim, I have owned most of the pistols recommended above, and they are good pistols, and I have had a lot of guest over to our farm range
and I have yet to introduce the CANNIK to anyone who did not fall in love with it

and they are getting to compare it to my Glock 17L race gun, Kimber 9mm 1911s, and a ruger American, Styer M9a1

I love the thee dot lollypop sights and you can pick up a TP9sa currently at the $300 price point, or a TP9sfx in the $550 range


the pistols are sighted for a six oclock hold

As you can see, lots of different answers! Including some of my own. But the problem is the guns we tell you about are the most accurate for US!!! They won't be the same for you. The only way to see if any gun is the most accurate for you is to go to a range that has the biggest variety of 9mm guns for rent and shoot them all. What makes a gun accurate for anyone is fit, trigger pull, weight, sights, and just how it feels. That will be different for everyone!!!

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

Haven't seen any for sale in a while so my suggestion would be a West German Sig P6. Originally made for various West German police departments but were sold when they upgraded to a different semi auto 9mm. Last one I did see was in the blue plastic box with two single stack mags for $450. Some may have worn finishes but my P6 outshoots my 92FS. Just a suggestion. Frank

Apparently the CZ excellency is out of the bag.

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Sure you did

Yeah ladder13; Been trying out a CZ since December of 2015. It's everything its cracked up to be and more. Accuracy's at the top of its attributes.

My go to competition pistol is a cz85 combat, if I do my part I can leave one ragged hole with my handloads, if you're a revolver shooter you can pick up a SIG with a dak trigger for relatively cheap, my 229 dak is scary accurate and smooth as butter, I wouldn't discount glocks either, I can practically drive nails with my bone stock glock 32 (.357 SIG)