SW1911 9mm Pro Series Accuracy

[potentpoefie]

Hi guys

I've had a love affair with the S&W 9mm Pro Series. Sku: 178017. I might be stupid but not a fan of adjustable sights. Yes, this pistol will mainly be used for IPSC Classic division minor power factor so an adjustable rear sight makes sense but I just don't like the look of it and secondly I can't really replace it without having this big chunk of my slide still missing.

Anyway my concern has arrived from some guys that went to the world shoot last year for handgun and shooting classic division. Apparently they are renowned to not hold a good grouping at anything over 20 yards. I find that surprising but then again the shooter in question is a former world champion and his pistol it seems just didn't want to group at all.

Is this common with these pistols or did he just happen to end up with the "Friday afternoon" (you know where the gunsmith just wanted to go have a weekend) gun?

I'd be interested to hear your feedback on the matter.

 

[824tsv]

I like the pistol as well. Whats your idea of "good group". 9mm isn't known for bullseye accuracy.

 

[potentpoefie]

I'm not looking for 2 inch groups at 50 yards but it should be able to do 2 inches at 25 yards at least. Mechanically that is. So from a ransom rest or something like that.

 

[M29since14]

I have one and have mentioned here before my dissatisfaction with it. I am no champion shooter so I am speaking only of my perception as a casual target shooter. My gun has been back to S&W and it was returned no better than when it left. It consistently throws flyers, usually high and left, or just high. In all other ways, it’s a nice pistol, but as far as accuracy goes it needs to go to someone who can properly install a better barrel, I’d guess. I’d rather do that than trade the gun because otherwise I like it.

As to the adjustable sight, you could mount a reflex sight in that slot. For my use, I like the adjustable sight and bought that model on purpose. It’s also available with fixed-sight.

 

[M29since14]

I'm not looking for 2 inch groups at 50 yards but it should be able to do 2 inches at 25 yards at least. Mechanically that is. So from a ransom rest or something like that.

I’d be satisfied with that! Sometimes my gun will shoot a 7-incher. If you could take away the flyer you might have 2-inches.

 

[potentpoefie]

Thing is, here in South Africa, the barrel is a licensed part and to have another barrel fitted will cost me another 3 months in waiting time just to get another license for a new barrel.
Although that's probably not the worst thing since I'll have the original barrel to use while I wait on the new license.

However with that kind of outlay wouldn't I just be better off with another 9mm 1911?
Or are the other features (and the look of it) worth just going through all the effort. I must say I do like the external extractor. Yes, I know. I know. Heresy but what can I say. After having a lot of issues with my first 1911's extractor and tuning it I'm just a fan of having the external extractor.

 

[potentpoefie]

I’d be satisfied with that! Sometimes my gun will shoot a 7-incher. If you could take away the flyer you might have 2-inches.

With only 1 flyer I'm sure it would be fine. Not like I'm the best shot either but I guess the idea is by the time I get to be very accurate I would like to have my rounds count and not have some random flyer that might hit a penalty target. A miss is kind of ok because you can take a make up shot but a penalty target is punishing.

That being said lately I've been hitting mostly A's and some C's and nothing else with my 929 so there is hope for me yet. Now just to crank up the speed because for all this accuracy I'm shooting really slow.

 

[kas9412]

OP, you may also want to consider a Springfield Armory "Range Officer" pistol in 9mm. It is a 1911-style gun and gets good marks for accuracy right out of the box! From what I can see, it is also less expensive than the S&W (at least here in the US). Although I am a dedicated S&W fan (I have far more S&W's than anything else), I am considering buying a Range Officer myself. There are several threads on this pistol on the Bullseye-L forum. Good luck with your purchase!

kas

 

[M29since14]

I like the pistol, but the flyer problem has got to be fixed. And I don’t always just get one. Sometimes two. It could be a fitting problem (probably is), but if it requires a new barrel to fix the fitting problem, so be it. The gun itself is very nice - a lot jazzier looking than the Springfield. But handsome alone doesn’t cut it.

 

[824tsv]

I think a 2" group at 25 yards with a 9mm is asking a lot from a 1911 pattern pistol. There are better choices, but also at a cost. My opinion only.

 

[potentpoefie]

I think a 2" group at 25 yards with a 9mm is asking a lot from a 1911 pattern pistol. There are better choices, but also at a cost. My opinion only.

You make it sound that 1911's are inherently inaccurate?

 

[potentpoefie]

OP, you may also want to consider a Springfield Armory "Range Officer" pistol in 9mm. It is a 1911-style gun and gets good marks for accuracy right out of the box! From what I can see, it is also less expensive than the S&W (at least here in the US). Although I am a dedicated S&W fan (I have far more S&W's than anything else), I am considering buying a Range Officer myself. There are several threads on this pistol on the Bullseye-L forum. Good luck with your purchase!

kas

I hear you. A big S&W fan myself. I'm going through a Beretta phase again. Started with them. I mean I grew up with Die Hard and Lethal Weapon and second to S&W, Beretta firearms occupy the most of my safe space.
However Beretta doesn't have a 1911 and that's what I'm in the market for.

Funny enough I looked at the Springfield. However as far as I know we don't have anyone in SA that brings in Springfields.

 

[824tsv]

You make it sound that 1911's are inherently inaccurate?

Apparently you didn't read the whole sentence. It's not the pistol, it's the calibre (9mm)

Even the best bullseye pistols chambered in 9mm struggle to retain a 2" group at 25 yards. Your standard 9mm 1911 won't be seen on the shooting line of a bullseye event. I would class the Pro Series as a standard pistol.

Shooting a 1911 chambered in 9mm is very pleasant. They are soft shooting and fun to plink with, ammunition is fairly inexpensive. I have Colt Competition Model in 9mm. It's fun to shoot but it's not a bullseye pistol and I wouldn't expect bullseye accuracy from it.

 

[WC145]

I had one several years ago when they first came out. I used it in action pistol and IDPA competition and found it to be accurate and very fast shooting. Never shot it out of a mechanical rest to check accuracy but it was plenty accurate for the pistol games I was shooting it in.

 

[M29since14]

...Even the best bullseye pistols chambered in 9mm struggle to retain a 2" group at 25 yards. Your standard 9mm 1911 won't been seen on the shooting line of a bullseye event. I would class the Pro Series as a standard pistol.

I was not aware of that. On the contrary, 9mm 1911s seem to shoot VERY well (much better than 2-inches at 25-yards) with good ammunition, and a good, properly fitted barrel. But as you say, such a pistol probably couldn’t necessarily be obtained by randomly buying a Springfield or an S&W Pro Series off the shelf. Nevertheless, a flyer or two that consistently takes what could be a very nice group out to 7-8 inches at 25-yards cries out to be fixed!

...Shooting a 1911 chambered in 9mm is very pleasant. They are soft shooting and fun to plink with, ammunition is fairly inexpensive. I have Colt Competition Model in 9mm. It's fun to shoot but it's not a bullseye pistol and I wouldn't expect bullseye accuracy from it.

That’s a nice looking Colt. I have a friend who owns one and he likes it. I’d call it “a mediocre shooter” but if you ask us both to produce a 5-shot group his Colt (at 3-4 inches) is likely to beat my S&W. The Colt not does produce flyers.

 

[824tsv]

For the O.P.
I based my opinion on personal experiance. A cursory check on the web turned up a few side by side comparisons on pistol accuracy. Check the link, 9 of the 11 of these pistols are chambered in 9mm. No 1911's. Most are higher end.
I love the 1911 and own several. I also have a S&W (SW1911PC) that certainly shoots better than I'm capable of, but it's a .45ACP.

Exclusive: Testing the World’s Most Accurate Pistols – Part I - The Firearm BlogThe Firearm Blog

 

[potentpoefie]

Well 2" might be a bit much to ask then but I guess I would still like it to group. By the sounds of it M29since14's pistol has the same issue as this guy I originally spoke with.

If it can't group then it will do me no good. I mean the nature of IPSC is not bull's eye shooting. In fact I'll probably hamper a 2" gun more than anything else but I should at least be able to hold a group.

I can get the Colt Competition here. Not the stainless one (which I'm a fan of) but the blued one for about $1747. Yes, twice the price but it has to come over the water. The joys of not having the factory in your own country.

 

[824tsv]

Yes, living outside of the U.S. if you are a firearms enthusiast is hard on the wallet. I know.....

 

[Rowlf]

The Bullseye gunsmiths and competitors found that 9mm will shoot better groups than 45 at 50 yards at the cost of more recoil. Recoil control becomes a factor in Timed and Rapid Fire.

A sample thread from a Bullseye forum: 9mm or .45 for NMC 300

In a recent competition I got to see a military team shooter shoot a 10X in Timed Fire using a 9mm 1911 with a frame mounted red dot.

 

[824tsv]

I have no doubt at all about a 1911 being worked over enough to shoot very accurately. We are talking about a new out of the box-no modifications SW Pro Series here though.