rjm6120
Member
Another vote for the CZ75B....a very accurate 9mm and I love mine.
Wanting a really accurate 9m/m.
- Thread starter Farmer17
- Start date
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
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
scooter123
Member
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.
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.
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.
LVSteve
Member
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.
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.
If you're looking for an accurate 9mm, I wouldn't waste time looking at service pistols, especially polymer.
OLDSTER
Member
accurate 9mm
They don't get any more accurate than a Hi Power like this 1993 MKIII
They don't get any more accurate than a Hi Power like this 1993 MKIII
tlay
US Veteran
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.
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.
Protected One
Member
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.
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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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.
Stevie
Member
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.
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.
