Striker-fired .45 ACP accuracy?

[Jtarm]

What kind of accuracy could one expect from SF .45 ACP?

Is there a particular make/model that stands out accuracy-wise?

[mainiac]

My ruger americans will shoot easy 3 inch groups,at 25 yards.
2 inch groups are never a surprise.

[Ia.redneck]

I have a police trade in Glock 21, it's accuracy surprised me. Lots of 2" groups at 25yds with cast

[Elpatoloco]

I have a glock 41 thats more accurate than me. It retired me from carrying 1911s. It shoots lyman 452374 like they were made for it.

[DougGuy]

Kahr CW45 is surprisingly accurate for a compact pistol.

[buckwheatpaul]

My S. & W .45 Shield is a keeper...it is deadly accurate and carried daily!

[ioon44]

I have a Walther PPQ in .45ACP The accuracy is good, and I shot a lot of IDPA matches with it and placed as good as I could with my 1911.

[Bigslug]

Is there a particular make/model that stands out accuracy-wise?

No, there really isn't. They're almost all modified Browning lockworks, mostly plastic frames, and mass-produced with the intention of delivering a reliable, combat-accurate service pistol. That said, the robots typically do very nice work, and unless you're routinely winning NRA Bullseye matches, they pretty much all shoot better than we can shoot them.

The mechanical accuracy of the pistol is going to be in how consistently the barrel locks to the slide, and everybody pretty well has that nailed down. If one wanted to nit-pick about trigger quality, this is a striker-system's Achilles heel since there's inherently more potential for frictional drag than with an old school sear/hammer unit. The thing to look for there would be how consistently the slide returns to battery IN RELATION TO THE FRAME, since that might have some bearing on how the trigger parts interface with the firing pin parts. Again though, there probably isn't a great deal to choose - yes, you might be able to feel some wiggle in the slide/frame fit if you want to grab the slide and fiddle, but that isn't what's happening when the gun actually fires. In that case, the slide slams forward and the parts get forced to where they're going to lay. The key to repeatability there would be to NOT ride the slide forward when chambering a round - let it slam home and the pistol' lockup won't know the difference between a manually-chambered round and an automatically-chambered one.

For my money, make it a Glock.

[FergusonTO35]

My ruger americans will shoot easy 3 inch groups,at 25 yards.
2 inch groups are never a surprise.

I have read in many places that the .45 version does extremely well. It looks to me like Ruger designed it to be a .45 from the ground up and just modified it for the 9mm.

[Jtarm]

No, there really isn't. They're almost all modified Browning lockworks, mostly plastic frames, and mass-produced with the intention of delivering a reliable, combat-accurate service pistol. That said, the robots typically do very nice work, and unless you're routinely winning NRA Bullseye matches, they pretty much all shoot better than we can shoot them.

The mechanical accuracy of the pistol is going to be in how consistently the barrel locks to the slide, and everybody pretty well has that nailed down. If one wanted to nit-pick about trigger quality, this is a striker-system's Achilles heel since there's inherently more potential for frictional drag than with an old school sear/hammer unit. The thing to look for there would be how consistently the slide returns to battery IN RELATION TO THE FRAME, since that might have some bearing on how the trigger parts interface with the firing pin parts. Again though, there probably isn't a great deal to choose - yes, you might be able to feel some wiggle in the slide/frame fit if you want to grab the slide and fiddle, but that isn't what's happening when the gun actually fires. In that case, the slide slams forward and the parts get forced to where they're going to lay. The key to repeatability there would be to NOT ride the slide forward when chambering a round - let it slam home and the pistol' lockup won't know the difference between a manually-chambered round and an automatically-chambered one.

For my money, make it a Glock.

Thanks, that’s a lot of useful info and pretty much confirms what I thought.

[Sgt H]

Have a couple of Springfield's, an XDS and XDM in 45acp. Both are more than combat accurate especially the XDM. Biggest detriment to the accuracy is the triggers, but such is the nature of the beast with striker fired. Both are utterly reliable even with 200 grain cast SWC reloads. Of course neither will hold a candle up against my Kimber custom shop 1911 target pistol for accuracy. That pistol will put a magazine full in a silver dollar size ragged hole at 25 yards from a ransom rest.

[Doughty]

Kahr CW45 is surprisingly accurate for a compact pistol.

I second this.

[stubshaft]

I second this.

Another vote here too!

[HWooldridge]

Have a couple of Springfield's, an XDS and XDM in 45acp. Both are more than combat accurate especially the XDM. Biggest detriment to the accuracy is the triggers, but such is the nature of the beast with striker fired. Both are utterly reliable even with 200 grain cast SWC reloads. Of course neither will hold a candle up against my Kimber custom shop 1911 target pistol for accuracy. That pistol will put a magazine full in a silver dollar size ragged hole at 25 yards from a ransom rest.

+1 to this^^^ My XDM is spot on at 25 steps and shoots tiny groups but that trigger is horrendous.

[dverna]

I have/carry striker pistols. None are as accurate as decent a 1911.

[mainiac]

I have read in many places that the .45 version does extremely well. It looks to me like Ruger designed it to be a .45 from the ground up and just modified it for the 9mm.

Im surprised they aint more popular, 10 rds of 45,in a gun that refuses to jam,no safties or stupid decocker things,,and a trigger that is really not that bad,far from a 1911,but usable.

[megasupermagnum]

Im surprised they aint more popular, 10 rds of 45,in a gun that refuses to jam,no safties or stupid decocker things,,and a trigger that is really not that bad,far from a 1911,but usable.

I think a lot of people look at the Ruger, then look at the Glock 21 with 13 rd magazine. Speed and capacity sells.

In reality I think Ruger nailed it. The big difference is the grip, which is subjective. The Ruger angle and shape are miles ahead of Glock in my opinion.

The bigger surprise to me is the FN FNX isn't more popular. 16 rounds of 45 acp in a handgun not that much bigger or wider than a 1911, and it is lighter, at least unloaded. I realize it is a hammer gun, but it just goes to show popularity doesn't always mean something is good or bad.

[Anchorite]

My Glock 30 is surprisingly accurate for its size and very manageable for the recoil.

[charlie b]

I've been looking at one of those in the LGS. Very tempting.