Few other things that belong around #5 and #6 are alignement between the barrel and cyl when the gun is locked up and ready to fire. Quality and type of forcing cone and muzzle crown and the #1 most important aid to accuracy in my opinion a quality trigger. It must be fairly light and completely creap free.
Ive seen guns that shot loads and bullets i shook my head at right. Ive seen guns with mismatched sizes, poor alignment, and poor barrels give surpising reslults. But for the most part even if they do shoot well there on the finiky side. But if you cant get the trigger to break at just the exact time your sights are aligned you will NEVER shoot small groups consistantly.
I hear all the time that so and so shoots one inch groups with his out of the box ruger. What i find is that 99 percent of the time so and so shot one or two one inch groups with his stock ruger and its 7lb trigger and cant repeat them with me watching.
Shooting a one time one inch group does not constitude a one inch gun. I hear it all the time and i hear it even on this forum. Guys saying there stock ruger will shoot one inch groups at 50 yards. Let me tell you something. Ive shot many many stock and custom rugers and one that is capable of shooting one inch 50 yard groups EVERY time is one rare revolver and youd better lock it up before i steal it from you.
When i claim my gun will shoot one inch it had better do it for 12 shot groups and do it for an average of at least 3 12 shot groups. One 5 or 6 shot group at 50 yards is not going to tell you anything other then your having a good or bad day at the range. That means EVERY shot too. No throwing one flyer out of the group or allowing yourself to call one when shooting.
If you have to call a flyer you either need trigger work or need to work on your trigger skills. To me any gun and even any man thats good enough to shoot one inch 50 yards groups using open sights with these criteria are a very impressive thing. I wish i could. But to be honest i dont have a gun in the safe that i personaly can make do this.
So my point is when your setting your accuracy standards keep in mind that you need to be honest with yourself and understand that theres a BIG difference in what your going to see on paper then what alot of guys on computer fourms will tell you you should see. I get a real good laugh out of post that go. " Im so happy, I just bought me a new (fill in the blank) it was my first handgun and i took it out today with (fill in the blank) factory ammo and it shot one inch groups at 50 yards"
I dont care how good a gun is or what brand it is. If you are lucky enough to find factory ammo that shoots one inch groups at 50 yards your first outing with an out of the box ruger with virturally no shooting experience with a handgun you are surely making guys like me that shoot every day with custom guns look like a fool!!!!!!
Ive shot enough out of the box rugers to know that one that shoots under 2 inch at 25 yards with loads it likes is a good ruger. One inch 25 yard guns are exceptional and one in 50 yard guns are some kind of holy grail that a guy comes accross maybe once in there lifetime. People argue with my opinion all the time but im sorry. If you happen to not agree with this one your probably alot better at stroking a keyboard then you are a trigger