List of best target pistols made, past and present?

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zanemoseley

New member
I've been getting back into shooting over the past couple years (pistol, rifle and shotgun). I recently got my first target grade pistol, a Les Baer Concept III which shoots far better than I can. A range buddy showed me his S&W 52 which is a very nice but odd pistol shooting 38 special full wad bullets only. It appears these were/are very good target pistols. Made me wonder that other great guns are out there, especially the older more hand worked models deemed to expensive to make anymore.
 
Just been reading about the S&W 41 as well, beautiful pistol with the same grip angle as 1911's. May need to add one of these to my wish list.
 
Look for Pardini, Hammerli, S&W 41, Hamden and East Hartford High Standards, NM Colts in 38Spl, Walther Olympics, on and on and on. There are many, some never to return.
 
Back when I played Bullseye in the 60s and 70s I had a S&W 41, a S&W 52, and a Colt Gold Cup. I think the S&W Performance Center has a 41 model they are offering right now. Might look at that.
 
I've had great results with the S&W Model 41. I use it with a Burris red dot. Wish the eyes were good enough to shoot iron sights alone, OK at 10 yds., worse at 15 yrds and past that, horrible. Really wish someone made a small, light pistol scope. I can really see with a scope. Had a Hammerlli for awhile, had a nice a trigger as I've ever pulled, very accurate, used it with a red dot. It was a flimsy gun. SIG p210's are legendary in their owners' claims for accuracy. I think some of it is mystic. Can't say that I've never seen any competition results.
 
I can second the Hamden built Hi-Standards. So glad I went that direction when I decided I needed a target style .22.
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The S&W 41 and 52 are great shooters.



A 7.5" S&W 41 with comp and a 5.5" heavy barrel.
Also a S&W 52


There's a colt Diamondback .38 Specical and Sti Trojan .38 Super shown as well both also good shooters.
 
My Colt match target is a one hole shooter but hard to come by and super expensive, however the best production shooter would have to be the model 41 S&W, from the grip angle to the finely machined parts this is truely as close to perfection in a firearm as one can expect. The few matches I shot with a borrowed 41 sold me on the pistol but for some reason I never got one of my own.
 
A nicely-tuned 1911 with the top-of-the-line Marvel .22 conversion kit seems to be just about as accurate as anything else shooting .22...
 
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The Marvel conversion looks quite interesting and they claim almost unbelievable accuracy. I looked on YouTube but couldn't find much about them actually converting it. Is it something you could do during a match to use one gun for all 3 sections?
 
I have a 10 year old made in Germany Sig X5 that has a fit and finish, trigger pull and accuracy as good as some pistols costing twice as much. I have shot a couple older S&Ws that come close and the model 52 is a classic.


The 210 is another classic that you will find very few can shoot nice tight groups. It was a very hard decision for me buying an X5 over the 210. I will pick up a 210 at some point.
 
Rinspeed said:
The 210 is another classic that you will find very few can shoot nice tight groups.
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The P-210, of course, was created to function as a service pistol, but all of the ones I've been exposed to, and the one I owned some years back, were exceptionally accurate. (Even some of the military surplus M/49s from Europe seemed to be very accurate.)

My P-210-6, made in 1976 -- but purchased NIB from a distributor in late 1997 -- came with a proof target showing a 1.75" group at 50 meters, roughly 55 yards. I've seen others with smaller groups on the proof targets. I could never shoot that small a group, myself, and I didn't have a Ransom Rest...

What do YOU consider a "nice tight group?"

I also had a S&W 52-2, and it would get groups comparable to the 210-6 (at closer distances) when I fired it, but others may have been able to do better with it. It had a wonderful trigger.

I was very frustrated by the fact that the 52-2 was very picky about ammo, the OAL had to be exactly right or it wouldn't fit in the magazine -- and since I didn't handload I had difficulty finding stuff I could shoot. I was also disappointed in the 5-round mag capacity. (One gunsmith was able to increase the capacity to 6 rounds by modifing the follower...) I've always thought I'd like to ge hold of a 952 one of these days...
 
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thank to arthritis I have ceased formal bullseye shooting.

I still go to a practice once or twice each month but it is more to hang out
than to compete. i'll keep my Trailside ( incredible gun and for the price --
obvious why Sig halted production so quickly) and sell my M41.

though not marketed as a target pistol, the H&K M7 certainly is one.
 
In the context of the thread, 1" at 25 yards would be a starting point, not including .22s which should do a little better.
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I have a bunch of target pistols. You can pay more but, for accuracy, the new High Standards made in Texas will just flat shoot. IMHO they give you the most pistol for the money right now. These targets are from two different High Standard pistols and I have other High Standards that will do under 1" @ 50 yards as well.

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Interesting discussion, in addition to my S&W Model 41, I have several pistols that shoot very tight groups such as a SIG X5 L1, a SIG X6 L1, a H&K USP 45 Tactical, a Ruger Mark iii Target and a Ruger Mark iii Competition Target.

My eyes are old and tired so I have difficulty shooting 25 yds. and more with iron sights. But, I can do quite well at 25 yds. and over using a Burris red dot on the M41 and small rifle scopes on the two Ruger Mark iii's.

I'm also really amazed at how well my 1911 Springfield Range Officer 9mm shoots. It holds its own with the SIG's and the H&K's shooting out to 15 yds.
 
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