List of best target pistols made, past and present?

Manurhin MR 73 Match (MR 38) variant. It's one of the best shooting revolvers for target matches, but you wont find many in the states here.
 
I think the new Ruger Mark IV Target pistol should be included:

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Mine is very accurate and runs fantastic. The rapid take down system is a big win as well, a true target pistol for the people.
 
Browning once made a target grade High Power.
It's been out of production for a long time, though.

Like this one?
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Very interesting. I've never seen one before. How is the trigger pull on the High Power target variant, Morgo?
 
How is the trigger pull on the High Power target variant, Morgo?
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Its not terrible for a target gun but its not that great either, mines crisp but its just a bit heavy really.
 
This is one of my grail guns, in the presentation case with a complete set of accessories.
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I saw one years ago but it did not have the screwdriver. The price was good, $550, so I bought it anyway. I figured sooner or later I will find a screwdriver. :)
 
Yup, that's it, Morgo.
A friend let me shoot his once upon a time.
It was accurate.
He used it to hunt gophers and groundhogs for the local farmers.
Rarely missed one he said.
He was sorely disappointed when he was told he had to be in the USPSA Open class with it.
If memory serves, it was very expensive, more than twice as much as a regular HP at the time.
Probably much more today.
Yeah, the triggers on HPs, even the fancy ones, are just not going to be as good as 1911s.
But then hardly anything is. :)
 
I saw one years ago but it did not have the screwdriver. The price was good, $550, so I bought it anyway. I figured sooner or later I will find a screwdriver.
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The screwdriver tool is almost always missing from used Medalist boxes and they aren't cheap when you do find one for sale. Unless you're a hard core collector, I wouldn't bother with a search-in terms of real utility, the cheaply-made tool is pretty unnecessary.
 
I'm still praising the S&W Model 41; I have two of them now. Using both Burris and Ultradot red dot sights; feel the Burris works better for my eyes. Replaced my older Hammerli with a new one, using an Ultradot on it because I could fit it on the gun's built in rail. Have a Hammerli bridge mount for a C-More which I prefer as a red dot sight, however, the bridge mount tends to loosen when shooting. My Hammerli Xesse Sport is more accurate than either of the Model 41s. I'm speaking of ranges up to 50' +/-. Moving out to 25 yards/meters, the Ruger Mk ii Government Target with a scope and a Mk iii Competition Target with a scope have better accuracy.

Been shooting a MatchMaster 9mm STI with a C-More red dot and a Witness Tanfoglio Limited with a C-More red dot. Both are outstanding pistols and sights. Would use C-Mores on the Model 41s, if they would fit without going to bridge mounts.

Had a nice SIG p210 6 for a few months. Liked the pistol, but the SIG X-5 and X-6 are better shooters. This is understandable; the p210 was designed as a duty pistol, the X-Series are more target oriented.

There are lots of good target pistols out there.
 
Target pistols

My Ruger Mk II Government Target is extremely accurate. But if we include revolvers my early '50s K22 and my pre-war Colt Officer's Model are also very accurate, depends on the day which one out shoots the other.
 
I find rimfire target pistols a bit on the boring side even though I own quite a few. I've been watching this thread for a long while and its mostly rimfire stuff.

How about some pictures of high end centerfire target pistols? :cool:



I'll start with the S&W (mostly Performance Center)...

Comp 40, 52, 945, 845, 952-1, 952-2, PPC9, PPC9






Sig and Sig Sauer...

P210-6, P210-6, P229 Sport, X-Five Short, X-Five L1, P226 Sport, P220 Sport






Can't forget the Italians...

Beretta Steel I, Beretta 92 Combat, Delta AR Top Gun, Delta AR Top Gun, Benelli MP3S, Benelli MP3S, Bernardelli Practical VB, Bernardelli Practical VB, Pardini GT9






Various European...

Walther P88 Competition, Mauser Sport Parabellum, Ultramatic SV, Ultramatic LV, CZ 75 Champion, CZ Tactical Sport, MAB PAP F1, Sphinx Competitor, Browning GP Competition, HK P9S Sport






I'd be remissed if I didn't include some of my finest 1911s (not all target models, but great shooters)...

Valtro 1998A1, Pistol Dynamics Signature, Les Bear SRP, Ed Brown Classic Custom, Springfield TGO1, Springfield Professional, Infinity single stack, RRA Limited Match, Wilson Classic Super Grade, Nighthawk Enforcer, Colt National Match

 
Good one, Walt-and my carpet doesn't even match. I do have Smith Models 52 and 945 and a Colt National Match that he has in his collection. I always look forward to seeing bac1023's exquisite taste in firearms.
 
The term "Target Pistol" changes person to person. Ask a weekend range shooter, then ask someone that competes in Olympic style shooting and you will get totally different answers. To me, the Ruger Mk and Browning Buckmark are not target pistols. They are very nice plinkers. A target pistol is along these lines: S&W 41, High Standard Victor, Benelli MP90 or 95, Walther GSP, Hammerli 208/215/280/Xesse, Pardini SP, Feinwerkbau AW93, Morini CM. Those are true target pistols.

Basically, has it medaled in the Olympics or won at Camp Perry? If not, it's not a true target pistol.
 
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To me, the Ruger Mk and Browning Buckmark are not target pistols. They are very nice plinkers.
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You're right about the Buckmark but the Ruger Mark series won a lot of Bullseye matches in its day and is still considered to be a serious competitor by many of us at any Bullseye event held today. Most just needed a little help with the factory trigger to have made them competitive with the best American-made target pistols of the past (mostly Hi-Standards, Colts and Smith & Wessons-unfortunately, the fine Smith Model 41 is about the only serious target pistol left being made in America today).
 
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