You’ve heard the hype. This one prints cloverleafs at 25 yards, that one’s a tack-driver out of the box. But when you actually shoot them—especially off bags or from a rest—the truth doesn’t always line up with the reputation. Some pistols get praised for their “combat accuracy” when what that really means is, no one expects them to shoot that well. And sometimes the ergonomics or trigger make it feel like you’re doing something wrong, even when your fundamentals are clean. If you’ve ever spent more time chasing groups than hitting anything consistent, chances are you’ve met one of these so-called accurate pistols that never live up to the talk.
Beretta PX4 Storm
On paper, the PX4 Storm seems like a winner. It’s got a rotating barrel design that’s supposed to reduce recoil and boost accuracy. You’ll hear folks say it’s smoother than most polymer pistols and plenty accurate for defensive work. But when you actually bench one, the results are a mixed bag. It’s not a terrible shooter, but it rarely prints the kind of tight groups you’d expect given all the praise. The trigger has a spongy reset, and the DA/SA pull doesn’t help when you’re trying to really focus on precision. It’s a comfortable pistol to carry and shoot, but don’t expect it to punch tight holes in paper unless you’ve got a lot of patience—or really low expectations.
HK USP 9mm
HK’s reputation for quality doesn’t always translate to tight groups, and the USP 9mm is a good example. The thing is built like a tank, no doubt about it, and a lot of folks treat that as a sign of precision. But when you actually shoot one slow and steady, it doesn’t deliver anything special. The trigger isn’t doing you any favors either—especially in double-action. It’s heavy and long enough to throw off even seasoned shooters. The grip angle and ergonomics aren’t helping with repeatability either. It might hold together okay at defensive distances, but if you’re chasing quarter-sized groups at 15 yards, this one will make you question your skills more than it should.
SIG Sauer P250
The P250 had a lot of people excited when it first came out—modular frame, hammer-fired, and that familiar SIG feel. But it quickly earned a reputation as one of the least accurate handguns in SIG’s lineup. The trigger is long and smooth, but it resets somewhere in the next county. That alone makes shooting tight groups a chore. Even rested, it has a tendency to throw shots a bit high or low depending on grip pressure and trigger rhythm. A lot of folks gave up on it after a few range sessions. It wasn’t unreliable, but in a world full of accurate striker-fired guns, the P250 always seemed to lag behind in the one category where SIG was supposed to shine.
Glock 43
The Glock 43 is a great little carry gun, no argument there. But if you expect it to shoot like a target pistol, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. The short sight radius and light frame don’t exactly lend themselves to tight, repeatable groups. You can put rounds on target at defensive distances, but you’re not going to impress anybody with your shot clusters. The factory trigger doesn’t help either—it breaks fine, but there’s enough grit and mush to throw off precision shots. Folks will tell you it’s “accurate enough,” and that’s the key phrase: enough. Not impressive. Not precise. Just enough.
Springfield XD-S Mod.2
Springfield’s XD-S Mod.2 gets a lot of carry love, and yeah, it’s slim and lightweight. But once you get it on the bench or try to run it at 15+ yards, it starts to show its limits. The trigger is better than some in its class, but still has a bit of that plastic wall feel that makes precision tough. The muzzle flip is snappy, and the grip texture doesn’t do much to lock things down for repeatable follow-ups. You can keep everything on a silhouette, sure—but don’t expect it to win any accuracy contests. The barrel fit and overall slide-to-frame feel just don’t give you the kind of feedback you’d want in a true performer.
Taurus G3C
The G3C offers a lot for the money, and plenty of folks are willing to give it a pass on accuracy because of the price. But if we’re being honest, it’s another one of those pistols that sounds accurate until you try to prove it. The sights are workable, the grip is decent, and the trigger is surprisingly crisp—but shot-to-shot consistency isn’t great. You might get a few good groups, then suddenly throw one way off that doesn’t match your hold or trigger press. It’s not entirely unpredictable, but there’s a lot of variability. For casual shooting or close-range use, it’s fine. But if you care about paper groups, the G3C’s scatter will keep you guessing.
CZ P-07
A lot of folks love the P-07 for its ergonomics and DA/SA setup, and in the hand, it feels like it should shoot better than it does. But when you actually slow down and shoot for accuracy, it rarely delivers consistently. The sights are okay, but the trigger—especially the double-action pull—feels a little gritty and tends to pull shots low left unless you’re hyper-focused. Even in single-action, it doesn’t quite clean up like you’d hope. It’s not a bad pistol, but the level of praise it gets for accuracy is a little inflated. You might get a solid group or two out of it, but you’ll fight to make it repeatable, and that’s where it falls short.
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*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
