Article with informal accuracy testing: 1911, M&P Gen 2, Glock Gen 3

[maximus83]

Ran across this interesting article with an informal--but structured--accuracy test between a custom 9mm 1911, an OEM M&P Gen 2, and a Glock Gen 3.

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/...ifferent-guns/

Like all tests of this type, you can immediately see limitations.
*The main one I see is that the sample size is too small--one gun of each type.
*Also the 1911 was a lightly customized Para with a Kart drop-in match barrel (so this is not a highly tuned bullseye-type 1911). Personally I would've preferred to see the M&P and Glock both have common enhancements to the triggers/barrels as well, for example something like an Apex duty trigger plus a Storm Lake drop-in fit barrel.
*Finally, I'm not sure if the Gen 3 OEM Glock would normally be as accurate as the OEM Gen 5; from a little searching, I see mixed views on that question as to how much difference in accuracy/precision the Marksman barrel has made.

However--there were a couple things to like about the test.
*The author used a Ransom rest (which has known limitations too esp with polymer pistols); this would at least enable consistency and remove shooter-specific idiosyncrasies from the equation.
*He used the same loads in all pistols, and used a variety of loads including popular defensive/duty loads
*Finally he tested with 50rd groups to establish a more reliable view of the mechanical precision and standard deviation.

Bottom line: with the limitations this little test cannot be conclusive. But it does give a useful/interesting data point that goes beyond the typical informal testing most of us do.

Takeaways for me, which fit the pattern I've seen with all plastic polymer pistols I've owned or tested vs 1911's:
* It is often--I'd say 'usually' in my experience--the case that you can shoot even a reasonable quality factory or lightly tuned 1911 more accurately and precisely (with the same load) than you can a modern striker fired pistol. For example, think of a model like a Dan Wesson Vigil or a Springfield Range Officer, stock. I think the difference seen in this test would shrink a bit if you use an enhanced trigger/barrel on the polymer pistols. It definitely did for me with my Apexed M&P Gen 1's. But in the end, a factory Springfield Loaded 1911, and much more so a tuned 1911, always shot with significantly greater accuracy and precision than even a modified M&P.
* There's not a substantial difference in mechanical precision between the M&P Gen 2 platform and the Glock Gen 3 platform. And I'd be surprised if this result changed much by using a Glock Gen 5. I did not see a significant difference in my informal testing of a rental range Gen 5 vs an M&P Gen 2. But then my testing was not high round counts, only used 3 different loads, only 5rd groups, using someone else's used pistols, etc., so my testing was far more rife with limitations/flaws than the test in the article.