Which semi-auto pistols have helped you shoot the fastest?

[Kruel J]

I shoot 9mm Glocks quite "fast" with 9-10 ring accuracy.

 

[DB is Here]

I shoot 9mm Glocks quite "fast" with 9-10 ring accuracy.

Same, cuz I'm stoopid like that.

 

[Pops1911]

1911 45acp G model. For me there is none better! Accurate and quick double/triple taps ... even when it is an accident

 

[Certaindeaf]

K or L-frame Smith & Wesson revolver.
Semiautomatics are easy by comparison.

 

[41mag]

I was hoping for a more general/majority win pistol that I can just get and practice with.

Therein lies a major point of potential conflict of opinion.
One guy presents what works well for himself, while the next guy has not had a similar success.
For example, I've owned & rather admired the virtues of Glocks in various calibers and models, for decades. I learned how to make large numbers of hole in a target various distances from the firing line. That satisfied a certain concept of 'need'. However, I've never had any Glock in my hands, demonstrate the kind of accuracy I routinely expect from such as a 1911, or a decent revolver.

I bought a handful of different Glocks over the years, under the guidance of various buddies that were trying to do me a favor. What worked well in their hands simply wasn't the same for me. Perhaps you will find something that works well for you the first time, but maybe further exploration will be needed. Good luck.

 

[AMT]

I started with a style similar to what I intended to carry. In my case I knew it was going to be a poly of some sort, with higher round capacity, meaning more than 8-10 rounds and NOT a 1911 style. So I started with a Ruger SR22. This helped with my draw, grip, finger on trigger placement, sight picture and acquiring a sight picture, etc.

The .22 gave me the opportunity to practice not flinching, keeping both eyes open and on sight picture and target.

Once I was comfortable with everything (IE: accuracy), then worked on speed with accuracy.

Then when I started using my "normal" carry gun I had a better feeling of what to expect, adjusting for recoil and the different trigger.

I am not into competition and don't care if i can empty a 15 round magazine in 1.87 seconds. I am perfectly happy getting off that first shot accurately, then working on the next 14 within a "reasonable" amount of time. I'd say 3-5 seconds with everything in the rings, or at least everything on paper.

(After shooting/practicing, I hold a piece of paper up to my chest and am perfectly happy knowing that every one of those holes is a center mass shot.)

Are there people faster than me? ABSOLUTELY! It isn't them that I am worried about. It is the gang-banger wannabee's that hold the gun sideways that I am worried about being faster than.

 

[asbtg]

You can't miss fast enough to win a gunfight, as the man said. Seriously though, my Ruger Mk1/Standard (not sure which exactly) can hit as fast as I can pull the trigger. Colt 1911 downloaded with handloads is pretty quick as well.

 

[jbett98]

The slowest for me would be an HK P7.
They need a lot of training to master all the different functions and can be a little dangerous in the hands of a newbie.

 

[Alexx1401]

For me since I am guessing you of course mean fast and hit the paper, it's always been a 1911. Everything then becomes a compromise. With a full size, full weight, 1911 with a "decent" trigger in 9mm, it's the best I have ever been able to do. Excepting of course a .22 since again I am guessing you are not talking about that.
Now the compromising starts . Since I have always preferred larger slugs I of course go with .45. Not quite as fast with them but, again compromise. After that for "ME" everything else is compromise. Have lots of other guns I like, none I can shoot as fast. Now of course this does not mean this works for everyone. When Glock first hit I was able to do quite well with a 17 I got to try. That was before they started making the triggers more "accident proof" which also made them harder to shoot at least for me. If you find you like Glock they have easy to add better triggers. Bottom line only way to really know of course what works for you is trial and error. ALWAYS tell people to rent stuff if they can before buying

 

[HA556]

GLOCK!

 

[oremike]

To add to my "all of them" comment the muscles used to control recoil and recover shot to shot are the same for all hand guns. So if I pratice recoil recovery with my 44 mag enough it will make it easier to recover when shooting my 9mm. Think of it this way, it'll kick less and therefore be easier to control. As stated before accuracy is the key, if you can't hit what you shoot at, well there is always shotguns. There is no magic race gun only race shooters that practice a lot.

 

[LSWC]

The HK VP series have nice triggers out of the box. I shoot my VP9SK with split times or .18 seconds - with good accuracy at 10 yards.
I think if you practice with a handgun long enough and log some data, you'll find that you can shoot them all fairly well with 1-2 shining stars.

 

[Tony617]

HK VP9

<putting flame retardant clothing on now>

 

[HaveGun]

The best measure of this is shooting plates. The second best is shooting in a GSSF indoor match.

I shot in GSSF for a couple of years and went through four pistols I used to try and increase my scores. I started with a G29 compact 10mm, then installed a .40 S&W barrel in it. Then I went to a Gen 4 G19, then to a Gen 5 G19, then finally a G35 long-slide .40 S&W.

The course of fire is usually 10 shots in 15 seconds. Super easy at 5 yards, not so much at 25 yards.

I believe my highest score I've gotten was a 494 and that was with the G19 Gen 5. But I also got plenty of 480's and 490's with all of them.

What I found was that what was more important than caliber and slide length, was the sights. Easy to see sights with clear outlines and dots worked the best for me. I believe my match gun now has a Dawson fiber optic green front sight and the factory white outline Glock rear sight.

I went shooting with a guy that was heavy into ISPC shooting. I brought my Gen 5 G19 with a polished trigger assembly and he brought a couple of different high-dollar race guns. STI 2011s in .40 S&W and very light reloads. We shot plates and he let me try his fancy match gun. I was just as fast with my G19 as his race gun, and as fast as he was with his race gun.

I have found pistols that were definitely slower for follow up shots, and I still own both. The first is a Springfield Armory XDS in .40 S&W. Heavy trigger and stout recoil. The second is a Taurus G2c. Long pull trigger that feels like rowing a boat through a lake filled with marbles. Hate the trigger.

But between all of my Glocks and S&W M&Ps in 9mm and .40 S&W, they are all very, very close in follow up shots.

I'd say get pretty much any striker-fired defensive pistol and see what sight picture your eyes like the best.

 

[WAYNO]

I've never thought of any semi as a means to be able to shoot faster.

If shooting fast is your goal, then a quality all-steel, full size .22 semi can't be beat.

And if a rimfire is not manly enough, an all-metal centerfire with a full size gripframe that fits my hand makes follow up shots more natural. if your hands are already pointing at the target, a well fitting pistol will be on target also. A 1911 or SIG 226, for example, works very well.


But, if you think any particular pistol is faster for you for any given reason, it probably is.

 

[SavageGerbil]

Higher weight, or lower caliber. Trade a little of one for more allowance with the other, that's the biggest influence on speed of effective follow up shots. Yeah, bore axis matters too, but weight to caliber is the main thing.

This is all fairly irrelevant, though. You'll make effective shots faster with a pistol that you're well practiced with.

 

[solv3nt]

Speed doesn't matter if you can't hit the broadside of a barn.

I watched a dude in Hawaii at the fourth of july shoot. He was decked out in mall ninja garb, walks up to the firing line, and proceeds to miss all ten rounds at an ipsc target at a range of about five yards. I usually don't judge people on their ability to hit the target, but mall ninja...

 

[Pepe-lepew]

I shot a 1911 for years in games. It held me back from having good trigger control. The great trigger masked my poor trigger pull. When I switched and trained with a Glock, I had to learn how to pull the trigger without moving the sights. My skill greatly improved.

 

[HA556]

but mall ninja...

 

[solv3nt]

View attachment 750769

He wasn't quite that bad, but he was slow firing and missing.