The Coin Test: A Simple Measure of Accuracy for Defensive Handguns

Accuracy is a vague and ambiguous term that is often grounded in the perspective of the individual shooter. I have seen deer hunters enthusiastically satisfied with pie plate sized groups, varmint hunters aggravated by minute of angle, and handgun shooters captivated by "combat accuracy" which is probably most consistently defined as the ability to keep hits well within center mass while firing rapidly. For those who are not particularly good shots, "combat accuracy" may be considered the ability to simply hit a B-27 style silhouette at the average "combat range" of seven yards. Sometimes "combat accuracy" is used to extoll the virtues of defensive handguns that will not group into a paint can at twenty-five yards off of a bench rest.

I believe that accuracy is an important virtue that defines the worth of a firearm and the skill level of a shooter. Likewise, I believe that a deliberately placed shot is more valuable than speed in defensive situations. A combination of both is desirable but speed without accuracy has proven fatal for as long as handguns have been carried in pockets and holsters. Thus, I am unwilling to settle for sloppy and ill defined standards of accuracy when more is available in a reliable package. Thus, when I shoot most handguns from either a rested or prone position, I want groups that are under three inches at twenty-five yards and better if I can get them.

A simple measure of accuracy that I have adopted for most defensive handguns is what I refer to as a coin test. Offhand, at three yards, I expect to be able to consistently hit a dime sized target; at five yards, a nickle sized target; and at seven yards, a quarter sized target. I make an exception for ultra compact "mouse guns" with miniscule sights and a very short radius and use a playing card at seven yards as a benchmark (I guess this is my version of "combat accuracy"). Perhaps this standard originates from the influence of precision inherited from shooting Bullseye back in the Nineties but defensive handguns that will not meet this simple measure of accuracy do not suit me.