Dumb question (never shot wadcutters) what is it that makes them so accurate?
I'd love one, myself. However, they were never the top of the mark for accuracy; they needed custom work to achieve their potential. A S&W 52 or a Sig P240, out of the box, is a much better .38 wadcutter pistol. Once the Colts were worked over, they were then (arguably) better. That point is partly moot, though, since the P240, iirc, didn't even come along until the Colts were out of production. When they were being simultaneously produced, there was a "Smith vs. Colt" debate (So what else is new?) and, frankly, I think the Colt got used by military teams simply because they were accustomed to working on them and not because the pistol, ultimately, was demonstrably better. Of course, 1911 pattern pistols are much easier to shoot consistently than Smith 52s...but now I've gone so far afield I should just stop.Colt made a .38 mid-range wadcutter gun for years. Because of the rimmed .38 case, the mag only holds 5.
I want one.
I wouldn't contradict any of that. Those are the basics. I would, however, add a couple of points.Probably says it well enough:
"... better short range accuracy (before the lousy aerodynamics of the "flying trash can" destabilize the bullet and ruin flight stability)."
By: Glen E. Fryxell & Robert L. Applegate
Fackler and MacPherson both did tests on the damage caused by different profile bullets, and found that a flat-nose cylinder was the most effective (of the non-expanding bullets). When a bullet traverses flesh there's a cavitation effect where the flesh is pushed around the side of the bullet -- with a roundnose (FMJ) or truncated cone or sphere (buckshot ball) that flesh just gets literally pushed around the bullet. But with a wadcutter, it has a sharp edge on it, so it rips its way through. The net result is about 50% more tissue directly shredded by a (true) wadcutter, as compared to other types of non-expanding bullets.From what I can tell, it's that they track straighter through tissue than round nose (which can veer way off line) when traveling through tissue.
I've never seen wad cutters for an auto... Seems like it wouldn't want to feed. SWC, yeah. But some guns might not feed right.
I wouldn't contradict any of that. Those are the basics. I would, however, add a couple of points.