__jb

Searching for my first Glock!

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__jb

on 07-21-2010 at 03:01 AM (295 Views)

I'm looking for a new pistol for self defense in the home, and to shoot at the practice range. I plan to get a concealed weapon permit, but don't necessarily plan to carry this new pistol.

I've spent many years programming computers and recently been involved more in the network administration side of our business. I am pretty analytical, probably because of all the computer work. I mention that because I'm probably taking longer than most people to decide on which Glock to buy.

The last time I shot a pistol was many years ago in the US Navy. Once we went out past the 3 mile limit, the Gunners Mates would schedule a shooting day for everyone that carried a side arm. There wasn't much need for RadarMen in port, so I stood deck watches and got lent out for shore patrol duty quite a bit.

Skip to present day...

I pretty much decided that I wanted a Glock pistol... mainly for reliability, but also for their quality and general good shooting characteristics. After holding several of the Glocks, I realized that the full sized Glocks fit my hand the best. I was initially interested in the 9mm Glock 17 and the .40 Glock 22.

I decided to take a gun course at one of our local gun shops two weeks ago. It helped a great deal because I wasn't familiar with many of the newer guns. Part of the course included an NRA test and provided a certificate that could be used to apply for a concealed weapons permit. We shot several guns at the end of the class, but they were all .22 caliber. I did get to shoot a Glock 19 fitted for .22 ammo.

Tonight, I took a second "Familiarization Course" that went into detail on all the different types, sizes, and specifications of different pistol ammunition. We also shot five different pistols... a 642 S&W carry pistol... 357 S&W pistol... 9mm Glock 19... .40 cal S&W M&P... and a .45 cal 1911 S&W.

We went from smallest to largest, so the first pistol I shot was a .38 642 S&W carry pistol. I had a difficult time shooting this gun. It was so small that it felt like it was going to slip out of my hand when I shot it. I was pretty accurate with it because it had a Crimson Trace laser on it. Even though I was accurate with it, I didn't feel comfortable shooting the 642 and, to be honest, it wasn't much fun.

More on the other guns tomorrow...

-jb

Tags: g17, glock

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Boomer - 07-21-2010 03:39 AM

Well, Id say you are well on the right track. In my opinion, as for what I would suggest for a pistol, Id say you should go with either the 19 or 23, 9mm and .40cal respectively. Place a little higher on the .40 because its got the edge on power even though you loose a little capacity. The reason why I suggest either of these two pistols, which are the medium sized guns over the larger 17 and 22 is because If you do decide to carry they are easier to conceal. And to address what sounds like big hands you have, you can add a grip extension in the form of a +2 base or even just use the large gun mags in the mid size gun.
dprice77 - 07-21-2010 12:43 PM

You cant go wrong with either the G19 or G23. You wont be giving up anything with the 9mm ammo thats available today. The 9mm round has been killing people for years and will continue to do so for years to come.
Rob - 07-21-2010 08:58 PM

Look forward to the rest of the saga!

BTW - i'm also into computers a bit if you couldn't tell... trying to break back into the tech job market as we speak in the Philly area if you know anyone hiring Linux admins..
__jb - 07-23-2010 03:14 AM

Good comments from everyone, thanks! I would like to be able to test shoot a standard sized G17 or G22 to help make my final decision. I shot a G19 twice, and liked it, but my pinky finger hangs over the bottom of the gun. I figure that my best control and accuracy will be with a gun that I can put my whole hand on. My plans for this gun are mainly home protection and some practicing at the shooting range, so I would like something that really fits my hand well. I am sort of resigning myself to the fact that if I really want a carry gun, I will probably get something a bit smaller than the standard sized Glocks.

As far as my test shooting goes, the next pistol I shot was a .357 S&W. We shot it with standard .38 cartridges to show how much easier it would be to shoot with the same cartridge as the smaller, lighter 642 .38 that I shot first. The .357 was easier to hold and shoot, but I was not as accurate as I was with the 642. It turns out that the laser on the 642 made quite an improvement in my accuracy.

Next, I finally got to shoot a 9mm Glock! I previously shot a G19 with .22 ammo in my first class, this time we shot the same G19, but with 9mm ammo. After shooting the two .38's, the long trigger pull of the Glock was very noticeable. I got used to the trigger pull and was pretty accurate with the G19. I had nice grouping, but the target was probably only 20 feet away. I enjoyed shooting the 9mm G19.

Next up was a .40 caliber S&W M&P. It was a nice gun and shot similar to the 9mm G19. There was more kick, but it didn't seem like an overwhelming difference from the G19. I did have a bit more trouble recovering from shot to shot though. It took me longer to shoot a second shot at the target than it did with the G19. I don't know what you call it, but I couldn't get back on target as fast with the .40.

Last gun was a .45 caliber S&W 1911... probably pretty close to what I used to carry in the Navy. It was big and heavy, but fit my hand well. It had the most kick of all the guns I shot that day, but the trigger pull was much shorter than the Glock and .40 cal S&W. Matter of fact, my first shot with the .45 really was a surprise, because I was thinking that I had another half a trigger to pull before it fired. I got some pretty good grouping with the .45, but it took me much longer to recover, aim, and make my next shot. It had quite a kick to it.

To summarize, I think my plan to shoot all five types of guns was a good one, but... Unfortunately, I really wasn't a sophisticated enough shooter to notice some of the small differences in the guns. The different trigger pull lengths were the most noticeable and hardest to ge used to, for me.

As you can probably tell, I liked the Glock 19 and the .40 cal S&W M&P the best. Their triggers were very long to pull, but both guns were manageable and fun to shoot. Getting used to their trigger pulls wouldn't be a problem. I'm going "gun shopping" with a friend this Saturday, so I will make my decision between the Glock 9mm and .40 before then. I'll post a follow up to my blog and let everyone knw how things turn out.

Rob - You have done a tremendous job on the Glock Forums! You have one of the nicest vBulletin web forums I have ever used... Very unique blend of controls and options. I can tell that you have put a lot, lot of hard work into making this forum so easy to use. Thanks!

The Tech business is very tough right now. I have worked long stretches for two companies and been very fortunate. Right now business is not good for us. Our corporate headquarters is in Scranton, PA. They recently downsized and closed the PA office. Some people continue to work from their homes and VPN to our servers in Florida, but our operation has grown very small. I'm afraid I may be looking in the future, too. I will let you know if I hear anything, though.
__jb - 07-24-2010 01:05 AM

Hopefully I will be a Glock owner tomorrow (or later today actually). I'm going with a friend to his favorite gun shop and plan to buy a 4th gen G17. I hope to find one with the version 02 guide rod springs. There's a small part of me that says to go with a .40 G22, but I think it'll be the G17.

Florida has a law that makes you wait 3 working days before you can pick up a handgun purchased from a Gun Shop. I can purchase a handgun from a private individual and pick it up right away. If I purchase a handgun from a licensed dealer, I have to wait 3 working days (unless I have a CWP). Thursday will probably be the soonest I can pick it up.

Looking forward to it...
Boomer - 07-24-2010 05:31 AM

Awesome news, I know that what ever GLOCK you get, you will be very pleased with. Plus if you are able to get a Gen4, you can play with the back straps for the perfect fit(and I will be jealous because I want a Gen4 too). The 17 is a great shooter, I tend to preach .40cal but thats just me. Don't forget to stock up on range ammo and some good home defense ammo too. Check out some 124gr+P HydraShoks or Winchester Ranger T's, they seem to be the best defense for 9mm that I have seen, or also some 124gr Hornady Critical Defense rounds. If you go with a .40 Id pick something in the 165 to 180gr bullets. Again, Id recommend Winchester Ranger T's, I believe most common are 165gr. Federal HydraSkoks are good too. Winchester White Box round nose ammo is great practice ammo for both calibers. Happy hunting tomorrow, and dont forget to post pics ASAP, I know it sounds funny, its a GLOCK, if youve seen one youve almost seen them all, but it doesnt matter, just do it anyways to make us all happy. Good luck, Happy Shootin! Boomer.
__jb - 07-24-2010 04:49 PM

Thanks, Boomer!

I did purchase a new 4th gen Glock 17 today. I can't wait to get it this Thursday night. The three day waiting period didn't really affect me as the dealer didn't have a 4th gen G17 in stock anyway. I hope it has the 02 guide rod spring assembly.

Good information on the ammunition, too. I'd like to get some full metal jacket cartridges to keep the gun clean. Do you always shoot +P?
Tailhunter - 07-29-2010 03:45 PM

don't worry about the pinky thing .. some even say it (the pinky) causes more trouble then it is worth.

I like +p but it is not absolutely necessary.
Rob - 08-21-2010 07:23 PM

Just saw your reply on this jb - let me know if the scranton site opens back up! I'm maybe an hr from there... .. maybe a littttttle further.. thanks for the compliments on the forum!