Drinking the Glock Kool-aid

[Rm105629]

Decided to take the plunge into the polymer realm and, after much research, ordered a Gen3 G19. Depending on how much I like it, it might replace my 92fs as my HD bedside gun.

A question for the more experienced glock owners: what mounted light would you recommend for one if I use it for HD? Also, are there any mods you would recommend for it (i.e. trigger jobs), or would it be better to leave it stock?

I'm still relatively new to shooting so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rcm192]

Light: Streamlight TLR3, TLR4, TLR1s, TLR2s.

Trigger work: Glockworx 2lb race connector and completion 3 piece spring set along with polishing. you can also get titanium internal upgrade, but im not sure how it does for the trigger.

 

[SVTFreak]

Stream light does make good weapon lights. I have one on my HK.

As far as mods, shoot it like it is and fix what you come to not like or become comfortable with. A 2lb trigger may work great for one guy but you may or may not desire a little stiffer.

 

[leVieux]

Growing up with the 1911, Colt revolers, & Walthers of my late Dad's, I considered GLOCKS an oddity. I actually owned a couple for years before I fired them.

Once I did shoot one, though, I found that it was an excellent design and comfortable. In fact, the more I shot them, the more I liked them. Now, my two most usual "carries' are a G19 & a G26; while the G21/LaserMax is kept nearby nights.

One point of concern was the safety-on-trigger. After years experience, the GLOCKs will not fire unless someone "pulls" the trigger.

The GLOCKs will never be "beautiful", but they certainly are functional.

leVieux

 

[JBE]

Streamlight TLR-1 or TLR-3

A lot of people advocate the "25-cent trigger job" but keeping it properly lubed and shooting the heck out of it works just as well too in my experience...

As far as mods, dump the stock sights and have them replaced with something better...As far as anything else, maybe extended mag release and Glock (-) minus connector if you're using it for HD...

When I first started with Glocks, I played around with different mods (i.e. extended mag releases, extended slide catches, etc) but I found stock works fine and some of these mods (extended slide catch) can cause you problems if you're not careful...

Best advice ever given to me about Glocks was to shoot them as is and only consider changing something after you learn to run it stock...

 

[Armnhammer]

Grip reduction n stipple.

 

[Sin-ster]

Trigger work: Glockworx 2lb race connector and completion 3 piece spring set along with polishing. you can also get titanium internal upgrade, but im not sure how it does for the trigger.

Under no circumstances, do this to a hard use SD/HD/CC pistol. You WILL have light strikes, and if you shoot it enough, you will almost certainly snap a trigger spring with marked regularity.

New sights and a factory "-" 3.5# connector (which won't drop the weight that low, so it's poorly named). Dry and live fire the snot out of it, and be done.

 

[Robhic]

Best advice ever given to me about Glocks was to shoot them as is and only consider changing something after you learn to run it stock...

+1 -- How (or why) are you gonna change something that you don't even know how it performs as is? See how it runs and how you like it and THEN think about changes. A self defense gun should be stock, anyway, for legal reasons, so think about its ultimate purpose.

 

[SeventhSon]

Night sights. That's about all you need. I'm not really a Glock fanboy but the things just work and work well right out of the box. I've owned three and each of them gave me zero problems. Enjoy!

 

[rcm192]

Under no circumstances, do this to a hard use SD/HD/CC pistol. You WILL have light strikes, and if you shoot it enough, you will almost certainly snap a trigger spring with marked regularity.

New sights and a factory "-" 3.5# connector (which won't drop the weight that low, so it's poorly named). Dry and live fire the snot out of it, and be done.

How can you guarantee such activity? I've put about 5K rounds through my G27 with my 3.5 lb connector and Glockworx competition springs since 2010. Never have had an issue with it. But i do have factory parts readily available if I need them.

Parts that are stressed break, regardless. Good thing Glocks are cheap to repair.

This thread will turn into a

 

[Hardballing]

Others will disagree I'm sure but I'm not a fan of mounting the light on the pistol.

TLR's would be a good choice if you go that route.

Secondary (non attached) lights are just more flexible imo and allow you to search with the light, other than sweeping anying in view with the muzzle. MANY different methods to use the light in offhand and fire and they also don't allow your potential opponent to shoot back at the light, and hit YOU.

YVVM, LOTS of folks like them on their pistols (particularly as nite table guns it seems) but a good streamlight rechargeable, and a G19 gives me gun, light, and a pretty darned good club too if need be. In short, this will come down more to a training issue rather than a hardware issue imo.

P.S. Leave the freaking triggers alone. Sin-ister (and LSP too) just gave you $500 advice for free. Dry and live fire the living crap out of the gun and you'll have a smoother trigger, all while picking up valuable shooting/training time.

Just my .02.

 

[Gus McCrae]

I really don't get the need to modify a SD/HD Glock. There's really nothing wrong with them box stock. The money would be much better spent on training, bullets, weapon light..... something else.

Now, a race gun might be different.

 

[Brian22]

All I have to say is congratulations and good choice. This torture test is pretty good testament to their ruggedness:

http://theprepared.com/content/view/90/administrator/

 

[Sin-ster]

How can you guarantee such activity? I've put about 5K rounds through my G27 with my 3.5 lb connector and Glockworx competition springs since 2010. Never have had an issue with it. But i do have factory parts readily available if I need them.

Parts that are stressed break, regardless. Good thing Glocks are cheap to repair.

This thread will turn into a

Because I put 5k rounds through my G17 *per month*, for 6 consecutive months, with the reduced power striker spring (from Glockworx no less) and had light strikes even on factory Federal primers, which are known for being the softest.

If they include their lightened/extended striker in that package, it's foreseeable that you could be relatively problem free even in a large sample size. I tested mine in small batches on relatively tough primers and it ran just fine, as has jwglock. Just the same, you're playing with fire that way-- and factory striker + reduced power spring WILL lead to a light strike at some point in time, be it round 200 or 20,000.

And all for relatively nominal gain. One could make a case for a drop in trigger that used factory springs, like the Vanek Classic for example, as it cleans up the pull and improves the travel characteristics. But in the grand scheme of things, trigger work just masks shortcomings in technique. Yes, it's handy to have when things break down under stress and at speed-- but frankly, there aren't many people on the planet that can manage recoil and track the sights properly to be shooting that fast in the first place; their eyes are going to be notably slower than the proper mechanics of their trigger press.

All of this for a very high risk of malfunctions-- a trade off that should never in a trillion years be made when your safety, or that of your loved one's, is on the line.

As to the snapped trigger spring-- run another 5k through it, with dry fire intermingled, and you'll be in the realm of where both of mine broke. (8500 for the first, ~7500 for the second.) It's an extra-powered trigger spring, the design is notably different from the factory unit, and I have absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that it's more prone to breakage than the one that comes in the gun. Both of mine snapped at the S-hook where it meets the trigger housing, and a simple visual comparison between the after market and the factory springs reveals not only a thinner bit of material at that point, but a slightly different bend to the spring as well. One snap may have been easy to write off; two, not so much. (Not to mention I've seen at least half a dozen extra powered trigger springs break in practice and matches since then, while I've never witnessed it happen to a factory unit.)

 

[Rm105629]

Thanks for the advice

I guess I'll get plenty of range time with it the way it is before I consider any changes. I'm definitely gonna stock up on extra mags and ammo now.

 

[nickatnite]

And all for relatively nominal gain. One could make a case for a drop in trigger that used factory springs, like the Vanek Classic for example, as it cleans up the pull and improves the travel characteristics. But in the grand scheme of things, trigger work just masks shortcomings in technique. Yes, it's handy to have when things break down under stress and at speed-- but frankly, there aren't many people on the planet that can manage recoil and track the sights properly to be shooting that fast in the first place; their eyes are going to be notably slower than the proper mechanics of their trigger press.

I love Vanek Triggers and have used their "base" drop in trigger assemblies for shooting USPSA and GLOCK specific competitions and I can assure the following happens with primers:
Winchester Small Pistol Primers 75% effective
Wolf Small Pistol Primers 50-75% effective
Federal Small Pistol Primers 90-95% effective

Then again, in my HD GLOCK 19 (which has the "-" connector and NY-1 trigger spring to eliminate a trigger spring breaking) still has around a 90-95% stirke probability with Federal Small Pistol Primers and I've been shooting Federal Primers exclusively since 2009...

 

[Sin-ster]

I love Vanek Triggers and have used their "base" drop in trigger assemblies for shooting USPSA and GLOCK specific competitions and I can assure the following happens with primers:
Winchester Small Pistol Primers 75% effective
Wolf Small Pistol Primers 50-75% effective
Federal Small Pistol Primers 90-95% effective

Then again, in my HD GLOCK 19 (which has the "-" connector and NY-1 trigger spring to eliminate a trigger spring breaking) still has around a 90-95% stirke probability with Federal Small Pistol Primers and I've been shooting Federal Primers exclusively since 2009...

Try out the lightened/extended striker from Glockworx. I know of 3 people (including myself) who had zero light strikes (on Federal SPP) once they switched to it-- and in my case, it was over at least 20k rounds.

As to the HD Glock with factory striker AND striker spring... There's something wrong with that gun, or perhaps the assembled ammo itself. Gaston put such a stiff spring in there that it oughta run filled with mud and on the harsh Ruskie primers without a problem; if it's choking on Federal SPP, there's something going on. Burrs in the channel or on the striker, an odd spring cup, an old spring... Anything that causes drag/skip in the channel, or otherwise impedes the travel.

This of course barring high or bad primers.

I'd be wigging out if a factory set-up Glock wouldn't touch those off! You could probably open a can of beans with the force the striker should produce...