Glock 26 vs Glock 27

[Departed402]

I’m on the fence and I cannot decide between the 9mm and the 40 S&W. Before someone suggests a .45 or something else, here is where I am so far: I am looking for a conceal carry gun. I can get Glocks for cheap, and I will not go with another brand. I used to be issued a Glock 30SF for off-duty carry. It was free so I didn’t complain, but I found the width and weight of the Glock 30 to be slightly disconcerting. Thus I decided the smaller, lighter Glocks would be more comfortable. So with the wide .45 and 10mm Glocks eliminated, I’m left with 9mm, 357 SIG, 40 S&W, 45 GAP. I decided I do not want to invest my money in the less popular 357 SIG and 45 GAP because those rounds may not be around 50 years, and they can be hard to find even today. Don’t waste your time arguing that “the 40 S&W won’t be around in 50 years.” I am convinced the 9, 40, and 45 will be here forever. So I’m left with the Glock 26 and 27. This will not be a range gun, and price of ammo is not an issue.

So it’s 9mm vs 40 S&W, which one is better at killing faster? I hear “modern 9mm loads are as good as or better than anything, including the 40.” If true I’ll just go with the 9mm for capacity, if not I’ll go with the .40 for the power.

Another thing I hear about is the 40's "snappy recoil." Is it really that bad, or is it imagined? I would expect the 40 to kick more than the 9mm, but people also claim it kicks more than a .45ACP. At face value it seems to defy logic. Is this true?

[Denezin]

If price of ammo isnt an option id choose a 40. If you where wanting a calibur thats available worldwide in case of un forseen events then get the 9. The recoil isnt as bad as people put it out to be as i shot a glock 23 not too long ago and it had about as much recoil as a 9mm. But you could always try em up at a range if you liked. Hope this helps.

[Noreaster]

Fellow LEO and I currently use a G27 because of issued ammo. The gun is snappy and during scenario based shooting drills I commonly engage the slide stop by accident and the slide locks back and I have to do a malfunction drill. I prefer the 9mm and I find 9mm to be very accurate. Hope this helps.

[CDW4ME]

Harder kicking 40 S&W loads:
Glock 27: Ranger T 165. @ 1,116 fps = PF 184
Glock 27: Speer Gold Dot 155 @ 1,171 fps = PF 182
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"Softer" kicking 40 S&W loads:
Glock 27: Remington 165 GS @ 1,018 fps = PF 168
Glock 27: Federal 155 gr. HS @ 1,072 fps = PF 166
Glock 27: Federal 180 gr. HST @ 930 fps = PF 167

PF = power factor and it is useful for quantifying recoil out of same size pistols.
Bullet weight x bullet speed / 1,000 = PF

Regardless, the 40 S&W will thump you more than the hottest 9mm
Glock 26: Winchester Ranger T 127 gr. +P+ @ 1,182 fps = PF 150

[AH.74]

I have a 33 and a 26. While I love the .357 Sig round, if I had to choose one the 26 would stay. It's easier to shoot and you can shoot it more without any fatigue.

I say go with the 26. You can always load up with +p or +p+ if you want as well.

[sig1]

Here is a good read that helped me decide, i actually shoot 357 sig. It is long but very intersting.
http://www.gunthorp.com/Terminal%20B...a%20morgue.htm

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[xLPlushy]

Have a Glock 22 and carry it daily, train with it regularly. It's the snappiest handgun I own. I've only shot a 26 and it wasn't near as bad as my 22. My suggestion would be try them out either at a range or with fellow officers who already have them. Me personally, I would get a 27. You can always get a factory 26 barrel later on for cheap if you decide the snappy .40 is too much. If I could get my paws on them baby Glocks more comfortably, I'd have a 27!


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[TailGator]

The difference between .40 and 9mm in ballistic gel is so small that a lot of people consider it to be negligible, and therefore opt for higher capacity. I am one of those who is not a fan of the recoil characteristics of .40 anyway, and the smaller pistols seem to exaggerate the difference a bit in my hands. I therefore carry a G26. The G27 has plenty of fans, though, and I am sure some of them will be along in a while to tell you how foolish and/or wimpy I am.

[Officer's Match]

I've owned both a Glock 27 and a Glock 39 (same thing in 45GAP). I can tell you it is not even close, the 40SW 27 kicks substantially harder than the 39.

I also have a good bit of experience with a G26, and it is one of my favorite Glocks. The 27 is by far my least favorite. I also shoot a good bit of 10mm, so I'm not a recoil averse person, but I will tell you the 27 is fairly hard to shoot well (at least initially). That was very disappointing as "on paper" I was sure the 27 was the ideal ccw for me.

I also had a P2000SK in 40, and that was a real sweetheart to shoot. My current ccw is Kahr PM9 loaded with 115gr +P (just trying to give you a frame of reference as to my likes/abilities). It is possible to get used to a 27, but for me it took some work, and I found other similar weapons that worked better for me.

[Dashunde]

I have a 27 and simply love it.
I also run 9mm through it using a Lone Wolf barrel and G26 magazines.
It has been 100% reliable in both calibers over the past few years and many boxes.
I find zero difference in my own shooting performance with either round. Sure, 9mm is more pleasant, but it doesnt seem to matter when drawing and putting 2 in a paper plate at 10-15 feet...ymmv.

I routinely carry a PM9 and think is powerful enough, so I'm not a 9mm hater.
With that said...

I dont think that 9mm is as capable or as potent as 40, and if 9mm+p is used its nearly as punchy anyway yet remains 25% smaller in its frontal area.
Many claim that there is no effective statistical SD difference between any of the auto-loading rounds. I dont know honestly, but the guy working in the Atlanta morgue seems to have a good grasp on it (see link above).
I do know that the 40 is noticeably bigger and heavier and moves at roughly the same speed.
I see a clear difference in damage and destruction when shooting 9mm and 40 at all sorts of target materials, 40 simply hits harder. The results are similar or equal to 45.
Many will say its not a good trade-off because 40 is harder to shoot, again I dont notice much of a difference and ymmv. Keep in mind that only matters for the second shot.

You'll give up 1 round in the 40. A good trade for me.

Originally Posted by Sig

http://www.gunthorp.com/Terminal%20Ballistics%20as%20viewed%20in%20a%20morgue.htm

The first section or so of that is really interesting and insightful. Thanks.

[TheNocturnus]

If price of ammo is not an issue, I'd say go for the G27. I had one and the felt recoil to me was less than the full sized G22. The dual recoil spring all but eliminated the recoil for me.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Get the 26

Easier to shoot
Cheaper ammo
One more round in the gun
Absolutely deadly

[jmr40]

For all the hype there is zero difference in real world performance between any of the common chamberings as long as the best loads are used.

I own most of the common chamberings from 380-44 mag. I feel well protected with my G-19 and G-26.

[Officer's Match]

If price of ammo is not an issue, I'd say go for the G27. I had one and the felt recoil to me was less than the full sized G22. The dual recoil spring all but eliminated the recoil for me.

No offense intended, but I find that very hard to believe. My G22RTF2 has WAY less recoil than the G27 I used to own. Not even close.

[Viper99]

I have the G27 with the 9mm conversion barrel from Long Wolf. It is the only .40 caliber that I own. Right now I would rather have a dedicated 9mm because that is my preferred caliber.

So if I could pick again, G26.

[jglsprings]

Wow, what an obtuse way to start a caliber war...

[mumbo719]

Departed402 if you believe shot placement is king then follow up is queen.

Go with the 9mm.

[Viper99]

No..no just stating my preferred caliber. Just for me. After being involved with guns for a while now I am thinking about keeping my 9mms, .22 mkii (never, ever selling those) and maybe keep my only 1911 just because they are so beautiful SR1911.

[9mm]

I have a Glock 26, easy to shoot for me. I am thinking about a 27, its what the FBI uses, 40cal.

[Dashunde]

Departed, I'm curious, what is your duty weapon?

I have the G27 with the 9mm conversion barrel from Long Wolf. It is the only .40 caliber that I own. Right now I would rather have a dedicated 9mm because that is my preferred caliber.

So if I could pick again, G26.

I'll buy that LW barrel for $75, then pawn your G27... You'll have about enouh to buy a new G26.

[TheNocturnus]

No offense intended, but I find that very hard to believe. My G22RTF2 has WAY less recoil than the G27 I used to own. Not even close.

No offense taken. I would not have posted that if that was not my perception. I truly thought the recoil felt less than my G22. I had faster follow up shots and my muzzle did not flip as much on the G27. Maybe it was attributed to a better grip on the G27 than on the G22.

None of that matters now because I no longer have them and have a G30 instead. One day I will own one of each caliber Glock... maybe.

[jglsprings]

Sorry Viper - not you - the original poster.

[ET.]

I've shot a G27 for 4 or more years now. I would rather carry it for protection instead of a 9mm because I like the stopping power of that round. I've shot thousands of rounds through it and never mistakenly engaged the slide stop once while shooting.

I too bought a 9mm barrel from Lone Wolf and shoot alot of 9mm at the range. The 9mm conversion barrel has never caused a single FTF. I don't carry it for protection as a 9mm, but 100% reliability over 3 years with a few thousand 9mm rounds fired would allow me to do so with confidence.

I also have a 357sig barrel that I can, & sometimes do, carry in it. I like the added "pop" the 357sig offers. If that round isn't around in 50 years, then all I've invested is $99. Plus I won't be around that long anyway, so what do I care?

[Mrgunsngear]

In my opinion, the G27 is the hardest model Glock makes for most shooters to shoot well. The small grip combined with the 'snappy' impulse just seem to give a lot of folks problems. That said, I love my G27 (and 26 ) and shoot it well. I think it just depends on the shooter.

If you're on the fence I'd say get the G26---can't go wrong with it.

[stormyone]

Departed402 wrote
<<<So it’s 9mm vs 40 S&W, which one is better at killing faster?>>>

Shot placement, bro. Shot placement.