Brian Pfleuger
January 23, 2009, 05:41 PM
Since I just got my permit and gun, I thought I'd give my impressions for all the other "newbies" floating around. Also, this should give the venerable veterans a good chance to grill me.:D
So, my weapon for the day is a Glock 33, because, well, it's all I got!
Magazines: Oow baby those springs are stiff! I had a heck of a time getting the floorplate off to install my Pearce +0 grip extension but I did finally get it. I didn't try the Glock magazine loader. I put one round in by hand, just to see, and then went straight for my Uplula Universal Loader. If you don't have one, get one. It's awesome. Spend time shooting not loading.
Recoil: I was a bit apprehensive. Recoil doesn't bother me per say but I was a little afraid that it would be severe enough with such a tiny gun and a powerful cartridge that it would not be fun to shoot. Boy was I wrong. My impression is that the recoil was equal to or less than that of a full size Glock flavored in 40S&W. Pleasantly surprising. I did not feel any appreciable difference in controllability with or without the grip extension. I did get bit very slightly once by the gap between the magazine and the grip, hardly noticeable and it was just because of bad finger position. Like every Glock I have ever fired, the trigger seems "abrasive" and bothers my finger a bit after a few rounds. It doesn't really hurt and doesn't continue to get appreciably worse so I don't worry about it. It goes away completely within 10 minutes or so of stopping.
Accuracy: Well, I'm the weak link here for sure so I'll not make any real attempt to critique the gun. Many of you reading this fire more rounds in a week than I have in my life. I was shooting at 7 yards. Here are my first two magazines, fired with Georgia Arms "Canned Heat":
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=41363&stc=1&d=1232748906
I switched to my "carry ammo", being CCI Gold Dot:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=41363&stc=1&d=1232748906
and one more, with the Gold Dot, semi-rapid fire:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=41365&stc=1&d=1232748906
Also in the accuracy department, I switched to my 5 inch Lone Wolf barrel and fired a magazine full at an arrow nock in a piece of styrofoam at the same 7 yards. I have to say that either I was getting used to the gun or the longer barrel is MUCH more accurate. I hit the knock on or about shot 5, after emptying the mag, my entire group, minus 1 flyer, was only about 2 1/2 inches. I couldn't get a good pic on the white styrofoam so you'll just have to trust me.
Reliability: Well, if I could borrow a quote from PBP "What's to say? It's a Glock, boring in it's reliability." I fired only 4 mags due to time constraints but I had no issues of any kind. I did find itt interesting that all the shells would land about 6 feet or so away until the last one in the mag, it went all but straight up, landing about 2 feet away. Every mag did that, I assume it's a result of nothing pushing from underneath on it's way up?
Finally, a review of my Crossbreed Supertuck holster:
It's very comfortable when standing. If it's between 3 o'clock and 5 o'clok it's ok for sitting. Anywhere else and it either bites into my thigh or makes a painful bump in my back. I suppose that is more just what happens when carrying than it is holster specific.
It holds the gun extremely well. A very solid a sure "click" type seating, you can definately feel the gun snap into place. It is rock solid for running, jumping, generally playing around with my 2 year old with no worries of the gun falling out. Somehow, it still manages to be quick on the draw, almost like it just lets go.
The bad? Well, IMO, it is anything but "tuckable". I can hide it very easily with a t-shirt and untucked, unbuttoned, dress shirt or even with a reasonably loose t-shirt untucked with no over shirt but, tuckable? No way. Anybody I talked to would be like "Is that a gun or are you just happy to see me?"
One more thing, a question for those that have bothered to read this far;). The primer strikes all appear to be slightly oblong, almost like the pin is still in contact when extraction occurs. I can't get a picture where you can see it so I have to just describe it. Where as my rifles all make a perfectly round dent, these are almost tear shaped. Is that type of primer strike normal for a Glock?
So, my weapon for the day is a Glock 33, because, well, it's all I got!
Magazines: Oow baby those springs are stiff! I had a heck of a time getting the floorplate off to install my Pearce +0 grip extension but I did finally get it. I didn't try the Glock magazine loader. I put one round in by hand, just to see, and then went straight for my Uplula Universal Loader. If you don't have one, get one. It's awesome. Spend time shooting not loading.
Recoil: I was a bit apprehensive. Recoil doesn't bother me per say but I was a little afraid that it would be severe enough with such a tiny gun and a powerful cartridge that it would not be fun to shoot. Boy was I wrong. My impression is that the recoil was equal to or less than that of a full size Glock flavored in 40S&W. Pleasantly surprising. I did not feel any appreciable difference in controllability with or without the grip extension. I did get bit very slightly once by the gap between the magazine and the grip, hardly noticeable and it was just because of bad finger position. Like every Glock I have ever fired, the trigger seems "abrasive" and bothers my finger a bit after a few rounds. It doesn't really hurt and doesn't continue to get appreciably worse so I don't worry about it. It goes away completely within 10 minutes or so of stopping.
Accuracy: Well, I'm the weak link here for sure so I'll not make any real attempt to critique the gun. Many of you reading this fire more rounds in a week than I have in my life. I was shooting at 7 yards. Here are my first two magazines, fired with Georgia Arms "Canned Heat":
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=41363&stc=1&d=1232748906
I switched to my "carry ammo", being CCI Gold Dot:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=41363&stc=1&d=1232748906
and one more, with the Gold Dot, semi-rapid fire:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=41365&stc=1&d=1232748906
Also in the accuracy department, I switched to my 5 inch Lone Wolf barrel and fired a magazine full at an arrow nock in a piece of styrofoam at the same 7 yards. I have to say that either I was getting used to the gun or the longer barrel is MUCH more accurate. I hit the knock on or about shot 5, after emptying the mag, my entire group, minus 1 flyer, was only about 2 1/2 inches. I couldn't get a good pic on the white styrofoam so you'll just have to trust me.
Reliability: Well, if I could borrow a quote from PBP "What's to say? It's a Glock, boring in it's reliability." I fired only 4 mags due to time constraints but I had no issues of any kind. I did find itt interesting that all the shells would land about 6 feet or so away until the last one in the mag, it went all but straight up, landing about 2 feet away. Every mag did that, I assume it's a result of nothing pushing from underneath on it's way up?
Finally, a review of my Crossbreed Supertuck holster:
It's very comfortable when standing. If it's between 3 o'clock and 5 o'clok it's ok for sitting. Anywhere else and it either bites into my thigh or makes a painful bump in my back. I suppose that is more just what happens when carrying than it is holster specific.
It holds the gun extremely well. A very solid a sure "click" type seating, you can definately feel the gun snap into place. It is rock solid for running, jumping, generally playing around with my 2 year old with no worries of the gun falling out. Somehow, it still manages to be quick on the draw, almost like it just lets go.
The bad? Well, IMO, it is anything but "tuckable". I can hide it very easily with a t-shirt and untucked, unbuttoned, dress shirt or even with a reasonably loose t-shirt untucked with no over shirt but, tuckable? No way. Anybody I talked to would be like "Is that a gun or are you just happy to see me?"
One more thing, a question for those that have bothered to read this far;). The primer strikes all appear to be slightly oblong, almost like the pin is still in contact when extraction occurs. I can't get a picture where you can see it so I have to just describe it. Where as my rifles all make a perfectly round dent, these are almost tear shaped. Is that type of primer strike normal for a Glock?