I did it! Glock 1926 update. Glock Chop

[HighValleyRanch]

If you followed a previous post, I had been contemplating cutting my glock 19 down to a baby glock grip size! Why not buy a 26? Because I already have the 19, love it, and do not want to pay 600.00 for another glock just for the grip size.

Today I drove over the mountain and bought a Glock 26 mag.

Gathered all my nerve, did some meditating in front of the band saw and cut the grip down to accomodate the new 26 mag into my glock 19 frame.
It was scary cutting into my precious, but I knew I couldn't sleep unless I tried it. Found out I could probably buy a new frame for a couple 100.00 if I did screw up. I knew I could do it, but haven't worked with polymer too much. Took about 15 minutes and a few slices to get it perfect.
Well a few simple cuts on the bandsaw and a small amount of filing and the mag goes is perfectly. I hand chambered some 9mm rounds out of both the 10 round glock 26 mag and the 15 round glock 19 mag. Loaded fine. But will have to wait till the range or tomorrow out in the pasture to try it out.

Decided not to do the grip reduction because I do not mind the grip angle, and want to keep it pretty stock. Will have to bevel the inside of the mag well tomorrow and do some touch ups.
http://www.jnb.com/~funggrip/glock1926.jpg
Pic 1 is the glock with the 26 mag in place. Pic 2 is with the mag out, you can see the cut. Pic 3 is with the original 19 mag. Pic 4 is a frontal view. Pic 5 shows the frontstrap and clean cut. Pic 6 shows the backstrap and the two different size mags. That 26 mag is tiny! Pic 7 shows the rough cut. Pic 8 shows the mag in.

Happy with the results and in my IWB holster the grip just about. dissapears! The 19 is only 1/2 inch longer than the 26, so the longer slide should not upset the balance, plus I have the longer sight radius, my old accurate barrel and slide, same everything, but 3/4 inch shorter grip. That's right, I had to cut off 3/4 inch off the 19 grip! Calif only allows ten rounds, so the smaller mag does not lose any capacity, and I can still use my preban 19 fifteen round mags as well.

Save the100.00 I would have paid a pro to do it, and cost me Zero-except the cost of the new mag-21.00

[Half-Price Assassin]

well, your a stronger man then I. i could never cut my GLOCK 17! it looks really good, oh forget the Glock 19 mags, just get some glock 26 mags, with the +2 extensions, that is good for helping you get a full hand grip. but just wanted to say it looks good (thanks for the pics), and hope you like your new creation!

[HighValleyRanch]

Talked to Tom Novak last night. He does the same work for around 55.00.
But with shipping would have run me 100.00. Now I know how to do it.
Recommends only going down one step, i.e. 17 to to 19 grip, 19 to 26 grip. He feels that a 17 to 26 would end up with too much an out of balance gun.

One of these days I want to take a ruger 22/45 and cut the grip down, and modify the mag, and have a 3" bull barrel. That would make one cool modified stubby .22! I'll look for a cheap old one to play with.

I can't modify the ten round magazine with a two round add on. The lawmakers here is Kalif, think that my glock would be an "assault" weapon! :barf: But since I have the 15 round prebans, I will carry with the .26 ten round and carry the 15 round as extra and have 26 rds for my CCW.

[roger-ruger]

The best looking glock ever. :D
Finally a glock pistol like a 1911 :p

[Christian 812]

HighValleyRanch,

I was a bit dubious about your transformation project !

Man, seems you're damm' skilled !

Congrats,

Cha

[Zekewolf]

HighValley, man, that's a good job. The main consideration, of course, is that YOU'RE happy with it! I do have one "finishing" suggestion: Take a look at a G26 and conform the rear bottom of your grip to the same angle, with edges radiused, as a G26. Looks like a little should be trimmed from the part in which a plug might be inserted. If you compare your grip to a G26's, you'll see that the bottom rear of the grip is angled upward from the magwell.

[chris in va]

Did you do something to the trigger?

[Zekewolf]

chris: Looks to me like he might have pulled it. Did you notice something else?

[HighValleyRanch]

Thanks guys.
Zekewolf, Will radius everything today. It was late last night and I only had enough time to do the bandsaw work. Today I will use my mandrell sander to radius the rear like a 26. Don't like the way the plug hole looks, so haven't decided whether to fill it yet.

Chris in VA,
No, it has the stock trigger. As I am using this for my CCW weapon, it was recommended NOT to use a 3.5 trigger as it could run into liability if it ever went to court. I am pretty used to the glock trigger so it is not a problem for me.
I had a chance to dry fire a Kahr P9 yesterday at the gun shop. Although it had a really smooth DOA as everyone has posted, I had a harder time finding the reset point as on the glock. It did not have that definite "set" point. Althogh most people find the glock trigger "mushy", you do not notice it much in actual shooting. The recoil help make it feel like a definite break point.

The polymer works easier than I though. Although there was slight "melt" from the bandsaw cut, it was easily filed off. The sander works great, but you have to feather it. Dremel works great for the stippling.

[kymasabe]

I think it looks great. I did read your original post and was a little concerned but looks like you did a great job and the gun looks awesome.

If it were mine though, I'd need a Pearce grip extension to hold on to the thing.

[Zekewolf]

You won't have any trouble using a lighter trigger, unless you happen to accidentally hurt/kill somebody. Trigger pull weight isn't an issue in righteous shoots.

[BigMike]

Good. How many other pistols could you hack saw like that and still have a functioning firearm?

[Gunz]

Wow. THat 19-26 hybrid looks great, High.

The bandsaw was running at a slow speed? I gues you marked the cut areas with some kind of white marker to see the lines?

Also, did you guide the grip through the band saw with your hands only? Or was there some kind of stbilizing fixture to keep everything straight?

Radiusing the rear hole area would be ok, and I guess it is personal preference for aesthetics.

Your work inspired me to do this to a G21 or G20.

Nice work. It gives the rest of us more confidence, about doing thiskind of thing.

I am glad Tom Novak does offer the service, but at $100 or so, it is a bit of insurance for those of us who have no access to a band saw or other tools.

Thanks, for sharing.