Glock SF Guns: any Problems to Look for?

[Theohazard]

Originally Posted by Swifty Morgan

I did not want the accessorizing that comes with the generation 4.

OK, I misunderstood you. But like Tom said, just don’t use them. Without any of the grip add-on panels, the Gen 4’s grip has exactly the same dimensions of the equivalent Gen 3 SF models.

[Swifty Morgan]

The SF is cheaper.

[dogtown tom]

Swifty Morgan The SF is cheaper.

In part, because you get one less magazine with a Gen3.
Gen4's come with three.

[Swifty Morgan]

So you pay over $40 more and get a $20 magazine.

[amd6547]

I’m pretty happy with the Gen4 G22 I picked up recently, police surplus. Like new, with night sights, for $300.

[Pistoler0]

Originally Posted by COSteve

Swifty, if you are looking at a 10mm full size Glock, consider the G40 with the longer 6" slide and barrel. Besides giving you a 30% longer sight radius, the extra 4+ oz of weight at the muzzle makes for a faster and more accurate follow-on shot if needed. Even better, full power 10mm loads come alive with the extra 1.4" of barrel length. (How about my 'nuclear' 165grn loads chrono'd at 1,579fps!!!)

I developed the first 6" longslide Glock 10mm way back in 2004 on a lark. I had bought a German steel slide made for my G21 and picked up a Jarvis 6" 45 barrel and mags in early 2004. Later that year, after some fitment testing using the barrel from my G22 as a mockup, I talked Kevin at KKM Precision into making me a one off, custom 45-10MM conversion barrel for it as Glock had sized the 10mm barrel for the G20 with the G21 45acp in mind. Below is a picture of it right after I got the stainless steel 45-10MM conversion barrel and before I installed it showing 10mm mags and ammo on the left and 45acp mags and ammo on the right.



The G40 would make an outstanding farm pistol as it has the power needed for most anything. I handload both 10mm and .357Mag and my G20L with just full power 165grn loads, not my nuclear ones, produces slightly higher velocities with a heavier, larger diameter bullet than do my full power 158grn .357Mag loads in a 6" S&W 686. Plus, with my mag base extension, I have 17+1 rds of 10mm ready to go vs only 6 rds in my Smith and the total package actually weighs less than the Smith too. Something to consider.

Hey COSteve, you in Colorado?

If so I'd like to pick your brain about that 6" slide and barrel for G21.
I have a G21 for which I have always dreamed of doing the same thing, so I can use it for hunting (with 45 Super).

[dogtown tom]

Swifty Morgan So you pay over $40 more and get a $20 magazine.

If you are paying over $40 more you need to find a better dealer.
The retail MAP difference between a 20SFgen3 and 20gen4 is $33.

And as noted "IN PART" the difference is due to the extra magazine.
-The Gen 4 comes with a better grip texture IMO.
-The Gen 4 comes with the ability to fit a wider range of hands with e different grip adapters.
-The Gen 4 has the ability to accept grip adapters with extended beavertail.
-The Gen 4 has a different recoil spring assembly as well. Better IMO
For many those features are well worth the $33 difference and hey...they get an extra magazine too!

Now, you may not see value in any of that. But saying "So you pay over $40 more and get a $20 magazine" isn't the least bit accurate.

***BTW...I don't own a single Gen 4 Glock. I'm happy with my Gen 3's.

[Dave T]

tom,

You left out what I think is the vastly superior mag release on the G4s.

Dave

[Swifty Morgan]

So a $33 magazine, combined with grip accessories I don't want, is a good deal? I don't see it. I saved money and got what I wanted.

I have had Glock springs fail on me, so I am not interested in whatever it is they did with the new generation. I was going to look for an aftermarket spring. It has always amazed me that Glock made great guns with unreliable springs. I have to wonder if anyone has been killed because a Glock spring fell apart during a shootout. It's very upsetting when it happens. You think, "What if this hadn't happened at the gun range?"

Maybe they're wonderful now, but two failures out of four guns are enough. I don't see any point in buying a more-expensive gun I don't want so I try Glock's new spring.

I have never had any problems with Glock magazine releases. I didn't know there was anything wrong with them.

[amd6547]

Well, I find the new spring set up in the Gen4 G22 to be a noticeable improvement over the Gen3 G23 I once owned. And, the Gen4 grip texture is a big improvement to me. I was always happy with my Gen3 G17 and G26. I probably wouldn’t own a Gen4 if cheap police surplus hadn’t made it possible.
I like the grip alone enough to make me sell my beloved G26 and get a Gen 4 or 5 G26 to replace it.
Having owned five Glocks over a couple decades and in different models and calibers, I never had a single spring problem of any kind whatsoever.

[Swifty Morgan]

I don't even know what generations my Glocks are. It's not a big concern. I only came here to ask about the SF guns because the "short frame" designation sounded sketchy, like they had shrunk some important part in order to save money.

[Swifty Morgan]

I have wonderful news for the folks who think I should have gone with a Generation 4. Gander Outdoors sat on my order for so long, I decided to cancel it. Generally, my experiences with this outfit have been very good, but this one was not. They hold firearm orders for three days before processing them, which is insane.

[dogtown tom]

Swifty Morgan ....Maybe they're wonderful now, but two failures out of four guns are enough.

So.........why are you continuing to buy a brand with a 50% failure rate?

[Swifty Morgan]

I think I will take a break and let someone else respond to your interesting posts for now.

[COSteve]

Originally Posted by Pistoler0

Hey COSteve, you in Colorado?

If so I'd like to pick your brain about that 6" slide and barrel for G21.
I have a G21 for which I have always dreamed of doing the same thing, so I can use it for hunting (with 45 Super).

Yep, I'm in a valley S/W of the Denver Metro Area, about 5 miles south of Morrison and Red Rocks. I use the Jarvis 45 cal barrel for shooting 45 Super in mine as well as the KKM 45-10MM barrel for my 10mm loads. Shoot me a PM with your phone number if you are close and want to talk about it.

[COSteve]

Originally Posted by Swifty Morgan

It's an interesting idea, but the 20 is already pretty bulky. Do they even make a holster for the G40?

I wouldn't want a 10mm if I didn't handload. It's sad to see how weak most store ammo is. I get 1250 fps out of a Glock 29, which is not too bad.

Sorry, I didn't see your question until this morning. Yes, my G20L has a longer slide and barrel, however, it's not at all bulky. Consider that my Glock G20 with 17+1 rds of 180grn hot 10mm hardcast handloads on board is more compact and actually lighter than a comparably performing 6" barreled .357mag S&W 686 with only ⅓ the ammo load on board.

As to holsters, it fits just fine in both my leather open nose Don Hume Paddle Holster made for a G20 that I use as my range holster as well as my leather Yaki Slide holster I use for 'woods walking' to keep it tight to my body.

BTW, my 'nuclear' 165grn handloads chrono at 1,589fps out of my G20L at my range at 6,100ft asl on an 84° day. That's 925ft/lbs of ME and with the longer sight radius it gives me the ability to 'plink' steel plates at 200yds.

[mr bolo]

the G20 & 21 SF models are noticeably smaller in the back of the grip.

SF (Short Frame)

[Brit]

Dave T.
Your comment on the better mag release on the Gen 4? When I first put some rounds downrange, my Mag release bit my second finger. A wee snip with a sharp knife...Fixed. What amazes me, is the finish on the slide.
First off it is just black! And with no blemish anywhere! Made in Austria.
I know many people did not like the finger groves (That's why they did away with them!) I like them. My latest 43X Nickle plated (Looks like that) slide has no finger grooves, that feels fine also.
My first two 15 round Magazines from Shield, do not lock the slide back on the last round. The second two, my buddy just bought 4, two for me. They both lock the slide back? Look exactly the same.
I wish Glock would make extended slide lock levers for the 43X(release) as they did for my 4th gen G19. I watched a team Glock shooter? His name escapes me, changing magazines in an IDPA match! So fast. So I bought one.

A bit of trivia, a firearms instructor, from Toronto Police, had the Officers on the range, jack the slide if the slide closed when replacing a magazine. The force of the mag change closed it? And the shorter closing distance would cause a misfire?

When the parts wear, that happens. Every time with my Gen 4 Glock 19! Never had a failure to fire, ever.