By J. Law
I’m of the generation that grew up GLOCK. I’ve fired 1911s, SIGs, H&Ks, Walthers, Steyrs, Smiths, etc., but my “baseline” and original handgun is the GLOCK. GLOCKs don’t point high for me, other handguns point low. The GLOCK does not have a “low” bore axis, other handguns are just too tall. The GLOCK isn’t lightweight, other handguns are heavier than they need to be. You get the idea . . .
Based partially on the advice of my martial arts and combat shooting instructor John Perkins, the first handgun I owned was a GLOCK 23 Gen4 .40 (the “Gen4” part was my own idea). One of the early Gen4 guns, it gave me feeding and ejection problems—which ultimately proved beneficial to me.
The one feature the GLOCK design clearly has above all others in my opinion is simplicity. With no instruction beyond online research, I troubleshot and eventually fixed what ailed my original GLOCK, while also tinkering with it in virtually all ways short of directly modifying the frame, slide and barrel—thoroughly testing every change with rounds downrange. I detail stripped and reassembled that gun so many times (in between shooting the snot out of it) that the pins would pop in and out with little effort (and the trigger pin eventually broke—but the gun still worked).
I experimented with various Recoil Spring Assemblies (RSAs), extractors, ejectors and magazine springs to cure the various malfunctions the gun initially had (no, NOT due to limp wristing). In this case, the ultimate solution consisted of the updated RSA and updated contoured ejector from GLOCK, along with a White Sound Defense High Reliability Extractor Depressor (HRED). Meanwhile, I experimented with 9mm conversion (Storm Lake barrel, GLOCK 19 Gen4 RSA and magazine, and 9mm ejector), .357 SIG conversion, all manner of trigger connectors, trigger bars, overtravel stops and springs, and various iron sights (MGM sight pusher tool paid for itself quickly) and lasers and weapon-mounted lights.
That first GLOCK was followed by a GLOCK 21 Gen4, GLOCK 34 Gen4 and GLOCK 17 Gen4. I eventually figured out that the full-size GLOCK frame actually fits my hand better than the compact GLOCK 19/23 frame, and I prefer the feel of 9mm and .45 ACP recoil to .40 and 357 SIG, so a friend now owns that original GLOCK 23, with fresh pins and mostly stock internals. I put on sights that work well with his eyes and he uses it as a perfectly reliable 9mm primarily. The heavier GLOCK 23 slide and conversion barrel make shooting even hot 9mms a very comfortable experience.
An extended (and expensive) concurrent sojourn into the world of nice double action revolvers taught me that I prefer a smooth, rolling trigger release (like in a good double action revolver) to a hard/crisp wall (like in a single-action duty pistol or factory GLOCK), especially for combative purposes (i.e. fast, intuitive shooting while moving and fighting at close range against moving and fighting targets).
As Bob Nichols wrote in his 1950 book, The Secrets of Double-Action Shooting:
“Double action triggering is a technique of natural motion—which naturally blends and synchronizes with natural and unavoidable body motion, both internal and external—and which also blends and synchronizes with target motion, if any. Result: hitting, whatever the target, whether motionless or in motion—and easier hitting.”
It also taught me that the conventional wisdom that revolvers are inherently more reliable and trouble-free than semiautomatic pistols is NOT always true. But that’s another story.
A subsequent extended (and expensive) trip into the world of milled-slide red-dot-sighted GLOCKs taught me that I may prefer good iron sights on a self-defense handgun. That’s another story as well, but suffice it to say that while my 2 MOA Aimpoint Micro-equipped, slick triggered GLOCK 34 Gen4 enables me to shoot much tighter groups at extended range than with any other handgun, I’ve found that good iron sights are more suitable for what’s typically required from a handgun in self-defense. And that the currently most popular red dot sights (Trijicon RMRs and Aimpoint Micros) may actually detract from that utility, as do lasers and perhaps even weapon-mounted lights.
I was in the final stages of figuring all this out when the GLOCK 41 came to market. Many ho-hummed the new model, questioning the utility of a full-size .45 ACP GLOCK with a longer, thinner, lighter slide than the old, fat, reliable G21. I had personally always liked my 21 Gen4, particularly the grip. My hands have always felt that the GLOCK 9mm size frames are just a tad too slim for optimal grip, even with the Gen4 backstraps or Grip Force Adapters installed.
Even when squeezing hard, I always felt like there were some voids that just a little more grip width could fill for enhanced control and pointing confidence. I don’t like any of the rubber grip sleeves because I feel they detract from quick manipulation and dexterity in suboptimal gripping situations (like might happen during violence), similarly to why Jerry Miculek states that he dislikes rubber revolver grips where fast manipulation and reloads are concerned because they slow him down and prevent him from correcting a botched draw on the fly.
The standard GLOCK 21 frame was too much, but the “short frame” GLOCK 21 Gen4 grip felt just right. It filled all the voids while still allowing sufficient trigger reach and a secure grip in my hand. The only problem was that the GLOCK 21 slide was a thick, heavy beast that required thick holsters and gave the naturally top-heavy GLOCK design an even more top-heavy bias. The greater width of the slide — described by some from the shooter’s perspective as “looking down the deck of an aircraft carrier” — for me detracted from the gun’s liveliness and quick pointability in the hand compared to the GLOCK 34 slide.
Generally, for intuitive shooting, guns with longer and thinner slides (or longer barrels for revolvers) are better, because they give the peripheral vision a more precise “pointer” to subconsciously align during movement. Despite the better grip, my GLOCK 21 Gen4’s thick, heavy slide prevented it from being my runaway favorite.
Enter the GLOCK 41. I knew right away I had to try it out. I wondered whether recoil might be harsher, and whether it really would fit GLOCK 34 holsters as I hoped it would. My fears would prove to be unfounded.
I shot the 41 Gen4 straight out of the box at the gun store’s 23-yard indoor range. During that first 100 or so rounds, I had a few failures to go into battery, with the slide stopping twice just as the round was being picked up and once when almost fully chambered. Feeling the roughness of the slide travel, particularly on the return stroke, I immediately knew from experience what the problem was. My 21 had shown similar problems a few hundred rounds into my ownership of it. The slide return had felt so rough that I had examined whether the locking surfaces might have gotten damaged, but everything looked okay. I finally traced the problem to the RSA.
Trust me on this: the RSA may not be an official lubrication point in the GLOCK manual, but for gosh sakes, please LUBRICATE YOUR Gen4 RSA! With my G21 Gen4, as soon as I hosed down the RSA with Ballistol and wiped off the excess, slide travel was restored to complete smoothness and the feeding problems vanished. Did the same fix work with the GLOCK 41? Yes. Yes it did. No more feeding problems in over two thousand rounds since I lubricated the RSA after that first shooting session. The RSA is a standard light lube point for me in my regular maintenance.
My G41 came with a “minus” connector and GLOCK’s plastic adjustable “target” sights installed. While the “minus” connector is supposed to give a 4.5-pound trigger pull, on mine, the trigger pull was 7 pounds plus when measured from the center of the trigger and 5 pounds plus when measured from the toe. While the trigger wasn’t obscenely heavy, it had a very prominent “wall” following the take-up, where the trigger remains almost motionless while pressure is increased until it lets go with lots of overtravel. Far from ideal for someone who prefers a smooth, constant, rolling trigger pull with minimal overtravel.
While I was able to sight in the adjustable sights at 23 yards and print groups under four inches with Aguila hardball, I had no confidence that the plastic rear sight would hold that zero through rough times. Also, the sight picture was unusable by me for anything beyond very slow shooting. Even on the long slide, there’s not nearly enough light on either side of the front sight, and the front sight dot does not align properly within the rear sight’s “three-sided box” when the top edges of the front and rear sights are properly aligned. On top of that, the elevation mechanism of the rear sight creates outer and inner top edges of the sight at slightly different levels, which is annoying and visually confusing.
In order to properly wring out the GLOCK 41 and decide whether it was for me, I had to make it my own.
The first change was the sights. I replaced the rear sight with AmeriGlo’s GL-121R, a standard profile steel rear sight with 0.150” notch and two yellow tritium dots. I replaced the front sight with AmeriGlo’s new GL-212-165-120, the thinnest tritium dot front sight on the market as far as I’m aware. It has a small green tritium dot surrounded by a thin ring of lime green photoluminescent paint. While I consider tritium sights with surrounding rings essential on a combat handgun for sight visibility in all lighting, target color and contrast situations, I had always been annoyed by the excessive thickness of most tritium front sights.
A thick front sight detracts from precision capability, at least in my eyes. A wider rear sight notch does not correct this shortcoming, it merely makes the front sight easier to acquire and center quickly. The new thin AmeriGlo front sight at the end of that long GLOCK 41 slide, combined with the 0.150” rear notch with the subdued yellow tritium dots (preventing them from overpowering the smaller tritium dot in the front sight), finally give me a sight picture I like. Both precision and quick shooting showed this sight setup’s advantage for me over other setups. As of yet, I cannot match the precision accuracy of my Aimpoint equipped G34 Gen4, but with these sights on the G41 I can come closer than with anything else I’ve tried.
I couldn’t realize the full capability of the new sights and the gun in general, though, while fighting with the glitchy, hard wall stock trigger. Under ideal conditions, a good shooter should be able to shoot well with a bad trigger. That’s how I was able to sight in the adjustable sights of the stock G41 during my first outing with it. As long as you have the time and mental capacity to concentrate on the smooth, straight-back application of pressure to the trigger, with no anticipation of the break nor physical fear of the muzzle blast, you can get good results, particularly in slow shooting.
Combat, however, and even competition, are far from ideal conditions. Your mind will likely be too concerned with other things to concentrate much on the fundamentals of “intellectual” marksmanship. It’s advisable to train good trigger control habits to a level of subconscious competence, but the fact is when forced to shoot dynamically, you won’t always have a perfect grip on your pistol to allow for a repeatable ideal trigger pull, and conditions may force you to hit rather than squeeze the trigger to keep up with the chaos unfurling around you.
Having a “forgiving” trigger pull can make a big difference under such conditions. Even top competitive shooters, who have certainly gained incredibly consistent subconscious trigger control skills through millions of rounds of good practice plus loads of natural talent, set their triggers up to be forgiving of blatant violations of standard marksmanship principles. Rob Leatham, for one, is an outspoken advocate of “slapping” the heck out of the trigger for maximum speed, close range shots. This simply won’t work well with an unforgiving trigger pull.
Fortunately, I’d already worked out my “recipe” for my ideal GLOCK trigger, given my personal preferences, and it worked perfectly on the GLOCK 41:
1) ZEV Tech V4 lightweight steel striker – This durable, well-made striker, with its light weight and slightly extended tip, allows greater striker speed and primer popping energy when used with the
2) Wolff reduced power striker spring – Seriously folks, the biggest determinant of a GLOCK trigger’s pull weight is not the connector type, but the power of the striker spring that you need to compress via trigger motion. Use the reduced power spring with the heavy stock striker and expect light strikes with some ammo. Use the reduced power spring with the above mentioned lightweight striker and you’re back to full reliability with all ammo (at least all that I’ve tried).
3) Ghost Edge 3.5 connector – Remember how I don’t like the “wall” in the standard GLOCK trigger pull? Well, Ghost Inc. makes several products specifically designed to eliminate that wall. The Edge is the version without the built-in overtravel stop that requires fitting. That version is the Evo Elite, which I have in other GLOCKs and works great—after you properly fit the overtravel stop tab. In the GLOCK 41, I chose to use the Edge to avoid the painstaking process of gradually filing down the stop tab. But I still wanted reduced overtravel, so I used the trigger housing with adjustable overtravel stop screw that comes with the
4) glocktriggers.com Edge trigger kit – This kit includes the above-mentioned housing with overtravel adjustment screw, polished trigger bar modified for reduced pretravel, and polished firing pin safety plunger with reduced power spring. It actually comes with a few other things (polished “minus” connector, reduced power striker springs, stock trigger spring), but I didn’t use them. I like the reduced pretravel trigger on the GLOCK 41 not so much because pretravel is bad, but because it brings the trigger’s rest position back to a better place for me to engage it quickly.
While the thicker GLOCK .45 frame fills my hand better than the 9mm frame, with a stock trigger the trigger reach to the starting point is right at the outer edge of acceptable for my hand size and finger length. Bringing that starting point back a bit yields far more positive engagement of the trigger (including the trigger safety) even with suboptimal grip and in “trigger hitting” situations. Once with the GLOCK 41, before I did my trigger modifications, I experienced a hiccup during a very fast, dynamically moving string of fire.
With everything going on, I didn’t hit the reset and my finger came off the trigger between shots. I had gotten a suboptimal grip on the draw and so the recoil of the Hornady +P Critical Duty ammo I was using caused the gun to shift a little in my hand. As I came back onto the trigger for the next shot in the string, the trigger was frozen. I had failed to hit the trigger safety squarely. The delay was only a fraction of a second as I got back on the trigger to complete the string of fire, but it certainly made me hustle to install the Edge trigger bar after that range session!
If you want to install a reduced pretravel trigger on your GLOCK, please ensure that the trigger bar and firing pin safety plunger combination you are using does NOT deactivate the firing pin safety in the trigger’s forward position in your gun! The GLOCK, by design, is not precision fitted in the fire control area, and cutting things close might work in one gun but not another.
Here’s my test: after installing your reduced pretravel trigger bar and any other aftermarket components, dry fire your triple-checked unloaded gun in a safe direction. After it “clicks,” shake it forward and back and listen to the sound the striker makes as it moves freely back and forth in its channel. (If it doesn’t move freely you might want to check your spring cups and channel liner.) Now, WITHOUT manipulating the slide, simply push the trigger itself into its forward position, hold it there, then shake the gun forward and back again.
If you still hear the striker moving freely, DO NOT USE THE GUN IN THIS CONFIGURATION. The parts you installed have deactivated the striker safety. Also ensure that the shortened pretravel does not set the trigger so far back that it overrides the “drop” safety shelf in the trigger housing when the trigger is in the forward position. To check for this, with the slide off, hold the trigger in the forward position and press down on the cruciform. If the cruciform slides down into the trigger housing, i.e. it’s not held up on the shelf, again, DO NOT USE THE GUN IN THIS CONFIGURATION.
The pretravel reduction has set the trigger too far back for safety. Of course, ensure that the trigger safety still functions and engages snappily with every reset. Hopefully the manufacturer of the trigger bar took care of this already, as it’s one factor he has full control over. Oh, and a note about overtravel adjustment in the GLOCK .45 frame: I’ve noticed that the GLOCK .45 frame is more sensitive to overtravel over-reduction than the 9mm frame due to increased flex in the frame due to the larger size. This is one reason why I prefer the adjustable overtravel stop in the trigger housing in .45 GLOCKs vs. the fixed, fitted Ghost connector overtravel stop.
On a .45 GLOCK, I can get the overtravel adjusted perfectly, such that there’s practically no movement after the striker releases, and it will work fine in a “normal” right handed firing grip. However, if I grip the gun hard in my left hand, the trigger may not release the striker or it may release with a hesitation. That’s because in my hands at least, if I grip the gun in my left hand and squeeze hard (as I might do were my life in danger!), the frame flexes in such a way that the trigger housing comes forward a bit relative to the trigger bar, effectively reducing the travel space available to the trigger bar. If the overtravel is adjusted to stop the trigger bar just after the striker is released, squeezing with the left hand effectively reduces the trigger bar’s travel further to inhibit striker release. The effect is lessened with a magazine in the gun, but not eliminated.
Not good! Therefore, I have to adjust my .45 GLOCKs to include a little bit of overtravel to ensure full reliability in any sort of grip. It’s still a big improvement over stock, but not as good as can be achieved in the 9mm frame, which seems to have less flex. On the other hand, the geometry of the .45 frame seems to yield slightly lower pull weight than the 9mm frame given the same parts and adjustments. Also be sure when adjusting overtravel that the striker will release even when downward pressure is applied to the rear sight, to guarantee reliability.
5) Wolff extra power trigger spring: The stronger this spring is, the lighter the pull weight—so long as the strength of the trigger spring does not override the strength of the striker spring and prevent or slow the reset. Ensure that this spring is installed correctly and is not twisted or kinked during reassembly.
The above recipe yields what is — for me — the perfect GLOCK trigger. In my G41, the pull now measures slightly under 4.5 pounds at the center of the trigger face, and slightly under 4 pounds at the toe. More importantly, the trigger is completely smooth with no hitches nor “walls,” it rests in a good place for my hand and finger size (no more “frozen” triggers in dynamic shooting), and has minimal overtravel consistent with reliability. Reset is positive and firm with no hesitation.
All three GLOCK safeties function properly 100% of the time (I check that as part of normal maintenance, to be sure), and the gun has fired 100% reliably with all ammo I’ve tried, including Mexican and Eastern European hardball that typically has harder primers than commercial American ammo. (Freedom Munitions, by the way, is great for cheap, high quality, American made practice ammo!)
Most importantly, the GLOCK 41 has been perfectly reliable with all defensive ammo I’ve tried, including my favorite Federal HST and Hornady Critical Duty. I change out the striker spring fairly often, and can always switch to a heavier spring if I’m ever stuck with ammo with EXTREMELY hard primers.
The components for this trigger modification are not cheap, but fortunately in my case I already had most of them around from previous projects. I’ve tried other components and these are what I like best and have proven most reliable in multiple guns. In my opinion, if you want to shoot your GLOCK to the best of your ability, with no possible “excuses,” the improved trigger action is worth the cost.
Before anyone brings up possible liability concerns connected with trigger modification, I’ll just say it’s a personal decision that depends on your level of training and experience. I agree with Dave Spaulding that your ability to articulate the rationale behind the modification is key. Personally, I want to do everything I can to reduce the possibility of a miss in a defensive situation.
Again, under ideal circumstances, any reasonable trigger will work, but I want one that is more forgiving of compromised technique in less than ideal circumstances. Habitually keeping the trigger finger off the trigger until ready to actually shoot is a matter of training, and if your finger does wander onto the trigger prematurely under stress, well, under full adrenaline your body likely won’t differentiate between a 4-pound and a 7-pound trigger. Even the modified GLOCK trigger has more travel than a typical single-action trigger, and so is theoretically less likely to be pulled all the way through accidentally under stress.
Modifications done (add in a Glockmeister grip plug for less snagging on draws and reloads), the GLOCK 41 now shoots for me better than any other handgun I’ve tried. Unsupported precision groups are not quite as tight as with the Aimpoint equipped G34 Gen4 due to my eyes’ current limitations with iron sights, but with groups consistently under three inches, it has more than enough practical accuracy in my hands.
More importantly, fast, accurate, intuitive shooting while moving dynamically against dynamically moving targets at close to medium range is a breeze. Between the hand-filling yet pointable grip and that long, thin slide, the gun seems to guide itself to the target. While recoil with hot loads feels slightly faster and more snappy than with the GLOCK 21 Gen4 due to the GLOCK 41’s lighter slide, the GLOCK 41 seems to recover itself faster and more consistently in my hands. With standard pressure rounds, it’s a pussycat. I tried shooting it with a Streamlight TLR1HD weapon mounted light attached, thinking that the extra weight might reduce the already minimal muzzle flip, but it actually seemed to track and recover better without the light.
Because the GLOCK 41’s slide is indeed the exact same thickness as the GLOCK 34’s, it fits into many holsters meant for the G34, with some appropriate adjustment of tension mechanisms to accommodate the slightly thicker frame. Not everyone will want to or be able to carry the GLOCK 41, but here’s one recipe for doing so:
1) CCW Breakaways khaki, cargo pants or shorts and “mag socks”: Check them out. In my opinion, an excellent product, enabling safe, comfortable, fully concealed, fully accessible carry of full-sized handguns, spare magazines and accessories. Adjust the pocket shape and size using the included Velcro if necessary to make the gun ride just where you need it to.
2) Safariland P-2 ALS holster with belt attachment removed and Velcro applied: This is the ALS security holster intended for G17s sporting mini red dot sights. Some work with a Dremel and removal of the pivoting hood allows it to fit the G41 perfectly. If you unscrew the belt attachment hardware, you have a perfect “pocket holster” for the GLOCK 41 in the most recent version of the CCW Breakaways pocket. The bulge on the topstrap of the holster to accommodate the mini red dot sight actually perfectly fills the holster pocket to keep the gun stable and secure—and if you want to mount a mini red dot sight (RMR, Docter, etc.—Aimpoint can be accommodated but it requires more Dremel work on the holster), your holster is ready.
In the older style CCW Breakaways with a smaller pocket design (not enough room to accommodate a red dot sight), a Safariland 6378-283 works better. Velcro “hook” material applied to the side of the holster that goes against the leg mates with the “loop” material inside the pocket to help prevent the holster from coming out with the gun when drawn from strange angles. Holster tension can be adjusted such that the holster falls free of the gun as the ALS release lever is hit, offering a failsafe should you ever miss the (very ergonomic and natural) release lever and pull the still holstered gun from the pocket. The holster fully covers the trigger guard and offers the ultimate safety in reholstering: Take the holster in your hand, insert the gun into it until it locks, then put the whole package into the pocket. You never have to fiddle with reholstering a gun with exposed trigger against your body.
With this setup, cold draws to hits at seven yards in under two seconds are easily doable. But the big advantage is your ability to pre-stage your draw. If you anticipate trouble, you can place your hand on your G41 in your pocket without brandishing, cutting your draw-to-hit time to less than a second. This setup is more secure under dynamic conditions than most concealed carry setups, and less vulnerable to casual detection. It can even work with an Aimpoint- and TLR1HL-equipped GLOCK 34 Gen4, using a heavily Dremelled Safariland 6354DO holster.
Personally though, I think the iron sighted, light-less GLOCK 41 is more efficient for self-defense in all but the most outlandish situations. One note about the Safariland ALS holsters: Be aware that if you want to carry a GLOCK with a weapon-mounted light attached, using a compatible ALS holster, coverage of the trigger guard will not be absolute and it will be possible for an object or finger to get to the trigger inside the holster. This has actually happened at least a couple times to law enforcement officers carrying light-equipped GLOCKs in exposed ALS holsters. In at least one case, children with sneaky fingers were involved. This is one reason (not the only reason) why I recommend against the weapon mounted light for self-defense.
You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned anything about caliber. That’s because it was not a primary consideration in my decision to purchase and work with the GLOCK 41. I suspected, based on experience, that the GLOCK 41 would perform well for me, given a few modifications. And I was right—I can actually shoot it better than a smaller caliber GLOCK by the measures I deem most important for me. I don’t feel the capacity reduction from 17 rounds of 9mm to 13 rounds of .45 is much of an issue. Most self-defense situations are decided with far fewer rounds—although extra magazines are good, just in case.
I don’t exactly buy into the currently trendy terminal ballistics idea that “all handgun service calibers are equally effective in the best loads,” although obviously placement and straight penetration are key and we can never count on anything 100%. Is a 9mm Federal HST that expands to 0.7” and penetrates 12.5” in ballistic gelatin much worse than a .45 HST that expands to 0.9” and penetrates over 13” in ballistic gelatin with more momentum and energy? I dunno, probably not MUCH worse. . . . Although the .45 wound cavity is theoretically over 70% bigger than the 9mm cavity (theoretically—it doesn’t work that simply in the real world). . . . Let’s just leave it as, the .45 HST probably won’t be WORSE than any other service handgun round!
And if I can put them where they need to go in chaotic, violent conditions with the rugged, reliable, simple GLOCK 41 better than I can with any other handgun, then it’s a good thing.
Note: The author of this article is NOT a gunsmith nor a certified GLOCK armorer. All technical information contained in this article is purely the author’s own experience and is shared for entertainment purposes only. Treat all firearms carefully and get professional guidance regarding their use, maintenance and modification.
Yawn. It’s a glock. I get it.
I wouldn’t carry a .380 if my life depended on it. Oh, wait. It does! No one who has ever studied ballistic wounds would chose a .380.
The 41 is a .45 caliber weapon. You’re thinking of the 42.
oh, thank you 🙂
And no one but no one has ever volunteered to get shot with a .380 unless they were demonstrating a vest.
No one would volunteer to be shot with a staple gun, yet I would not carry one as a defensive weapon. Stupid argument.
Ballistics is BS with modern center fire cartridges and loads. What counts is whether you carry 24/7. 3 rounds from my Ruger LCP put two bad guys out of commission…period. I have two .45’s and I’m 5′-8″ tall. Hauling that much steel around concealed is not an option.
honestly if im conceal carrying, i would not want some gigantic pistol tucked on my side it would get uncomfortable eventually. i would prefer something the size of a glock 42 for that.
“I wouldn’t carry a .380 if my life depended on it.”
Most asinine comment I have read on the internet in 20 years. Run at a person with a .380 in their hand and you WILL die, and will do so as stupid as you are now.
Hate, hate, hate. We get it TTAG readers hate GLOCKs.
So, the Glock 41 is the perfect gun if you make a whole bunch of modifications to it, like the sights, trigger, trigger springs … and be sure to lube some places in they don’t tell you about in the manual to make it reliable?
Sounds to me the OP is married to the theory of the Glock-brand-Glock, not the implementation.
No thanks.
+1
+2 and said much more politely than I planned on saying it.
+3
Yet if it was someone showing off some $2k 1911 everyone would be fawning over it.
Jeezledee Christmas, man – it would be easier to make your own from scratch!
Have you figured out how much money (and time!) you spent on this, and what you could have gotten instead?
Great article. Highly technical. This is the kind of stuff that brings me back to TTAG.
I appreciate your insight into the aftermarket world of Glocks.
The gun I carried for 10 years CC was a Glock 30; great gun. I agree, his exploration of different modifications to the Glock platform is appreciated.
+100
So he loves tweaking his guns! What’s the problem? (to those who are griping)
Interesting. I don’t follow Glocks that closely aside from the more common models and was not aware they finally put themselves on a diet. I don’t see the reduced slide width as a detriment in any way. Modern engineering practices are usually good enough that they can optimize the design without a lot of extra metal that just adds bulk and weight.
Still ugly. That’s ok, I appreciate Glocks for the tools they are.
I would like the G41 better if it came in Gen3…
I think Glock could have stopped with the Gen3, heck, maybe even the Gen2.
The gun keeps getting more expense, but not because it is really getting any better.
I’ve been seeing the Gen4 prices creeping up to the high 600 to low 700 range, while the Gen3 can still be had for around 500.
Once the Gen3s are no longer made I think my Glock buying days are over.
I just bought a gen4 G17 for $540. Where are you shopping at?
None of places I saw those prices…
None of the places I saw those prices…
Gander Mountain!
Commiefornia, dude. Every state’s gun laws are not like Alaska’s.
If you ever visited California, you would understand. Even more so if you ever lived here. There are no property taxes, so those of us who don’t live in splender (but do livein squalor) eat the tax through overtaxed cars, overtaxed guns (especially guns), overtaxed mobile phone service – and pretty much everything that you pay for everyday. Even our gas cost much more.
No property taxes in California? Have you ever owned a house there? I did, from 1988 to 2015 (June 22nd, when we fled after living there all our lives). During that time, I paid property taxes every year. Sure, Proposition 13 (passed in the 1970s) keeps a lid on property taxes, which are — on average — about 20% lower than the US average. However, property values in California, esp. in the heavily populated areas, are WAY higher than the US average. Consider that a cousin who works for Google bought a house in San Jose, CA for $950k (!) about 3 years ago. If you Zillow his address now, that house supposedly would sell for $1.8M (!!!!!!!).
Sure, property taxes are higher in New Hampshire, where we moved to before California puts up a border fence — to keep taxpayers IN, not illegals out. However, housing costs are WAY lower, there is no state income tax (vs. up to 13.3% in CA, the highest in the US) nor sales tax (vs. 9.5% in the CA town we moved from).
As to this review, I found it tedious at best, and way too long. And the author didn’t even have the honesty to state how much time and money went into the mods described ad nauseuam.
I own a G19, G30s & a G21. All are Gen 4, none cost more than $525. It pays to shop on line or with a trusted small business FFL. The big box stores are a rip-off.
LOL… Dumber than a box of rocks… Doesn’t matter. If you buy the firearm online from major retailer a mom ‘n’ pop store, or even an individual, your weapon will still be taxed by the state of California. If you choose to buy in cash, out-of-state, from an unscrupulous retailer who chooses not to photocopy your ID, you may get by the taxes and the DOJ in CA. However, if you ever get busted with an unregistered weapon in CA, you will be in for a very expensive lesson and years of attornies/court. If you don’t have the money for an attorney, and you get a public defender, you’ll just be sitting in state prison for at least a year, and you’ll learn about things that you don’t want to know.
I knew where this was headed way, way way back in the second paragraph:
“One of the early Gen4 guns, it gave me feeding and ejection problems—which ultimately proved beneficial to me.”
Non GLOCK translation- the gun sucked, which prepared me for dealing with a lifetime of sucky GLOCK brand GLOCKS.
So, he’s saying that without those reliability issues, he never would have had to find the best aftermarket parts to make it function the way he wanted it to? With spin like that, this guy must have his own gravitational pull.
Call me nuts, but the term “Perfection” suggests that you don’t need to install a bunch of third-party doodads or make any other modifications to get a gun working like it’s supposed to straight out of the box. If that’s not the case with their products, then maybe GLOCK should pick a different buzzword to describe it.
The title of the article is “How the Glock 41 BECAME My Perfect Sidearm”. This is about him modifying it to his idea of perfection.
And if the author of this piece was the one who came up with the “Perfection” slogan for GLOCK, what you just said would actually mean something.
Right at the beginning of the Sandy Hook panic a Glock 35 Gen4 showed up at my LGS/Range. I bought it on the spot. I has never misfired – not once. To this day it is 100% stock, down to the plastic adjustable sights. And yes, I always lube the recoil spring – but I do that with all my pistols.
1911 version – ‘oh you bought a cheap 1911? no wonder you hate them.. you need to spend more on a custom handbuilt version’
there is something awesome about glocks, they do what they do almost all the time. you seem to be a tinker, a wonder widget guy. they are in everything rifles, 1911s (thats a build up gun) 4x4s (how many stock wranglers do you see?) It’s neat to see someone doing that with the Glock. It’s not my thing, if i want a block or other poly striker gun it’s so i don’t have to fuss and can carry a comparatively light pistol. full size .45 with more upgrades than gun is not my way to carry.
Either way the article was very in depth and well written.
And when the shtf and you don’t have your toy and a sig or hk or so,e other gun, then what? I practice w a range of guns and triggers, all stock, for CCW. Maybe competition is different, but if you can’t get it done on instinct and training running a stock gun, maybe not of your liking,well, sucks to be you
You mentioned 3 inch groups but I didn’t see at end range. What distance? How
Many shots in a group?
I would be interested to know what the average mean radius was of 10, 10 shot groups at 50 feet.
Under 3″ at 50 feet, endlessly if I do my part (no called flyers).
Given my G34 with Aimpoint has done one-hole 5-shot groups at 50 feet, I believe the 41 is probably far more accurate than I can shoot with iron sights. Stay tuned for future article that will feature a 41 with milled in Docter 3 red dot sight. . . .
I wish I had consistent access to a range that runs longer than 50 feet. Hopefully in the future. . . .
Unless the gun it put in a ransom rest, handgun accuracy tests are a test of the shooter rather than the firearm.
+1
Like I’ve always said, it’s a tool made by man — and mankind is decidedly a very flawed creature.
It ain’t perfect, ’cause neither are we. I also suspect they’ll be quietly making subtle changes to the components as time goes on and feedback comes in, just like they and every other major player in the industry has since their beginnings.
GLOCK “perfection” is pure marketing hype, though that’s not to say that they don’t make some mighty fine shootin’ irons, either, ’cause they definitely do.
In the Olympics where 1 1/1000 of a sec can be the difference between gold and silver I can see all the tweaks, weight shaving etc. For SD, that lady in Detroit with the rusty Highpoint, had 99.9% of what she need. A gun.
I bet she said nothing about trigger walls, over travel stop adjustment, take up, break, or a titanium firing pin(if they make one).
Not to be too hard on the author, but this sounds like your hobby and passion and in that capacity, sounds like a lot of fun. I do a lot of stuff with my RV.
I take what Smith, Springfield, Ruger and Walther give me and shot it.
Wouldn’t it have bern easier to get something else? I mean, the entire point of the Glock is simplicity (don’t have to mod it), right?
Then again, I am not a Glock guy and I also try to find simple solutions.
Some folks like to tinker. You don’t. Fine.
Neat write-up, and I see where the author is coming from.. However it only further drives me away from the Glock brand, to be frank XD I’m firmly in the CZ camp.
Having experimented with many different semi-auto platforms, I am in love with Glock. A stock Glock with night sights needs only a 5 minute trigger polish job. Don’t mess with the factory parts and it’ll run like a top. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Wait, I thought 1911’s required all the tinkering?
I don’t know anything about Glocks but I thought this was really well written.
Love the detail about all the mods. Shows what’s possible-
I appreciate the expertise and clear writing. Sure, J. Law is a hobbyist and exacting in his particular wants and needs. Although it’s mostly much further than I would modify my Glock, and Law’s skills are light-years ahead mine, I really liked his recommendation of the narrow front sight. I’ve always thought the front sights were too thick for work at 25 yards.
Although a lot of the article was over my head, I found it interesting and helpful. This is part of TTAG’s attraction.
GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK GLOCK
tl;dr: It’s a commercial for GLOCK.
They’re alright, but they ain’t all that. GTFO.
Thanks for taking the time for the detailed write-up. Out of the box, I’ve found the G22/G23 Gen4 fits me great and (because I waited for the teething problems to be fixed before I bought the Gen4) is dead-nuts reliable. However, I still love modifying them — even if you revert to stock, you know your gun a lot better. My next handgun purchase, primarily for outdoor/woods carry, will be some flavor of 10mm semi-auto. Before the G41 came out, the plan was to get a G20 (and shorten the grip to accept G29 mags). However, the G41 (with its thinner slide) caused me to hold off, to see if a 10mm would also appear. Of course, nothing from Glock is forthcoming, but do you happen to know if anyone makes (or will make) 10mm conversion barrels for the G41?
I would be VERY surprised to ever see a 10mm version of the G41 direct from Glock. Allegedly the G20 slide was designed to handle full power 10mm. With the G21, they lightened it a bit, but not much, yielding a slide that was overkill for .45 and probably still adequate for most 10mm. Considering the G41 slide is significantly lighter than a G21 slide, I would question its suitability for much higher pressure/power loads. Then again, the 41 slide does have space internally to add more mass, so who knows. . . . From another angle, there may not be enough market demand to justify another 10mm Glock.
Sorry missed the Q about the conversion barrel. If anyone does market a 10mm or .460 Rowland conversion barrel for the G41 . . . I’d want someone else to test it extensively with full power loads before I go anywhere near it.
sigh. i admit to skimming after the first half dozen paragraphs due to my total lack of interest. but. the information was the type that i would have devoured and saved as reference material had it been specific to any firearm which i do embrace. those of you glawk shooters should contemplate his experiences. all worthy of consideration.
and i hope no one noticed that freedommunitions reference. or their holiday sale with five dollar shipping…
chosen brand aside this is ttag at it’s best. someone please follow this template for something that isn’t molded. i suggest p35, czb or p938.
Excellent article. I have had very little issues with my Glocks in stock form, but I’ve heard other issues like the ones you have mentioned. There are a myriad of upgrades for Glocks, and competition shooters spend lots of time and money finding out what works for them. I appreciate that you shared your experience with us. Many competition shooters are tight lipped about third components.
While I certainly expected this article would trigger some Glock hate, I’m disappointed by some of the responses. 1911’s, Springfield XDs, and Smith revolvers are also heavily modified for competition use. That fact does not make them bad handguns.
I’ll be saving your article for future reference. I have a couple Glock 35’s and Glock 23s that could benefit from your experience.
Lot of devotion, time and money spent on tupperware. I just can’t get excited about Glocks after having handled and shot a few. I don’t like how they point, I don’t like their chunkiness (though I imagine the 41 addresses that somewhat) and the lack of manual safety just doesn’t sit well with me in any handgun other than a revolver.
I respect Glock reliability and feel that they have their place in the world but I would much rather put my money towards a CZ, Tanfoglio, High Power or even a Beretta 92FS/Taurus PT92 when it comes to a double-stack pistol.
Glocks the Honda Civic of the firearm world. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive, works 99% of the time, lots of aftermarket parts. Now that Sig and HK is moving into the striker fired market could get interesting to see how Glock reacts to new competition.
Knowing nothing about Glocks the write up was informative. One of the reasons I enjoy TTAG.
I bought one as soon as it hit my local shop. It didn’t even get a chance to go in the display case. The 41 is works great out of the box, and I just changed the sights to Truglo TFO’s and did the Ghost Rocket trigger job. Great shooter and three of my friends that shot mine bought one for themselves. I also picked up the 42 which is a cute little gun and very accurate . I don’t really like .380’s but it’s a fun little gun and everyone gets a kick out of shooting it. I’ll always carry my Glock 19 or S&W 642 because they’re my favorites and you can always count on them.
Glock says width of an old school G21 is 1.27″, width of a G41 is 1.28″. http://us.glock.com/products/model/g21.
I believe widest width is across the frame at the slide stop lever. G41 lever is a model specific part that sticks out slightly further than the G21 lever–and enables me to hit slide stop reloads, unlike on the G21. Slide width of G41 is I believe 1″
Or just get a G21sf, drop in a “dot” connector and call it a day. No RSA worries either.
I’m going to tell you why Glocks are the best handguns by telling you the incredible trouble I had with one, and how you can spend Sig or HK money on a Glock.
So the glock is a great gun once you spend hundreds of dollars and hours of frustration. No thanks. I’m good with HK, Sig, FN, CZ, and all the other guns that don’t require me to take them apart to make them work right.
Sorry, I just can’t get excited about GLOCK-brand GLOCKs. they are just too square, too plain, too blocky to be exciting. More Berettas, Sigs, and Walthers please!
Wow when does the book come out.
I have a HUGE Glock fan as well. I love the simplicity of their weapons. The only thing I do to a Gen 4 is a change the sites, Warren Tactical being my favorites. On older models I would put some grip tape on the smooth grips. Gen 4’s fixed that.
I also only run 9mm Glocks because I just don’t think anything bigger matters and can only increase recoil or limit rounds.
That said my buddy has a Gen4 21 with the Glock factory “-” connector and it is the best shooting pistol I have ever shot. The grip or size or whatever is just perfect in my hand and the recoil of the 45 out of that pistol is the same as G17. I just can’t bring my self to buy a 45 and have yet another round to buy and stock….mags….holster….etc.
Completely agree with you.Have been in your shoes and look at the weight of the 21 loaded vs the 17/ 19 loaded.Slower follow up shots too. I read a police article where a cop emptied his 21 and it took headshots with a 2nd mag to finish it.The cop switched to a 17 the next day.
the original g17 platform runs the best and lasts the longest by far…
Lol at putting all that crap on a defensive gun. Quite the bubba gun you’ve built there.
Nothing wrong with modifying Glocks, here what mine looks like now…
http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/SIG_P2305.jpg
I almost thought this was satire.
Never owned a Glock, probably never will. Gen3’s are approved here in California, but Gen4’s aren’t because “safety”
Look, the first thing I saw was “Look how great my Glock was because it was a piece of crap I had the opportunity to learn” I am so happy that you had a defective Glock to begin with.
Me? I have bought and sold several different handguns from different manufacturers. Heck I even have a .25 acp Bauer. Never had any issue with a Ruger, Smith and Wesson, Colt, etc. Even my SR45 has worked like a champ out of the box. Frankly if my first gun, a Ruger, had been as bad as your first Glock, I would have not bought another Ruger.
Now ever manufacturer has lemons. Many people had issues with SR45’s. I did not, but that was me. But the single greatest praise I ever hear given Glock is how reliable they are. Your Glock was a piece of crap. It would have soured me, as a first time owner, on the brand.
Now I understand that no brand is impeccable. I don’t own Glocks because I don’t have the money to buy a gun and fix it is trigger, grip and every I don’t like about Glocks. If I did, I could simply afford a gun closer to my liking out of the box and save the time.
Guys I never claimed that Glock was the perfect handgun. This article was about how I made the G41 perfect for me, for now. Key is how simple the Glock design is. As long as you’re okay with the basic features, you can fix most issues and improve most things yourself for relatively low expense. And of course yes, it’s a hobby–far cheaper than many hobbies! It’s fun to see how optimal I can make things without sacrificing reliability and suitability for the primary purpose. The more fun and easy the gun is to shoot, the more I practice and the fewer excuses I have for poor performance. If I wanted a “fire extinguisher” gun to buy, test twice a year and put away in case of emergency, these days based on reports I might suggest the H+K VP9 over a Glock–maybe. And no, you don’t NEED most of this for self-defense. And yes, I do shoot other guns as well (my own and others’) to assure I don’t get “dependent” on my optimized “toys.” Funny thing is, the more I practice primarily with my “toys,” the better I seem to shoot everything.
I read all of the article and half of the comments;
Very interesting article and well written.
Nice sensible people (comments) rule!
Love mine. It’s my 21st Glock (some purchased, some traded, some won in matches or raffles, a 19 cutaway, a blue Sims, a red trainer – my total list of handguns shows 46 so I’m not a G-only fanboy). A sight change (Trijicon HD’s – old eyes) is all I’ve done to it. High shooter in two local matches (I’m usually around 5th and my usual nemesis’ were there) and a class win at GSSF. Haven’t done that since getting moved up to Master 6 years ago. I’m happy with my 41. Pocket carry? Not so much.
If my G19 gen4 needed this amount of attention I would have ditched it.
Hmmm… I’ve never had a single feeding or ejecting (or any other) problem with my Beretta 92fs. Anyway, I’ve moved on to a Ruger GP100. The ability to consistently make head shots (on silhouettes of course) from an unsupported Weaver stance at 50 yards and the extra punch make up for the round count, IMO. Unless your going to walk into a Mexican bar that’s a front for a drug cartel, in which case I’d carry a guitar case full of guns.
On your GP100, be sure to keep an eye on that little screw that holds the cylinder latch in place (it’s a vertical screw that goes up from under the latch). On my GP at least, it likes to back out after firing a lot of Magnums. Fortunately it needs to back out a LOT to cause any trouble so you can see it in time if you know where to look. Need a really small screwdriver to get it all the way back home. Otherwise great weapon, definitely sturdier and more dependable that my S+W revolvers. There are simple ways of increasing firing pin strike reliability while reducing trigger pull weight but you’re probably not interested. 😉
I’ll keep my eye on that, thanks for the advice. I do shoot some of the hot stuff, but not a lot of it. I’ve got the Wiley Clapp for carry. I’m not sure if it’s any smoother than the regular GPs but it seems pretty good in DA. I noticed with my Beretta that after a thousand rounds or so the DA pull had smoothed up quite a bit (though not even in the same league as the GP), I’m guessing that would happen with a revolver as well. I might look into improving it later though. I know Jerry Miculek can do amazing things in DA, but for me DA is for quick shots at <10 yards and if you need an accurate longer shot it only takes a half a second to cock the hammer. When your used to autos it's uncanny how accurate revolvers are. Bought a 44mag Blackhawk last year and it made me rethink my whole philosophy.
I like the Smiths, but they're a little shiny for my taste. A little pricy too.
my new 92fs made in Italy had a round stuck at 100 rounds.had to take a pc of wood and tap into battery pointing downrange.Sold it the next day. 92s are ammo picky
I find that glocks work best if you A) happen to get a good one and B) don’t mess with any of the stock parts.
-D
Wow. That was one long article! I think I read Gone With The Wind in less time. Anyway, it sure made me appreciate my Ruger (Blackhawk).
You can’t go wrong with a classic.
On my 2 gen 4 glocks, a 17 and a 26, I have fired over 6000 rounds without a single issue. My gen 3 22 at least another 4000. My experience is they work, flat out.
Great article – bookmarked :).
I like Glocks for the fact that in terms of non gunsmith mods they are the equivalent of an AR. Some years back I read “The Glock in Competition” by Robin Taylor while on vacation on a beach resort with no internet. Although a bit out of date it is still quite relevant today. I did many of the mods you mentioned to my G27 Gen3, not because it needed them, but because they improved it, including the same Ghost part you used. And I discovered that the best way to shoot a Glock is by applying continuous pressure on the trigger until it goes bang. A smooth trigger throughout the complete cycle is the critical issue.
My favorite mod for the G27 though was a .357 Sig extended 2-port aftermarket barrel by Storm Lake. It is a very sweet gun with that barrel and extremely accurate. And, I too wore out the pins – replaced them with stainless ones :).
All this said, I still prefer 1911s. And my favorite all time pistol is a stock HK45 Compact.
Thanks for the post!
Isky cam, Holley 650 double pumper, Hurst shifter, 4.11 posi traction, dual muffler bearings and chrome fling pins, etc, etc, ect…
I’ve only been into Glocks for a couple of years. Like the .45 as a daily carry and I like having 14 rounds available. Carried the G21SF for a year before the G41 came out. I wanted it because of the Gen 4 upgrades. I have over 400 rounds through it and the only time I had issues was when I was shooting some reloads I bought at a Gun Show. I have no problem conceling my G41, I use as Comp Tac Minotaur MTAC holster with the G34/35 kydex. My G21 feels like a club compared to the G41. Overall I’m very pleased with it, I don’t know why more people wouldn’t consider it for concealed carry?
This is more tinkering, complication, expenses and time involvement than most advice I’ve read on how to make a decent 1911 as close to 100 % reliable as a Glock. The very first handgun I shot was a Glock, as was the first one I bought. I did not try anything else for months. Then I tried a 1911, and immediately understood why people were ready to spend $200 more for the experience. This article is bringing me further away from changing my mind, not closer.
Pleated pants grandpa? No wonder you are having trouble on Match.
Zzzzzzz. Is he done yet? I think he needs to go back and read the TTAG style guide. Anyone want to guess how many times he said GLOCKenspiel?
I enjoyed reading this article, but you lost me when you denigrated lasers. They are the one thing you need if you want to hit your target in a stressful environment. There is a great deal of research proving this to be true. A few minutes is all it takes to find it.
I’ve owned several from the most respected brands. Trained with them extensively. Tried to make them work. WANTED them to work as I’d already sunk money into them! Once you get okay at intuitive shooting under stress all a laser might do in a reactive situation is MAYBE show you approximately where your shot hit after the fact–assuming it came on and you can see it and it has stayed aligned. Waiting to see the laser on target before shooting may actually slow you down once you’ve built up some skill, especially if lighting and/or target and background colors are not conducive to good laser visibility. They’re far inferior to a mini red dot sight for precision and constant visibility. Batteries are short lived. Either they come on automatically (either via grip switch or magnetic interface with the holster), in which case they may come on when you don’t want them to (rare but possible situations where you could take the initiative from an unseen position), or you need to manually switch them on which complicates things and may not happen at all. But whatever the theoretical arguments, I’ve never had a laser that I felt I could count on in terms of reliability (electronics and alignment) and ergonomics. Iron sights and some mini red dots, at least I can count on them to do what they’re supposed to and not complicate things. Just my personal opinion. Some people obviously make them work or not many would be sold! As far as I’m aware their best use in the military and law enforcement is with night vision, i.e. IR lasers. As to their intimidation value, that may have some merit, but I believe the attitude and preparedness of the person holding the gun is the most critical factor (in addition to the gun itself). Again, YMMV so party on. Everything is a compromise.
I agree lasers can be a liability if you train with them to the exclusion of practicing the fundamentals of good shooting (including point-shooting). However, for me they’re an indispensable tool on a defensive weapon, because in some situations they provide a clear advantage over anything that requires you to align three points (eye, sight, target). A few:
– Shooting while moving
– Shooting around barricades or obstacles
– Shooting while performing actions with your off hand (opening doors, grabbing the phone, propelling a child down a hallway, etc.)
– Shooting from the ground or when unable to physically align your sights with the target
Glocks are rugged and reliable. This article merely illustrates how you can tinker with these reliable weapons. I do a little tinkering myself. I use Glock OEM parts, Flitz and ONE Wolff reduced-power plunger spring and it is solid, reliable and shoots as sweet as a striker-fired pistol can. Carried one for 3 years in AFG and neither I nor the recipients had any complaints.
Great blog here! Also your web site a lot up fast! What web host are you the use of?
Can I get your associate hyperlink to your host? I want my site loaded up as
quickly as yours lol
Block 41…. When will the 9mm version of the Glock 42 be ready….
my 41 lasted two weeks. my 17gen 4 is nirvana.
Ok glock haters if you don’t want to hear about the glock firearm, then pass up on the article.
I’m a 1911 carrier but you have to admit that glock is doing something right just check out sales history and popularity. They did not achieve this status by selling low quality firearms.
combat commander for me, anywhere anytime.
Great write up, Thanks for taking the time to summarize. Glocks rock and the G41 is no exception! Glocks will win more gunfights than beauty contests more days than not and although they are not appreciated by all, they are by the smart ones.
IMHO the men who fight with handguns would never go thru all that crap to get a satisfactory handgun.
Gamers with some extra money would, of course, and obviously do.
For what it’s worth, I’m an old guy who started in law enforcement in 1981, and left LE in 1985 so I could serve in the Regular Army for eight years before again returning to law enforcement. I have some really serious guns on my job (all personally owned) : an AR-15, M1A, 590, G34, and 1911 Series 70 ride with me daily. I’m still on the job 34 years later, am a nationally certified instructor, and I am a pretty well-respected “gun guy” among my peers
The article was very interesting to read, but there ain’t no friggin’ way that any professional whom I know would ever deal with all that tinkering stuff to get a satisfactory protection sidearm.
Good Article I appreciate your walking me through your thoughts on what you find as important in your particular choice of weapon. I don’t do much with my glocks but shoot em alot. I might try a couple of the upgrades for fun. My own experience has lead me to leave it alone if its working well and all my glocks have so far. I love my 1911’s as well but if I have one choice for a 45 in a SHTF I am taking my stock 41 and those 13 round mags to the field.
Thanks for the write up. I have been interested in the 41 since I first heard about it. Have to wait because of other obligations but your article makes that a little harder. Maybe I can convince my better half it would make a great birthday present. I enjoyed reading about everything you did to tailor it to your needs. I’m not into all those mods on my carry guns but for a range gun it sounds like it’s a blast. It’s unfortunate that we have to waste time slogging through the comments from readers who have sand lodged in their lady parts.
I Love Love Love 1911’s though I don’t own one. A good friend has one that he’ll let me shoot any time and wow it is a beaut. However, and i still don’t get glock haters, my 41 is awesome and I wouldn’t trade him. ‘
One day when I have more money than I can stand I’m gonna by the most beautiful 1911 man makes and just admire the hell out of it but until then I’ll shoot my 41 and other glocks and be happy.
good article but I’m still happy with my stock set up.
Before I read more than the title, I saw your Glock grip in the first picture. I wondered to myself if you had ever shot an auto handgun, because that photo said,
“This guy gets his thumb-forefinger webbing stuck in the slide everytime he fires.”
That’s worse than a stovepipe!
I’m a full-time firearms instructor for a large law enforcement agency and have shot and tested dozens of defense pistols. We also have over 750 defense pistols in service. They are all glock. We use glock. They run. They rarely break. They run broken. No other brand has survived our “torture” tests but glock. If your life depends on your defensive pistol, trust it to a glock. We could use ANY platform we choose and we continuously choose GLOCK.
I have been a LEO for over 25 years. I started out with a S&W 686 revolver for two years, moved to a department issued Sig Sauer P220 for about 10 years when we were allowed to carry semi-autos. The P220 was a solid accurate pistol, but I saw a number of FTF and FTE issues over the years. The Department switched us to Gen 3 Glock 22s which I carried for 12 years and I carried a Gen 3 Glock 27 off duty. Last year I transitioned to a Gen 4 Glock 17 for duty and Gen 3 Glock 19 and 26 for off duty. 13 years and 5 Glocks without a single FTF, FTE, or breakage of any kind. There are a lot of great guns out there so get what works for you, but Glocks have just flat out worked for me! Dry, dirty, and eats every type of ammo I have put through them…they have just been utterly reliable for me!
Thank you for sharing such a good post, hope to see more post weiahflrygds.
Hello Friends: Very good posts about G41 modifications: which is ….”LUBRICATE YOUR Gen4 RSA”; excuseme for my quiestion but my english translate is bad !!.. i speak español, soy de Argentina. Alguno que me pueda traducir esta parte del post. Muchas gracias.
After dozing off a half dozen times, it occurred to me that this guy created all of these problems by tinkering around with a perfectly good gun. Leave the goddamned thing alone (at least the internals) and it’ll run for thousands of rounds with no issues. PS WTF was that holster supposed to be? It looked like a garlic herb tortilla wrapped around a gun.
Just about the longest article ever and you didn’t even assign a rating to this gun. What a shitty review. And somebody beat those holsters with the ugly stick…vomit
Tremendous issues here. I’m very happy to peer your post.
Thanks so much and I am taking a look forward to touch you.
Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
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itt 10.
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Sorry, I’m a little late to the discussion, but for what it’s worth I’ve carried Glocks for the last 19 years. I love the 1911 but sold my Kimber because it was too heavy and it became a safe queen, one of the best shooting pistols I’ve ever owner though. I’ve carried the Glock 30 off duty but I don’t like the short grip so I’ve ended up carrying my work gun ( have went through the 22, 17, 22 again, and now the 19). My choice is because I like other guns but the Glocks have always worked for me and I’ve trained with them which I think is important. I can’t tell you the number of times on the range I’ve pulled on the gun like an idiot because we changed holsters and I’m used to the last holster locking system, and yes I do practice with them. Forgive me, I can’t remember if it was Col Cooper, Clint Smith or someone else that said buy what you will carry and can hit with (I do know that Clint Smith said find what works for you that you can hit with, train with it then but another one exactly like the frst one). In have holsters and guns that I love and I’ve learned that when someone else shows me what they carry and why, if it works for them and they can hit with it I try to learn something from them but I have what works for me. Same reason I don’t have my M1A anymore, I love it but my carry at work and all my training is with either the M4 / AR of the 870 so under stress i can operate them which is the whole reason I carry. I have nothing against buying something cause you like it but thats different than a defensive \ carry weapon ( I love a beautiful hand made Bowie knife, but I don’t have one, can’t afford it, would not carry it, and wouldn’t want to scratch it by using it as a camp knife). There are guns that others carry that i would never rely on but their experiences are different than mine and they might very well out shoot me. All of us are in this together as citizens and protectors, some warriors out there too although I would never consider myself one. Always try to learn, carry all the time and get some force on force training it was a real eye opener for me. Thanks for hearing me out, stay safe brothers and sisters.
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