Glocks....which one???

KBR

KBR

Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
1,525
I'm planning to purchase a Glock pretty soon. I just don't know which model would be the best choice. First and foremost, I'm looking for stopping power (which would definitely have to be the .45 caliber) but at the same time compact enough for everyday concealed carry.
I'm thinking maybe the Glock 36.
What's your opinion?

Thanks for the input.:D
 
I had a Glock 36, didn't like it because the mag didn't drop well when used left-handed (I am mostly left-handed). So I went to a Glock 30 and love it.

PS The Glock 36 is fine for right-handed.
PSS The Glock 30 is a wide body and may not be right for small hands.
 
I personally would opt for the 30 over the 36. I would rather have the extra 4-5 rounds. The girth of the 30 is not much greater than the 36 but it really depends what fits your hand best.
 
If you want a Glock with REAL "stopping-power", get yourself either a full-sized model 20, or the "compact" model 29. These are both 10mm, and both on the "fat-frame".

The .40 cal models 22 (full-size), the 23 (compact), and the 27 (mini) would also be good choices for those with smaller hands.
 
IMO, buy the Glock that you can shoot 3 quick shots with (single handed and two handed) and group them tight at about 15 feet.

For me that's the 9mm Glock 19.

Don't count on one shot stopping power.
 
First and foremost, I'm looking for stopping power (which would definitely have to be the .45 caliber) but at the same time compact enough for everyday concealed carry.
Click to expand...

Speaking from personal experience, a Glock 20 works fine for me. At 5' 6" and ~150 lbs, I'm not a giant but find the full size pistol works fine. The key for most concealed carry guns is not so much the size of the gun but, how you carry it. An accessible mousegun is better then a elephant gun you can't access in a timely manner or use effectively. If I were in the market today, I would probably opt for the full size 357 Sig.

Spend some money on a GREAT holster! In my case, I used several different models for a couple of weeks until I struck gold with a Bianchi PDQ model. I carried this way for several years in Texas and never once was spotted or singled out by a waiter at a restaraunt, clerk at store, etc. unlike some of my friends carrying smaller guns.

Stopping power is very subjective thing. How much penetration do you want? How much bullet mass? How much cross section or sectional density? The 10mm is a great combination of BIG and SLOW versus SMALL and FAST schools of thought. In the environment I live in today, I favor more range and deeper penetration so, based on real world use data from law enforcement agencies I am opting for the 357Sig. The 357 Magnum in 125gr hollowpoint is a proven round which serves to further validate the 357Sig since the ballistics are so close. Texas DPS switched from the SIG P220 in 45ACP to the P229 in 357Sig based on real world conditions civilians are apt to encounter in today's environment, NOT storming a beach 55 years ago or at a shootout outside a saloon in some dusty lawless town of the old west.

If you want a small gun, the Glock 33 in 357Sig still manages good ballistics from its short spout but, a G31 with it's longer tube will serve you better with its longer sight radius and additional mass.

Buy a gun you can shoot well. A solid hit from a weak 9mm is better then a miss from a strong 45ACP.
 
Originally posted by Sid Post
...Buy a gun you can shoot well. A solid hit from a weak 9mm is better then a miss from a strong 45ACP.
Click to expand...

Well said, Sid, and three 9mm shots are better than one .45 shot.
 
Let me tell you from professional experience that any caliber can be quite lethal. Actually see more deaths from .22 rounds than anything else but that is due to the prevalence of the round in self inflicted GSWs as much as anything. I have read in the gun rags that .380 is the minimum defensive caliber and I would not disagree.

There are no "magic-one-stop-rounds". Bullets "work" by hitting something vital. There is more than just velocity and bore size in the equation. Handguns primarily wound by creating primary wound channels (from the bullet and whatever expansion it achieves, the axis of the round as it crosses tissue, and fragments(both from the bullet and bone etc)). Velocity plays a role but until you get to 2500 ft/sec rifle rounds and above you do not see much cavitation injury (the large channel of expansion due to the passage of high velocity rounds) Cavitation causes tremendous damage in non-elastic tissue but is a small componant of handgun wounding.

That being said I like the .45 round and own a Glock 36. I like the size but it is much harder to shoot accurately than a comparable 9mm. Mr. Gray makes an excellent point. If you can't hit with it, reconsider owning it.

I once owned a S&W 44 spec revolver and regret selling it. It is a mild recoiling round with plenty of punch. Revolvers are not as glamorous as todays semiautos but they are reliable, easy to use, and good shooters.
 
I appreciate all of the input, so far. That Glock 36 caught my eye since first seeing it at a local gun show. Fit my hand pretty good. The other models seemed to feel a bit bulky on the grip. (I forgot that the Glocks' magazine are double stacked, Duh!) I have yet to check on some of the other models that have been mentioned.

It is true that any caliber can kill, however, I am looking for a little more "punch". I currently own a HiPoint 9mm with an 8-round magazine that I bought at a gun show about a year ago. Yes, I know "HiPoint?" This gun has been fired many times and hasn't jammed yet, but being a made by little known manufacturer, the options for accessories are very limited. At the time, my finances were a factor in the decision for this gun. Now, I would like to upgrade to what many consider the top of the line...the GLOCK.

I guess that I'll keep on doing some research in this matter.
:) Thanks for your time and input.
 
Choose the frame size that fits your hand the best. Then in that frame size pick the most powerful caliber you can handle. If you are not an experienced shooter, find some training.

If (God forbid) you should ever have to use it to save your bacon, do what an unknown Marine DI said. "Shoot 'em where they're biggest and do it more than once. If they think they are dead they will fall down. If they don't, you have to pursuade 'em some more."
 
I second (or 3rd, 4th...) the 10mm choices. I have a Glock 20. I chose it as an alternative to my .357 for backpacking. Having 15rds. of 180gr JSPs (each producing 700fps at the muzzle) makes me feel very well armed indeed...

That being said, I love the feel of the Glock 36...if only Glock made a single-stack 10mm....:cool:
 
Shot a Glock for the first time yesterday. It was a full sized .40. I didn't shoot it as well as my old Colt .45 but was surprised at how well I liked it. I'm not used to a thick grip though.
 
I have a Glock 27, and I love shooting it.

I also have a Glock 30, and although I still have not managed to take it out and shoot it yet, I do love the way it feels in the hand, and it points quite naturally and quickly, at least for me.
 
Originally posted by KBR
......I'm thinking maybe the Glock 36.
What's your opinion?

Thanks for the input.:D
Click to expand...

KBR

Go to www.glocktalk.com and check out the Big Dawg forum. I think you will find it very helpful.

I carry a Glock 21 .45 but lots of Glockers love the 30. As has been said before, get something you WILL carry and can hit with. That is the most important of all.

Semper Fi
Big Dawg #695
 
Originally posted by KBR
......I'm thinking maybe the Glock 36.
What's your opinion?

Thanks for the input.:D
Click to expand...

KBR

Go to www.glocktalk.com and check out the Big Dawg forum. I think you will find it very helpful.

I carry a Glock 21 .45 but lots of Glockers love the 30. As has been said before, get something you WILL carry and can hit with. That is the most important of all.

Semper Fi
 
get the black one.


Sorry, just had to say it.

Go test drive as many as you can, purchase the one that you feel the most comfortable with and that gives you the desired down range performance that you want.

Also, visit glocktalk.com and take in the forums there. Lots of helpful information.
 
black is good............
I have a g27 and I hate it.......no kidding.....cant shoot it well
I have been shooting 1911s all my life. I dont like the trigger or the small grip or the sharp recoil of the 40 round. I check out www.glocktalk.com all the time....lots of info there.....
one thing a LOT of guys say and I know is true...just cause it fits in the store doesnt mean it will shoot well for you....go to the range and SHOOT ONE before you buy it.......I have read where many many guys like the 30 much more than the 35 because they can shoot it better. I like the way the 35 feels too but if I cant do what mr gray says then I might look at a 30 instead. The extra bullets in the mag are bull....you can get a pinky extender and have 6+1..the same as a 1911.........and you better have an extra mag anyhow!
Most gunfights are over in 3 secs.
 
Hello, Which Glock?? They all have their own merits. Also they are one of the best firearms made. Shoot the one that has the hardest hitting power.......that you can hit with accurantly all of the time........and the one that is a commoner caliber. So that if you are way out in the sticks somewhere you can still find ammunition to purchase for your Glock. They all seem to feed real well. Also don't think that the extra power of a hotter round...or more powerful caliber will be the be-all-end-all of stopping power. Keep right on firing until the desired results are reached!!!!

Later, JC
 
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