My First Handgun

Congrats on the G17!

I have a G19 and I really like it.

The best advice here is what has already been said.

Shoot, shoot, and shoot.

Thanks for sharing.
 
I have small hands, and find that the only modification I need to the frame (my G34/35/23/17 are all gen 3)are the grip decals with friction coating, and a little skate board tape on the thumb swell....if you decide to shoot any of the practical shooting competitions, look to a longer 147grain bullet for improved accuracy at distances past 25y.....
 
My factory mags that came with my Glock seem very loose fitting. They wiggle in all 6 directions. I haven't been able to cause any feed issues by moving them around and racking the snap caps through the gun, but I guess i'll have to wait and see if the mags cause any feeding issues at the range. I haven't gotten to shoot yet :( The only range that is local is a private range and I submitted an app, but haven't heard back yet. Not to mention I can't afford the fees at this current point in time. I do have a lead on a few "off-the-grid" locations that I may be able to use while I wait to get "voted" in at the private range. One is rock quarry on the outskirts of town. I have been there before and it is pretty well setup actually. The other is a small outdoor range out in the country. I am shocked that it is this hard to find a place to shoot around here. I live in a medium sized city surrounded by rural Wisconsin farmland. You would think there would be 100 places to shoot in any direction.

Of course I have friends that own property where they can shoot, but it sucks relying on other people to go shooting. I have been doing that for the last 10 years and that is part of the reason I do such a small amount of it.

and don't worry about the rant Dakine haha. When someone with little handgun experience is posting about their first handgun it can make some people feel somewhat uneasy. I certainly understand that.

1) Always treat a gun as if it were loaded
2) Always point a gun in a safe direction
3) Never hand someone a loaded gun/Never load the gun unless you plan on using it/Never keep your finger in the trigger guard until ready to fire.
4) Know your target and beyond while shooting

Maybe I am missing some or have those out of order, but knowing those few things should keep me from killing myself, or worse, someone else unintentionally.

Keep in mind that I have been a gun nut for all of my short life. Yes, I did get a Red Ryder for Xmas when I was 8 (exactly like a Christmas Story) followed by many pellet rifles and pistols, and Yes I did graduate to a Ruger 10/22 at 12. Then I bought a Browning BPS 12g with a separate rifled barrel for deer hunting. I also passed a hunter/gun safety course with the highest score in the class at 13.

This is a purchase I have been putting off for about 3+ years since turning 21 so I have been spending A LOT of time on YouTube and reading about handguns, more specifically 1911's and Polymer Striker designs. If I would have been able to scrape the money together I would have bought a 1911 for sure, but from everything I have read the Glock cannot be beat for the price range it falls in. It just gives you a lot of value for your money. Especially the 9mm variety. I did a lot of looking at ammo prices before buying a handgun. Since I bought this gun for the range and not for self defense I have been looking at some amazing deals on the cheap Wolf FMJs on sites like bulkammo.com. I don't care if it's reliable or dirty steel-cased ammo, I just want to get as many rounds as I can for the money.
 
I wouldn't worry about the magazines, they should be just fine. They all get kind of chewed up looking around the notch for the mag catch but the wear gets to a certain point and then doesn't really get worse. Sights are a good upgrade, other than that if it's not broke don't fix it. Too many people ruin perfectly good guns throwing a bunch of aftermarket parts at them.

Steel case ammo... ...sure it will save you a couple bucks but you can also chip your extractor or ruin other parts. Brass is softer than steel so when you use steel cased ammo in a gun designed for brass cases it's asking for problems.
 
The Glock 17 is fine just as it comes from the factory. But my personal preference when getting a new Glock is to change these things about it.... I stipple the grip and underside of the of the trigger guard (gives a nice grippy traction). If the finger grooves do not line up comfortably with my grip I remove those prior to stippling (The 17 is perfect for my hand). I add extended slide and mag release, night sights (always meprolight). I buy a Wolff steel guide rod, recoil spring, trigger spring (all calibers), plunger spring (all calibers), striker spring (only on 9mms), install a Ghost Rocket Trigger bar with over travel adjustment, and I round the firing pin plunger to take the "Hump" out of the trigger pull. What I wind up with is a glock that sticks in my hand like glue with a trigger that is only beaten by my 1911s. That's what I do, and I've been happy with my results. But you really gotta do what works for you. The thing about the Ghost Rocket I like is that if you remove just the right amount of material from the bar... the reset is nearly nothing. Makes follow up shots instant.
 
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