Guns

ChuckJr said:
It's all just off the shelf parts from a 10/22 specialty company in Texas called Kidd. 20" tapered barrel, single stage trigger at 2lb pull (it came at 1.5lb but I set it a bit higher), their bolt/guide rod/charging handle. Stock is a Ruger sporter that I opened up the barrel channel to fir the heavier taper barrel. I had bought that same trigger for a different 10/22 and liked it, and had an old 10/22 carbine to use as a donor for the receiver - no FFL transfer on any of the parts except receivers. Scope is an el cheapo Athlon 6-24, it's OK for what it cost but I have to keep some money back for cigars.
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She's a beauty!
 
I want to start out by saying a few years ago I thought Glock was not worth my time (I've been everything but a Glock fan). My tastes have evolved as opportunities have presented themselves. But I now find Glock to be an interesting critter! Boy is it universal, and parts can be had that don't break the bank. Plus - it is a pretty robust platform!

I could of years ago I bought a AR-15 stripped lower from PSA - and it just so happened to also come with a free Dagger (Glock clone) lower. So I could not resist the temptation to build it out. I bought a ported Dagger upper with a red dot cutout (another PSA "blemished" find) and installed a Burris Fastfire optic. All together it's a really nice pistol that shoots amazingly well - I dare to say (and I may offend Glock fans with this) but I do think PSA has got it right.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. A good friend called me to see if I could help him to unload some guns he and his siblings had inherited from their recently passed father. What he mentioned he had seemed to be vintage, so I directed him to a local vintage gun dealer I know. While visiting with him I got the call - "you interested in a Gen 5 Glock 19"? Not really, but for the right price (I really don't need any more guns - and the wifey has a rule - "buy a gun, sell a gun"). Well - killed two birds with one stone....

I had a turn of the century Belgian "guild" made double barrel shotgun. It was in pretty decent shape for a 100 yr old gun, but I was never really my cup of tea. I'd kind of dabbled a bit in trying to learn it's heritage, etc - and ultimately came to the understanding that unless you find someone interested in an antique shotgun that was directly linked with a specific manufacturer - you were kind of on your own. So - I asked the vintage gun dealer about the shotgun. He seemed very disinterested (says there are lots of those same kinds of guns out there, so there's not a ton of value. Then I showed him pictures...

So I now have a Gen 5 Glock 19 (not "vintage", but bought as a courtesy of my buddy, who needed to sell it to satisfy the estate) and a gun dealer interested in handling the sale of my antique shotgun!

But here is my dilemma (sucked down the rabbit hole...). I like to install red dot sights on my pistols, and this Gen 5 Glock came with no RMR cutout. I do a search and come across a very nice deal on a new machined stainless steel Glock 19 Gen 5 slide with the RMR cutout - for a paltry $100 price tag (actually a very nice ported stripped slide). Watched a couple of YouTube videos that helped me to transfer over the parts from the original slide to the new one - and I'm pumped at what this hybrid looks like. Don't have any pictures at the moment, but once I finish building it out with a sight, etc. I will post some...

Sorry for the novel - just love how sometimes the stars and moons align like this - and I find a new "project" that engages my inner soul. Can't wait to take it to the range and zero it in!

EDITED TO ADD: Here's the first of the "basic" pictures of what the eventual Glock 19 will look like - but still needs some mods... IMG_2907.JPEG
 
There is another option if the aftermarket slide is not your thing. And you wont have to buy suppressor sights to cowitness which is critical to running a dot if for nothing else then to confirm zero.

Personally on my carry guns (twin G23s and twin G27s) Im not a fan of dots but to each his own. I know some people have sight issues.

Im a Gen 3 guy so cant help you with the internals besides recommending a $0.25 trigger job. I hear the Gen 5 triggers are a little better.

BTW I have the armorer manuals in PDF for the gen 3 stuff. If anyone wants a copy pm me.

HT
 
I have to say, as a dyed in the wool old pharte 1911 fan, I’ve become a grudging fan of the Glock. Not that I’d ever fall in love with one, it’s like falling in “love” with an Estwing hammer. But I respect them. And the 5th gen has a decent trigger for a striker pistol. Having built enough ghost guns and upgraded enough Glocks I can almost be an armorer and it is the ultimate SHTF pistol IMNSHO.

And watching the nightly news I have a whole new respect for the value of a reliable “hammer” of a gun, a reliable tool to have come to appreciate them. A lot.
 
My regular gins are a Wilson Combat SFX9 (4”) or a highly modified Kimber Compact CDP (also 4”) in .45. But I’d carry a Glock with pride and confidence any day. Esp these crazy days.

Ken Hackathorn sights and Johnny Glock or my own modified OEM trigger. Terrific guns. I love the G45. Not .45 cal but model 45. 9mm with full G17 frame and G19 upper assembly. Reminiscent of the Commander.
 
It's good to see y'all are taking a liking to the Glocks. They truly are a rock solid platform with damn good accuracy out of the box(for what a Glock is). As George said, all the parts are pretty easy to get(if ya look around), and the pistol is very easy to work on. If bored, check out the LaserMax internal lasers. They aren't for aiming, but for attempted lethal force de-escalation. Engage laser, bad guy sees laser, proceeds to quit/runaway. The movies have made this an awesome mental phuk for the bad guys.

Have fun fellas.

Floyd T
 
I was around at the beginning of the Glock craze. I had a berretta 92fs, and couldn't ever see myself really even looking at another frame back then. My friends at the time started falling into the honey trap of the Glock advertising.

They started showing up for range day with their new fancy (and incredibly ugly) Glocks. I ran a couple mags through some of them, and they shot ok, but I could not get past the unwieldy blocky square hammerless hideousness of them....and the advertising of them was so cringy I felt like I lost IQ points just being in the room when one of the ads was playing.

Fast forward a bunch of years. I've acquired a few sigs (not the 320 thank goodness), and a Taurus or two. But never could I bring myself to purchase a Glock.

6 years ago, my best friend and his girlfriend decided he could get a firearm. So they went shopping and he was pretty set on getting a sig 226. hen his girlfriend decided that the Glock 26 was what he needed, or he couldn't get one. So he got the Glock. He wasn't/isn't a fan of Glocks either, but he wanted to shoot. So the Glock became his (theirs - but registered to him) They went shooting, and she liked it, but its a tiny thing, and is pretty snappy. So she was content to let him shoot.

5 years ago, they broke up. He kept the Glock when he moved out. (there is a lot of long story I am skipping over)

4 years ago, he was in some pretty dire straights for money to pay bills with and he asked me if there was anyone that might want to buy his Glock that I know. Out of the 8 or 9 people I asked, 6 or 7 just said 'nope', outright. 2 of them lowballed really bad. He looked into maybe a consignment at some of the local gun shops but they all lowballed him pretty bad to.

So after a month or 6 weeks or so of no dice, and me listening to his daily woes of bill collectors hounding him, I made a deal with him. I'd buy his glock at pretty much what he paid for it, and when he got himself back on his feet, before he bought anything else, he'd buy it back at that same price. He agreed. So once we got the transfer done, I took it to the range and put a box or two of ammo through it.

Its too small for my hand (requiring constant readjustment of grip), and it is (as mentioned about) pretty snappy. So I brought it home, cleaned and oiled it and put it in its lock box, and then put that in my cabinet.

3 years, 10 months and some change days later, it is still sitting in exactly the same place. The little lock box hasn't changed position, and the gun hasn't seen light in the entire time.

He's still my best friend, but I've come to the conclusion that he's not ever going to get back to a point that he'll be buying this back. And I'm ok with it, as I helped him out at that time.

It'll make a SHTF piece or maybe I'll use it as a trade for something at some point. Not in any hurry. :)
 
DomnioMaestro said:
I was around at the beginning of the Glock craze. I had a berretta 92fs, and couldn't ever see myself really even looking at another frame back then. My friends at the time started falling into the honey trap of the Glock advertising.

They started showing up for range day with their new fancy (and incredibly ugly) Glocks. I ran a couple mags through some of them, and they shot ok, but I could not get past the unwieldy blocky square hammerless hideousness of them....and the advertising of them was so cringy I felt like I lost IQ points just being in the room when one of the ads was playing.

Fast forward a bunch of years. I've acquired a few sigs (not the 320 thank goodness), and a Taurus or two. But never could I bring myself to purchase a Glock.

6 years ago, my best friend and his girlfriend decided he could get a firearm. So they went shopping and he was pretty set on getting a sig 226. hen his girlfriend decided that the Glock 26 was what he needed, or he couldn't get one. So he got the Glock. He wasn't/isn't a fan of Glocks either, but he wanted to shoot. So the Glock became his (theirs - but registered to him) They went shooting, and she liked it, but its a tiny thing, and is pretty snappy. So she was content to let him shoot.

5 years ago, they broke up. He kept the Glock when he moved out. (there is a lot of long story I am skipping over)

4 years ago, he was in some pretty dire straights for money to pay bills with and he asked me if there was anyone that might want to buy his Glock that I know. Out of the 8 or 9 people I asked, 6 or 7 just said 'nope', outright. 2 of them lowballed really bad. He looked into maybe a consignment at some of the local gun shops but they all lowballed him pretty bad to.

So after a month or 6 weeks or so of no dice, and me listening to his daily woes of bill collectors hounding him, I made a deal with him. I'd buy his glock at pretty much what he paid for it, and when he got himself back on his feet, before he bought anything else, he'd buy it back at that same price. He agreed. So once we got the transfer done, I took it to the range and put a box or two of ammo through it.

Its too small for my hand (requiring constant readjustment of grip), and it is (as mentioned about) pretty snappy. So I brought it home, cleaned and oiled it and put it in its lock box, and then put that in my cabinet.

3 years, 10 months and some change days later, it is still sitting in exactly the same place. The little lock box hasn't changed position, and the gun hasn't seen light in the entire time.

He's still my best friend, but I've come to the conclusion that he's not ever going to get back to a point that he'll be buying this back. And I'm ok with it, as I helped him out at that time.

It'll make a SHTF piece or maybe I'll use it as a trade for something at some point. Not in any hurry. :)
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I'm a .40 cal fan - been one since I was LE and we switched from 9mm to .40 during the controversy about the underpowered 9mm ammo (horror stories of people being shot multiple time with 9mm ammo and still walking unphased). I wanted some stopping power and did not like the bulk of the .45's at that time (plus the .45 was not a universal carry by LEO's). Thankfully 9mm ammo has much improved since those days as I now own quite a few 9mm pistols. But I've still had a soft spot for the .40's.

I've acquired several .40 pistols over the years, and have been blessed that each while being a LE trade-in purchase, all have been in excellent condition. Because of the price of .40 cal ammo when I bought them, I was able to buy that at pretty much a song and dance. My most recent purchase was a Glock 23 - and the only reason I bought it was because the price was really right. No doubt it's not pretty but it is utilitarian - though not pretty, it does the job. And as I've been playing armorer in my spare time - I love how supported it is with after reasonably priced market parts.

But I do have a question as I've been perusing through the various Glock aftermarket parts. Is there truly a value in replacing the OEM Glock trigger set up for something more fancy? I've come across the GlockStore V2 pyramid trigger system and it seems like a worthwhile upgrade (not horribly expensive for their Gen 5 version). Am I crazy thinking that I might want to make that investment?

Would love to hear your thoughts!
 
Oh boy! The old "stopping power" debate rears its ugly head. 😅

The advances in terminal ballistics of modern 9mm lately have all but eliminated any real world stopping power differences. When the .40 S&W was introduced, it had a clear advantage, not arguing that. But it has evaporated over the last decade or so. Case in point, over at Lucky Gunner Ammo labs, the Federal HST 124 grain 9mm penetrates 18.1" and reliably expands to an average of 0.61". The Federal Hydra Shok .40 155 gr penetrates 18.4 inches and reliably expands 0.63". The Federal HST 155 grain expands a little more, but penetrates a little less.

It's good you are comfortable with the .40 S&W, because recoil and shooter accuracy with it are paramount, that's what drove the great exodus from .40 S&W back to 9mm. For most people the 9mm is more easily handled. And while the .40 had the advantage when it was introduced, it no longer does. If one does one's job and consistently puts two or three in the perp's HVAC there is no longer any advantage to the .40 S&W. There's no reason for any agency, or civilian concealed carry person to use the .40 S&W except personal preference these days.

Things change. When it had superior stopping power it made sense. It does not have a superior stopping power advantage any longer. The FBI does things for good reasons. When the round was introduced in 1990 it had a clear stopping power advantage that outweighed the increased recoil. In 2025, not so much. The FBI drove the adoption of the .40 S&W and it also drove the return to the 9mm when 9mm terminal ballistics dramatically improved. Other than personal preference (which is certainly valid when making a choice) there is no longer any reason to choose the .40 S&W over modern 9mm.

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P.S. I am not anti-.40 by the way. It's a fine round and no reason not to carry it.

But as I've always carried .45 ACP I did not feel the need to adopt it earlier, and now that I frequently carry a 9mm Wilson Combat SFX9, I've just never had the inclination to use the .40 S&W. I'm not knocking it, it's a fine cartridge. Carry it if you like.

But today there is no clear stopping power argument in its favor. There used to be, but not now. It's also not worse. It's like the cigar adage, "smoke what you like and like what you smoke." Carry what you like and like what you carry.

The development of the modern 9mm defensive round has been nothing short of remarkable, IMO. The following is about 9mm vs .45 but it fits the 9mm vs .40 debate, for sure.

 
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Also a big fan of the .40.

9mm is the king for so many reasons and I love my nines but .357 sig is my favorite semi auto pistol round. Shame hardly anyone makes them anymore. Got a few barrels to convert some of my 40s but even those are hard to find these days.
 
JCinPA said:
P.S. I am not anti-.40 by the way. It's a fine round and no reason not to carry it.

But as I've always carried .45 ACP I did not feel the need to adopt it earlier, and now that I frequently carry a 9mm Wilson Combat SFX9, I've just never had the inclination to use the .40 S&W. I'm not knocking it, it's a fine cartridge. Carry it if you like.

But today there is no clear stopping power argument in its favor. There used to be, but not now. It's also not worse. It's like the cigar adage, "smoke what you like and like what you smoke." Carry what you like and like what you carry.

The development of the modern 9mm defensive round has been nothing short of remarkable, IMO. The following is about 9mm vs .45 but it fits the 9mm vs .40 debate, for sure.

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I've come around to carrying a 9mm over the .40 because of all the reasons you say - the stopping power has vastly improved over the years. It needed to! But I would say the bigger reason I'm coming around to the 9mm over the .40 - the ammo is definitely cheaper, and I have a larger selection of 9mm ammo available. It does shoot flatter, no doubt, but I can make some fairly minor mods to the .40 that reduces the recoil so I can more comfortably shoot it. The other advantage has over the .40 (and .45 for that matter) is magazine capacity. I'm not a huge fan of carrying multiple magazines. I'd much rather have one 17 round mag than two 7 or 10 round mags...

You are correct! Smoke what you got and enjoy what you smoke!!! (e.g. - Shoot what you got and enjoy what you shoot!)
 
Funny thing about handguns; I still claim that there has to be a certain 'zen' between the handgun and owner. For example, if you pick up a Glock (or any pistol) and hate it....you're not going to shoot it well, and will likely fight it for some time. By the same token, if you pick up a handgun, feels good, like it, and think '...I could shoot this...'....then, things will go better. Doesn't make it a crappy gun, but if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work. There are a bunch of really wonderful poly striker fired pistols out there now; hard to believe folks can't find one that works for them. S&W Gen2 and CZ come to mind, there are others, to be sure.

I've got 92's and (nice) 1911's in the safe, and I like / shoot them a lot, but the tools around the house for emergencies are all Glocks. I have not found a more consistently reliable gun than a Glock. Even with different models, the manual of arms is identical, which is important, when it's a high stress environment.

My 1911's and one Glock are 45ACP. I have one Glock in .40 cal. Everything else is 9mm. More rounds, better follow up shots, and with modern ammo, plenty of punch. I know, I know, F=mA and KE=1/2mV^2 are both still applicable in my universe, but 9mm quickly became the leader in duty carry for several reasons.

IMHO it's much like cigars; shoot what you like, like what you shoot. Beyond that, shoot often and safely. Carry daily. Mindset and situational awareness is crucial. Be aware, be present......and be safe.
 
lucasbuck said:
Also a big fan of the .40.

9mm is the king for so many reasons and I love my nines but .357 sig is my favorite semi auto pistol round. Shame hardly anyone makes them anymore. Got a few barrels to convert some of my 40s but even those are hard to find these days.
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I'm with you on the .357 mag - would loved to have seen that blossom more. But, unfortunately, it's gone by the wayside. And it appears the 10mm is going with it!

But I have been eyeing the 5.7X28 - and almost bought the PSA Rock when it was at a very decent price. Love the concept of the round, but the mag capacity is the killer for me (Illinois banned "high capacity" magazines). So even though I have an exemption (retired LE),
PSA would not even remotely consider sending me the gun or mags... It seems to be the right thing for the right reason - a gun that has a lot of the 9mm characteristics with a significantly larger capacity magazine.
 
Interesting, my son, the former USMC armorer and now LEO pointed out an application that the 10mm completely excels at.....subguns. My kid got some cockpit time on several 10mm subgun platforms over the years. Biggest issue is current firearms, even high end one from H&K, get pounded with the round. The proto MP5's in 10mm actually had frame stretching issues when used over time. Like, won't headspace properly frame stretching.....yikes. Agencies loved them, armorer's hated them......
 
BlindedByScience said:
Funny thing about handguns; I still claim that there has to be a certain 'zen' between the handgun and owner. For example, if you pick up a Glock (or any pistol) and hate it....you're not going to shoot it well, and will likely fight it for some time. By the same token, if you pick up a handgun, feels good, like it, and think '...I could shoot this...'....then, things will go better. Doesn't make it a crappy gun, but if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work. There are a bunch of really wonderful poly striker fired pistols out there now; hard to believe folks can't find one that works for them. S&W Gen2 and CZ come to mind, there are others, to be sure.

I've got 92's and (nice) 1911's in the safe, and I like / shoot them a lot, but the tools around the house for emergencies are all Glocks. I have not found a more consistently reliable gun than a Glock. Even with different models, the manual of arms is identical, which is important, when it's a high stress environment.

My 1911's and one Glock are 45ACP. I have one Glock in .40 cal. Everything else is 9mm. More rounds, better follow up shots, and with modern ammo, plenty of punch. I know, I know, F=mA and KE=1/2mV^2 are both still applicable in my universe, but 9mm quickly became the leader in duty carry for several reasons.

IMHO it's much like cigars; shoot what you like, like what you shoot. Beyond that, shoot often and safely. Carry daily. Mindset and situational awareness is crucial. Be aware, be present......and be safe.
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Boy are you spot on with everything you wrote!!! Nothing worse for me what I see someone buy a gun to have a gun, without consideration as to how they are going to handle it. I guess you can go to a hardware store and buy a hammer to drive nails - but if you want to be proficient in the use of the hammer you must choose the right one to fit your hand and is comfortable using...

As to the right gun for the right reason. I was tempted to purchase a few Remington's a while back because the price was right (RM380 and R51) before Remington went bankrupt. I think they're both definitely well made, but damn are they tricky to disassemble and reassemble (especially the RM380). And the R51 reminds me of a replica Buck Rogers laser pistol!

The thing I like most, quite honestly, it just so happens the deal on the R51 I fell for included a free grip mounted Crimson Trace laser that is by far the best laser I have on my pistols (the one on my Walther Creed is a close second - another "odd" purchase that I happen to like). But the funny thing - I have not concealed carried my Remington's or Creed, nor will I (I have better options). So - both the RM380 and the RM51 and the Creed stay locked comfortably in the safe... So to your point BBS - what was the point in buying those three guns? I question my sanity at times but maybe (I hope) some day they will be a "collector piece"...
 
@BlindedByScience said a whole mouthful there. 100% right. Most guns are high quality for the purpose and it’s largely what fits you and how you like it. There is that matching of gun to shooter that is different for everyone.

I gravitated to 1911s because I was on active duty when it was still issue and when the Beretta came on. I’ve owned many and shot tons with it, so it is my “zen” gun. And why I now love the Wilson Combat SFX9. It’s a familiar platform to me just a different caliber. Once I came to Vickers’ conclusion it was a natural shift.

Also, like Tom, I have great respect for Glocks, and shoot them well. The Gen 5 trigger is generally liked by everyone, although it will never have the 1911 feel, it is a fine trigger. They just damn work. And also there are a ton of others I like. springers, S&W, you name it.

Hard to go wrong. We are awash in an embarrassment of riches with regard to handgun choice and effective ammo choices. No need to be as polarizing as things were back in the day when the U.S. switched to the Beretta. Lordy that was a hot topic! 🤣

Got my son a Beretta 92 for his high school graduation join the Army gift and man, is that a great gun! I love it. Hard to believe all the sturm und drang surrounding its adoption back in the day.

Even on gun forums people seem to take a more ecumenical view of guns these days of 40 years ago. It’s no longer like guns have the religious following they used to have.
 
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