WHY 9MM WHEN YOU CAN OWN A GLOCK 30 GEN 4 .45

[PALADIN85020]

Double-stack guns are not as easy to conceal as the single-stacks. For discreet carry, my choice in .45 is a Kimber compact 1911. For 9mm, it's a S&W 3913NL. Both are compact, slim and accurate.

Now if double-stack is comfortable and concealable given my mode of dress, my choice in .45 is a Gen. 3 Glock 30. In 9mm, it's a Gen. 2 Glock 19. FWIW, the 30 is very accurate.

Having said that, the Glocks require certain protocols. The holsters for them MUST cover the trigger area. Finger OFF the trigger until ready to shoot. If one is uncomfortable with that, carry them magazine-full and chamber-empty. Takes a bit longer to jack the slide preparatory to shooting.

For the .45 Glocks, I have a "safety gizmo thing" that wedges behind the trigger - it's black plastic, and hardly noticeable there. A simple push with the trigger finger removes it into the support hand or drops it on the ground, readying the chamber-loaded gun for firing.

Give the Glocks their due - they go bang every time you want them to, but require special precautions to be sure they don't go bang when you don't want them to.

John

 

[Kronos]

Meh,you like vanilla ice cream I like chocolate is about what it comes down to.....

I remember a TV movie about the okay corral when Holiday asked Earp a question and got this answer:

"you have a preference? Yea,don't miss"

I don't care what you carry so long as you shoot straight and don't hit me! a gun is a gun,it'll kill.

 

[lrrifleman]

This thread has left me a bit confused about the OP's intent: push one Glock against another, perpetuate the caliber debate, or flush out the Glock haters!

For me, I personally do not like synthetic or striker fired handguns. All of my handguns are made out of steel, have wooden grips, and incorporate a conventional firing system.

Depending upon circumstances, when I am legal to carry, I can carry either a 380, a 38, a 357, a 9mm, or a 45. My carry rotation includes sidearms that I am comfortable with, and that I can fire competently. I believe that this, in particular, is what should influence what a person opts to carry.

I respect the old adage, to each his own. Circumstances and conditions change, and we all have to be adaptable.

 

[Maccabeus]

...
A couple of Shield or 43 mags are easier to conceal that one 30 mag.
...

This is a very good point.

After years as a S&W fan, I recently picked up a G30s and LOVE it. The one exception is I usually skip the second mag because it is too awkward to carry on my frame with my typical clothing.

With my 4513TSW, I can easily carry two extra 6rnd mags in the back pocket in a modified Remora pouch.

I'm not a max capacity guy (comfortable carrying either a compact .45 or a j-frame), because the odds of me needing 19 rounds is statistically pretty low; however, I have had magazine failures over the years and a back-up mag or two is a nice option.

 

[mrchuck]

I have just read all of these comments. WHEW!
My input is this:
Carry concealed what you can shoot the best accurately.
And I mean being able to hit a chest dead center at 10 to 15 feet!
Yes, I know a perp can travel 21 feet in less time than it may take you to draw and shoot.
I'm talking off-duty, in your summer shorts and "T" shirt covering up your weapon, like standing in a line at Wal-Mart!
Almost all these encounters standing or walking will be within this close range.
So,,,know your laws and your skill level, your surroundings,and you're NOT John Wayne.

 

[sixtwoniner]

All this glock talk, I thought I was on the wrong site. But really folks, I shoot the beegeebers out of my SD9VE. Never any problems at all in about 3k down the tube. This is a S&W site, right? I have a glock 21sf shoots great and all but just too hefty for all day carry. The 9VE is easy to carry and has plenty punch with 16 if my not so soft 9mm rounds. Shoot what fits you the best. But always remember:
Shoot, Shoot, Shoot and then Shoot some more, we must all be proficient.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Where I live, your limited to 10 round mags regardless of caliber. These days I mostly carry a M&P 45c vs the 9c for many of the reasons the OP stated. I've owned the G30 and was not impressed with it's shooting characteristic so went back to the S&W. For me the 45c shoots as manageable as the 9c with only a slightly bigger footprint and weight increase. I also believe all day long that a good 45 round is a better fight stopper than it's 9mm counterpart.

FWIW, when fractions count, I do go the the Walther PPS 9mm but that's not often these days.

 

[Dennis The B]

I'm not dumping my 1911's any time soon. That stated, I have become a fan of some of the striker-fired pistols. They'll never have the "romance" of 1911's or Hi Powers, but they are highly functional, and they fill the bill for someone who wants a reliable pistol for whatever reason.

In a previous post, I explained my reasoning behind not owning a Glock. And, I do own four S&W M&P pistols. All are excellent guns, money aside.

Today, I "sinned" further, actually trading in a Kimber Pro Carry II for a H&K VP-9. I had a chance to shoot several side-by-side last week; Glock 19, Ruger American 9mm, Springfield XDM, and the H&K VP-9. All were solid performers, but the Glock 19 lost out for previously stated reasons. The Springer and Ruger both were nice, but the H&K was a cut above. I really liked the choice of mix-n-match side panels and back straps. The trigger was outstanding, sights easy to see, and the ambidextrous slide lock release was a real bonus. As to the trigger guard mounted mag release, that's an acquired taste, and definitely not "American", and I will adapt to it.

It fed everything in the first 100 rounds, from FMJ, to +P Corbon HP.

I'm a natural left hander, and my left eye is starting to show dominance since cataract surgery. So, I'm shooting more left handed. The VP-9 is definitely ergonomically built.

 

[Fastbolt]

Loaded weight for 1 & Not a Glock or Striker Fired Plastic Fan I will take My 3913 over those,I do have .45 as well.

Apropos of very little, maybe ...

I have a fair amount of trigger time with Glocks, including with my own 3 Glocks (2 G26's & a G27). My G26's have seen (combined) more than 20K rounds fired, and my G27 more than 16K rounds.

I used to shoot them a lot, but I've backed off a bit in the last year, leaning more toward my snub revolvers, M&P's, 1911's, 3rd gen S&W's & 99's ... and my LCP's (since I carry them a lot).

Earlier this week I took one of my G26's to a range session I was working I don't think I've shot it in 4-5 months? When I ran it cold through a qual course-of-fire I noticed a slight tendency for some hits to run a little bit higher than intended. I was using mostly 124gr +P, with a few 127gr +P+ loads mixed in, cycled out of previous carry usage.

When I subsequently ran one of my M&P 340 snubs (using a mix of 125gr +P, 130gr +P & 135gr +P) through a cold qual course, the groups were tighter, even using a flash front sight picture for the faster shot strings. The other instructor running me through the qual made a comment about how well I seemed to "like" the snub. (I'm working with him to try and make him a DAO snub revolver shooter, as he's mostly been shooting a couple brands of plastic pistols and 3rd gen S&W's.)

Then, the next day I decided to pull my 3913 from the safe. I ran it through a cold qual course. It required no adjustment or thought to the grip angle/shape, or to the trigger press for DA & SA. It was fast, controllabe and accurate. Noticeably tighter groups than with my G26, where intended, with less effort, done both 2 & 1-handed. Even the shooting-on-the-move groups were nicely clustered where intended.

Apparently, my hand and acquired skillset still favors the revolver & 3rd gen's.

Sure, I'm a long time 1911 and revolver shooter who only grudgingly started to focus on the S&W TDA's with the introduction of the 3rd gen's (and being required to carry one). I also rather liked my early production Ruger KP90DC .45, though, and when I started shooting SW99's back about 2000 I quickly grew to like them, too (although the early Walther backstrap inserts in their early full-size frames have a "peak" against my palm in exactly in the least comfortable spot).

I'll also give my SW999c a nod for having an even better trigger (smoother and lighter), and a slightly better "feel" when it comes to the grip profile, compared to my favored 3913 and 3913TSW.

When I'm running Glocks a lot, I find it easy to acclimate to their grip angle, grip shape and rather unique trigger press, and they can be tack-drivers with attention to the sights. It's just that the grip designs and angles of the variety of other handguns I shoot, both revolvers and pistols, still (as a combined group) feel more natural, more quickly, and without having to think about it. Even the little LCP's. Weird, right? Go figure.

BTW, I was trying another instructor's LCR the other day, doing some close range (<15yds) and mid-range (30yds) shooting using +P JHP's. The trigger pull was decent, but I didn't particularly care for the narrow trigger, as the rounded trigger face meant there was a narrow, center "point" resting against my finger and distal joint.

That narrowed contact area meant more transferred recoil force against my finger. To put it into perspective, the wider/flatter trigger of some of my J's seem more comfortable, seemingly transferring the felt recoil across a wider area of my finger/joint. (The narrow, serrated triggers of my older J's can be just as uncomfortable as the LCR in this regard, though, and have the added bonus of their serrations tenderizing my skin during extended shooting sessions. )

The trigger also "broke" at an earlier point in the trigger press arc than in my J's (or SP101DAO).

The practical accuracy of the LCR was decent. I'll give it that.

The light weight gave it a bit faster muzzle rise/snap compared to my 642 (and even my M&P 340's), and the wider all-black post/rear notch took up a lot of space at 30yds ... but the first time I fired a 5-shot string on a silhouette at 30yds, trying to run a 1-1 1/2 second/shot pace, I ended up with a flyer in the upper COM, but 4 hits that could be covered with the palm of my hand in the lower/middle COM.

I can't really do any better with my J's at that distance most of the time, so as oddly different as the LCR felt in my hand, and the earlier trigger/shot break, compared to my well-liked J's, it did give me some decent practical accuracy for the first time shooting one with +P's at 30yds.

However, the LCR's thick and chunky grip adds more than the array of grip stocks on all but one of my J's, and would make it a bulkier pocket-holstered choice for my needs. No doubt would help some shooters better handle the recoil of this plastic/metal 5-shot wheelie.

FWIW, thinking back to my single range session using another guy's S&W Bodyguard .38 Spl snub, I'd sooner get the LCR than the Bodyguard.

Maybe I should've said my rambling post in this thread was apropos of nothing.

Now ... if I can ever get my times and skills with my 4513TSW to consistently equal those of my 3913's (and my 4040PD)?

 

[Florida J Frame]

I have a friend in Virginia who's motto is "anybody worth shooting is worth shooting with a .45!" Hence, he bought a glock 30 for edc.

Last summer he and his wife came for a visit and naturally I asked him what he brought with him. He goes into his luggage and comes out with it. I asked him why he wasn't carrying it and he lifts his shirt and says - because I carry this now...a glock 42! Why?, I asked. "Man, the weight of that 30 gets heavy over the course of the day and sometimes I decided to leave it at home. I knew that wasn't good but I needed something light enough to carry ALL THE TIME, EVERY DAY. I just brought the 30 in case we went to the range."
That's point number 1.

I recommend going to the range and asking the range master to film you shooting your Shield 9mm - controlled pairs on a silhouette target, then do the same with the sub-compact .45 on a DIFFERENT target. If your groups are even close I will be amazed. Sub compact .45's are more difficult to place accurate follow-up shots with than a 9mm. And the difference in ballistics between the two is not worth the sacrifice in shot placement.
That's point number 2.

Most people don't reload either, so the cost of ammo can be a factor.

Yet, this is still America, and everyone is free to carry what they choose (unless they live in California or a few other places )

The G42 is one nice EDC. Stoked with 90 gr XTPs the gel tests show it is close enough to a 9mm that the difference is negligible. It's light and can be carried all day and the follow up shots are easy due to very little muzzle flip. I pocket carry and it's the best answer I have found so far.