Making Glock Rock Again
As we are all aware, Gaston Glock went to be with the Lord several months ago. My love of Glock pistols has never been a secret as I am the type of man that always prefers substance over style. The problem facing Glock pistols in the market today it not one of functionality: they work and they have always worked. I continue to say to this day that the Glock 19 is the finest handgun that has ever been made. I use one as my daily carry gun because it offers the best combination of reliability, concealability, and capacity. While I am sure there are those out there who will say that Sig P365 would do the same thing in a smaller and lighter package - which may be true - I have been shooting Glocks for decades. Further, I have owned a P365 and know that I am faster and more accurate with the Glock 19. The caveat to this statement is that I have had more training with a Glock than with any other platform - so that should be the case.
The Glock, of course, it not without its problems in the modern handgun market. Glock as a company drives me crazy because I see it as a company that often sits on is laurels rather than seeking to be on the cutting edge of innovation. Therefore, I think it's time for some constructive criticism of Glock and my five suggestions for Glock to bring more in line with the modern handgun market.
Replace the Glock Sights: Simply put, there is no reason for a handgun to exist at Glock's price point with the crappy plastic sights that some with it out of the box. They are not perfection; they're crap. So, my first suggestion is for Glock to replace it's stock sights for night sights out of the box. While this may not be the best option for competition shooters who like the fiber optic tube sights, the Glock has always been a defensive handgun. Night sights are not an option for a defensive handgun; they are a requirement. When a set of tritium night sights can be had here for $50.00, there is no reason this isn't something that can be added to the pistol as a stock option.
Upgrade the Trigger: This does not mean use a lighter striker spring. I run the stock striker and striker spring even on my competition Glocks because I find it necessary to obtain reliable ignition. If the gun it not going to work every time you pull the trigger, it's worthless. First of all, Glock should install the 6lb trigger return spring stock on every Glock. For most models, that spring can be had here for $5.00. An upgraded connector, even the factory Glock 3.5lb connector, should be on every Glock model. You can get the Lantac SSR connector here for around $15.00. As I have found that maritime spring cups can take almost a half pound off the trigger, this simple and cheap option - available here for just over $7.00 - is a great way to improve both the trigger and overall reliability of the weapon. While these three upgrades alone would improve the crappy stock Glock trigger, an overtravel screw build into the trigger housing (Lone Wolf used to make one) would be a great option that Glock could do for pennies. If I can upgrade a trigger significantly over the stock trigger for around $30.00, there is no reason this shouldn't just be offered out of the box. These upgrades make for an improved trigger without compromising safety. Those who want a competition trigger can still go with the excellent Timney or McNally triggers (I prefer the McNally) - provided they understand that these are not suitable for carry.
Use a metal recoil spring assembly: All of my Glocks use a tungsten model to add a bit of weight and improve felt recoil. Tungsten is expensive so Glock may simply switch to stainless steel to keep costs down. While I have never personally seen failures from the plastic assemblies, this is a high wear part that I simply believe should be made of metal in a premium firearm. Also, it would be nice to go back to the Gen3 style assembly to make it easier for competition shooters and reloaders to use a variety of recoil spring weights based upon their needs. The dual spring assembly works quite well for subcompact models. On a full size model, I would also want the option of a heavier spring for something like a 10mm where I would use max loads for applications such as backcountry bear defense.
A Steel Frame Competition Option: Those new Walthers, the 2011s, the DWX and even the Platypus....they all look really nice and I am sure they are great options for limited class. My idea for a Glock 50 would be a steel frame Glock 17L. The top of the slide would be cut for adding an optional four-port compensated barrel and the slide would be of the MOS style. The stock barrel would be threaded for muzzle devices and the weapon would come with a highly tuned and upgraded trigger out of the box as well as an aggressive magazine well. Basically, I'd like to see Glock acknowledge all of these new out-of-the-box competition-ready firearm and flex their dick a little bit to show that they can make something just as good - and more reliable - for less.
Kill the Sad Model 44 or Replace It: I honestly have no idea what Glock was thinking when they made this gun. It sucks. For this first time, when I was looking for a 22 for practice, I chose TAURUS over Glock. Now lets face it, the Taurus TX22 is probably one of the best deals on guns right now. It's not perfect. If you run it as hard as I run my guns, it WILL need repairs and it is not user serviceable (its biggest drawback). But it still has a sixteen round magazine which is a massive improvement over the Glock 44's politically correct 10 rounds. I am told these pistols are not even very reliable. Come on Glock. Do better.
The Glock, of course, it not without its problems in the modern handgun market. Glock as a company drives me crazy because I see it as a company that often sits on is laurels rather than seeking to be on the cutting edge of innovation. Therefore, I think it's time for some constructive criticism of Glock and my five suggestions for Glock to bring more in line with the modern handgun market.
Replace the Glock Sights: Simply put, there is no reason for a handgun to exist at Glock's price point with the crappy plastic sights that some with it out of the box. They are not perfection; they're crap. So, my first suggestion is for Glock to replace it's stock sights for night sights out of the box. While this may not be the best option for competition shooters who like the fiber optic tube sights, the Glock has always been a defensive handgun. Night sights are not an option for a defensive handgun; they are a requirement. When a set of tritium night sights can be had here for $50.00, there is no reason this isn't something that can be added to the pistol as a stock option.
Upgrade the Trigger: This does not mean use a lighter striker spring. I run the stock striker and striker spring even on my competition Glocks because I find it necessary to obtain reliable ignition. If the gun it not going to work every time you pull the trigger, it's worthless. First of all, Glock should install the 6lb trigger return spring stock on every Glock. For most models, that spring can be had here for $5.00. An upgraded connector, even the factory Glock 3.5lb connector, should be on every Glock model. You can get the Lantac SSR connector here for around $15.00. As I have found that maritime spring cups can take almost a half pound off the trigger, this simple and cheap option - available here for just over $7.00 - is a great way to improve both the trigger and overall reliability of the weapon. While these three upgrades alone would improve the crappy stock Glock trigger, an overtravel screw build into the trigger housing (Lone Wolf used to make one) would be a great option that Glock could do for pennies. If I can upgrade a trigger significantly over the stock trigger for around $30.00, there is no reason this shouldn't just be offered out of the box. These upgrades make for an improved trigger without compromising safety. Those who want a competition trigger can still go with the excellent Timney or McNally triggers (I prefer the McNally) - provided they understand that these are not suitable for carry.
Use a metal recoil spring assembly: All of my Glocks use a tungsten model to add a bit of weight and improve felt recoil. Tungsten is expensive so Glock may simply switch to stainless steel to keep costs down. While I have never personally seen failures from the plastic assemblies, this is a high wear part that I simply believe should be made of metal in a premium firearm. Also, it would be nice to go back to the Gen3 style assembly to make it easier for competition shooters and reloaders to use a variety of recoil spring weights based upon their needs. The dual spring assembly works quite well for subcompact models. On a full size model, I would also want the option of a heavier spring for something like a 10mm where I would use max loads for applications such as backcountry bear defense.
A Steel Frame Competition Option: Those new Walthers, the 2011s, the DWX and even the Platypus....they all look really nice and I am sure they are great options for limited class. My idea for a Glock 50 would be a steel frame Glock 17L. The top of the slide would be cut for adding an optional four-port compensated barrel and the slide would be of the MOS style. The stock barrel would be threaded for muzzle devices and the weapon would come with a highly tuned and upgraded trigger out of the box as well as an aggressive magazine well. Basically, I'd like to see Glock acknowledge all of these new out-of-the-box competition-ready firearm and flex their dick a little bit to show that they can make something just as good - and more reliable - for less.
Kill the Sad Model 44 or Replace It: I honestly have no idea what Glock was thinking when they made this gun. It sucks. For this first time, when I was looking for a 22 for practice, I chose TAURUS over Glock. Now lets face it, the Taurus TX22 is probably one of the best deals on guns right now. It's not perfect. If you run it as hard as I run my guns, it WILL need repairs and it is not user serviceable (its biggest drawback). But it still has a sixteen round magazine which is a massive improvement over the Glock 44's politically correct 10 rounds. I am told these pistols are not even very reliable. Come on Glock. Do better.
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