Ouch, you've got me dead to rights. A little to much whiskey for the Doc this evening. I'm guilty of saying "the FIRST pistol..." instead of "the ONLY pistol...".
But I digress.
With all seriousness, what do you regard as one of the better designs on the market? I'm sincerely interested, TDC. I Always value the opinion and experience of long time shooters.
It should come as no surprise but arguably the most feature rich design would be a Glock. I have listed the differences between the Viking and a Glock below.
Dimensions- Viking/Glock (Viking is the polymer 113mm barrel length model as offered by interammo, Glock is stock model 17)
Length 7.79"/ 8.03" *unsure as to whether or not the Viking is a measurement of the slide only or max length including grip/frame.*
Width 1.49"/1.18"
height 5.71"/5.43"
Weight 30.7oz/22.2oz *unloaded*
parts count 50/35
Pros(aside from those obvious advantages above)
Low bore axis-Glock
No manual safety-Glock
Consistent trigger pull-Glock
Light rail-Glock
Night sights-Glock
Holsters-Glock
Rimfire conversion kit-Glock
Standard/compact/subcompact options-Glock
Interchangeable mags between sizes-Glock
Identical manual of arms across sizes-Glock
Interchangeable back straps-Glock(gen4) *IMO this is a marketing gimmick, but it is an option/attribute the Viking does not have*
I can't compare the reset between the two, but I can make an educated assumption that the reset is neither crisp nor does it lack over travel. I have yet to shoot a DA/SA gun except for a SIG with SRT that does not have over travel in the reset. Based on the images online I can also assume the length of trigger travel is far greater than that of a Glock(0.5").
With our stupid 10 round capacity limits we could stack the deck and compare a Glock 19 to the Viking. The numbers speak for themselves. If we pretend we live in a free country, the Glock 19 carries 2 less rounds for a lot less size and weight. While still retaining all the positives that make a Glock a superior design.
Dimensions Viking/Glock 19
Length 7.79"/7.36"
Width 1.49"/1.18"
Height 5.71"/4.99
Weight 30.7oz/21.16oz *Glock 19 loaded(15 rounds) weighs 30.18oz!!!*
Its clear the surface finish on the Viking is less than durable, as some have indicated significant wear with very low round counts. The tennifer finish used on Glocks has a long standing reputation as being near impervious to use and abuse.
With the above listed information, I have to ask again. Where is the modern, advanced, cutting edge design features and value in the Viking???
TDC
ETA: Just found information regarding trigger pull. The Viking in DA is 13.2lbs, the Glock is a consistent, 5.5lbs.