Glock 21 magazine options

[New Camper]

I finally went over to the dark side, but that doesn't mean I abandoned my blued or stainless/wood beauties. Actually I went over to the dark side a couple years back with a Walther... but anyway had to try THE black pistol. And what I found appears to be unique unless such findings are glossed over.

I like the dark side except for a few things: The stock magazines do not fall clear of the magazine well, and even seem to bind more with ten rounds stuffed in them: Is this an anomaly? I understand that they can't be entirely made of steel as this will eat the synthetic mag release. Far as I can reason, this is a serious shortcoming by Glock: Make the release out of steel, and the mags (entirely) as the thicker steel portion (as opposed to stock steel/plastic laminate) will never bulge and always fall as required. One of the mags that came with the pistol always has failures with the first 1-3 rounds fired: The second mag is flawless. Is there a remedy to either of these problems?

Those things aside, I've only fired 100rounds through this pistol and the virtues otherwise are very appealing: A very accurate service pistol, reliable (with the one magazine) and on account of the design, for a light pistol in 45acp the recoil is very timid and follow up shots are quick and easy. With some more practice, I expect it will be at par with my Beretta.

I didn't find it troublesome to accustom to the stacking in the Glock striker system. Objectively again: Walther has a very smooth, non-stacking striker in their PPX model that Glock could learn from, but I'm not picky there as I do enjoy DA shooting revolvers.

Until I can resolve the magazine issue, my Beretta 92 will always be first choice for an action match: It has non of the problems mentioned and in >3000rounds has performed without fault using OEM mags and aftermarket. Sorry Vader...

 

[beltfed]

OEM mags should drop free, whether they are empty or fully loaded. If they are binding, something is suspect.
I only use Glock OEM mags in my pistols.

 

[New Camper]

I was dry firing the 21 today and the issue could be my not fully depressing the release. I can't see the temperature difference being the problem. I'm accustomed to full steel magazines and the release being like a S&W single action trigger pull... even those with a European style release.

I'll leave the magazines stuffed full when not in use and hopefully working of the spring will resolve the reliability issue with the one magazine. They are both OEM magazines.

 

[Outcast]

I finally went over to the dark side, but that doesn't mean I abandoned my blued or stainless/wood beauties. Actually I went over to the dark side a couple years back with a Walther... but anyway had to try THE black pistol. And what I found appears to be unique unless such findings are glossed over.

I like the dark side except for a few things: The stock magazines do not fall clear of the magazine well, and even seem to bind more with ten rounds stuffed in them: Is this an anomaly? I understand that they can't be entirely made of steel as this will eat the synthetic mag release. Far as I can reason, this is a serious shortcoming by Glock: Make the release out of steel, and the mags (entirely) as the thicker steel portion (as opposed to stock steel/plastic laminate) will never bulge and always fall as required. One of the mags that came with the pistol always has failures with the first 1-3 rounds fired: The second mag is flawless. Is there a remedy to either of these problems?

Those things aside, I've only fired 100rounds through this pistol and the virtues otherwise are very appealing: A very accurate service pistol, reliable (with the one magazine) and on account of the design, for a light pistol in 45acp the recoil is very timid and follow up shots are quick and easy. With some more practice, I expect it will be at par with my Beretta.

I didn't find it troublesome to accustom to the stacking in the Glock striker system. Objectively again: Walther has a very smooth, non-stacking striker in their PPX model that Glock could learn from, but I'm not picky there as I do enjoy DA shooting revolvers.

Until I can resolve the magazine issue, my Beretta 92 will always be first choice for an action match: It has non of the problems mentioned and in >3000rounds has performed without fault using OEM mags and aftermarket. Sorry Vader...

Your last couple lines sum up everything. It's a combat pistol, not a "I can have my mags fly out in a millisecond ". Combat pistols are designed to be manually manipulated not rely on gravity for mags to fall out. I've been carrying a glock for over 20 years , likely 100,000 - -150,000 rounds and never an issue.

 

[stromrider]

You are on the right track with fully depressing the release. You have to depress it firmly and hold until the mag is clear as it drags on the magazine with its own spring tension, otherwise it would not engage once the recess is lined up. Could be the plastic-on-plastic creates more friction than the steel mags experience? As far as the one mag that's problematic, I had a 9mm mag that would let the top round stand straight up but hold onto the case head and create a showstopper of a jam. I never figured out how to remedy it, I discarded it and bought another.

 

[xldbldbl]

It's a combat pistol, not a "I can have my mags fly out in a millisecond ". Combat pistols are designed to be manually manipulated not rely on gravity for mags to fall out.

Say what? Combat or competition, the last thing you need to be doing is trying to pull out an empty mag when you need a full one asap. Regardless of brand or model, all mags, empty or full, need to drop free leaving the weak hand to have a fresh one on the way in as soon as the old one clears the magwell. If a mag does not drop free with the mag release fully depressed then there is an issue some where.

 

[Outcast]

Say what? Combat or competition, the last thing you need to be doing is trying to pull out an empty mag when you need a full one asap. Regardless of brand or model, all mags, empty or full, need to drop free leaving the weak hand to have a fresh one on the way in as soon as the old one clears the magwell. If a mag does not drop free with the mag release fully depressed then there is an issue some where.

Say what... it's simple. Big difference between playing weekend terminator and the real world. When your biggest threat is the clock, ya you want all the advantages you can get. In the real world you rip the mag, you do not rely on it dropping free. Water, dirt, wear can effect a magic gravity mag drop. You work the pistol, rip the mag and go for the next mag. The last thing you want is an empty gun and your support hand goes for a fresh mag only to find out you need that hand to rip a mag or manipulate the pistol.

It's like you don't learn to use the slide release either, muscle memory. Work the pistol.

 

[beltfed]

If you need to rip a magazine from a pistol, you are performing an IA to a stoppage of normal pistol function, not an action that is needed on a properly functioning pistol and magazines (ok - aside from older Euro/heel release models), regardless of whether it is a glock or not.

If your training and common sense tells you to rip mags out of the pistol grip with you week hand and if you feel time is not a factor worthy of your attention for 'real world shooting' then fill your boots.

You can disparage 'weekend terminators' all you want, but do keep in mind that some of the best advances in pistol craft in the last 50 years - which have been widely adopted by military and law enforcement personnel world wide - have been brought forward by competition and competitive shooters (who many also incidentally have TI in either profession with similar, but likely way, way larger round counts...)

 

[JohnnyP636]

What generation are your mags? Glock had made many changes to their mags over the years. Some are designed to no drop freely on purpose. And swell when filled with ammo. Tactical reload vs speed reload

https://youtu.be/NliHtdM8ZRk

Get the right mag for your needs/preferences

I have a gen 3 21C and I don't even remember if my mags drop free or not, I have 5 mags for it and my kriss vector

 

[xldbldbl]

Say what... it's simple. Big difference between playing weekend terminator and the real world. When your biggest threat is the clock, ya you want all the advantages you can get. In the real world you rip the mag, you do not rely on it dropping free. Water, dirt, wear can effect a magic gravity mag drop. You work the pistol, rip the mag and go for the next mag. The last thing you want is an empty gun and your support hand goes for a fresh mag only to find out you need that hand to rip a mag or manipulate the pistol.

It's like you don't learn to use the slide release either, muscle memory. Work the pistol.

We were not talking about a mag jammed with anything, you said, and I quote: "Combat pistols are designed to be manually manipulated not rely on gravity for mags to fall out." which is absolutely false. Every brand and model is designed for the mag to drop free regardless. Like beltfed said, if you need to manually pull a mag from a gun your clearing a malfunction.

 

[Ganderite]

They drop free in my gen 3.

 

[New Camper]

Your last couple lines sum up everything. It's a combat pistol, not a "I can have my mags fly out in a millisecond ". Combat pistols are designed to be manually manipulated not rely on gravity for mags to fall out. I've been carrying a glock for over 20 years , likely 100,000 - -150,000 rounds and never an issue.

I said "action match"... All matches require accuracy, but what I was referring to is a simulation match of sorts: You are given time limits, and specific rounds, magazines and score is based on accurate shot placement that is achieved in the time. Simulations that anyone from LEO to civilian carry and to a lesser extent, a soldier might encounter using a service pistol. While some of the exercises were designed to simulate the mag changes you described, most were very fast and the faster you changed a mag was time that could be spent placing shots.

If memory serves, the Colt 1911 was originally a combat pistol: The magazines on mine fall freely. The same story for Beretta's 92... Yes, the mags can be manually extracted but gravity easily extracts them while the support hand is fetching a full mag. Some of the match exercises required changing mags while holding one, and not dropping the removed... it was to simulate a "tactical" change where the removed mag was not empty but running low: A fresh magazine allowed unhindered target engagement, with the idea that top ups could be done in lulls.

As I found, and as others have been saying my familiarity with traditional steel and alloy pistols, magazines fall out like scours from a calf... I need to spend some more time with the horse muffets that are the polymer mags and the increased friction they produce. It's a 21 Gen 3.

While I wish concealed or open carry was a reality here, I still enjoy the training and excitement provided by a practical oriented match even though the resultant skill has no current legal application for me aside from "it's fun and I can do it...". I'm not an LEO but I have enjoyed the opportunity to shoot the OPP qualifier.

Thanks to everyone for your responses.