Glock all the way. Reason, shoot well, simple and less parts. So, it happens to have polymer lower, bothers me none. The only thing that I switched out were front and rear sights and connector. Everything else is factory standards.
What is the best polymer handgun?
- Thread starter Segue2002
- Start date
Most new-ish pistol shooters love GLOCK in the gun store, and then they are really disappointed when they get it to the range. I was the same way, a long time ago.
Over the years I've learned a thing or two, and GLOCK is one of my favorites - right up there with HK P7, P9 and some of the best duty pistols ever made.
You have to change two things with GLOCK:
(1) ditch the ridiculous U-notch plastic sights and get some real sights, preferably Trijicon three-dot night sights. The plastic GLOCK sights serve one purpose only, which is to keep the price of the gun down (by installing plastic sights that probably cost 25 cents to produce). It is a waste of ammo to shoot a GLOCK with the stock plastic "sights".
(2) change the way you think about the trigger. It is not a custom 1911 trigger to be gently squeezed and finessed, apply just enough pressure to break the shot, and all that. If you shoot a GLOCK like this, you will NOT have success, no matter how much experience you have shooting. I think the best approach is to shoot with the "pad" of your trigger finger (not the tip) and think of it in terms of a quick "click, pull", "click, pull", (reset and fire, click up, click back, click up, click back). The "pull" is more like a shotgun pull. It is hard to fully describe it in words, but you want to think in terms of "clicking" the trigger straight back, with the pad of your finger, not finessing it back with the tip. It is not a finesse trigger, and it CANNOT be shot accurate by finessing it. Once you get this into your head, you unlock the "puzzle", and a whole new world of GLOCK opens up for you. They start to become fast accurate pistols.
With this approach, you should be able to get your group size down to about 1/2 to 1/3 of what you are showing in your video. Seriously. It is totally possible.
I have seen this over and over again, for more than a decade. Many people just cannot back away from their preconceptions on these two points (they want to keep the pistol "stock" and they want to finesse the trigger) so they ultimately sell the GLOCK and buy a SIG, Beretta or 1911 or whatever (which will work better with their preconceptions).
This may or may not be your problem, but based on your video, I think it probably is. I have helped "unlock the secret of the GLOCK" for a lot of new shooters at my range (no assistance from the Shaolin Temple, or red panda Shifus, required
). It works. They are good guns. The stock "sights" suck, and you have to change your mental approach and your technique a bit, but they work great once you get going.
I agree that the other GLOCK derived, spongy trigger, striker fired, polymer frame guns, will be about the same for you.
If what I am saying here doesn't help you, I would suggest selling the pistol and getting something with a more traditional hammer and sear-type arrangement. Everyone's hands/eyes/brain is a bit different, so you may have to try a few different things to find what really works.
Over the years I've learned a thing or two, and GLOCK is one of my favorites - right up there with HK P7, P9 and some of the best duty pistols ever made.
You have to change two things with GLOCK:
(1) ditch the ridiculous U-notch plastic sights and get some real sights, preferably Trijicon three-dot night sights. The plastic GLOCK sights serve one purpose only, which is to keep the price of the gun down (by installing plastic sights that probably cost 25 cents to produce). It is a waste of ammo to shoot a GLOCK with the stock plastic "sights".
(2) change the way you think about the trigger. It is not a custom 1911 trigger to be gently squeezed and finessed, apply just enough pressure to break the shot, and all that. If you shoot a GLOCK like this, you will NOT have success, no matter how much experience you have shooting. I think the best approach is to shoot with the "pad" of your trigger finger (not the tip) and think of it in terms of a quick "click, pull", "click, pull", (reset and fire, click up, click back, click up, click back). The "pull" is more like a shotgun pull. It is hard to fully describe it in words, but you want to think in terms of "clicking" the trigger straight back, with the pad of your finger, not finessing it back with the tip. It is not a finesse trigger, and it CANNOT be shot accurate by finessing it. Once you get this into your head, you unlock the "puzzle", and a whole new world of GLOCK opens up for you. They start to become fast accurate pistols.
With this approach, you should be able to get your group size down to about 1/2 to 1/3 of what you are showing in your video. Seriously. It is totally possible.
I have seen this over and over again, for more than a decade. Many people just cannot back away from their preconceptions on these two points (they want to keep the pistol "stock" and they want to finesse the trigger) so they ultimately sell the GLOCK and buy a SIG, Beretta or 1911 or whatever (which will work better with their preconceptions).
This may or may not be your problem, but based on your video, I think it probably is. I have helped "unlock the secret of the GLOCK" for a lot of new shooters at my range (no assistance from the Shaolin Temple, or red panda Shifus, required
). It works. They are good guns. The stock "sights" suck, and you have to change your mental approach and your technique a bit, but they work great once you get going.I agree that the other GLOCK derived, spongy trigger, striker fired, polymer frame guns, will be about the same for you.
If what I am saying here doesn't help you, I would suggest selling the pistol and getting something with a more traditional hammer and sear-type arrangement. Everyone's hands/eyes/brain is a bit different, so you may have to try a few different things to find what really works.
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I've never had a problem shooting with the stock Glock sights myself. I'm not a huge fan of three-dot sights as I find them slower to line up, and the Glock sights with their big up-front dot and the white outline rear work really well for me.
I agree 100% with this. I shoot Glocks better faster than slower...when you shoot it slower you notice the idiosyncrasies more whereas if you shoot faster but still smoothly (i.e. don't jerk the trigger since the Glock's lightness make is more susceptible to trigger jerking) you do get into more of a groove.
- Location
- Ottawa Ontario
Glock or Steyr.....M&P's are for Brinks guards and Girl Scout leaders
CreamySmooth
CGN frequent flyer
That's what I was going to say.... Isn't it like 60+% of NA police departments?
Also, stop using the slide "release". It's a slide stop or a slide lock. Continued use in the manner will round the corner resulting in poor hold back. Try to teach yourself to slingshot the slide every time. You can't reliably operate a slide in a SHTF situation, because your fingers stop working for detail work. It will also become a bad habit for clearances. You will find yourself trying to run the slide "release" instead of a proper cleavage drill. Just my 2 cents as a shooting hint.
Also, try a G20.
Nice!
If the man who wrote this tells you that he has ocean front property for sale in Arizona - buy it.
(He speaks truth)
The FNP is a great gun - better than Glock if you need to reload your cases - but it doesn't fit like a Steyr - and it is larger by far. FNP has a hammer of course and the trigger pull that Glock owners might dream of.
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handgunner
CGN Regular
- Location
- Southern Ontario
Everyone is going to have their favorite. Their picks may or may not be yours.
My choices would be:
Best: FNH FNS-9LS or XDm9
Most fun: KelTec PMR30 (That thing is just a plastic giggle machine. Something about a muzzle blast the size of a small watermelon that gets people's "undivided attention".)
x2 on the PMR-30. it's a crowd-pleaser
Still alive
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rainy mosquito infested part of BC
What about the 22 " sucked big time"?
The 17 feels and looks exactly like the 22 except for the 9mm rd. Maybe it's the .40 you don't like?
I regularly shoot my 19 and 22 doing Dot Torture and the Travis Haley 1" dot torture targets. I practice with guys shooting Springfield XD, 1911, M&P9, G17, Arsenal Arms and lately, a beautiful Steyr .40. We keep up well with each other and we can shoot each others' guns well also. There is no bad gun in this group. They all shoot well and whether Glock haters like it or not, if it wasn't for Gaston's gun being so successful, there would probably be no development of the Sigma, M&P, Walthers, HK, Steyrs, P320 etc. Everyone guns for #1. For the longest time, that was Glock.
If G22 didn't work, G17 won't please you either.
Glock is a demanding platform, but there is nothing wrong with it.
Try to compete out there with G22 equipped with NY1 trigger and then come back and tell me how the factory trigger sucks
Got my grubby hands on a Strike One. I had been humming and hawing about my first Tupper, and it was between an M&P 9, P99as, and a P30L (thanks John Wick), but I have to say I really REALLY like the Strike One, I just wish It wasn't quite so expensive. It's basically a 92FS that is striker fired from what I can tell, but the high grip and the nice fat flat trigger feel great. I'd get one right away if it werent for the price tag.
Still alive
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rainy mosquito infested part of BC
Got my grubby hands on a Strike One. I had been humming and hawing about my first Tupper, and it was between an M&P 9, P99as, and a P30L (thanks John Wick), but I have to say I really REALLY like the Strike One, I just wish It wasn't quite so expensive. It's basically a 92FS that is striker fired from what I can tell, but the high grip and the nice fat flat trigger feel great. I'd get one right away if it werent for the price tag.
The Arsenal Arms Strike One is more like a Glock mated to a CZ. It has an extremely low bore axis which really helps quick follow up shots. The trigger is another variation of " polymer interesting". Between a Glock and a PPQ. Not long like a M&P.
The problem now is that it's hard to find accessories like mags and holsters for them. Things should change soon. Rumor has it that the bad guy in the next Bond movie carries the Strike One so interest and supplies for the gun should go up.
Phat Eagle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Fraser Valley, BC
I've had a Gen 2 Glock 17 for over 20 years... wife bought it for me. I've put 1000s of rounds thru it. I put a beautiful Ghost Rocket trigger in it. I loved that pistol... until I shot a Steyr M40A1. Love at first bang. Now I bought myself a Steyr L9A1.
Yes, it was a bugger to find a holster, but I have one. Yes, mags weren't cheap, but that's common.
I've not fired every polymer pistol, but I certainly prefer it to my Glock. Shot my friend's Strike One. It's ok, but the trigger is mush. The M and P feels great in the hand, but that trigger... So far my Steyr is my absolute favorite.
Yes, it was a bugger to find a holster, but I have one. Yes, mags weren't cheap, but that's common.
I've not fired every polymer pistol, but I certainly prefer it to my Glock. Shot my friend's Strike One. It's ok, but the trigger is mush. The M and P feels great in the hand, but that trigger... So far my Steyr is my absolute favorite.
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