What GLOCK should I get?

[saigafan12345 21]

Hello all, I'm looking to apply for a pistol permit and get a new handgun in a few months. I'm looking for something modern, reliable, and DAO, so I've decided I want a Glock. Thing is, I'm not sure what model and even what caliber I want.

 

I already have a DA/SA 9mm and a 357. So I have a decent idea of what I am looking for in the gun. I want something small/compact but not too small like a sub compact. I'll be carrying it openly in a holster for work, however my work (armored car guard) is often very mobile so I don't want something big like the 21. I know I don't want another 9mm, really the decision is between .40 and .45.

 

Which do you think is the better defensive round, keeping in mind that I will be carrying FMJ ammo ONLY? (cannot carry JHP in NJ) My biggest concern is over-penetration and the safety of others if god forbid I ever had to use the gun. How is the recoil on a small .40/45?

[jrance@iacwds.com 716]

keeping in mind that I will be carrying FMJ ammo ONLY? (cannot carry JHP in NJ) My biggest concern is over-penetration and the safety of others if god forbid I ever had to use the gun. How is the recoil on a small .40/45?

If you are only allowed to carry FMJ and over-penetration is your biggest concern, you are in a world of hurt.

[bayonet lug 1]

Well Im fond of the glock 20 in 10mm. But if you can only carry FMJ I say get 45 acp. Thats my 2 cents.

[Paladin 37]

G23, compact without being too small. Good capacity. .40 is just as effective as .45.

[Wheel 0]

I'd also recommend teh 23. In NJ can you carry mags with more than 10 rounds? If not, get the 27. The 27 is actually quite easy to shoot thanks to it's dual recoil spring system. I'd stay away from the 9mm with FMJ. At least with the .40, fmj bullets are flat-nosed, like wad-cutters. Actually, I'd probably recommend the Glock 30 or 36 now that I think about it. With FMJ, you want the biggest bullet you can get. Big bullet, low velocity. Better chance of transmitting max energy into your target, and staying there. I wouldn't want a 9mm that's for sure. FMJ 9mm is going to punch holes right through people and hit other people. A .45 also is very bad for punching through walls compared to the other calibers.

 

FMJ only? I think I gotta go with the .45. man that's a huge handicap.

[Juggernaut 11,054]

G23... you can always drop in a lone wolf conversion barrel and shoot 9mm at the range to save cash.. and have the power of the .40 when you carry...

[saigafan12345 21]

Yeah, we can own/carry up to 15 round mags here. Thanks for the help so far guys, keep em coming.

 

How is the recoil on the 30? 36?

 

How is the recoil on the .40 different than the .45? I heard 40 has more recoil? (assuming a similar sized gun)

Edited February 23, 2009 by saigafun12345

[mstranglr 9]

If you can only use FMJ ammo, I would go with the .45 because 9mm and .40 ball ammo will be much less effective.

 

If you can use hollowpoints but have no state capacity requirements, I would go G23.

 

If you have state capacity requirements, you might as well get a mini Glock with the pierce +1 grip extension on the mags. Do not discount the mini Glocks! they are very accurate and conceal nice and comfortable. The grip is nice with the mag extension installed, it feels like a different gun. Ask mini Glock owners; once you get one, the others rarely get carried.

 

The 4" model XD40 or XD45 is a nice DAO gun too if you need a smaller grip.

 

EDIT: oops, just read that you are limited to 15 rounds - thats really not bad, and I would take avdantage of that capacity since you cant use holow points. I would go to the range and test fire G23, G21, XD40, XD45, M&P45 and see what you like. I have shot them all and personally like the G23 and XD40 the best.

Edited February 23, 2009 by desert dog

[janusthephoenix 24]

The XD40 is a good gun, and from what I read is very nearly the same as a Glock.

 

 

 

<<-----

 

 

The recoil isn't as bad as I expected, either. 1911 is correct: If you are concerned with over penetration but are limited to FMJ, I would quickly un-concern myself with it. .40 or .45, it won't make much difference in that respect so take your pick.

[Twinsen 86]

Nobody ever complained that .45 over penetrated anything. Go look over at http://www.theboxotruth.com/ and see how .45 fails to go through anything. It imparts all of its energy very quickly on target.

 

.40 penetrates noticeably more, and 9mm a lot more.

 

Also, I think it is funny that you are banned from using safer ammunition by law. That's silly.

Edited February 23, 2009 by Twinsen

[Vultite 57]

if you MUST go glock, and its either .40 or .45, i'd go with the G36, concealable, and match barrels are coming out soon for it.

[Twinsen 86]

if you MUST go glock, and its either .40 or .45, i'd go with the G36, concealable, and match barrels are coming out soon for it.

A single stack .45ACP Glock?! WTF?! If you like Glocks, get that one. +1

[gtnichols 51]

Yeah, Buy the XD, 9mm

[Azrial 1,091]

Get a Glock 20 or 21 if you do not mind a big gun. That is what I carry 90% of the time. For light dress occasions I carry a Glock 27 .40 S&W, Lone Wolf makes a barrel to convert it to 9mm that is a great idea, as I see Juggs pointed out!

[cscharlie 107]

When limited to FMJ, i always went .45, since it is already big and FMJ will prob not do much expanding. Something to consider with Blocks, is the 45 and 10mm use a bigger frame and grip then what the 9mm, 357Sig, and.40 use.

 

If you did not want full size, and could use hollow points, I would recomed the 23. Standard cap mag is 13. It's big brother(full size) has a standard cap mag of 15.

 

Edited to add: Unless I'm mistaken, with the 40cal glock you can also buy a barrel to fire 357sig round using the 40 cal mags. If you use a 9mm conversion barrel, you also need to use 9mm mags and possibly install a 9mm extractor. You can also buy a .22rimfire conversion kit for it.

Edited February 23, 2009 by cscharlie

[TheGlobule 1]

That's easy to answer.

Take the 40SW and use RBCD ammo.

They look like soft point ammo but do not contain lead. They are made of a copper jacket filled with two different density of epoxy and metal powder compounds cured under pressure.

If you hit meat, it will make a huge hole but will not over penetrate.

This ammo is very effective as well after going through glass, windshield or car door but will not over penetrate dry walls.

It was designed with a patent for armor piercing but has explosive characteristics when hitting meat.

The RBCD ammo in 40SW will make a permanent 11" deep cavity of 9" diameter.

I carry the 9mm or .380 Auto. In meat and bones, the .380 make a hole bigger than a .45 ACP (I know it because I try it). The 9mm fly off a 3.8" barrel at 1,980 ft/s (Sig P-228 at 10') and will go through a soft vest before making a big mess behind it (the 40SW will do it better).

 

To anyone thinking of giving me crap for saying that, go buy some and try them before. If you have not tried them in meat (not water), just shut the f..k up!

Edited February 23, 2009 by The Globule

[us_dragunov 11]

The best Glock to get is the one that says S&W M&P on it.

[Paladin 37]

Yeah, we can own/carry up to 15 round mags here. Thanks for the help so far guys, keep em coming.

 

How is the recoil on the 30? 36?

 

How is the recoil on the .40 different than the .45? I heard 40 has more recoil? (assuming a similar sized gun)

 

 

Recoil is quite subjective. I find the recoil of the .40 to be a tad sharper than .45. I beleive it's because of the higher pressure. But I've been shooting .40 for over ten years so it's no big deal. I have just switched to 9mm because bullet technology has put the the 9mm/.40/.45 in the same performance envelope IMO.

 

On a side note, and I may ruffle some feathers here, I think the "overpenetration" issue is a nonstarter.

 

First and foremost the hit rate for LE is 20%. Thats right, they miss four out of five shots. Those four shots are flying unimpeded down range at full velocity.

 

And people wring their hands over a round that MIGHT go through a bad guy and hit someone else? Whats the odds? What is the energy left? How much mass has the bullet lost?

 

Depending on whether you're a hunter type, target shooter type, or gunfighter type your hit rate may be better or worse. But using that as a baseline, the last thing I would worry about is the round passing completely through a bad guy and killing someone else. I'm more concerned about hitting the damn bad guy in the first place.

 

I'd be more worried about them being behind some barrier, or it's winter and they have a heavy coat on, or they are holding up a weapon of their own and your round may have to get through an arm before it impacts COM, or they are just a really big fat guy.

Edited February 24, 2009 by Paladin

[archangel689 0]

Get a 40 that'll do 357 sig you can swap barrels. and it goes through light body armor

[aresv 49]

Which do you think is the better defensive round, keeping in mind that I will be carrying FMJ ammo ONLY? (cannot carry JHP in NJ) My biggest concern is over-penetration and the safety of others if god forbid I ever had to use the gun. How is the recoil on a small .40/45?

 

That's just retarded. Are lead wadcutters legal in New Jersey? If so, get a pistol that will feed lead SWC's reliably and use that.

 

DO NOT use RBCD ammo. That shit is low quality, deceptively marketed, dangerous, and an explosion waiting to happen. I personally witnessed an Ohio state trooper blow up his G20 with some 90 grain RBCD uber crap. Stay away from it. Warn your friends.

[GeorgiaPD 408]

If you are going to go with a Glock, I would choose the 23. Still holds 13+1, which should be all that you will need. There are very few instances when a magazine change is required during a fight, outside of actual combat. As far a recoil is concerned, my wife (5'06" and 125 pounds) carries the 23 on duty as a detective and actually shoots it better than her issued 22. I still don't understand why you can only carry FMJ, as over penetration or richochet issues will be present with either caliber. Just my thoughts, but I don't think that you will go wrong with either.

Edited June 17, 2009 by GeorgiaPD

[Hoopster50 0]

G23, compact without being too small. Good capacity. .40 is just as effective as .45.

If all you can carry is FMJ and you want something small enough to conceal but not as small as the sub-compacts, The G23 is your best choice. And a good one it is. Some feel it's the best overall Glock and I agree. Other options are the G30 or G36 but they don't have as high round capacities and I think the G30 is to fat.

Edited June 16, 2009 by Hoopster

[SaigaNoobie 66]

Get the GLOCK XD40 SubCompact.

 

And for rounds to carry: Federal's Expanding Full Metal Jacket

 

Article: http://www.thegunzone.com/efmj.html

 

Ammo: http://www.federalpremium.com/products/det...gun.aspx?id=401

[Gaddis 1,689]

I actually *WANT* to see your NJ CCW permit when (if?) it comes.

 

As for what round to use, why don't you just ask your local PD what they have?

 

I'd personally paint my hand gunmetal gray and learn to stick out my index finger and yell "bang" real loud though.

[Azrial 1,091]

Well Im fond of the glock 20 in 10mm. But if you can only carry FMJ I say get 45 acp. Thats my 2 cents.

Almost exactly what I was going to write!

[buckandaquarterquarterstaff 5]

As long as we've dug up a February topic, I'll toss in my $.02

 

If you're going to carry FMJ and are worried about over-penetration and must have a glock, then I'd go with something in 45GAP (maybe the glock 38). But, that said, I'd see no reason to buy any glock in your situation over an xd45 compact. You can buy practice loads and have good penetration with FMJ, and light enough recoil to DT like it's a 9mm. Despite the laws prohibiting hollowpoints are misguided and logically would lead to more deaths instead of fewer, you need to remember that the 45 FMJ's had a really good reputation in the WW1 trenches for stopping power, and that was with the powders and bullets of that era.

 

So, there you have my opinion. Several months late, and still worth less than a nickel.

[pm-40 0]

Get a Glock 20 or 21 if you do not mind a big gun. That is what I carry 90% of the time. For light dress occasions I carry a Glock 27 .40 S&W, Lone Wolf makes a barrel to convert it to 9mm that is a great idea, as I see Juggs pointed out!

Do you need anything moor then the barrel to accomplish this ?

[Reverendfranz 160]

+1 on the EFMJ, I have a box or two of it around for the occasional stock 1911 that wont reliably feed hollowpoints. Its not a fantastic round either in expansion or penetration, and is all but useless (comparatively) except in the case that your gun wont feed hollowpoints, or you arent allowed to try, but it is pretty effective if you dont have any other options, and the federal +p travels a pretty clip out of the muzzle.

[Azrial 1,091]

Get a Glock 20 or 21 if you do not mind a big gun. That is what I carry 90% of the time. For light dress occasions I carry a Glock 27 .40 S&W, Lone Wolf makes a barrel to convert it to 9mm that is a great idea, as I see Juggs pointed out!

Do you need anything moor then the barrel to accomplish this ?

Yes sir, a 9mm mag. I have heard reports from others that this was not reliable in their pistols, but it has been 100% in mine and my friend's. I would test it throughly before using it for self-defense. On the other hand if 9x19mm is all you can get, it is better then using your pistol as a little club!

[pm-40 0]

Get a Glock 20 or 21 if you do not mind a big gun. That is what I carry 90% of the time. For light dress occasions I carry a Glock 27 .40 S&W, Lone Wolf makes a barrel to convert it to 9mm that is a great idea, as I see Juggs pointed out!

Do you need anything moor then the barrel to accomplish this ?

Yes sir, a 9mm mag. I have heard reports from others that this was not reliable in their pistols, but it has been 100% in mine and my friend's. I would test it throughly before using it for self-defense. On the other hand if 9x19mm is all you can get, it is better then using your pistol as a little club!

I will have to try that out.Thank you Edited July 31, 2009 by pm-40