Well, like I alluded on Tuesday, I went over to the dark side. I now own a Glock semi-automatic pistol. I picked up a G30, which for those who aren't familiar with the Glock numbering system is the subcompact, double-stack .45 ACP. There's also a single-stack version (the G36), and a full-size (the G21), but no mid-sized .45 ACP Glock akin to the Model 19/23 (9mm/.40 S&W).
Why did I succumb, you ask? Well, it was a perfect storm of opportunity. First off, the price was right. I checked GunBroker and GunsAmerica for the going price of used G30s around the country, and what I paid was definitely on the low side. The gun is used, but LNIB. It's got night sights (don't ask me what brand, these things are new to me!) and came with box, paperwork (unopened!) and two magazines (9 round flush and 10 round with pinkie extension).
As I said, the price was a deciding factor. The gun was very reasonably priced - for Free America.
Y'see, here in MA there's a two-tiered system for getting handguns approved for sale. First, the manufacturer has to submit every model they want to sell for testing, which apparently involves beating a Ming vase into powder with the handgun due to the cost. Once a pistol is approved, it is listed on the Approved Firearm Roster. Now, right here, you'd think that this pistol could be sold. You'd be wrong. The Attorney General can, at his or her discretion, disallow sales of an approved firearm based on, well... we can't quite figure out what that's based on. Looking at the roster, there's a whole bunch of approved Glocks; however for some unknown reason new Glock handguns cannot be sold to the general public.
It's stupid, arbitrary, and yet another roadblock to gun ownership. In other words, par for the course in Massa-fucking-chusetts.
Anyways, like the man said, I told you all that, so I can tell you this: I got it cheap. Damn cheap. About $200 cheaper than the price that 9mm and .40 S&W subcompact Glocks currently command in MA. Basically, I figured that I could pick it up, shoot it, see how I liked it, and sell it for a hefty profit should I not like it.
So why the G30? As weer'd beard points out in my hint post, I was looking for a thinner carry piece, not a fatter one... Well... I'm willing to make concessions to get 10+1 rounds of .45 ACP. That right there's enough to change my tune a bit...
.45 ACP. Dispatching goblins and Moro warriors since 1905. Nothing says "sucking chest wound" like a .45" jacketed hollowpoint. Which, coincidentally, you can see in great detail looking down that big ol' barrel...
There aren't a lot of small(ish) .45 ACP handguns available in MA - there's the S&W Chief's Special CS45, which is comparably sized to the G30, but with 4 less rounds, and the ParaOrdnance Warthog, which again is similarly sized to the G30. However, I know 3 or 4 people who have owned (notice the past tense) Warthogs and every single person has gotten rid of it, claiming it's too unreliable to use as a carry gun.
One complaint I've never heard about Glock is that they're unreliable. Ugly? Sure. Soulless? Granted. But even the most ardent Glock-hater will concede that they run well in even the most demanding conditions...
That's it for small .45s available new. Sure, you can find a used Colt Defender, but you'd better be prepared to drop $1K or more. Kimber's ultra compact? Raid the kids' college funds...
We've got the inevitable schwag picture:
And, as you probably guessed from the item propping the trigger guard, I had a little fun with the "Tupperware" appellation for Glock:
Heh. I couldn't resist.
One really, really neat thing about the G30? Apparently Smith & Wesson/Walther copied the subcompact Glock when they designed their SW99/P99 series, because 4 out of 5 holsters that I bought for my SW99 compact fit the G30. The Fobus paddle holster actually fits better - I believe it technically is a Glock holster. The two IWB holsters, a generic nylon and a Don Hume leather, both fit the G30. And, most impressively, the Crossbreed Supertuck IWB holster I got for the SW99 (pictured here with the SW99 compact 9mm) fits the G30 like it was made for it...
That's an unexpected bonus - buy a new CCW piece, be able to use existing gear. More money for extra magazines!
Now I just need to find some pre-ban G21 13-round magazines!
That is all.
11 comments:
Nice find!
I've always WANTED to like Glocks, but I just can't. Paul has brought over a few to entice me, so while they feel good in the hand & all, I can't get happy about the trigger on any of them.
That said, go see this:
http://www.theprepared.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=90&Item
It was a G21, but whatever. Pretty impressive!
Good luck & let me try that one too...
You forgot Kahr's PM45, much smaller then the Glocks
DT,
You got it buddy. I'll bring her along the next time I swing out your way.
I'm hoping to get to the range this weekend to try her out. I'm thinking of bringing this and the SW99C to see how they do head-to-head (a future post, I think).
Anon,
The PM45 is not available in MA. The only way to get one is to buy one through a private transaction from someone who moved in from out of state.
Both very rare and very expensive...
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/03/how-to-make-glock-not-suck.html
Glock triggers don't have to be terrible.
I've had my G30 for a year now - you eventually get used to the size & weight..:-)
CDNN (www.cdnninvestments.com) has G21 mags at a good price. G30 mags are getting hard to find at the old sub-$20 price, tho.
This is nitpicking, but here's a link about the handguns in use during the Moro campaigns. Congrats on the new purchase. I haven't touched a handgun in 9 months, and it's driving me nuts.
http://www.morolandhistory.com/Articles/Legend%20of%20Colt%2045.pdf
Congrats on your purchase!
I am an avowed 1911 man, myself, but the glock is a fine handgun. I just never could get it to feel anything approaching normal in my hands. Still, they are very good guns. Simple, reliable, affordable.
Anyway, congratulations!
Jay, check the Want Ads area over at Glock Talk (www.glocktalk.com) for some pre-ban G21 mags.
Welcome to The Dark Side!
The biggest issue I have with the Tupperware (besides the look, lack of soul, etc.) is the fact that the general understanding is that brass through a Glock is not reloadable.
Mike, here's the skinny:
.40 Glocks, especially the older ones, are undercut a little more around the mouth of the chamber where the feed ramp comes up than most other guns are; this leaves a little fingernail-shaped slice of cartridge case unsupported. If you try to reload and fire the same case a number of times you'll eventually end up with a ruptured case and maybe damage to the gun and/or shooter. The solution is to get an aftermarket barrel (which is easy-peasy and runs just over a c-note). Or, of course, just shoot new ammo.
I have never heard of a 9mm or .45 Glock having this problem. I used to reload for my Glock 10mm and never had a problem. Dean Spiers writes extensively on this issue; look him up.
Jay, welcome to the Dark Side!
DaveP.
The remarks about the stock glock barrel bulging the brass are absolutely true, and the comment about curing the problem with an aftermarket barrel are also true.
But what if you are a glock user that shoots volume and must acquire brass to reload? If you buy once fired brass in .40, chances are alot of the brass you get will have the glock bulge.
I have 4 glocks in .40 caliber, 2 are g23's with aftermarket barrels and 2 are g35's with stock and aftermarket barrels. I reload on a Dillon 550 and the Dillon resizing die does not size far enough down the case to take out the bulge, thereby causing the cases to stick in the chamber, so you have a slide not fully in battery.
You have two solutions: 1) purchase an undersize die from EGW (evolution gun works). The die is actually made by Lee for EGW and is .001 undersize for the chosen caliber. Once you are using this die, it does not matter what the brass has been shot out of before, it will be resized and will fit without sticking in any .40 chamber.
Or, 2) Just use a normal Lee resizing die. I have recently discovered that a Lee die sizes down far enough to take the bulge out of glocked cases. I am using a Lee .40 resizing die in station one of my 550 and they chamber fine.
On a side note, I have been reloading the same batch of 4000 .40 cases for 10 months now. I have a lots more in reserve, but I wanted to see how many times I could reload a case using mild loads before I had to start tossing them...so far so good. For what it's worth, I am loading 5.0 gr. of Unique over a 180 gr moly coated lead bullet.
I do believe though, that the aftermarket barrels will greatly lengthen your useful brass life in a Glock.
TJ
Post a Comment