After shooting the GSSF match on Sunday, I was on Twitter, and I did a simple search for "GSSF." one of the tweeters who showed up the most was @GlockingTall, who is Andy at the blog Glocking Tall.
One thing led to another, and Andy asked me to contribute a post about the modifications I've done to my Glock for GSSF. Check it out.
Thanks, Andy, for having me, and I look forward to contributing more about Glocks in the future.
Showing posts with label Glock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glock. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Pistol Choices
I've recently read several posts from other bloggers about their choices of Every Day Carry (EDC) pistols, and how they arrived at those choices. This got me thinking about my own thought processes, what I've chosen, and why.
GLOCKS
Anyone who's read this blog more than once knows that I own Glocks. While I sometimes play the devil's advocate to others about their gun choices, I'm not going to fault anyone for choosing the guns they own.
I can, though, tell you why I own my Glocks.
I bought my first Glock 17, Bruce, in 1992. At the time, Glock was about the only affordable "high capacity" handgun on the market. I picked 9mm for the same reason I have them now - availability and cost of ammo. It helps that modern 9mm defensive ammo is almost ballistically comparable to .45ACP. But that's another posting.
I got my other two Glocks, a G21SF and a G19, by way of my membership in the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation. The G21SF I bought at the Law Enforcement price, and the G19 I won in a GSSF match. So my choices of gun came about as much by serendipity as it did by conscious choice.
My next choice in a handgun will probably be a Glock, because I and my family already know how to run them, and I already have spare parts, magazines, holsters, and the like.
Now, if a similar circumstance arose for me to acquire a similar striker fired polymer gun, I wouldn't hesitate to do so. With enough practice and training, I and my family would learn to run them just as well.
Having said that, I don't think I would ever get a 1911 as a home defense or personal carry gun. There are several reasons for that.
In my home, besides me, are my wife, son , and daughter. Each of them has shot and trained with these guns. They know how they work, and they are comfortable shooting them. In an emergency, I would not hesitate to assign them each a Glock, and they would not hesitate to carry it and shoot it if need be.
However, the weight, reliability, and complexity of the 1911 precludes my family from ever being able to rely on them. This can best be illustrated by relating a story I heard from someone who is a frequent guest on a lot of the podcasts I listen to, who claimed that the 1911 was a superior gun precisely because it was so complicated that, if he lost it or it were taken away, an assailant would not be able to operate it. I thought that was one of the most ridiculous statements I had ever heard, especially since I am more likely to need to enlist someone's assistance than I am to lose a gun to an assailant.
So, here is the current batting order, as it were:
Batting first, as EDC, is my Glock 21SF. About 90 percent of the time I carry it on a belt holster.
Batting second, in the top shelf of my pistol safe, is my Glock 17. It also doubles as my competition gun.
Batting third, on the bottom shelf of my pistol safe, is my Glock 19.
Now, when the Glock 17 goes off to compete, the G19 pinch hits, and moves to the top shelf of the safe, with a G17 magazine installed.
And, in the times when circumstances preclude my carrying the G21, the G19 goes in a IWB holster under a tee shirt or polo. The G21 goes on the bottom shelf of the safe.
Note how this is arranged: there's always a 9mm Glock on the top shelf of the safe, and there are always loaded spare G17 magazines on top of the safe with a flashlight. There are also loaded G17 magazines in other places around the house.
In case of zombie apocalypse, I would take the G21, my wife would take the G17, and either my son or daughter would take the G19. In that event, I would also take the Mosssberg 500. We would also move the the lower half of the lineup, and break out the SKS, Ruger 10/22, and Browning Buck Mark. And, in the extreme case that the Mongols are coming over the hill and we need to go long, there is also a Mosin Nagant.
++++
COMING: How the guns we have figure into a matrix of preparedness - who is involved and what are we up against.
GLOCKS
Anyone who's read this blog more than once knows that I own Glocks. While I sometimes play the devil's advocate to others about their gun choices, I'm not going to fault anyone for choosing the guns they own.
I can, though, tell you why I own my Glocks.
G21, G17, G19
I bought my first Glock 17, Bruce, in 1992. At the time, Glock was about the only affordable "high capacity" handgun on the market. I picked 9mm for the same reason I have them now - availability and cost of ammo. It helps that modern 9mm defensive ammo is almost ballistically comparable to .45ACP. But that's another posting.
I got my other two Glocks, a G21SF and a G19, by way of my membership in the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation. The G21SF I bought at the Law Enforcement price, and the G19 I won in a GSSF match. So my choices of gun came about as much by serendipity as it did by conscious choice.
My next choice in a handgun will probably be a Glock, because I and my family already know how to run them, and I already have spare parts, magazines, holsters, and the like.
Now, if a similar circumstance arose for me to acquire a similar striker fired polymer gun, I wouldn't hesitate to do so. With enough practice and training, I and my family would learn to run them just as well.
Having said that, I don't think I would ever get a 1911 as a home defense or personal carry gun. There are several reasons for that.
In my home, besides me, are my wife, son , and daughter. Each of them has shot and trained with these guns. They know how they work, and they are comfortable shooting them. In an emergency, I would not hesitate to assign them each a Glock, and they would not hesitate to carry it and shoot it if need be.
However, the weight, reliability, and complexity of the 1911 precludes my family from ever being able to rely on them. This can best be illustrated by relating a story I heard from someone who is a frequent guest on a lot of the podcasts I listen to, who claimed that the 1911 was a superior gun precisely because it was so complicated that, if he lost it or it were taken away, an assailant would not be able to operate it. I thought that was one of the most ridiculous statements I had ever heard, especially since I am more likely to need to enlist someone's assistance than I am to lose a gun to an assailant.
So, here is the current batting order, as it were:
Batting first, as EDC, is my Glock 21SF. About 90 percent of the time I carry it on a belt holster.
Batting second, in the top shelf of my pistol safe, is my Glock 17. It also doubles as my competition gun.
Batting third, on the bottom shelf of my pistol safe, is my Glock 19.
Now, when the Glock 17 goes off to compete, the G19 pinch hits, and moves to the top shelf of the safe, with a G17 magazine installed.
And, in the times when circumstances preclude my carrying the G21, the G19 goes in a IWB holster under a tee shirt or polo. The G21 goes on the bottom shelf of the safe.
Note how this is arranged: there's always a 9mm Glock on the top shelf of the safe, and there are always loaded spare G17 magazines on top of the safe with a flashlight. There are also loaded G17 magazines in other places around the house.
In case of zombie apocalypse, I would take the G21, my wife would take the G17, and either my son or daughter would take the G19. In that event, I would also take the Mosssberg 500. We would also move the the lower half of the lineup, and break out the SKS, Ruger 10/22, and Browning Buck Mark. And, in the extreme case that the Mongols are coming over the hill and we need to go long, there is also a Mosin Nagant.
++++
COMING: How the guns we have figure into a matrix of preparedness - who is involved and what are we up against.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Frankenglock on the Rack - Again
As I've related before, my Gen2 Glock 17 Bruce has had just about all its internal parts replaced. It's about 20 years old, and it still shoots great.
At the GSSF match last September, the Armorers told me of an issue they were aware of with the older, Gen2 frames, where they were prone to develop cracks just behind the locking block. The good news, they told me, was that if I would take it by the factory in Smyrna, they would be happy to do some work to the frame that would prevent the cracking.
So, yesterday, I had some free time, and made my way to Highlands Drive in Smyrna. After signing in, I went to a waiting room, where I was met by an Armorer who knew just what I was talking about.
After about 30 minutes, he came back with my frame, which was cut thus, and the plastic rail relieved some ahead of the cut.
Like a dummy, I didn't think to take a "Before" picture, but here is a picture I found online for comparison:
Of course. in the process, the Armorer also replaced all the internal parts, so Frankenglock is all set for another 20 years or so, till I pass it down.
At the GSSF match last September, the Armorers told me of an issue they were aware of with the older, Gen2 frames, where they were prone to develop cracks just behind the locking block. The good news, they told me, was that if I would take it by the factory in Smyrna, they would be happy to do some work to the frame that would prevent the cracking.
So, yesterday, I had some free time, and made my way to Highlands Drive in Smyrna. After signing in, I went to a waiting room, where I was met by an Armorer who knew just what I was talking about.
After about 30 minutes, he came back with my frame, which was cut thus, and the plastic rail relieved some ahead of the cut.
Like a dummy, I didn't think to take a "Before" picture, but here is a picture I found online for comparison:
Of course. in the process, the Armorer also replaced all the internal parts, so Frankenglock is all set for another 20 years or so, till I pass it down.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Gun Review - Glock 17
This is the first in a series of reviews of guns I own, have owned, or have shot enough to be sure of what I'm writing. Like everything here, this is based on my experience and research. Your mileage may vary.
The Glock 17 is the full size 9mm version of the famous Glock handgun, first introduced to the US market in 1986.
I bought Bruce, my Gen 2 Glock 17, in late 1992, from a pawn shop in a small town in Alabama. According to a serial number search I did through Glockmeister, it was made in March 1990. I don't know anything more about it except the shop owner told me it was used.
I've written about it in the past, so I won't go into a lot except to say that, because of the ease of maintenance and exceptional customer service, the only original parts left are the polymer frame, the slide, and the barrel. Over the years, through the graces of the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation, everything else has been replaced.
The performance of this pistol has been almost flawless. I estimate I've shot about 10,000 rounds through over the years, and in that time I have had exactly six failures, all of which were failures to extract. Three were due to a chipped extractor, which I was unaware of, thanks to a reluctance on my part to own up to the toll the ravages of time have taken on my close-in vision. Two were due to limp wristing (1 by me and 1 by my son), a failure of the shooter to support the gun to allow the cycling slide to completely extract the spent shell.
The remaining failure was caused by me shooting the pistol without a magazine in place, to see what it did. Now I know.
I have never had any light strikes on primers, no double feeds. In fact, for years, since I had no malfunctions of any kind, the only instruction I got on clearing malfunctions was watching fellow IDPA and USPSA competitors.
The only magazine problems I've had were from the older, non-fully metal lined magazines, which were since redesigned. I've replaced all those magazines.
As a Generation 2 frame, the gun has two pins (versus the 3 pins of later guns) and no finger grooves. Since about a year after I bought it, I've had a Hogue slip on grip installed. I did this more to provide repeatable indexing of my shooting hand, than as a grip aid. In fact, I find that the finger grooves on my Gen 3 Glock 19 are too close together, thanks to my unique hands - short, fat fingers, with a wide hand. (I also wear 4E shoes.) I also found that the Glock 26 I once owned was too small for my wide hands, even with an extended base plate installed on the magazines.
++++
In truth, there are four parts that I have replaced voluntarily, and not because they failed. I have installed Warren/Sevigny sights, an extended magazine release, an extended slide stop, and the (-) trigger connector, which some people call the 3.5 pound trigger connector.
Sights
About three years ago I installed Warren/Sevigny Competition Sights with the fiber optic front sights. For about 2 years I had the red fiber in the front sight, and then I changed it to the green, admittedly on a whim. I find now that I prefer the green.
I also like these sights a lot better than the Glock factory sights, especially the fiber optic front sight. They make the front sight really stand out, and they've made a big difference in my sight picture.
Extended Magazine Release
The first modification I ever did to the pistol was to install an extended magazine release, to compensate for my short thumbs. In fact, what I did was have a Glock Factory Armorer install the magazine release from a Glock 21, at the first GSSF match I ever shot, at Dallas in 1995. (That way it was factory installed and the gun qualified for Stock Service Pistol in IDPA. You see what I did there.)
Extended Magazine Catch
About that time, I also installed an extended magazine catch. This was during the time when I released the slide from slide lock with my strong hand thumb, as opposed to using the method I use now, of grasping the top of the slide with my support hand and releasing it that way. As such, since I don't (and never will) have a grip plug installed, this now qualifies as The Most Useless Modification I've Ever Made.
Minus Connector
The purpose of the (-) connector is to reduce the trigger pull of the pistol from the approximately 5.5 pounds, to something less. I've never measured the trigger pull of my pistol, but I can say it definitely lowers the pull weight. Some Glock Factory Armorers call it the 2kg connector, and 2kg is about 4.5 pounds, so I will go with that if I have to.
I only install the (-) connector on the pistol for competition or for practice, and never when I plan to carry the gun or have it available for home defense.
++++
A few years after I bought the gun, I bought a video Armorer's Course, on VHS no less. (That should give you an idea of how long ago this was.) It contained a good bit on detail stripping and cleaning and lubricating of the Glock, but the host said that about the only modification he made was to polish the barrel feed ramp. I gave that a try, and was content with it.
Until I discovered the famed $0.25 Trigger Job, so named because the cotton swabs and polishing compound required to accomplish it cost about a quarter.
Basically, what this involves is polishing all the metal parts of the Glock trigger system that contact each other, so that they are smooth, and slide easily past each other. The original method calls for cotton swabs; I used a polishing wheel on my Dremel tool. Much faster.
I've done this on all my Glocks now, and I would not own a Glock that I didn't do this to. In fact, when I bought my Glock 21 a few years ago, I let my son dry fire it before I did the trigger work, and compare that to my Glock 17, and even he could tell the difference.
++++
The accuracy of my Glock 17 has never been an issue. I figure it is more accurate than I am capable of shooting. No, it will very likely not shoot one ragged hole at 50 yards. But it will put all its shots in the A zone of a USPSA target at 25 yards, and it will put all its shots in the center of mass of an armed attacker, as long as I hold the sights there while I smoothly press the trigger. And that's all I require it to do.
++++
In the areas of reliability, durability, affordability, shootability, and customer support, the Gen 2 Glock 17 exceeds my expectations. I would recommend this gun, as well as the later Gen 3 and Gen 4 models, to shooters of all experience levels, for competition, recreation, or self-defense shooting.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Upside, Downside
Part of the benefits of being a member of the GSSF and attending matches is the factory armorers are there. They will check out your Glocks and replace any parts that are worn. Now, even though I'm a trained and certified Armorer, I like to have my guns looked over at least once a year by the pros. An upside is that the factory guys are not very reluctant to change parts, so your Glocks always stay factory fresh.
So, after checking out all three Glocks, the only thing they did was replace the trigger bar on my G17. I had noticed some scratches on the top of the cross piece, and I guess he thought it was enough to warrant replacement. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.
Then, when time came to put the slide back together, I noticed he also replaced the rear cover plate. I think it was because he had misplaced the original. I was sad. This was an original piece from 1992. Now I am left with the frame, the slide, and the barrel.
Now, as a downside, this meant that part of my cleaning routine on Sunday was a 5 cent trigger job, just an abbreviated version of the 25 cent trigger job. All I had to do was polish the new trigger bar.
I dry fired a bunch since then and I can't tell much difference. That's an upside.
So, after checking out all three Glocks, the only thing they did was replace the trigger bar on my G17. I had noticed some scratches on the top of the cross piece, and I guess he thought it was enough to warrant replacement. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.
Then, when time came to put the slide back together, I noticed he also replaced the rear cover plate. I think it was because he had misplaced the original. I was sad. This was an original piece from 1992. Now I am left with the frame, the slide, and the barrel.
Now, as a downside, this meant that part of my cleaning routine on Sunday was a 5 cent trigger job, just an abbreviated version of the 25 cent trigger job. All I had to do was polish the new trigger bar.
I dry fired a bunch since then and I can't tell much difference. That's an upside.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Glock Annual Shoot 2011
This past weekend the Glock Annual Shoot XVIII was held at the South River Gun Club in Conyers, Georgia. This is the culminating match for the Glock Sports Shooting Foundation, or GSSF, and, as in previous years, it certainly lived up to its billing.
The match consisted of the normal GSSF match I've written about before, plus the Gunny Challenge VII. The Gunny Challenge, named for Glock's celebrity spokesman R. Lee Ermey, is a special match pitting the winners of GSSF matches around the country against each other, vying for a first prize of $5,000.
The Gunny Challenge was won, for the second year in a row, by Butch Barton. Bryan Dover took second, followed by 2009's winner Dennis Kirchoff, and David Knight in 4th.
Here's the finals, from my Youtube channel:
Here's Butch receiving the Gunny Trophy:
After the Gunny Challenge came a special head to head match between the Gunny and country music star Travis Tritt. Gunny won, 5 - 0.
Of course, all this was a side show to the real attraction, the Glock Annual Shoot. This event has grown just about every year, and this year there were 1,025 entries in the various categories. This made it the largest action pistol match in history, breaking the old record of 744 entries, set last year by the Glock Annual Shoot XVII.
Fortunately, there weren't 1,025 people there, since the rules allow shooters to enter multiple categories. But it was definitely a crowded venue.
I shot on Saturday, arriving at the range about 10:30 AM. Already, the bays were crowded, so once I signed in and received my stickers, I signed up for what looked like the 3 least crowded bays. Not that it mattered - I still had to wait about an hour at each one.
My shooting was okay. I shot Glock the Plates first, leaving no plates, with times in the mid 7's. Not really fast, but I was determined not to leave any plates. Missed plates carry a 10 second penalty.
My second stage was Glock M, and I shot it with times in the 8's. Again I had no misses, and was only 4 shots down, meaning I had only 4 shots out of the A-B main scoring range. All those shots were on the farther targets, which I should have taken as foreshadowing.
By then, the Gunny Challenge was getting close, so I had lunch and watched the match. I also shot video of the Gunny Challenge, and I've posted the finals on my Youtube channel, along with video of two of the stages, Glock M and Glock the Plates. No, those are not me shooting. Next year I'll bring a tripod.
After the Gunny Challenge, I took advantage of the lull in the action and shot the 5 to Glock as soon as I could. I shot in the 7's, but I missed 4 targets, all on the farthest one. Looking back, I realize I should have gone to a safe area and dry fired a little while to get back the trigger feel.
All in all my score, with penalties, was 160 and change, which is a little worse than I shot at Dawsonville earlier in the year. Oh, well.
+++
One thing was missing from this year's Glock Annual Shoot - the Glock shooting team. Usually, they have been on hand with product demonstrations, autographs, and just plain shooting fun. But with the recent departure of Dave Sevigny, the remaining Team members Randi Rogers and Tori Nonaka were not in attendance. Hopefully next year we will see them again, maybe with a new team member.
Because of the GSSF rules which award random prizes based on the number of entries, there will be 41 Glocks awarded. Maybe I'll win one - I did in 2009, that's where Liberty, my G19, came from!
One more thing - I heard that the last 26 entries had to have their paperwork filled out buy hand, because the staff found out their software didn't support over 999 entries. I'm sure they'll have that software problem worked out by next year. But it's a nice problem to have.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Shooter Ready?
I've been spending the week preparing for the biggest GSSF match of the year, the Glock Annual Shoot at the South River Gun Club in Conyers, Georgia, this weekend. My prep has been a little more focused this year.
I did a deep clean of my G17 last weekend, and cleaned and inspected all my magazines. I have enough magazines to shoot the whole match without reloading now, so that will make my day easier.
I have been doing the Wall Drill for ten minutes every evening, and I can only trust that this has helped. It sure seems like the front sight is a lot more stable than when I started.
Yesterday, I went to the range at lunch, and shot my 100 round GSSF practice routine:
I was careful to use good form with follow-up, as I learned at my training with Tom Givens.
I also shot my Buck Mark a bunch. The work I did last weekend paid off. I kept the targets, but the first photos I took didn't come out well. From 7 yards, shooting 1 round a second, I was able to shoot a ragged hole. At 10 yeards, I shot 20 rounds as fast as I could, and all 20 were in a 3 inch circle.
I also had zero failures to extract, which had been a source of annoyance for us at the range the last time we went. Part of the work I had done involved removing the extractor, cleaning it well, and polishing it with the Dremel buffing wheel.
On thing I noticed was the Browning extractor had sharp edges all around, unlike the factory Ruger extractor on my 10/22. I assume Browning's manufacturing process involves cutting instead of stamping. In any case, the extractor was very nice, especially once I smoothed it up with the buffer.
I plan to shoot Saturday at Conyers, in the morning. If any of you plan to be there, email me and we'll get together.
Otherwise, look for some video on my Youtube channel, probably Sunday evening.
I did a deep clean of my G17 last weekend, and cleaned and inspected all my magazines. I have enough magazines to shoot the whole match without reloading now, so that will make my day easier.
I have been doing the Wall Drill for ten minutes every evening, and I can only trust that this has helped. It sure seems like the front sight is a lot more stable than when I started.
Yesterday, I went to the range at lunch, and shot my 100 round GSSF practice routine:
Using a 1/3 scale NRA D-1 target from GlockFAQ:
From the ready position, I come up and shoot one round into the A or B ring. Repeat for a 16 round magazine.
From ready, come up and shoot 2 rounds into the A or B ring. Do this for 2 16 round magazines.
From ready, come up and shoot 2 rounds into the A or B ring, then transition to a second target and shoot 2 rounds. Repeat 3 times.
From ready, shoot 2, transition, shoot 2, and continue to transition until the magazine is empty.
I was careful to use good form with follow-up, as I learned at my training with Tom Givens.
I also shot my Buck Mark a bunch. The work I did last weekend paid off. I kept the targets, but the first photos I took didn't come out well. From 7 yards, shooting 1 round a second, I was able to shoot a ragged hole. At 10 yeards, I shot 20 rounds as fast as I could, and all 20 were in a 3 inch circle.
I also had zero failures to extract, which had been a source of annoyance for us at the range the last time we went. Part of the work I had done involved removing the extractor, cleaning it well, and polishing it with the Dremel buffing wheel.
On thing I noticed was the Browning extractor had sharp edges all around, unlike the factory Ruger extractor on my 10/22. I assume Browning's manufacturing process involves cutting instead of stamping. In any case, the extractor was very nice, especially once I smoothed it up with the buffer.
I plan to shoot Saturday at Conyers, in the morning. If any of you plan to be there, email me and we'll get together.
Otherwise, look for some video on my Youtube channel, probably Sunday evening.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Other People's Money
I am the proud owner of three Glocks. That’s Bruce in the middle, flanked by The Duke and Liberty. I’ve built this modest collection all on other people’s money.
Bruce was bought with the proceeds of some stock options that I had to exercise after changing jobs in 1992. I was fine with just one Glock for a while, but after a few years I wanted to add a second gun. My company had a sales contest one fall, and I managed to win enough Visa gift cards to buy a G21SF using my GSSF discount. This one I named The Duke.
Then, 2 years ago, I won a Glock in a random drawing at a GSSF match. A Glock 19 named Liberty joined the gang.
It doesn’t stop with Glocks. I’ve also used a company safety bonus to buy a very nice used Mossberg 500, bank bonus money to buy an SKS, and another sales contest to buy a Ruger 10/22.
The best deal – a coworker called me one Saturday from a gun show. He had found an excellent deal on a couple of Mosin Nagants, which he described as in excellent mechanical shape but needing substantial cleaning. His offer: if I would clean one of them for him, I could have the other one for myself. I agreed. Welcome, Vassily!
Now, if I could just figure out a way to get other people to pay for ammo!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Frankenglock
Starting this blog got me thinking about Bruce, my Gen 2 Glock 17, so I went back and looked through my notes I’ve kept over the years about the changes I’ve made. After marking up an exploded parts diagram, I’ve come to the realization that after 18 years there are only 6 original parts left – the frame, the barrel, the slide, the slide cover plate, and the two pins. Maybe, instead of Bruce, I should name it Frankenglock.
While some parts have been replaced because they broke, and some have been changed deliberately, most of the parts have been replaced as part of my yearly visit with the Glock Armorers at a GSSF match. This is a benefit of belonging to GSSF that cannot be overstated – you get to visit with a professional factory Armorer (not just an amateur like me), who goes over your Glock with a fine toothed comb. They replace any parts that even seem like they might fail in the near future, and in most cases they give you the old parts as spares. Beyond the obvious customer service advantage, this service makes sense economically from Glock’s point of view. Chris Edwards, the GSSF Director at Glock, once told me they save quite a lot of money every year just on shipping charges for warrantee work alone.
The only parts that have been replaced because they actually failed are the rear sight and the extractor. The rear sight was originally an adjustable target sight and was broken when I got it from the pawn shop, a fact I learned from the two policemen I met at the range that first day. The extractor got chipped over time, probably because I ignored good advice and would load a round directly into the barrel then drop the slide on it, rather than loading it through the magazine the way they tell you. Let that be a lesson, kids.
Parts that I’ve changed voluntarily probably aren’t as many as they would be if this were any other pistol. I installed an extended magazine release and an extended slide stop lever to compensate for my short fingers and thumbs. I’ve also installed Warren-Sevigny sights with the fiber optic front sight, and when I’m competing with Bruce, he gets the (-) connector to lighten the trigger pull a little. For carry, the normal connector goes back in, although the current connector is a GSSF replacement.
The only other change I’ve made is to use a slip-on Hogue rubber grip, just to provide some indexing for my grip. Since the Gen 2 frame doesn’t have molded finger grooves, this helps me get the same grip all the time.
All the other parts – trigger, firing pin, recoil spring, internal safeties, and the like – are all factory Glock parts, albeit replacements. I see no reason to mess with what’s worked.
So, that brings us to the point – is Bruce still Bruce? Certainly from the BATFE’s point of view, yes, since it still has the original frame and serial number. Beyond that, I think so. Look at his namesake, Bruce Willis. Is he the same man in Red as he was in Moonlighting? Less hair, move the muscles around some, maybe some additions or subtractions not publicized, but yes, he’s still the same, even better from the added experience. And so it is with my Bruce - still the same, in fact, arguably better.
While some parts have been replaced because they broke, and some have been changed deliberately, most of the parts have been replaced as part of my yearly visit with the Glock Armorers at a GSSF match. This is a benefit of belonging to GSSF that cannot be overstated – you get to visit with a professional factory Armorer (not just an amateur like me), who goes over your Glock with a fine toothed comb. They replace any parts that even seem like they might fail in the near future, and in most cases they give you the old parts as spares. Beyond the obvious customer service advantage, this service makes sense economically from Glock’s point of view. Chris Edwards, the GSSF Director at Glock, once told me they save quite a lot of money every year just on shipping charges for warrantee work alone.
The only parts that have been replaced because they actually failed are the rear sight and the extractor. The rear sight was originally an adjustable target sight and was broken when I got it from the pawn shop, a fact I learned from the two policemen I met at the range that first day. The extractor got chipped over time, probably because I ignored good advice and would load a round directly into the barrel then drop the slide on it, rather than loading it through the magazine the way they tell you. Let that be a lesson, kids.
Parts that I’ve changed voluntarily probably aren’t as many as they would be if this were any other pistol. I installed an extended magazine release and an extended slide stop lever to compensate for my short fingers and thumbs. I’ve also installed Warren-Sevigny sights with the fiber optic front sight, and when I’m competing with Bruce, he gets the (-) connector to lighten the trigger pull a little. For carry, the normal connector goes back in, although the current connector is a GSSF replacement.
The only other change I’ve made is to use a slip-on Hogue rubber grip, just to provide some indexing for my grip. Since the Gen 2 frame doesn’t have molded finger grooves, this helps me get the same grip all the time.
All the other parts – trigger, firing pin, recoil spring, internal safeties, and the like – are all factory Glock parts, albeit replacements. I see no reason to mess with what’s worked.
So, that brings us to the point – is Bruce still Bruce? Certainly from the BATFE’s point of view, yes, since it still has the original frame and serial number. Beyond that, I think so. Look at his namesake, Bruce Willis. Is he the same man in Red as he was in Moonlighting? Less hair, move the muscles around some, maybe some additions or subtractions not publicized, but yes, he’s still the same, even better from the added experience. And so it is with my Bruce - still the same, in fact, arguably better.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A Noob Gets a Lucky Break
I bought my first pistol, a Gen 2 Glock 17, from a pawn shop in a small town in Alabama in the fall of 1992. It was the only Glock in town, and when I went to pick it up, I asked the owner if he had any 9mm ammo, too. He managed to scrape together 42 rounds of various weights and bullet types, and threw them in, gratis, with a couple of targets. He then showed me all that he knew about the Glock design, including how to field strip it, how to load it, and how to shoot it safely. And I left that shop a very proud gun newby, off to the range.
I was very fortunate that the town I lived in had an awesome outdoor range, one that I have only been able to fully appreciate as I have moved around the country and lived in areas without good public outdoor shooting ranges. Basically, the town had built a new sewer treatment plant, and taken all the excavated dirt up the road about a mile, and built a 10 foot tall 3-sided berm, 100 yards across, and 100 yards deep. The front 50 yards was all crushed gravel, and the last 50 yards was nice grass, planted by the local Boy Scout troop as an Eagle Scout project. That Eagle Scout project also included five covered rifle shooting benches, two large covered pistol bays, and a chain link fence all the way around.
I drove to the range with my new pistol, 42 rounds of ammo, and a target. When I pulled up, I noticed a police car there. Two uniformed police were shooting silhouette targets. Great. I was nervous enough about shooting for the first time, much less with cops there.
I moved my stuff to one of the pistol bays, and made busy while I watched the cops shoot for a while. Soon, they seemed to be finished, and started packing up to leave, so I went to put out a target.
Once of the cops noticed me and called out, and I waved, and he asked, “Hey, what have you got there?” I told him it was my brand new Glock. He smiled and looked at the other cop, and pulled his own Glock out of his holster. “Like this one?” We chatted for a few minutes, long enough for them to find out just how little I knew about my new gun.
So, two experienced cops gave me my first and best hands on training. They showed me how to clean it, what to oil, and, best of all, how to shoot it. In 30 minutes they taught me a decent modified Weaver stance, how to use the sights, how to reload, how to clear malfunctions, and basically how to run the pistol. 42 rounds didn’t last long.
As we parted, one of the cops gave me some of my best advice, too. “When you feel comfortable enough with that thing, get a carry permit, and carry it. We can’t be there all the time.”
Good advice, good teaching, and a good beginning. I was hooked.
I was very fortunate that the town I lived in had an awesome outdoor range, one that I have only been able to fully appreciate as I have moved around the country and lived in areas without good public outdoor shooting ranges. Basically, the town had built a new sewer treatment plant, and taken all the excavated dirt up the road about a mile, and built a 10 foot tall 3-sided berm, 100 yards across, and 100 yards deep. The front 50 yards was all crushed gravel, and the last 50 yards was nice grass, planted by the local Boy Scout troop as an Eagle Scout project. That Eagle Scout project also included five covered rifle shooting benches, two large covered pistol bays, and a chain link fence all the way around.
I drove to the range with my new pistol, 42 rounds of ammo, and a target. When I pulled up, I noticed a police car there. Two uniformed police were shooting silhouette targets. Great. I was nervous enough about shooting for the first time, much less with cops there.
I moved my stuff to one of the pistol bays, and made busy while I watched the cops shoot for a while. Soon, they seemed to be finished, and started packing up to leave, so I went to put out a target.
Once of the cops noticed me and called out, and I waved, and he asked, “Hey, what have you got there?” I told him it was my brand new Glock. He smiled and looked at the other cop, and pulled his own Glock out of his holster. “Like this one?” We chatted for a few minutes, long enough for them to find out just how little I knew about my new gun.
So, two experienced cops gave me my first and best hands on training. They showed me how to clean it, what to oil, and, best of all, how to shoot it. In 30 minutes they taught me a decent modified Weaver stance, how to use the sights, how to reload, how to clear malfunctions, and basically how to run the pistol. 42 rounds didn’t last long.
As we parted, one of the cops gave me some of my best advice, too. “When you feel comfortable enough with that thing, get a carry permit, and carry it. We can’t be there all the time.”
Good advice, good teaching, and a good beginning. I was hooked.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Beginnings, or how I got started on this twisted road
I know a lot of people who got started shooting when they were young. They were introduced by a father or grandfather, usually through hunting.
I’m not one of those people.
We had no guns in my home growing up. My Dad had been in the Army and National Guard in the 60’s, but once he left the service he never took another shot as far as I know. I was as interested in playing Cowboys and Army as much as any kid in my neighborhood, but except for a brief summer of BB gun shooting, we never got involved with real guns. Guns were a mystery, and admittedly a source of fear because they were unknown.
After college and getting married, I moved to Texas to take my first job, and there I got to know people for whom guns were just an every day part of life. But I was also playing a lot of company league softball, and I took up golf at that time. So between a young wife, my job, softball, and golf, I didn’t look to add anything new.
In 1992, I decided to change jobs and move back closer to where I grew up in Georgia. I ended up with some money from stock options, which made for a very nice Christmas for my family. I even had some money left over, and I wanted to buy something I would not have bought otherwise.
I can’t say what made me first think about getting a gun, but once I got the idea, I ran with it. I researched the caliber and type of gun I wanted to buy, and I visited lots of gun stores. My youngest brother had just joined the Army, and his advice was to go with 9mm as the caliber, for a couple of good reasons – magazine capacity and availability of ammunition. He told me he could probably walk into a roadside shop in Karachi, Pakistan, and buy a box of 9mm. (Years later he found out he was right.)
My wife was not entirely sold on the idea of having a gun in the house, but she warmed up gradually. I remember her requirement was that it be able to hold a lot of ammunition. “I want to be able to run down the hall shooting at the bad guy, without having to count my shots. Just like Bruce Willis.” So 9mm it was.
After a month of research, I was in a sporting goods store in Marietta, Georgia, with a pistol in my hand, ready to make a buy, only to find I couldn’t buy it because I was a resident of Alabama. That was my first encounter with what I was to find out is an astoundingly stupid collection of gun laws.
So I went home to Alabama and ended up finding a Glock 17 at a pawn shop in the town I lived in. My brother’s opinion of Glock was not the best, however, since the idea of a polymer frame handgun was still new. Glock had been in the US market only about 6 years. But one of his sergeants convinced him it was a good choice, so I made an offer on the gun, and it was mine.
It's now 19 years later, and I still own that gun, which I named “Bruce” in honor of Bruce Willis, my wife’s model for magazine capacity. I'm shooting Bruce in my banner photo, in fact. He's my favorite.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)