The Brasstard » Gun Reviews

In Review: The Venerable Glock 20

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:20:29 +0000

Part combat sidearm, part mountain gun, the Glock Model 20 is a serious workhorse with vast potential. For many 10mm Auto aficionado’s, it is revered as being one of the best platforms for this hefty cartridge. After spending a considerable amount of time with one by my side, I have little choice but to agree. Lets take a closer look at what makes the G20 such a wonderful and diverse tool…

The large-frame G20 shares controls that will be familiar for any Glock owner. It is a no-nonsense system that is simple, reliable, and easy to operate. Squeezing the 5.5 pound double action trigger deactivates the multiple integrated safety mechanisms and retracts the internal striker. The trigger breaks clean, with minimal over-travel and a reasonably short reset. For a stock double action trigger, the G20 is very conducive of good accuracy. On the subject of accuracy, you would be hard pressed to find an autoloader that handles long-range shooting as well as the G20. With the right loads, you can shoot relatively flat out to about 150 yards. And from a rested position with some hold-over, I was able to hit a torso-sized steel target at 300 yards about 60% of the time. Not too bad for these aging eyes.

The front strap of the 3rd generation G20’s have finger grooves for added grip stability. Some folks say the grips on these big Glocks feel like you are holding a 2×4. You may or may not agree, as this is a matter that is purely subjective. But for my large hands, it feels like it was custom made for me.

The back strap also has a molded-in texture for added traction. It is designed to keep the web of your hand high in relation to the bore axis. This, along with the aggressive grip angle, helps keep the muzzle flip to a minimum by forcing the slide straight back, as opposed to up and away.

The stock sights were one of the first things I had to get rid of. I have never been a big fan of Glock’s proprietary polymer sights, and didn’t even get it home before I removed them. These low-profile Trijicon night sights make for a good balance between the many uses I have for this gun. Glock also offers quality factory night sights as an optional upgrade.

If you are planning on running full-power 10mm loadings through your G20, you should seriously consider using a 22-pound recoil spring instead of the stock 17-pound spring. It helps to keep the breech closed longer during cycling, which gives you more consistent velocities and resists the premature opening of the breech. The spring can be fitted over a nice aftermarket steel or tungsten guide rod for a smooth and silky action.

The standard magazines have a 15-round capacity, and neutered 10-round mags are also available if you happen to live in a rights-restricted state. With 15+1 rounds of brawny 10mm in your hands, you have more firepower than virtually any other auto-loading handgun on the market.

A wide and tapered magazine well makes for fast and easy reloads. This unit has been fitted with a Scherer Slug Plug to help keep dirt out of the opening in the bottom of the back strap.

One of the best things I like about the G20 is the ability to switch calibers with a simple, drop-in barrel swap. In this case, I went with a Lone Wolf 10mm-to-.40 S&W conversion barrel. This allows you to use your standard G20 magazines to fire the cheaper and more readily available .40 S&W cartridge. So far, this combo has been 100% reliable, even when used with the heavy 22# recoil spring. Amazingly, the point of impact is basically the same as the 10mm barrel out to about 50 yards.

The fit and finish of Lone Wolf barrels are very good considering the affordable price. The chambers are tight and well-supported, which helps protect your phalangeal assets when playing with homemade .40 S&W concoctions.

The conventional rifling makes the Lone Wolf barrels more compatible with cast lead bullets for your homegrown reloads. Though Glock recommends you avoid the use of cast lead bullets in the stock barrel, I have found that running 20-30 hardcast lead loads does not cause any substantial leading problems. Therefore, you can easily fill a mag or two with heavy, +200g hardcast loads for woods defense without worrying about it.

Conclusion:

If you are looking at entering the realm of the 10mm Auto, I would recommend you take a serious look at the Glock 20 or it’s little brother the G29. The G20 is also available in “SF” Short Frame format, which makes the grip more comfortable for shooters with smaller hands. Furthermore, the durability and reliability of these guns are hard to match. I have run about 800 rounds of 10mm and another 500 rounds of .40 through this gun so far, ranging from the hot-rod factory loads from DoubleTap Ammo and Buffalo Bore, to more mild loads from PMC and Winchester. It has also worked very well with a wide variety of hand loads; from powder-puff-light .40’s, to sledge-hammer-heavy 10’s. It appears that this is but a drop in the bucket of the lifespan you can expect from this gun. Internally, the components still look new, and it has never failed to process a single piece of ammunition.

I have used this gun primarily as a sidearm for my hunting and backpacking ventures through the remote northern Rockies. It has been pounded by freezing rain and small hailstones at over 10,000 feet, yet shows no signs of wear or oxidation on the finish. It has been a great alternative to a large-frame revolver that can weigh almost twice as much. Despite being such a portable package, it still packs a sizable punch, with 200g @ 1250 fps loads pushing nearly 700 ft/lbs of energy. These ballistics match the hottest .357 Magnum offerings, and even rival some moderate .41 Magnum loads. In other words, if you do your job, it is more than capable of taking down virtually anything in the lower 48. Considering the impressive ballistics, the G20 is a pleasure to shoot, even with full-power loads. If my wallet permits, I can easily fire 200 rounds in a single session without feeling wrecked. I can’t say the same for my snub-nosed .38 Special.

Despite being a relatively obscure cartridge, the 10mm Auto has survived since the 1980’s mainly due to a small but zealous fan base. I have never met anyone that has owned a 10mm who did not absolutely love the cartridge. Whether you are a 1911 lover looking at a Nighthawk Custom, or a revolver fan looking at a S&W M610, there is a 10mm platform for everyone. If you want to read more on 10mm ballistics, check out this post where I tested some full-power loads. I’m sure you will find the results to be both entertaining and impressive.

Happy Shooting!

The Brasstard

In Review: Glock’s Race Gun, the 9mm G34

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:32:45 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to borrow this handy little pistol for a falling plates match at Laguna Seca last weekend. It was one of very few Glock pistols present among the vast sea of precision-tuned 1911’s. When it comes to match shooters, there are some wide variations in personal sentiment regarding the use of Glock’s for competition. Despite the fact that the majority of those opinions are less than favorable, the G34 tends to draw a lot of fascination from even the most skeptical and die-hard 1911 lover. From the get-go, the gun’s performance was very impressive… far superseding my own level of speed and accuracy. I’d like to thank Brasstard user “KPB” for letting me borrow his toy for the event. Now lets take a closer look at this beautiful little piece of competition hardware…

When it comes to competing, it is hard to beat a well-tuned, all-steel, single action 1911 that is chambered in something tame like the 9mm Luger or .38 Super. Unfortunately, most of the 1911’s I saw at the competition cost between $2000-$4000 depending on their configuration. They also feel a lot different to me than the guns I normally carry for self defense, which are all double action only (DAO), or DA/SA combos. Therefore, the G34 made a lot of sense to me as a good “working-class” competitive pistol; being both affordable and feeling more like what I have in my pants when I carry. The specimen here can be had with all of the upgrades for under $1000.

Despite the noble marketing efforts made by Glock, you will likely need to invest a few extra bucks into your new G34 to really achieve “Glock Perfection”. For competition use, you will first need to swap out the 4.5 lb trigger for one with a lighter pull, less take-up, a cleaner break, less over-travel, and a shorter reset.

This was done on our specimen by installing the Glockworkx Complete Fulcrum Trigger Kit that was purchased at glockstore.com (part # T0591-A). This includes a fully adjustable trigger pull down to about 2 – 2.5 lbs… ours was set around 3.5 lbs by the owner, which is a nice compromise between accuracy and safety in a DAO pistol. It also eliminates the notorious miles of creep, take-up, and over-travel we have learned to accept in the stock trigger of our Glock’s. The reset was very short, making you ready to plug the next plate in a heartbeat. The Glockworkx trigger group does it’s job very well, and will quickly make your G34 into a smooth racing machine.

In the image below, you can see the Sure Touch Extended Chrome Slide Release also picked up at glockstore.com (part # T0597). This add-on makes for very fast and easy locking and unlocking of the slide. However, one must use caution if you are not used to this device. It protrudes from the slide more than the stock version, and it gives you a lot more leverage requiring very little effort to operate. As a result, my thumb accidentally nudged it during my 10 and 15 yard relays causing the slide to lock back on me. After I repositioned my upper thumb, the problem went away in the subsequent 20 and 25 yard relays.

The owner also added a nice stainless steel guide rod to smooth out the cycling action and add a little weight to the front end (glockstore.com part #LS005-A). You can also use a tungsten rod if you want even more weight in the gun.

Finally, the owner also added some better sights to make target acquisition faster and easier. The front sight is a fiber optic system from Novak Sights. This came in very handy since the match started just before sunset, and ended in the dark with flood lights illuminating the course. The fiber optic sight works well in a wide variety of lighting conditions, and it helped me stay on target as the sun went away for the day.

The rear sight is a Glock factory-made adjustable system with windage and elevation adjustments for fine tuning your race horse. This sight, combined with the front fiber optic from Novak made for a fast and accurate sight picture throughout the race.

All in all, the G34 is a straight-up Glock to its core. If you like Glock’s, you will love this gun… guaranteed. If you are not a fan of Glock ergonomics, don’t expect the G34 to spark a new romance in you. As with other full-sized Glock’s of the 3rd generation and older, the grips are best suited for folks with larger hands. For me, the bigger the better… my favorite grip being the large-frame G20. As you can see below, the G34 pretty much incorporates itself into my large hands with little effort.

On the other hand, if you are a small-framed person like my wife, you may not find the G34 as pleasing to handle. At 5′2″ and 105 lbs, her tiny hands are dwarfed by the full-size G34. As you can see below, there are gaps and spaces in her grip where parts of her hands should be united. As a result of these observations, the G34 might not be the best choice for folks with small hands.

In the end, I have to say that the G34 was a great all-around performer. If I had to criticize it, I would say that it could use a bit more weight. When your opponents are wielding 40 oz behemoths, the 23 oz G34 can feel a little out of its weight class. I think that a mag well extension, a tungsten guide rod, and maybe a compensator of some sort could go a long way with this gun. However, it was a fantastic performer as is. The accuracy is truly superb, the trigger is clean and quick, and if you use your time wisely, even the 25 yard plates will fall like the Berlin Wall. On his final relay, the owner of the gun, “KPB” knocked down 5 out of 6 plates at 25 yards in under 9 seconds while drawing from a holster. For a non-professional match, this is professional-grade performance from both the weapon and the user.

As for me, the G34 is high on my list of “must have” guns. I have no doubt that one day, one of these will find its way into my own collection. Until then, “KPB” can count me borrowing his race toy with staunch regularity.

Regards,

The Brasstard

In Review: Sig P226 .22 Conversion

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:21:06 +0000

With the over-inflated price of ammo these days, it seems that everyone is going back to an old favorite… the .22 Long Rifle. Luckily, there is a whole slew of pre-configured .22 pistols and rifles out there to choose from, as well as optional .22 conversion kits for everything from a Glock to an M1911, and more recently, the Sig Sauer P226/229/228/220.

I picked up this piece exactly one year ago as a Christmas present to myself in 2008. I was searching for a new .22 pistol that felt like a “real gun”. Since I couldn’t find any cheap 9mm ammo in stock anywhere, this thing practically begged me to take it home. I considered a couple of other models before landing on this; the Sig Mosquito and the Walther P22, both of which never really felt quite right to me. But since I already own and use a P239, this 226 kit was perfect to practice with since the ergonomics and controls are basically the same.

My kit came pre-configured with the railed DA/SA frame, slide, barrel, recoil spring/guide, and 2 of the proprietary 10-round mags (I believe that now they only come with 1 mag). It also included a coupon for the purchase of a standard upper assembly in either 9mm, .357 Sig, or .40 S&W for another $400~. The cost for all of this was about $460 + tax.

The Sig .22 conversion includes a finely-machined aluminum slide that is milled from a solid, forged billet… not cast pot metal spam. It also includes a very nice stainless steel match-grade barrel with a recessed crown and an integral ejector. The 10-round mags are made of solid polymer and seem to be holding up quite well. The sights are a basic 3-dot dovetail configuration, with a windage/elevation adjustable rear sight.

On the range, the P226 conversion performs nicely. I have dumped about 6,000 rounds through it this past year and it just keeps chugging along without any major problems. The first thing I noticed is that its very accurate, on par with my Ruger MKIII Target model. Believe it or not, you can achieve sub-2″ groups from the bench at 25 yards using proper form. It is not 100% reliable, but performs well enough to be fun at the range. The occasional failure being inevitable with any semi-auto rimfire, it eats Federal 550 and Winchester 333/555 bulk packs very well. However, it did not like Remington Golden Bullet HP bulk packs. It seems to have a preference towards high velocity ammo with minimal wax/lube on it. It fed CCI MiniMag’s very well for about 50 rounds, then it developed feeding issues because of too much wax buildup on the feed ramp and in the tight chamber. Regardless of your ammo choice, I would recommend you invest in a .22 caliber Boresnake and use it about every 50-100 rounds to keep the chamber clean (no lube/solvent… run a dry Boresnake 2-3 times).

As with any Sig, these kits require a good bit of lube to operate properly. The frame rails and slide rails in particular need a good amount to minimize friction. I use a bit of gun grease there to keep it in place and running smooth. Lubing your rails will also give your Sig a much longer service life. Once your frame rails are worn down, its game over. And if you are like me and enjoy shooting a lot of rounds, it can happen pretty fast. Aside from that, the kit is a piece of cake to field strip and clean… no different than your normally configured Sig.

Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase. It is a bit on the expensive side for a .22, but I think it has already payed itself off in ammo savings. If you figure that cheap 9mm is going for $20/100 rounds, that equals $1,200 for 6,000 rounds. Instead, I fed it bulk packs of .22 at about $20/550 rounds, that comes to about $220… saving me almost $1,000 in ammo expenses. Pricey or not, that is hard to beat. And, when its all said and done, it is still a Sig Sauer; giving you all of the quality and functionality you have grown to expect from the brand.

In Review: Kel Tec P32

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:52:58 +0000

The P32 is not a newcomer to the industry at the time of this writing. Actually, it is currently a 2nd generation version of the original. Nonetheless, I feel that it deserves some page time as it is a design that has made history, and changed the face of concealed carry guns forever.

Since its inception, the Kel Tec P32 and its offspring the P3AT have been the source for much debate. It seems as though most folks either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Regardless of how you feel about it, we must all admit that this ultra-compact, locked-breech, single-stack semi-auto pistol has proven itself truly revolutionary in the modern world. With a slew of shameless replicas already well under way, we can accept the notion that the design itself was highly successful. And as for this urban cowboy, I can’t get enough of what Kel Tec has to offer

In the past couple of years I have acquired 2 P32’s for CCW use. One is a standard blued version, and the other is parkerized. My wife liked the park’d version and confiscated it quickly after purchase for her daily carry piece, so I had to buy #2 shortly after losing #1. Neither of these pieces could be defined as eye candy in any sense of the word, but they have both proven to be true workhorses that we will likely never part with.

I started off by thoroughly cleaning them up and applying a bit of lube to the friction spots such as the frame rails. These guns don’t need but a very thin coat of light oil over the metal surfaces to protect them. However, I do recommend that you consider applying a bit of gun grease to the rails for daily carry. You see, light oil tends to dry up or shift to places it is not needed. A bit of grease on the other hand will lube like fresh oil without moving around. There are many good brands out there to choose from. I use Tetra Gun Grease, or even some copper-infused automotive anti-seize on my guns… either one will do. I also disassembled the magazines before use and cleaned them out.

On the range, the Kel Tec P32’s both performed without any failures of any kind. Keep in mind that I am only using ammo that has the correct OAL (Over-All Length) to avoid the dreaded rimlock phenomenon. This can happen when the cartridge is too short for the magazine, and the rim of the top cartridge gets stuck behind the rim of the cartridge below it. Many JHP cartridges will be too short and may require you to install a rimlock kit to prevent this occurrence. Since I could never really see the use in running JHP’s in a mouse gun, I stuck to FMJ and never experienced this problem.

On day one, both of our P32’s ate through 100 rounds each of hot European ball… we had a stack of Fiocci 73g, and some Sellier & Bellot 73g. I have also tinkered with putting a “boutique” round in the chamber and another atop the stack followed by the Euro ball loads. It worked well with Corbon 60g JHP, and Buffalo Bore 75g +P HC-FP. They fed, fired and ejected all rounds like I would expect from a defensive weapon. The recoil is mild, and the locked-breech design is much less susceptible to “limp-wristing” malfunctions than the older blowback designs.

The P32’s also placed the rounds into a reasonable sub-6″ group off-hand at 7 yards. The long double-action trigger takes a bit of practice to master. However, my groups are now less than half the size they were on day one, so I know this little gun can shoot. Perhaps your biggest hindrance to good accuracy will be the sights. They are minuscule, short-radius, and virtually impossible to distinguish at night. However, at the practical distances of a P32, I am betting on point-and-shoot methods. And, the tiny sights make for smooth draws from those painted-on jeans some of y’all like to wear.

Disassembly/reassembly is a breeze with the P32. Just lock back the slide on an empty mag, remove the slide retainer pin, and ease the slide forward off the frame. After almost 500 rounds through each gun in the past couple of years, neither of them appear to be showing any signs of significant wear. Keep in mind that these are “carry a lot, shoot a little” guns, and are estimated to have about a 6,000 round lifespan. If you do wear one out though, Kel Tec offers a serious warranty (lifetime) on these, and their customer service is top notch. It is hard to beat getting two great guns for around $500 new. For anyone seeking to venture into the world of Kel Tec, the P32 is a great place to start. I can’t wait to get it’s big brother, the PF-9.

P32 Link

Calibers:	32 AUTO
Weight unloaded:	6.6 oz.	186g
Loaded magazine:	2.8 oz.	81mm
Length:	5.1″	129mm
Height:	3.5″	89mm
Width:	.75″	19mm
Barrel Length:	2.7″	68mm
Sight radius:	3.8″	96mm
Muzzle Energy Max:	200ft-lbs	240J
Capacity:	7 + 1 rounds
Trigger Pull:	5 lbs	23N

Image and Specs Courtesy of Kel Tec CNC