The Brasstard » Glock

Getting into 10mm Auto?

admin — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 05:22:41 +0000

One Brasstard.com reader recently contacted me with some questions about getting into a new 10mm Auto pistol. He had some great questions about 10mm guns, ammo, and accessories, and I thought it would be worth sharing with others who might be considering a 10mm in the future.

Hello,

First, I want to say that I really appreciate the time you put into your reviews on brasstard.com. ; I just found your website today while searching the internet, and I’ve been reading ever since. Specifically, I’ve been looking at information on the Glock 20 10mm because I am in the process of purchasing one. I was quite excited when I noticed that it seems to be one of your favorite guns. I know there are people that have extreme feelings on both ends of the spectrum concerning the 10mm, but I am definitely a fan.

I’ll be using it to take into the backcountry where I’ll be seeing mostly wolves, coyotes, bear, and the occasional cat. I’m curious as to what type of ammo you recommend for this use. I’m going to get a few different types from DoubleTap, but I wanted to hear more about your experiences before I purchase from them. I’d also like to hear any recommendations for home defense as well as everyday range use ammo as well. I liked your idea about shooting the less expensive .40 S&W cartridge so I’ll probably look at getting that barrel also. Everything in your review basically confirmed the feelings I had on the G20 from doing my own research so I’m glad I read it.

I’ve got so many more questions, but I just wanted to get in touch with you about ammo for the time being, and let you know I appreciate your work.

Thanks again for your reviews and for your help!

T.W.

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Hi There,

Thanks for the kind words of support. I’m glad you are enjoying the site. I think you will be very happy with the G20 and the 10mm cartridge. The G20 will eat pretty much anything you feed it. I have not found it to be picky about ammo types at all. For woods defense, I would go with heavy FMJ or hardcast lead flat points. 200g at 1100-1200 fps will do the trick. Those will penetrate about 4 feet into a charging beast.

For home defense and CCW, I would go with more moderate loadings. I really like the Winchester 175g Silvertip factory load. It is potent, accurate and reliable without being excessive. DoubleTap, Buffalo Bore, and Corbon also make some great defensive ammo in 10mm, but they tend to be loaded hotter. For human predators, you can do just fine with a middle-of-the-road loading. Going too hot will slow down your follow ups and produce a lot of muzzle flash in the dark. I would stick with modern 165-180g JHP loads in the range of 1300-1200 fps (respectively) for self defense against bad people.

I would really recommend you look into reloading for the 10mm. It is a very easy cartridge to reload (being a straignt-walled pistol cartridge), and it gives you lots of options. Even if you don’t do it at first, you may want to save your brass just incase you decide to later. 10mm brass is pretty rare to scrounge at the range, so don’t throw away the goods. Also, the .40 conversion barrels are a great way to shoot more and spend less. Plus, you can use your 10mm mags to shoot .40, and use the 10mm reloading dies to load .40 as well.

Best of luck, and have fun with it.

The Brasstard

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Brasstard,

Hello again, I’ve been looking at a few local places to buy everything I’m looking to get, but I was curious if you know of any reputable businesses online where I can buy most everything I need? Gun, ammo, barrel, recoil spring, etc.?

Also, any thoughts on the G20 vs the G29? I like the idea of the smaller size of the G29, but I’m not sure if that small size will negatively impact my accuracy on follow up shots. My main use will be taking it backpacking and hiking in the woods, and I see you do the same with yours so I’m still leaning toward the G20. I’ll also have it at home, but the my consideration for the small size was in reference to carrying while on foot. I figured I’d ask just to be sure before I buy.

Finally, do you have a newsletter or any monthly email updates?

Keep up the great reviews!

T.W.

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TW,

For the stated purposes, such as woods carry and home defense, I would go with the full-size G20 or G20SF. It is still much easier to carry than the big-bore, steel-frame revolvers that many of us carried for years. Plus, it helps make the hotter loadings easier to handle. If you plan to use it for a daily CCW piece, you may consider the G29. The recoil is not bad by any means, but it is a bit more stout than the G20 with the hot-rod loads, and there is a slight loss in muzzle velocity due to the shorter barrel.

As for buying the gun, I would recommend you first find a reputable, local FFL dealer. You will need one if you order the gun online, and they may be able to get the gun you want direct from their own distributor. You can also check out Gunbroker.com to find new and used guns… just buy from sellers with good ratings. As for ammo, you can get good 10mm factory loads from many online sources. However, I would recommend you seriously consider reloading for 10mm and maybe even .40 S&W if you get a conversion barrel. It will pay for itself quickly, and you can tailor your loads to your liking.

You can get your conversion barrel direct from Lone Wolf, or you can try to find a 3rd party dealer to get a slightly better price. There are other brands who offer conversions as well, but the prices tend to be higher than LW. You can get the 22# recoil spring and steel or tungsten guide rod from places like Glockstore.com, Glockmiester.com, etc…

Beyond that, I would recommend you check out TheHighRoad.org. It is a great gun forum that has helped me out a lot over the years. There is a lot of good info there… just remember to try the search feature before posting new topics. Most folks’ questions have been covered at some point in the past. As for updates from Brasstard.com, you can sign up for an RSS feed at the upper right corner of the site.

Best of luck,

The Brasstard

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: 10mm Auto From DoubleTap

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:12:44 +0000

As a huge fan of the 10mm Auto cartridge, it was only natural for me to give the little beast some server space here at Brasstard.com. DoubleTap Ammo has been one of few ammo factories who load the 10mm up to it’s full potential. In this post, we will take a look at 3 of their full-power 10mm loadings to see how they hold up.

Here they are in all of their glory…

Left) DoubleTap 10mm Auto – 200g Controlled Expansion/Hornady XTP-JHP
Center) DoubleTap 10mm Auto – 165g Remington Golden Saber-JHP
Right) DoubleTap 10mm Auto – 200g FMJ-FP

All 3 rounds gave me reasonably good accuracy. However, they are not designed to provide match-grade accuracy. If you want match ammo, you have to sacrifice some velocity. These loads are a bit on the warm side, and are designed to hit hard as opposed to making overlapping holes on paper at 50 yards.

Here is the test gun (my backcountry defensive weapon of choice), the venerable Glock model 20 (Gen 3). This one is fortified with a 22lb recoil spring, stainless steel guide rod, and night sights. The rest is bone-stock Glock…

The test medium was water-soaked phone books, the elevation was 5400 ft, and the temp was a balmy 1 degree Celsius. The first rounds I tested were the Golden Saber and the XTP. I wanted to see what they would do to a single book at nearly point-blank range. Here are the results from firing about 5 feet away…

Believe it or not, the image above is actually the entry wound of the Golden Saber at extremely close range. And here is the exit shown below…

The exit wound looks like it was made by 2 separate projectiles… that is sort of what happened. It appears that the Golden Saber literally shattered on impact with the wet mass. There was likely a core-jacket separation which caused the two to exit at different points in the rear. The tissue damage spread to about 5″ from top to bottom… straight up nasty.

Now lets take a look at what the 200g Hornady XTP does to a single phone book inside of 5 feet…

As you can see, the entry wound is significantly more conservative than the Golden Saber was. This is likely due to the fact that this bullet is much slower and heavier. It also has a much less aggressive cavity in the tip which slows expansion, hence the term “controlled expansion”. Despite the conservative entry wound, the exit wound was outrageous…

The XTP damage dwarfs even the respectable Golden Saber load. The exit wound from the XTP at close range disrupted a diameter of nearly 8″ of tissue… truly awesome performance. This is what you might expect from a hot loaded .357 Magnum round out of a long-barrel revolver.

Since both loads easily passed through one book, I didn’t bother to test the FMJ-FP here. Those would have cut through like it wasn’t even there. Next, I placed 2 books back to back to see what happens. Here are the results when shooting from a more reasonable range of 7 yards…

The entry wounds above indicate that the Golden Saber seems to have less of a tendency to explode on impact if you give it a little bit of distance from the muzzle. At this range, they only lose around 30 fps, but I guess it must make a difference.

Here they are coming out of the back of the first book.

Notice the severe necrosis and shock ripples around the wound channels… this means we are beginning to see signs of hydrostatic shock. Both JHP rounds are showing significant deformation by this point. Remember, one phone book represents between 8″-10″ in ballistic gelatin. The Golden Saber has again suffered a core-jacket separation resulting in two distinct wound channels. The XTP is holding up like a champ, showing severe tissue damage… and of course the FMJ-FP is just getting warmed up by this point.

Here they are coming out the back of the second phone book…

Apparently, the Golden Saber’s jacket did not exit, and was found lodged in the middle of the second book. Only the bullet core made it through. The XTP on the other hand created a hole so large, that it consumed/engulfed the entire wound channel of the FMJ-FP. Though this particular bullet was not recovered, it shows signs of good structural integrity. The XTP performed how it is supposed to… giving us deep penetration and great expansion. Clearing two phone books is equal to over 16″ in ballistic gelatin.

As for the 200g FMJ-FP, it just plowed right through those two books like a pack of hyenas through a half-eaten zebra carcass. I therefore decided to place four phone books back-to-back, assuming that there was no way it would make it through all of them. Well guess what?… I was wrong. I fired two rounds through four fresh phone books at 7 yards, and both rounds fully penetrated and were not recovered. I would have then tried five books, but by this point I had run out of fresh wet phone books. This means the FMJ-FP load will clear at least 32″-40″ in ballistic gel and still keep on going.

Here are the exit wounds on the back of the fourth book…

The one on the left appears to have tumbled a bit, creating a longer wound channel and knocking the last phone book down as it passed through. These bullets make a great load for the woods where deep penetration is the key to a quick stop with a pistol.

I then decided to fire some JHP’s at the four book’s to see how deep they go, and to recover some expanded bullets. Here are the results…

The XTP held together nicely, retaining an average of 197.33 grains and expanding to an average diameter of 17.61 mm (0.69″)… more than a 70% diameter increase! All rounds were discovered in the beginning of the third book, equating 18″+ of penetration in gelatin. These would make perfect hunting rounds for deer and wild hogs.

Unfortunately, the Golden Saber did not fare so well. Every single recovered bullet had shed its jacket. I have had great results with the Golden Saber bullet design in lower-velocity calibers like 9mm/38+p/40SW/45ACP. However, it consistently failed to hold together in this platform. The average recovered bullet weight was only 126 grains, and the average recovered diameter was 21.27 mm (0.83″) for the jacket and a mere 13.45 mm (0.53″) for the core. The jackets were discovered in the rear half of the second book, and the cores were discovered in the first quarter of the third book. This equates to 14″-18″+ of penetration in calibrated ordinance gelatin.

Despite the core-jacket separations, the Golden Saber load makes a nasty wound channel and doesn’t excessively penetrate. Keep in mind that wet paper is more dense than human body mass, and may be harder on bullets as a result. Therefore, I wouldn’t discredit it as a viable defensive load against 2-legged predators. Just don’t expect it to work miracles through something like an automobile windshield. Perhaps DoubleTap might consider using the newer, bonded Golden Sabers for this load in the future.

Chronograph Velocity Results 5-shot Average @ 10 Feet

Golden Saber - 1307 fps / 626 fpe
XTP - 1112 fps / 549 fpe
FMJ-FP - 1101 fps / 538 fpe

As you can see, these loads failed to achieve the firm’s advertised velocities, and should be at least 100 fps faster across the board. Despite this, they still performed nicely against the wet mass.

Is it just an over-priced .40 S&W?

Some folks claim that the 10mm Auto is just an overpriced version of its offspring, the .40 S&W. I guess if you look at modern factory ammo from the big names, they may be right in making this claim. After all, much of the 10mm factory ammo is loaded down to virtual .40 levels; with 200g loads running at around ~1000 fps. Needless to say, this is not “real” 10mm Auto folks. It is watered-down, liability-resistant, .40 S&W loaded into a 10mm Auto case, and stamped with a bloated price tag. The “real” loads, the ones that are closer to original Norma specs, are elevated to a much higher performance class.

This is a similar test using a Glock model 23, and firing a .40 S&W 155g bonded Winchester Ranger JHP… a round considered by many to be one of the better factory loads on the market. The exit wound was 3″ end-to-end…

Nothing against the .40… its a great all-around defensive cartridge, and a well-balanced compromise between power and shoot-ability. But as you can see, it is not quite the same beast.

The diagnosis: 10mm Auto kicks some serious butt when using full-power loads. Plus, a simple barrel swap allows you to fire cheaper .40 S&W out of your Glock. So I ask the nay-sayers, whats not to like?

Be safe out there, and happy shooting.

The Brasstard