Ideal slide length for a PMO gun

[BK14]

Over the years, I’ve been reading a good bit about the red dot on pistol, from Kelly McCann, to Suarez, more notably the Roland, etc. In the earlier days, guys like the man behind the Roland Special, as well as others around his circle argued that there was no benefit to running a 34 with a red dot, over something like a 19, since the sight radius was moot. The argument typically would go further to say that the faster cycling slide of the 19 was an advantage over a 34 slide.

Fast forward to today, and you have Chuck Pressburg, Bill Blowers, Matt Landfair, etc. all using 34/35 length guns with red dots on them. Personally, I’m still not authorized to carry a red dot gun, but I generally carry a 34 iron sighted gun. My training gun is a 34.5 with an RMR and as soon as I’m authorized to carry it, I’d sure like to. But while I love the RMR on the 34, I have nothing to compare it to, to say that this is the best setup.


Now with that background, where are we really at today with ideal slide length for a PMO? The Glock 45 MOS is out, the 34 MOS has been around for awhile, there’s various guns like the CZ, H&K VP9, etc with various slide lengths. The STI staccato 5” isn’t available optics ready, but the 4.15” is available as such. Etc.


What are your experiences in an ideal slide length for a PMO gun, what have you tried, and what type of performance are you getting from a shorter vs longer slide?

Thanks for the thoughts.

[GJM]

My experience is the dot appears to track flatter on a G45, but my match placement is higher with a dot on a G34. Shows that looks and feel can be misleading. It is pretty easy to compare Glock pistols, as we have full size grips with 19, 17 and 34 length slides. Harder to say with others, as the models don’t line up like with Glock.

Whatever differences while meaningful to me in competition are pretty small, and other considerations like ease of concealment, what you have, what yiu are used to, and how you carry may influence your choice.

[Ndbbm]

In the earlier days, guys like the man behind the Roland Special, as well as others around his circle argued that there was no benefit to running a 34 with a red dot, over something like a 19, since the sight radius was moot. The argument typically would go further to say that the faster cycling slide of the 19 was an advantage over a 34 slide.

If you didn’t know “Roland”, is Mr Pressburg. May try hitting him up on social media and asking. I don’t have anything else useful for you.

Jason

[BK14]

If you didn’t know “Roland”, is Mr Pressburg. May try hitting him up on social media and asking. I don’t have anything else useful for you.

Jason

Been reading everything from him I could since back when his screen name was BasicLoad on Lightfighter... Reaching out through social media was the next step, but figured I’d start here since we have a pretty wide range of users.

[Norville]

I like the feel of a 34 vs a 19. It may just be the grip as I haven’t shot a G45 with a dot.

I also have a couple of 17s, but then are Gen 3s which I like less than 4/5 so that’s another confounding factor as they say.

[Olim9]

Been reading everything from him I could since back when his screen name was BasicLoad on Lightfighter... Reaching out through social media was the next step, but figured I’d start here since we have a pretty wide range of users.

Chuck has a Patreon page where he answers questions his patrons have for him.
https://www.patreon.com/Presscheckconsulting

[Tensaw]

This might be a bit of a derail here, but I wonder if the "softer" / slower(?) recoil impulse of a G34, as compared to something like a G19, might be less abusive to red dot innards...

[DocGKR]

I suspect ChuckP will offer his thoughts comparing a G34 RDS vs a G19x/G45 RDS in the near future.

For an RDS equipped handgun, most folks around here prefer a G19x or G45 with a KKM comp for a duty pistol. For off-duty/CCW a G19 w/RDS is the popular way to go.

RMR06 is still offering the best blend of robustness and battery life for daily use. Acro battery life is too short right now. DeltaPoint is supposed to be fixed, but we'll see how that works over the next few months.

[Joe]

Chuck would explicitly note that the Roland Special was a concealed carry gun. He doesn't shoot it because he's doing duty gun stuff (IE if it's in a safariland holster let's put the biggest gun in there). He has yet to shoot a 34 vs a comped 19x/45 in order to determine if the comp is better than the added slide mass, etc.
Having recently gone the KKM comped/ACRO route with a G45 I can tell you that it blows my G34's out of the water.

[BK14]

I suspect ChuckP will offer his thoughts comparing a G34 RDS vs a G19x/G45 RDS in the near future.

For an RDS equipped handgun, most folks around here prefer a G19x or G45 with a KKM comp for a duty pistol. For off-duty/CCW a G19 w/RDS is the popular way to go.

RMR06 is still offering the best blend of robustness and battery life for daily use. Acro battery life is too short right now. DeltaPoint is supposed to be fixed, but we'll see how that works over the next few months.

Thanks for the response sir.

I’ll be asking him on Patreon once his next Q&A comes up.

While I’d love a G45 with a KKM comp, policy determines that “aftermarket” including even a barrel is a no-go. Yet somehow an STI Costa Carry Comp is approved for us that are signed off for 1911s since it’s factory....

So, if under the constraints that a comp wouldn’t be allowed, would you still choose a 45 over a 34?

Thanks!

[DocGKR]

With an RDS, yes to the G45. With irons--no, I'd likely go G34.