Short vs long slide with a red dot

[GJM]

In the recent Glock shootability thread, there was passing reference to the performance of a short vs a longer slide with a red dot. Previously the short Glock slide came at the cost of a 19 length frame, but now we have the 45 and 19X combining shorter slides with full size grips. I have done quite a bit of testing with different slide lengths, including as recently as a few hours ago, and continue to have my best performance with a dot on the longer Glock 34. Surf referenced some work he has done with the G45 MOS, and I am certain others have information to contribute, so I thought it would be an interesting topic.

[JHC]

In the recent Glock shootability thread, there was passing reference to the performance of a short vs a longer slide with a red dot. Previously the short Glock slide came at the cost of a 19 length frame, but now we have the 45 and 19X combining shorter slides with full size grips. I have done quite a bit of testing with different slide lengths, including as recently as a few hours ago, and continue to have my best performance with a dot on the longer Glock 34. Surf referenced some work he has done with the G45 MOS, and I am certain others have information to contribute, so I thought it would be an interesting topic.

Should be very interesting. Seems from the long "teach me about STI" thread, the company has more or less settled on barrel/slides biased more on the shorter side (4.1-4.45) for optimal tracking in that very different 2011 platform.

Regarding your 34 results, suppose it could be something like the weight being further out from your steering controls (grip/trigger work) steadies it all for you?
Would that qualify as moment of intertia?

[Darth_Uno]

For me, drill times continue to come in slightly better with an RMR'ed 17 vs a 19. I don't have a 34 to compare it to. I suspect this is due more to "pointability" of a 17 vs a 19. YMMV.

These are times that only a gamer would care about, and likely make no difference in the real world. I'd try (and likely fail) to earn a FAST coin with a 17, but I'm quite comfortable carrying a 19 and usually do...sometimes with iron sights.

[ranger]

Should be very interesting. Seems from the long "teach me about STI" thread, the company has more or less settled on barrel/slides biased more on the shorter side (4.1-4.45) for optimal tracking in that very different 2011 platform.

Regarding your 34 results, suppose it could be something like the weight being further out from your steering controls (grip/trigger work) steadies it all for you?
Would that qualify as moment of intertia?

On the STI thread, I assumed the 4.1 to 4.45 inch length was driven by 9mm reliability in a 2011 package vs optimal tracking but I have missed something?

[YVK]

Number of people who own otherwise identically set up G34 and G45 - 4.

Number people who have shot both in all of the following: plinking, practice, drills, classes, matches, Gabe standards and qualifiers - 2.

Projected number of pages in this thread - 12.

[Doc_Glock]

In my limited experience I tend to have the same problem Surf does with longer slides: They tend to see-saw for me when I shoot faster, and the front of the slide dips as I recover from recoil. Same experience with the Brig Tac versus say a Centurion. But I don't have any field course shooting to compare, just performance on various drills.

Interestingly I don't notice it as much with a P30l versus a P30, but I still prefer the P30.

[mrozowjj]

In my limited experience I tend to have the same problem Surf does with longer slides: They tend to see-saw for me when I shoot faster, and the front of the slide dips as I recover from recoil. Same experience with the Brig Tac versus say a Centurion. But I don't have any field course shooting to compare, just performance on various drills.

Interestingly I don't notice it as much with a P30l versus a P30, but I still prefer the P30.

I've noticed that I get a lot of that see-saw on guns with a higher bore axis. (I tend to think gun mag writers place a high importance on the higher vs lower bore axis and make it sound like a BFD but for most people it doesn't matter.)

So I don't notice the longer slide as much on say a CZ Shadow 2 or so much on a Glock but on the Walther PPQ the 4 inch has noticeably less see-saw than the 5 inch. I thought it was maybe just a weight thing since the Shadow 2 is a fucking brick but I shot the PPQ Steel Frame and it still see-saws more.

[secondstoryguy]

Been messing around with both the G19, G17 and G34 Gen 5 MOS guns equipped with the RMR and the ACRO for the last year. I tend to like the 34 the best and do my best shooting with it. It's what I carry on duty (with an ACRO).

[GJM]

It is easy to get sucked in by how the dot looks or feels, or even how you do shooting a one target drill. I was initially pretty puzzled as to why the G45 configuration felt so good in practice, but my match placement was consistently better with the 34.

[JHC]

It is easy to get sucked in by how the dot looks or feels, or even how you do shooting a one target drill. I was initially pretty puzzled as to why the G45 configuration felt so good in practice, but my match placement was consistently better with the 34.

+1 as soon as you get to shooting a stage the marksmanship has been "contextualized" around solving a problem with some amount of thinking - vs repping on drills.

The mass out there has got to be the factor. Figuring like grips, like triggers, like RDS - the only variable is the mass out there beyond the RDS.

[secondstoryguy]

For me it’s the “pointability” of the longer slide G34. When I index a target it just seems to point/index better. The amount is minor but it’s there. Also, with a light mounted (X300) your holster is going to be the same length regardless of it being a G19/G17/G34 so there’s really no downside. I know some will say that the light can act as a stand-off for contact shots on the shorter slides...it still sticks out from the muzzle slightly on the 34/35...

[EVP]

It is easy to get sucked in by how the dot looks or feels, or even how you do shooting a one target drill. I was initially pretty puzzled as to why the G45 configuration felt so good in practice, but my match placement was consistently better with the 34.

Was this with a gen 5 34? I remember you saying you did better with the finger grooves on a g34. Also out of curiosity what is the performance delta on static drills? My thought is that this would isolate some of the variabilities.