Which Glock slide for PMO?

[KevH]

It's been quite a while now since Glocks have had optics mounted directly to their slides.

Keeping the standard G17-sized frame, there are essentially three practical choices right now for slide length: G17, G34, and G45.

Please answer the poll question above and post a reply with any comments on why you made that choice (if so inclined).

[JCN]

Glock 45.

More options. Sight radius doesn’t matter as much with RDO for accuracy, but slide weight and speed do matter for dot tracking. This is compounded by window size and ammo spice factor.

With a G45 you get to pick. You can add a small compensator and make it 17 length and slower slide than a 17, making it easier to track than the 17.

But you don’t have to do it, it shoots fine as a 19 slide. More options are more better IMO.

[L-2]

Is this related to your department pistol selection thread or more of a personal-one-off-use-item?

[KevH]

Is this related to your department pistol selection thread or more of a personal-one-off-use-item?

More personal and just curiosity motivated.

I've shot an RMR-equipped G17 Gen3 as my duty gun for the past two years, having carried the same gun with iron sights daily since 2012.

I also have experience with optics on the the G34 Gen4 MOS. I still have an unmilled G34 Gen3 sitting in my safe. I have always preferred the G34 all else being equal.

It seems that in USPSA Carry Optics the G34 is still by far the preference for those running Glocks.

At the same time, in a lot of online chatter folks give preference to the G45/G19X. I understand the argument that the shorter/lighter slide equals a faster split time and that with less mass going into battery the dot shouldn't move as much and that with an optic sight radius doesn't come into play. Still, I can't help but think with a shotgun how a shorter barrel effects the swing the of the gun and that somehow the lighter/snappier feel of the G45 might be detrimental to me.

[L-2]

I cannot vote in this thread as I've got zero handgun optic experience.
Since I'm now retired, all of my carry is now concealed, but with some outside-the-waistband carry, but mainly inside-the-waistband.

However, I am also curious as to which Glock I might like with a pistol optic, as I told myself my next Glock will be an MOS model.
I was hoping Glock might have put out a direct-milled-slide model this year to the public, but that didn't happen.
I'm also looking forward to reviews, once they come out, of the Ameriglo Haven and Holosun SCS optics.

The G26gen5 has not materialized in the USA, unless a person gets it done from a 3rd party or buys a 3rd party slide.

The G19 might be what I'd like as that's the regular Glock I'm mostly carrying G19gen5-non-MOS.

But I have and will occasionally carry my G17gen5 or G34gen4.

Other friends bought into the G45gen5MOS, but they don't seem to carry them much, if at all.

While money is generally the issue, it'd be too much to buy all the Glock MOS models, put optics on each one, and make my own decision with a lot of carrying and shooting. I'll be looking forward to the actual experienced comments in this thread. Thanks for initiating the thread/questions.

[JCN]

I also have experience with optics on the the G34 Gen4 MOS. I still have an unmilled G34 Gen3 sitting in my safe. I have always preferred the G34 all else being equal.

It seems that in USPSA Carry Optics the G34 is still by far the preference for those running Glocks.

At the same time, in a lot of online chatter folks give preference to the G45/G19X. I understand the argument that the shorter/lighter slide equals a faster split time and that with less mass going into battery the dot shouldn't move as much and that with an optic sight radius doesn't come into play. Still, I can't help but think with a shotgun how a shorter barrel effects the swing the of the gun and that somehow the lighter/snappier feel of the G45 might be detrimental to me.

See, now that's context that you didn't put into your original question.

1. Shorter/lighter slide does NOT equal faster split time. How do I know what I know? I shot lightened slides on a Shadow 2 when there was a 45 oz weight limit and immediately switched to a full weight slide when legal by rules. I also shoot P365X and XL often.

The slide returns to battery faster than you can time your trigger press. Faster isn't necessarily better and often is detrimental as you can't time the trigger press on the first dot bounce.

2. A lighter slide has MORE dot movement on a pistol because the cartridge has the same energy. So you're getting T-boned by the same SUV while you are sitting in a smaller car rather than a larger car and the gun will rock back more violently (remember kinetic energy uses velocity as a square function rather than linear for mass) all things considered.

3. Optic sight radius doesn't come into play for single shots, but the slide mass affects the optic as above.

The snappier part is real. But a G17 with compensator will have less dot movement than a G34.

This is kind of indirect but here's 240 fps slow motion of various compensated P365X/XL options.

The first gun in the video is doing 0.15 splits. The slide returns almost too fast to dwell and track. The last gun in the video is an XL without compensation and there's more impact and rock back of the frame and muzzle / dot rise.


https://youtu.be/lF4DYb1iYwo

I'd rather carry a 19 slide than a 34.
I'd rather shoot a well compensated 19 or 17 than an uncompensated 34.
I'd rather shoot an uncompensated 34 than an uncompensated 19.
I'd rather shoot an uncompensated 19 with flashlight than an uncompensated 34 without flashlight.

Note that frame mounted optics will have slightly different recommendations as heavy frame and light slide is viable and you don’t have to track a dot that’s streaking when attached to a fast slide.

[DaBigBR]

If you prefer the 34 already, just stick with it. I'm carrying a 34 with an optic at work and have zero complaints. I've also fairly extensively shot the 19 and 45 with optics both with and without comps. They're all fine. Go with what you like.

[pastaslinger]

I really like my G34 with ported barrel. It tracks very nicely and no slide milling had to be done for the ports.