Part of it may be that some people find the shorter slide to track faster and/or flatter for them. Other people use red dots, so the extra sight radius means nothing to them, so why have it? Some people like the balance of that setup better.Originally Posted by Bigghoss
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This a big factor for myself. The shorter slide greatly contributes to more comfort and there is not a big penalty for concealability as far as printing goes. I still prefer a Glock 19 sized gun for carry but I don't feel that a longer slide makes the gun any more shootable and I prefer the way a compact slide clears the holster faster. If I carry on my hip I prefer the Carry sized guns to the traditional full size.
Well I'm too fat for AIWB (but I'm dropping weight) but I have a glock cobbled together from parts that's essentially a G17 with a chopped grip. For me it shoots like a G17 but I could conceal it easier, if I trusted it enough for that. I also tried a 19 slide assembly on a 26 frame and really liked that too. Really this is the first I'm hearing about folks liking a short slide with a long grip.
Back in the day, the P30 was the darling of P-F. Full size grip, compact size slide. One advantage being the full grip with the shorter slide gave you less muzzle flip and made it easier to track the front sight when shooting at speed. Which reminds me I haven't shot a FAST in a while.
Say what you will but SIG sells plenty of Carry models to the unwashed masses.
Last edited by HCM; 07-04-2017 at 01:38 AM.
Full grip shorter slide makes more sense, IWB at least for the above reason cited. The longer barrel is clumsy stuffed in the waistband compared to a shorter slide. Make me real happy and gimme a 26 slide with 19 grip. The FN 509 is basically the same dimension of G17 grip and 19 slide, also the Steyr C9, and the P320 carry model. I am sure there are those that will think a 26 grip with 34 upper is a solid idea too.
You can run a 320 Compact slide on a subcompact frame giving you something akin to a G19 slide / G26 frame.
If it works for someone and/or they like great I am glad there is an option but for me it doesn't make much sense to go too far down the rabbit hole of shrinking the slide as compared to the grip. I want as small as a grip as possible as long as I can get all my fingers on it and not a grip extension on the magazine like XDs,Shield or pinky extensions Pierce grip offers and the like. I do run these on my really small guns because it helps shoot them but it isn't optimum. The Glock 19 is the smallest grip size I can get all fingers on and the shortest length I would want. Slimmer like a single stack would be even better.
I could easily carry and conceal a 17L with a 19 length grip but wouldn't want the extra long length for a draw but at least it offers the advantages of longer sight radius, easier tracking of sights,flatter shooting, and higher velocity. Every gun I carry IWB already has every inch of it concealed behind the belt and pants or shorts so slide length makes almost no difference. Hiding the grip length and thickness is what is more challenging.
I would guess and have seen that most people, myself included shoot longer slide guns better than shorter slides at least when it comes to distance accuracy and splits for multiples. I assume this is due to the factors mentioned above.
It would be an interesting experiment to see what made a bigger difference if any for speed and accuracy grip length or slide length and at what point the longer or shorter slide/grip length made things really go bad. Glock 17 grip with 26 slide or 26 grip with 17L or 34 slide if all else was equal.
It's close to the M&P9C size between the 19 and 26. I don't have to dangle a pinky, and get 12+1.
I've been shooting a 320fS, and just bought a compact as well as a subcompact grip modules. So now it's fullsize slide/compact frame plus compact slide on subcompact frame.
I'm really digging it so far.
--Josh
“Formerly we suffered from crimes; now we suffer from laws.” - Tacitus.
that is one Glock that will make me trade my no thumb safety Glocks, as I grow older the more I like TSs (grew up on 1911s and BHP though) but don't see the why the G-19 slide with the G-17 grip.
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