Glock 34 or Glock 17 for IDPA?

[JV_]

Gen 4 19s otoh are unobtanium right now.

That's news to me. They're plentiful in my area.

[secondstoryguy]

I owned a G34 for years and recently traded into a Gen 3 G17 a few months ago. After I got the G17 I put a "-" connector in it and did a side by side Pepsi challenge with the G17 and G34 consisting of multiple range trips with a timer. I've found them to be very close in performance at my level of shooting. The 34 seems to be a little more precise in the 20+ yard shots but the difference is very slight(if any at all). The biggest difference to me is that the G34 seems to point ever-so slightly better and doesn't black out the lens of my WML as fast as the G17. Your splitting hairs if you ask me.

[jetfire]

If you already have a G30, why not just stay with the .45 and upgrade to the Gen4 Glock 21?

[jar]

If you already have a G30, why not just stay with the .45 and upgrade to the Gen4 Glock 21?

I originally had a snide response, but I'll be more helpful and provide a list of reasons I'd prefer a 17/34 for IDPA:

1. Ammo cost is significantly less.
2. 9mm is easier to shoot
3. G21 is gigantic (I haven't shot a 21SF or a Gen4, but the gen2 I tried a while back felt like a brick)
4. There's far more competition in SSP than CDP, at least where I am. At the match I shot on Saturday there were 40 shooters in SSP and 6 in CDP.

[mscott327]

I originally had a snide response, but I'll be more helpful and provide a list of reasons I'd prefer a 17/34 for IDPA:

1. Ammo cost is significantly less.
2. 9mm is easier to shoot
3. G21 is gigantic (I haven't shot a 21SF or a Gen4, but the gen2 I tried a while back felt like a brick)
4. There's far more competition in SSP than CDP, at least where I am. At the match I shot on Saturday there were 40 shooters in SSP and 6 in CDP.

Where did you shoot Saturday? I shot Saturday and we had 40 people shooting. It took all day with only 2 squads.

[mscott327]

I originally had a snide response, but I'll be more helpful and provide a list of reasons I'd prefer a 17/34 for IDPA:

1. Ammo cost is significantly less.
2. 9mm is easier to shoot
3. G21 is gigantic (I haven't shot a 21SF or a Gen4, but the gen2 I tried a while back felt like a brick)
4. There's far more competition in SSP than CDP, at least where I am. At the match I shot on Saturday there were 40 shooters in SSP and 6 in CDP.

IDPA is a 9mm game. The G30 has a very short sight radius. I see myself at a disadvantage since I do shoot the G30 in SSP. I also agree that the ammo cost is less, I reload and it will be approximately $.14 a round to relaod 9mm versus my $.18-.19 now.

[Nephrology]

IDPA is a 9mm game. The G30 has a very short sight radius. I see myself at a disadvantage since I do shoot the G30 in SSP. I also agree that the ammo cost is less, I reload and it will be approximately $.14 a round to relaod 9mm versus my $.18-.19 now.

Do you care more about winning or about familiarity with your carry pistol?

I think if you move to 9mm you should also be considering a trade on the g30, if ammo costs are really that persuasive.

[JonInWA]

I have both a G17 and G34, both Gen 3s (along with two G19s and a G21, all also Gen 3s). Between the G17 and G34, both are great guns; I really think that it depends upon which gun you feel most comfortable with (i.e., balance and sight radius-wise, and how you shoot with each). Additionally, it also depends upon which sights, connector and spring combination you prefer/do the best with.

To answer your question directly based on MY empirical experience, while I'd probably genarically say "It doesn't make a difference between the two," I do have to admit that I recently shot my most accurate IDPA match ever, with the G34 (using Warren Tactical sights, a OEM Glock "minus" connector, and a NY1 spring)-but in the same 6 month period, I also shot my best Classifier ever (not that that's necessarily much to write home about) with my G17-which uses Glock steel sights (more specifically, a Glock steel rear and a Trijicon supplied-through-Glock steel (non tritium, and exactly the same profile as the OEM Glock polymer front sight, just made in steel and in a screw-on mounting), the standard connector, and the standard coil trigger spring...

I think that the G17 balances out slightly better than the G34, but that's probably only of any concern in strong and/or weak hand only firing-and then, my G19 balances out better than either of them, and I've consistently done extremely well with it; so you might want to consider a G19 as well. For distance shooting, undoubtedly the G34 does the best, but then again it has the best sights for distance shooting; if I had the Warren Tactical sights on all 3 guns, I might think otherwise. (And I've had my fastest GSSF times with the G17, even when shot concurrently with the G34...)

So-I'd go with the one that you feel/shoot the best with, and has the best triggerpull (which'll vary slightly from gun to gun). Frankly, you might want to consider getting a G17, and using the dollar savings over the G34 to invest in a set of Warren (or comparable) sights, familiarize with the gun as it comes (standard connector, coil trigger spring), and then after 500-1000 rounds downrange, experiment with various spring/connector alternatives. I'm having some very interesting results with a "dot" connector, coil spring, and Gen 3.5 triggerbar (with smooth trigger) in one of my Gen 3 G19s...

Best, Jon

[mscott327]

I have both a G17 and G34, both Gen 3s (along with two G19s and a G21, all also Gen 3s). Between the G17 and G34, both are great guns; I really think that it depends upon which gun you feel most comfortable with (i.e., balance and sight radius-wise, and how you shoot with each). Additionally, it also depends upon which sights, connector and spring combination you prefer/do the best with.

To answer your question directly based on MY empirical experience, while I'd probably genarically say "It doesn't make a difference between the two," I do have to admit that I recently shot my most accurate IDPA match ever, with the G34 (using Warren Tactical sights, a OEM Glock "minus" connector, and a NY1 spring)-but in the same 6 month period, I also shot my best Classifier ever (not that that's necessarily much to write home about) with my G17-which uses Glock steel sights (more specifically, a Glock steel rear and a Trijicon supplied-through-Glock steel (non tritium, and exactly the same profile as the OEM Glock polymer front sight, just made in steel and in a screw-on mounting), the standard connector, and the standard coil trigger spring...

I think that the G17 balances out slightly better than the G34, but that's probably only of any concern in strong and/or weak hand only firing-and then, my G19 balances out better than either of them, and I've consistently done extremely well with it; so you might want to consider a G19 as well. For distance shooting, undoubtedly the G34 does the best, but then again it has the best sights for distance shooting; if I had the Warren Tactical sights on all 3 guns, I might think otherwise. (And I've had my fastest GSSF times with the G17, even when shot concurrently with the G34...)

So-I'd go with the one that you feel/shoot the best with, and has the best triggerpull (which'll vary slightly from gun to gun). Frankly, you might want to consider getting a G17, and using the dollar savings over the G34 to invest in a set of Warren (or comparable) sights, familiarize with the gun as it comes (standard connector, coil trigger spring), and then after 500-1000 rounds downrange, experiment with various spring/connector alternatives. I'm having some very interesting results with a "dot" connector, coil spring, and Gen 3.5 triggerbar (with smooth trigger) in one of my Gen 3 G19s...

Best, Jon

Thanks, Great advice! I'm looking at getting the Warren Tactical Sevigny Competition Sight Set with Black non-serrated rear sight and a red fiber optic front sight.
I use a Ghost 3.5 connector kit with wolf springs in my G30 and I plan on getting them again.

[LeeC]

Somewhere I read that, counter to what one might expect, a G34 was more comfortable for some in AIWB carry than a G17. Makes sense though when you consider the variety in human anatomy. Might carry be a factor in the choice? At some point, sight radius and weight-inertia become a minus rather than a plus (haven't taken my CX4 Storm to the range since the RSO said I had to use TWO hands) but body-fit is also a factor.