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Thread: Glock 9mm: Best Length for Duty Use With a Light?

  1. #1

    Glock 9mm: Best Length for Duty Use With a Light?

    I'm upgrading my current duty Glock 17 to a Gen 5. What's the best slide length for duty use with a light? Now we have the 19X, 17.5, and 34.5, is the length difference an issue, considering I'm using a TLR-1, which sticks out past the muzzle on the 19x and 17.5? Should I just run a 34.5? Or will the shorter length of the 19X make for a handier duty pistol? I'm open to all possibilities, but I only want to buy one Safariland 6360.

  2. #2
    Member
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    Dec 2011
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    Austin,TX
    I run a 34.5 with an x300u. Some say that running a 17/19 with the end light extended past the barrel provides a stand-off for contact shots. I prefer the balance of a 34 when used with a light. An added plus is that your light also doesn’t get as much carbon on it.
    Last edited by secondstoryguy; 06-07-2018 at 05:48 AM.

  3. #3
    Member martin_j001's Avatar
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    Aug 2015
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    Lawrenceville, GA
    I can't answer from a duty perspective, but some will say that might as well run the gun that's the length of the light, as your holster will have to accommodate it anyway. IMO, there's something magical about a 34 and it's recoil impulse, etc, that I notice and far prefer over the 19 and 17. I own and have carried all, but keep coming back to a 34.
    Jeff Martin
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  4. #4
    What i have found after using both,
    17 & 19 gives you standoff for contact shots, easier for indoors
    34 gives you better balance and handling. Plus a cleaner light after range sessions

    I work a rural area and we do a lot of searches in woods and fields so I went for the 35/34 for better distance capability. If you are in a car a lot or respond frequently to calls to apartments then maybe a shorter gun would be better.

    For holster I don't know about the 6360, but the 7TS line will hold all three lengths with a light.

  5. #5
    Thank you for the replies. I've never shot a G34, so it will be interesting to see how the extra slide length changes the handling. I work patrol, so I spent most of my time in a car. Jeff makes the point that the holster is the same length, anyways. I guess it comes down to the extra bulk at the muzzle?

  6. #6
    I can’t recommend the 7TS (7000) series Safariland holsters enough. They are a very nice upgrade from the 6000 series models.

    A G17 with a TLR-1 is hard to beat, for a duty gun.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Which model do you shoot the best? Whether the light extends past the barrel or collects carbon shouldn’t come into the equation. You need the pistol you are most comfortable with.

    I really, really like a Glock 19 but for patrol or swat I find the grip too short. Especially when wearing gloves. So the 19 is out. I personally shoot the 17 just as well as I shoot a 34. After running them both extensively I chose the 17 because it worked the best for me. Slapped a SureFire X300U on it and it’s what I’ve used for the majority of my career.

    Pick the pistol you are most comfortable with and go from there.

  8. #8
    Site Supporter Bigghoss's Avatar
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    Some people say the 19 tracks faster for them, that the reduced slide mass is more controllable. I'm not fast enough to notice but that is why you will see upper level shooters running a 19 with a light sticking way out there instead of a 17/34.
    Quote Originally Posted by MattyD380 View Post
    Because buying cool, interesting guns I don't need isn't a decision... it's a lifestyle...

  9. #9
    NS865: Thanks for the tip on the 7000 series holsters. I'll check those out.

    Evan: I agree. I'm determining which pistol I shoot best now. My default choice is the G17, after having carried and shot one for so many years, but I figured if I'm getting a new pistol, I might as well look at all the options. I don't compete, so I'm not really up on the particular advantages/disadvantages of the longer or shorter slide lengths, considering the grip frames are exactly the same size. Also, the advantages/disadvantages for patrol use. With the extra length of the G34 dig into my side after 10 hours in a patrol car? These are the important questions!

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Bigghoss View Post
    Some people say the 19 tracks faster for them, that the reduced slide mass is more controllable. I'm not fast enough to notice but that is why you will see upper level shooters running a 19 with a light sticking way out there instead of a 17/34.
    I'm anything special, but when qualifying with my G19 and G17, I think I noticed the same, but not enough to put numbers to it, which is what started me down this path. What about the G34? What about it makes serious shooters pick it?

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