a step back - Glock Gen 3

[30-30]

Thank you for all of the replies... for me the Gen 3 has always been a good platform, the newer generations are very good too. But as I stated at the beginning many of the changes that were made to the Glock Gen 4/5 are things that I felt I never needed or was looking for.

As I test-drove the G45/19/43X in Gen5 (did shoot a couple mags through a Gen5 G17) I realized that I didn't like the flared magazine well, the beveled slide and frame, the half-moon cut-out, the ambi-slide stop, the new slippery finish, front serrations, and the marksman barrel (I always thought Glocks were accurate).

I like CHOICE, and I'm glad that Glock has given us choice in five generations...for me the Gen3 is my choice (YMMV)...

[farscott]

I have been shooting Glocks since 1989 with the original G17, but I only have used the first, third, and fifth generation service-size (I am not sure into which generation the G43 fits) guns. Never planned it that way, but that is what happened. I really like the G45, and I would start with the fifth-generation guns if I was starting today. But I have a lot of third-generation guns and parts, most of which have been modified to suit my small hands and short fingers. My NPE gun is a G26.3 with a Robar grip reduction, my usual Glock carry gun is a Boresight Solutions G17.3, and I have a project gun I am building on a Cold Bore Customs G17.3 stripped frame cut down to use G26 magazines. The intent is for it to be the Glock version of a Colt Concealed Carry Officer's ACP. It should make for an excellent IWB carry gun.

So I do not feel at a disadvantage with the third generation of Glock pistols. But the fifth generation guns are objectively better.

[JTQ]

... I only have used the first, third, and fifth generation ...

Hmm, that's odd.

The Gen 5 does seem like a better mousetrap, but it seems like 35 years of Glock marketing - increased performance with polygonal rifling (marksmanship barrel), minimal/streamlined controls (ambi-slide lock), super durability (whatever the new slide lock spring or something) - is pretty tough to shake off.

[Lost River]

Like a couple of you, I have found the Gen 2s to make pretty solid carry guns.

The fact that they never had finger grooves was something I always liked about them.

I carry this Gen2 G17 a fair bit when on my own time.




Of course we could step further back and look at the original generation of "Perfection", which was a pretty decent gun , and now has become a bit of a collector's item to some. This one is 100% bone stock, right down to the magazine.

[Robinson]

My only remaining Glock is a Gen 3 G34. I owned a Gen 4 and a Gen 5 -- they had some advantages but they were both MOS models with limited rear sight choices available. The Gen 5 would always auto-forward on a mag change too which annoyed me.

I prefer no finger grooves so I liked the Gen 5 for that reason, plus it had the best trigger of the bunch. The Gen 4 was a solid gun. The Gen 3 works just fine even with finger grooves and lack of changeable back straps. The Gen 3 mag release is a bit smaller and stiffer than the Gen 4/5.

[JonInWA]

I have a Gen 3 G17, G19 and G21. They're all superb guns, all have exceptional triggers and accuracy. The G17 is box stock, with the exceptions of a Glock extended slide release, Glock steel sights, and a segment of mountain bike innertube on the grip for added traction. I've had personal bests with this Glock in IDPA and GSSF competitions.

The G19 and G21 have all been somewhat parts-bin tuned, but only with OEM Glock components. The G21 also has the mountain bike innnertube for additional grip, and a set of Warren-Sevigney Carry sights; the G19 came with a set of Trijicon tritium sights as the OEM sights. Both have been somewhat tailored and tuned by switching out various OEM Glock action components (triggerbars, connectors, trigger component springs primarily).

While I think that overall the Gen5 guns are significant improvements (both intrinsically and finish-wise), my individually tuned and vetted Gen 3s are hardly obsolescent, and I feel no compulsion to sell or trade them for corresponding Gen5s. My specific Gen 3s are both intrinsically superb (as tuned) and very well suited for my needs. Additionally, for heavy use/exposure in muddy/silty/sandy/fine dirt/dust environments, the Gen 3 flatwire OEM RSA may be advantageous, in that if they're gritted up its easy to remove any clogging media and drive on; with the Gen4/Gen5 triple nested RSA, in that situation, the best recourse might be to replace the RSA out of necessity. Admittedly for most of us that's probably an outlier scenario.

My only Gen4 is my G22, which is excellent, and I recommend the Gen4 G22 oveer its predecessor G22s because I do think its a better platform for the .40 cartridge inherently (due to the triple nested variable spring RSA and structural frame mods), and because of the other improvements (frame surface grippiness, gripstrap/gripstrap beavertail options) and the larger extended magazine release; mine additionally has Glock steel sights and a Glock extended slide release, and the slightly more protrusive FBI magazine release. An ideal .40 G22 is probably the Gen5 one that Glock produced for the Brazilian police, with a G37 heavier slide, but it's uncertain if Glock intends to add this to the commercial market.

In summary, I think that an out-of-the-box Gen5 is likely to be a better, improved Glock from the onset, but a judiciously tuned Gen 3 (as individually deemed necessary) is very much its peer, and certainly viable. However, if I was to need to choose a new Glock today, it absolutely would be a Gen5, at least for 98% of any scenario/environment that I'm personally likely to be in. If I was to need to spend significant time in a fine dust/dirt/sand/rotorwash environment, I might be slightly more inclined to go the Gen 3 route (or simply to have spare RSAs on hand if a Gen4/5).

As others have mentioned, my Gen 3 G21 has been exceptionally accurate and reliable, although it's probably the most difficult Glock I have to fire at speed, both due to the inherent characteristics of the .45 ACP cartridge and its recoil, and the larger girth of the G21. Regardless, I've certainly done decently with it in IDPA and GSSF, as well as for duty/concealed carry. Its a great, albeit slightly bulky warhorse, but I don't shoot the shorter-framed Gen 3 SF or Gen4 G21s any better, so my tuned and vetted Gen 3 G21 is going no place.

Best, Jon

[Nephrology]

I like my Gen 3 26s and have a Gen 3 19 that I carried for many years. It shoots well. Still prefer the smaller backstrap of the 4th gen guns but the Gen 3s definitely still work as well as they did when they first came out.

[LockedBreech]

I ended up in a similar place, although not with the Glock Gen 3. After spending the last 7-8 years trying out essentially every gun under the sun (Glock Gen4, tons of Berettas, Walther PPQ and P99, HK VP9, a few Sigs) I ended up with a full system of M&P 2.0s and I can't see switching any time in the foreseeable future. Mine are all reliable, accurate, simple, and comfortable.

Once you find a gun that fits you, it's perfectly fine to be like you know what....handgun needs met, I can spend money in other places.

[JSGlock34]

My GEN3 Glock 34 remains one of my favorite pistols, and I regularly compete with it. As others have said, GEN5 guns are objectively better in just about every measurable way. One feature I definitely prefer in the GEN4/5 guns is the frame texturing; I frequently used skateboard tape on the GEN3 guns, but as I started gripping the gun much harder, I found the tape needed replacement more often. I finally sent my frame to Wilson Combat for stippling and I'm very happy with the results.

[Gadfly]

I have my gen 3 26 that was my duty gun from about 2006 to 2014. Had to side line it because someone finally noticed I had done a back strap reduction to it to remove the hump... No one cared for 10 years until someone was a snitch. I was forced to upgrade, so I got a gen 4. I like the slightly smaller grip and the larger mag release better than the 3. For me, the gen 3 is nice, but I am sticking with the 4 and not looking back.

We don't authorize the gen 5 for duty (some issues came up in testing, so no gen 5 for the foreseeable future). Having shot my sons gen 5 19, I like it... but don't know if I like it enough to buy all new Glocks.