2,000 Round Challenge

[Nephrology]

To update: i shot this gun this weekend with 124gr RUAG. Had 1FTF with a magpul Gl19 mag. Disappointing. The gun otherwise ran like a top with OEM mags, so I wonder if it was the dirty Magpul mag.

Minimal BTF. Maybe 1? out of ~100rds.

Final update. Put another 200 rounds through it (75 147gr HST, 125 115gr RUAG/S&B). Only BTF was with a limp wrist that I called. No BTF with HST. Fed flawlessly. Gonna carry it.

[Francis]

Pistol: Glock 26 gen 4
Caliber: 9mm
Ammunition:

• Aguila 124
• American Eagle 147
• Blazer Brass 124
• Federal HST 147
• Geco 124
• Herters 115
• PRVI 124
• S&B 124
• Speer Lawman 147

Dates of testing: Nov '16 - Sep '17
Total rounds fired: 2,020
Stoppages: 9
Malfunctions: 0
Breakages: 0
Magazines: Variety of Glock 10, 12 and 17 round and MagPul 12 and 17 round

Comments:

Purchased this pistol in early Nov last year and put 1074 rounds through it by Jan 7. At the time, in my mind, it was vetted and ready for carry. Initial cleaning consisted of a wipe down, bore snake and light oil on barrel, rails and connector. After the first 124 rounds I installed a NY1 / - connector and experimented with the G17 gen 3 and gen 4 trigger bars. Also installed the Ameriglo Pro-Glo square front sight (which I have grown to like much more than the circle) and Pro-Op yellow rear sight and The Gadget.

In July I decided that since I hadn't cleaned the gun since the initial purchase cleaning I would take it for another 1000 rounds to complete the 2000 round challenge.

The gun has functioned well and been easier to shoot than I had anticipated. And due to it's size and the availability of 10 and 12 rd mags it has become the gun I carry most often, especially in the summer. Typically carried with a Glock 12 rd mag and Glock 17 spare.

Of the nine stoppages, seven were with a MagPul 12 rd mag, four of those were in a 12+1 scenario where the first round fired and then experienced a FTE. The other 3 MagPul stoppages were during a training class so I don't have the details recorded. During that class though I only ran MagPul 12 and always started each drill at 12+1.

The remaining two stoppages consisted of 1 with a G19 gen 2 mag that has been a range mag for several years. It had FTF on the last round. The other non MagPul stoppage occurred during the first 1000 rounds with a Glock mag but I didn't record which one. It was during a Dot Torture drill firing weak hand so it most likely was a 17 rd range mag.

More observations on mags - One Glock 10 round mag that came with the purchase was relegated to the range bag because I sometimes could only get 9 rounds in it. It was hit or miss if it would take 9 or 10.

Re. the MagPul mags, I like their profile better than the Glocks for concealment but they are very hard to load and for me, unreliable. I also have in my notes that on various occasions when using the MagPul mags the last round would sometimes dribble out of the ejection port in a random direction rather than a typical ejection. As much as I want to like them, I'm not comfortable using them for daily carry.

I guess technically, this wasn't a clean 2000 round challenge due to stoppages and back and forth trigger changes I made but the gun has performed well. As long as it has newer and vetted Glock mags I'm comfortable with it as my carry gun.

[Doc_Glock]

I had a similar experience. All my G26 stoppages occurred with GL9 Magpul mags. They were not frequent, but there none the less.

[Nephrology]

I had a similar experience. All my G26 stoppages occurred with GL9 Magpul mags. They were not frequent, but there none the less.

Same with the gray G19 I mentioned a page or two back.

[Lon]

I have not been impressed with my MP Glock mags. They're range mags only at this point.

[LockedBreech]

Thanks for spending the test money on the Magpul mags so I don't have to, pistol-forum. Between Nephrology's test and Francis's test what little smidgen of interest I had is gone. Love their AR stuff but I guess OEM Glock magazines didn't need improving on.

[vecdran]

Glock 19 FS 9mm Gen 4
Dates of testing: July '17 to August '17
Total rounds fired: 2,023
Stoppages: 0
Malfunctions: 0
Breakages: 0



Ammunition & Magazines
Federal 115gr FMJ
Browning 147gr FMJ
Blazer 124gr FMJ
Federal HST 124gr +P JHP
Glock OEM 15rnd
Glock OEM 17rnd
Magpul GL9 15rnd
Vickers Tactical Magazine Base Plates


Modifications & Accesories
Heinie SlantPRO Straight-8 Tritium Sights (.235" Front)
Gadget Slide Cover Plate
USATAC Performance Titanium Safety Plunger
Apex Tactical Flat Trigger & Trigger Bar
Vickers Slide Stop
Glock OEM Extended Magazine Release
Polished Internals
Agency Arms Magwell
Bellande Customs Trigger Guard Undercut and Rounding
Inforce APLc Weaponlight
JM Custom Kydex Appendix Holster & Magazine Pouch

**FULL DISCLOSURE** - Gun was lightly cleaned and lubricated once by gunsmith (Bellande Custom) at 1,473 rounds when internals were worked on and frame was modified.

Comments
When I backed the Gadget Kickstarter several years ago, I promised myself that when a Glock 19 with front slide serrations came out, I would buy one. This July, my poor wallet was surprised by the limited edition run. Sigh.

Despite my first love being the HK P30, the reality is I objectively shoot Glocks better, and as such I committed to moving carry platforms as soon as the configuration I wanted was available. It doesn't help that I'm surrounded by a bunch of lovable doofuses who won't quit ranting and raving about their Roland Specials, so I had to show them the error of their ways and build the ultimate irons only, non-comped carry gun. To date, I'm still faster than them, and chunks of expensive machined metal don't go randomly flying off my gun.

The front slide serrations are badly needed feature on Glocks, especially since the finish became more slippery with Gen 4s. It was bad enough on my G34 that I specifically had it Cerakoted in black just so I would stop sliding my fingers into the breach while manipulating the gun during USPSA matches. I think they match the overall Glock aesthetic well, and it's nice to have unmarred roll marks. I guess. It's a Glock. I'm not terrible hung up on the looks.

Judging by the furor on the internet, I got one of the "good" Gen 4s. The gun functioned flawlessly throughout the test, with nary a hiccup. I had zero brass-to-the-face issues, and ejection and feeding was consistent and reliable. My skills produced a 5-shot grouping of 2.2" at 25yds with Federal HST 124gr +P JHP. Overall, I am very pleased with the performance of the handgun, and I carry it with full confidence.

Issues
Unfortunately, I had two non-pistol related issues during testing, concerning accuracy:

#1: I purchased 200rnds of Browning 147gr JHP to give it a spin, since I had not seen it before. Unfortunately this is some of the most egregiously inaccurate factory ammunition I have ever fired. I had difficulty grouping tighter than 6" at 10 yards, and at 25 yards I might as well have been throwing the cartridges downrange, for all the good they were doing. I was too pissed at the ammo to try it through my other guns, so I cannot comment on its accuracy outside of my Glock 19. Nothing like back to back Bill Drills to dump shitty ammo.

#2: The above ammunition compounded the issue I was having with the Heinie .215" front sight I installed. My groupings were fine, but my accuracy was shit. Once I confirmed the ammo was the primary culprit of my inaccuracy, I found that the sights I purchased shot approximately 3-4" high at 25 yards. I am intimately familiar with the "correct" Heinie sight picture (in between 6'oclock hold and push the dot), as I've shot over 30,000 rounds through my HK P30 & P30L with them, so I suspected the front sight height. After some back and forth with Heinie, on their recommendation I purchased and installed a taller .235" front sight, which seemed to resolve my issues. Heinie claims this is an issue with the Gen 4 recoil impulse due to the captive dual spring assembly.

Heinie was communicative and offered a discount on my purchase, as this was an issue there were aware of. I do wish, however, that they were more up front about it, as I only discovered this was a known problem after some specific research. Anyone want to buy a .215" Heinie Tritium front sight?

Modifications & Accessories
I hate the serrated Glock trigger, so I replaced it with the the Apex Tactical flat trigger setup. All other aftermarket triggers I tried modified the trigger pull too much for my liking, compromised safety features, or had odd feeling trigger shoes. The Apex trigger minorly shortens the take-up, but otherwise leaves the trigger pull untouched. I highly recommend the Apex setup as an outright upgrade over the stock trigger.

I never had any issues with my G34 with Glock knuckle as it's a soft shooter, but the brisker recoil impulse of the G19 mixed with +P ammo quickly started chewing up my finger. After some research, I elected to go with the trigger undercut services provided by Bellande Custom. They do look a bit goofy, but the gun was immediately more comfortable after the modification, and even shot noticeable flatter since I had a higher and more complete grip on the gun.

The Gadget is an absolute must for a striker carry gun. With the P30, I had the hammer to maintain that extra layer of safety. Gaining that capability with a striker gun AIWB is a must. I still get minor heebie-jeebies holstering my Gadget-less G42.

The Agency Arms magwell is the best CCW option out there in my opinion. It barely affects the concealability of the firearm, while giving a significantly improved magazine well.

The Inforce APLc is, bar none, the best CCW WML on the market right now. Unlike shoving a Surefire X300 holster in your pants, this light allows a carry profile that is actually comfortable. If I'm honest I do not notice the difference between my standard and light-bearing holster. The manual of arms is intuitive and simple, and the beam pattern and light output is excellent. While I haven't had it long enough to comment on its reliability, my initial impressions are very positive.

This is my first time carrying JM Custom Kydex gear. The wing claw is bloody magic. My friends still can't believe that I'm concealing a G19 and a magazine AIWB. JMCK ran out of grey kydex, and kindly offered my a free upgrade to a custom color. I really like the dark brown. Looks kind of like leather, which is a classy touch.

Alright, that's my word fort. Enjoy.

[Doc_Glock]

Pistol: Beretta PX4 Full Sized
Caliber: 9mm
Ammunition: All sorts of 115, 124, and 147 grain ammo. At least ten types. What I can recall: PPU 115 gr normal and NATO, S&B 124 gr normal, and NATO, Winchester 124 gr NATO, MEN 124 gr NATO, Brown Bear 115 gr, Wolf WPA 115 gr, Speer Lawman 124 gr, 147 grain, AE 147 gr fmj, Magtech 115 gr, HST 147 gr standard pressure, Ranger T 124 grain +p
Dates of testing: 8/2017-10/2017
Total rounds fired: 2,045
Modifications: Wilson 12lb main spring.
Stoppages: 7. Six failures to eject photos of some below:







Malfunctions occurred with a variety of 124 and 115 grain steel and brass cases ammo. Zero malfunctions occurred with defensive or “NATO” rated ammo.

One failure to lock back.

Malfunctions: 0
Breakages: 0

Notes and Observations: This is a great shooting gun that struggled with reliability in my hands. This is in contrast to my excellent experience with the PX4 Compact's stellar reliability. It did not like weak ammo, or any lack of lubrication. It would typically go 3-500 rounds reliably but after that required lubing. At the urging of other forum members, the gun was sent back to Beretta near the end of the test. Beretta found nothing wrong with it other than they felt it was dirty and not lubed enough. I think there is perhaps an extractor tension problem with my sample as brass to the face was also a 1-3/100 proposition. It is fun to shoot, the trigger is great and the sights hit top of the front at 25 yards splitting the bull. I liked it but I don't trust it.

[Bucky]

Pistol: Beretta PX4 Full Sized
Caliber: 9mm
Ammunition: All sorts of 115, 124, and 147 grain ammo. At least ten types. What I can recall: PPU 115 gr normal and NATO, S&B 124 gr normal, and NATO, Winchester 124 gr NATO, MEN 124 gr NATO, Brown Bear 115 gr, Wolf WPA 115 gr, Speer Lawman 124 gr, 147 grain, AE 147 gr fmj, Magtech 115 gr, HST 147 gr standard pressure, Ranger T 124 grain +p
Dates of testing: 8/2017-10/2017
Total rounds fired: 2,045
Modifications: Wilson 12lb main spring.
Stoppages: 7. Six failures to eject photos of some below:

This is disappointing. One thing I suspect, is though the rotating barrel may have great qualities, like recoil reduction, perhaps it has a stronger requirement for proper lubrication.

[LockedBreech]

Pistol: Beretta PX4 Full Sized
Caliber: 9mm
Ammunition: All sorts of 115, 124, and 147 grain ammo. At least ten types. What I can recall: PPU 115 gr normal and NATO, S&B 124 gr normal, and NATO, Winchester 124 gr NATO, MEN 124 gr NATO, Brown Bear 115 gr, Wolf WPA 115 gr, Speer Lawman 124 gr, 147 grain, AE 147 gr fmj, Magtech 115 gr, HST 147 gr standard pressure, Ranger T 124 grain +p
Dates of testing: 8/2017-10/2017
Total rounds fired: 2,045
Modifications: Wilson 12lb main spring.
Stoppages: 7. Six failures to eject photos of some below:







Malfunctions occurred with a variety of 124 and 115 grain steel and brass cases ammo. Zero malfunctions occurred with defensive or “NATO” rated ammo.

One failure to lock back.

Malfunctions: 0
Breakages: 0

Notes and Observations: This is a great shooting gun that struggled with reliability in my hands. This is in contrast to my excellent experience with the PX4 Compact's stellar reliability. It did not like weak ammo, or any lack of lubrication. It would typically go 3-500 rounds reliably but after that required lubing. At the urging of other forum members, the gun was sent back to Beretta near the end of the test. Beretta found nothing wrong with it other than they felt it was dirty and not lubed enough. I think there is perhaps an extractor tension problem with my sample as brass to the face was also a 1-3/100 proposition. It is fun to shoot, the trigger is great and the sights hit top of the front at 25 yards splitting the bull. I liked it but I don't trust it.

Excellent report. As a resident Beretta fanboy and PX4 cheerleader I have no problem saying I think you gave the gun a very fair shake and I think Beretta let you down here. I don't know what's wrong with your PX4 that they missed. Normally 7 malfs in 2K rounds wouldn't be huge but when they're all the same type even with different ammo and even the manufacturer can't find the problem, I'd be hesitant to trust it too. I hope it at least gives you fun range time now and again.


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