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What glock would you recommend

11K views 53 replies 29 participants last post by  StiffCliff 
#1 ·
Would be my first pistol. I reside in a state with a 10 round magazine limit. I am considering other firearms as well, but I have a strong interest in a glock. Primary purposes would be home defense and range shooting. Very very limited carry only when I go out of state. Looking for something with lower recoil and I would want to be able to put a light on the rail since its a home defense pistol. I think 9mm is the way I want to go. Have narrowed it down to gen 5 G19, G45, G17 and G34. Out of those I think I would probably be more interested in the G45 MOS for the larger grip but still provides the ability to carry. G17 I have heard does not provide much difference from g45. I am curious about the G34 MOS though. It would be too big to carry so that is a downside but in terms of shooting at the range and as a home defense gun would it be vastly superior to the G45? Is there a noticeable reduction in recoil among these firearms?
 
#2 ·
Felt recoil is highly subjective to the individual user. Proper grip and mechanics also aid in that and accuracy.
All of the pistols mentioned are pretty tame recoil wise. The longer the slide and barrel the more weight out front so recoil and muzzle flip may be less apparent.
The Glock 19 is considered by most as the best do everything option. If you have very large hands then the 17,45 and 34 might be better suited to you.
 
#4 ·
I am based in NYC. Have filed for a premise permit which is a long process here. Have limited experience with firearms. Shooting as a kid with .22 cal rifles. Did the NRA pistol course in my early 20s and will need to repeat the course which is fine since I want to develop proper technique. Experience with m16s/m60s via some military courses in college. Given the current environment I thought home defense may be a good idea but also I wanted the option to go to the range. Can't shoot anything other than .22 rifles in NYC without a pistol permit. Will likely get Utah and CT non-resident carry permits so I can easily use the ranges while visiting family and not having to worry about heavy restrictions when transporting.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
If you have no intention of every trying to concealed carry, then I would probably go for the Glock 17 for home defense and range shooting.

If you think you might want to concealed carry, plus home defense and range, then I would probably opt for the Glock 19. I have a Glock 19 and I love it. I also shoot some Glock 17's fairly often and I like it a lot too and it holds a couple of more rounds but you are limited to 10 I guess so that is no matter.

Glock 34 is even a little bit bigger than the Glock 17 and probably doesn't shot noticeably better than the Glock 17.

So, in your case I would probably go with the Glock 19 since you can carry more than 10 rounds in a mag, and the main difference between it and the Glock 45 is more rounds in the magazine.
 
#7 ·
Any of the firearms you mentioned will serve you well with no much difference in perceived recoil. It is hard to choose one among them because they are all great.
Out of all of them, the G19 would be easier to carry. It is also a great home defense and range choice.
However, it also depends on you hands size. Check it out before you buy it to make sure it fits your hands well. The grip could “feel” shorter for people with super large hands.
If you have super large hands, I would go for the G45 as it has a G19 comparable slide on a G17 comparable grip.
If you have normal size hands, the G45/G17/G34 grip might “feel” too large.
 
#34 ·
#10 ·
I looked at the glock 48. I think the issue was it either wasn't ideal for holding a light or the light choice for it was rather limited, since my primary purpose is not carry I was thinking a larger grip would be better. It didn't occur to me as mentioned above that it might be too large. I went into a gunshop today and handled a 19x and I liked how it felt in my hand. Of course, it might be a totally different feel once I start shooting it. Some of the shops I went to today we all sold out of their glocks. People are just buying whatever they can get their hands on at this point. I have a couple of months at least before I complete my license process. Maybe longer than that given the way things are going, so hopefully by that time things will have loosened up some.
 
#14 ·
....I went into a gunshop today and handled a 19x and I liked how it felt in my hand....
Just to mention in case you are not aware, the G19X has a full size (frame) grip like the G17, G45 and G34.
It has a compact slide like the G19, but the grip is a full size grip. So, the G17, G45 and G34 grips will feel the same.
Of course, you would need to check the G19 to see which one feels better in your hands.
 
#11 · (Edited)
be aware, here in the communist northeast, that carrying out of state without a permit from that state and getting caught can yield some serious jail time. No reciprocity between neighboring states includes NY,NJ,CT,MA,RI, and these states don't recognize UTAH, FL or any of the other multi state friendly permits, either. Look up the laws beforehand.

and that, chillun's, is why I will be retiring....elsewhere.

edit.notice you mentioning getting CT permit. I live off rt. 8 a bit north of waterbury and shoot at my club in Winchester/Colebrook area, off rt.44
Feel free to give a shout if you head this way.
Not going to recommend a gun. My Glocks/glockish guns range from a 43 to a 21, and I love them all. Can't go wrong with a 19, however.
 
#12 ·
Thanks Matt. What I am thinking about doing is getting my utah carry license and then getting the CT non-resident LTC while I await an answer from NYC. Doing this won't let me buy a firearm but some of the ranges in CT have told me I can go and shoot there and rent firearms with the CT LTC. Will give me some additional time to try out different firearms and see what works for me. Not sure I see a downside to applying for these now and taking the courses vs waiting to hear back from NYC first and then going for the other licenses.
 
#15 ·
Only four rears ago, I was asking myself questions similar to yours. I chose the 19 G4. I've bought six additional guns since that time, some from other manufacturers, all good guns. However, still love that first gun and have unequivocal confidence in Glocks dependability and reliability over all others, if only in my mind.
 
#18 ·
Welcome, Bill!

Unless you have very large hands, I would go with the 19. Most people seem love them as a happy medium that is good for everything from the range to the belt to the nightstand.

My favorite is the 26, but that's because I carry daily and I like it light and invisible.
I find it hard to hide a 17 and uncomfortable.

Grip length is the most important factor in conceal-ability by far. The bigger the grip the harder to conceal. Length of barrel and slide have very little effect on conceal-ability.
 
#22 ·
I would recommend the g 19 I live in a ten round state as well you can order 10 round magazine. The ffl should have already made sure the magazines are 10 rounds. I am in north jersey if you happen to be in the same state I could Recommend ranges that rent to help you make your Final decision
 
#24 ·
Thanks deckerhand. I will try out the g19 to see how it feels. I'm a bit concerned about the smaller grip. In terms of ranges I'm based in NYC, so ranges that can be reached in NJ via mass transit may be better. On occasion I will rent cars and have been considering taking a trip out to Pennsylvania to shoot at some of their ranges.
 
#25 ·
When I lived in Jersey I would go shoot every blue moon at the PA public ranges. Don’t know if they still have them but they were run by parks department. Free to shoot just bring all your own targets, guns and ammo.
I’d buy a lot of gun stuff at the Allentown gun show.
 
#26 ·
If you decided you did not need a rail, the G26 may be a better choice. It would be easier to carry and conceal, and holds 10 rounds as per your requirement. You could also use larger magazines in it or a pinky extension. I personally don’t like a weapon mounted light, and have a dedicated flashlight for home defense and an EDC flashlight.
 
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