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Which caliber?

2328 Views 14 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  SCHeadbanger
Bought my first Glock a few months back. I got a gen 3 g26. Prior to getting it I was never a fan of flocks. Now I want another as I love that 26. I was originally thinking about a 30sf but I think that might be a mistake. I won't be able to shoot it as much due to ammo costs. I like the gen 4 19, but am just a little hesitant for a couple reasons. First off the bad reviews it has gotten. While I understand how the Internet works it is still a little scary. Also I wonder if it is a good idea or not to have two glocks in the same caliber. As of right now I can't carry where I live but even if I could I have the 26. I can get the blue label glocks which is nice. Of course they don't have any 30's anyway so that kind of helps with that part of it since they don't know when they will get any. Any help with my dilemma is appreciated.

Thank You
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Welcome to the Glock Forum cjkoz1975 !!
welcome
I am all for glocks in the same caliber. Full size mags work in the compact and subcompact, you get accustomed to the recoil of that caliber, and you can load up on a single caliber rather than 5 different calibers for handgun.

Variety can be good I guess, but I stick to Glock in 40cal. Every gun has it's own nuances; sights, grip angle, grip width, trigger finger placement, trigger pull, etc. I like to keep my off duty gun as close to my daily duty carry as possible and I like to train with just it so that I preserve muscle memory better. That's why I stick to Glocks in 40cal.
I say go with a larger gun, if you already have a 26. I'm confused though. You can get the Blue Label discount, but you can't carry? Are you not law enforcement?
Why not pick up a good used .40cal Glock that is a police trade-in? They are almost always serviced well, shot little/carried often. You can't go wrong for something $350 or so. I know there is a site called summitgunbroker.com that sells them, along with several others.

I also have found that the .40 cal ammo is actually getting CHEAPER than 9mm if you buy quality defensive rounds. Yes, I said cheaper! Just look at the prices at places like SGAmmo.com, if you don't believe me. Even the FMJ stuff is close to 9mm prices, but the expensive top-notch SD loads in .40 are actually cheaper.

At these prices, you can practice with your carry ammo:

http://www.sgammo.com/catalog/pistol-ammunition/40-cal
Why not pick up a good used .40cal Glock that is a police trade-in? They are almost always serviced well, shot little/carried often. You can't go wrong for something $350 or so. I know there is a site called summitgunbroker.com that sells them, along with several others.
Yes, but avoid any used weapons that have, " XX Department of Corrections". In corrections, very few guns are permanently issued to individuals. Central Trans, SID (I/A), Fugitive Squad, Chiefs (now Majors in NJ) and Administrators. All of our guns are post assigned.

In NJ, I'm speaking only about the state DOC, we've had H&K's now for around ten years. We have maybe 800 H&K's for almost 6000 custody staff (We're the largest force in the state including the NJSP). Our ranges run 4x a week at four different locations.

All our weapons, all, get cycled through the ranges to the prisons and back. Any problems and the gun goes to Central Office. The prisons no longer have armorers. This undocumented "Test to failure" is a testament to the ruggedness of H&K, but almost all state DOC operate the same.

You can't even buy a used a used LE weapon in NJ because here in Lautenberg land, it's illegal for any public entity to trade-in or sell old handguns. Ergo, the NJDOC will probably be using those old H&K's until parts are no longer available.

So, if the gun has a, "XX Department of Corrections" on it, well, as the old saying goes, "Let the buyer beware".
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KMurry, that's good info. Where is it that one would find the markings "XX Department of Corrections?"
KMurry, that's good info. Where is it that one would find the markings "XX Department of Corrections?"
Usually on the slide.
I think it's good to have a complimentary system when it comes to different handguns. I have a 23 and my next purchase will be a 22, and then a 27. Larger mags work in the smaller frames...you can't go wrong and you're buying mostly one caliber of ammo.
But, also keep in mind, if you're buying a used gun that was used by a street or state police department, that gun was probably pampered as a baby.

When you're life is on the line 24/7/365, you have a tendency to take care of what takes care of you.
IMHO, I have at least one handgun (not all Glock, though :(, YET! :D) in each major caliber, but the vast majority of my handguns are either .45ACP or 9mm, including my EDC G26 (9x19) and it's alternate, the G30 (.45ACP). I reload, so I can tailor my loads to my shooting style as well as the barrel length, including my defensive ammo.

I am partial to 9mm because in most cases I would have more rounds in a smaller package, and since I practice a lot, shot placement is key to me, not bullet weight or size. Ergo, most of my handguns are 9mm.

That being said, you can go for a larger caliber in the same frame range, and get a barrel conversion to allow you to shoot the smaller caliber (cheaper ammo) out of the larger-caliber-frame pistol. This is something I have yet to do myself, but others have done it to great success in terms of freedom to choose caliber size and ablility to shoot cheaper ammo. Does that make sense?

Oh, and another thing, just a saying of mine: "If you know how many guns you have, you don't have enough!" :D
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I say go with a larger gun, if you already have a 26. I'm confused though. You can get the Blue Label discount, but you can't carry? Are you not law enforcement?
I am not law enforcement. The blue label glocks are available to firefighters as well. It is a very nice deal.
How about the reliability of the gen 4 19? Are the problems noted just being blown out of proportion or is it something to actually be concerned about?
I've got a Gen 4 19, and have had 0 problems or concerns with it after firing approx 400 rounds. Like it was mentioned, the Internet tends to be all over the place. Completely happy with mine.
SCHeadbanger said:
I've got a Gen 4 19, and have had 0 problems or concerns with it after firing approx 400 rounds. Like it was mentioned, the Internet tends to be all over the place. Completely happy with mine.
Additionally, I'm left handed and was able to have the mag eject switched to the other side so I can eject it with with my thumb. It was converted in 5 minutes at my local shop.
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