G17: Is it "all that"?

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A G17 was my first handgun and seventeen years later it is still a keeper! It has digested untold thousands of rounds and keeps on ticking. I don't have a lot of experience with the 2nd and 3rd generation guns, but finger grooves are not really my cup of tea. I have also had an Argentine P35 copy for a number of years, and although it is a great gun, I find that it is a bit chunkier and certainly heavier than the G17 and holds fewer rounds. The P35 is a stay at home and range gun only whereas the G17 is an almost daily CCW gun for me. Every gun has it's detractors, and the Glocks maybe more than others, but you have to go with what works for you. Everything else is just a bunch of hype.
 
If you're looking for a gun that works, every time, and that you don't need to modify to make it work, and that is incredibly durable, then the G17 is for you. I love my G17, it goes bang every time. If I had to choose a pistol to take into harm's way, it would be the Glock 17.

So, yes, it's all that. And a bag of chips :).
 
I have a big fancy Glock with several add-ons so it may not be pretty, but I think it looks cool, or as the current parlance seems to go "wicked sick".
 
I think that the G-17 is so reliable, accurate and robust that it is boreing. I own two G-26's one 36 and One 17. I shot competitively with a local PD for a while and got a squib in the 17, which went unnoticed until cleaning time. I won the match, shot at leaste 500 rds that day, and had no probs. Theyre service sucks, but Ive never heard of any manufacturer related problems so I doubt it will ever come up. I dont shoot mine much anymore, They really do kinda bore me.:D
 
I own a couple of P-35's as well. I dont think the two pistols can really be compared. I acctually carry the BHP, but if I only had one gun, I would have to pick the Glock 17.:)
 
I have to agree, that a pistol or revolver for art's sake, can favour any number of elegant guns. I do so love the shine and polish of blue. I am both a gun buff, and a user of practical everyday tools.

But I think the original thread starter was all about the BHP and comparisons to the G19 with vis-a-vis . . . is a G17 better than a BHP or G19?

First off, the G17, for a combat pistol is a bit better than a G19. Nobody could argue with that. The G17 was designed as the ultimate NATO 9mm sidearm. The G19 is a reduced size clone of the G17 and a such will suffer for the compromise.

Well what about the SA only BHP? This pistol, although blued and beautiful, is not even in the same league as a practical sidearm as is the G17. It is old fashioned SA. It has a gritty trigger. It holds 13 rounds compared to 17. It has that hammer thing going. Striker fired pistols are really so much more practical. And even though the BHP is perhaps slimmer than a G17, not really by all that much.

There is practical, and then there is art. Let us not confuse the two. A Glock is a tool. Nothing pretty about her. I would just die to own a beautiful deep blue BHP Capitan with solid walnut stocks, but just because she is pretty. The Glocks have an inner beauty in honest ever day practicality that is hard to argue with.
 
In the past I have owned

2 G-17's . 9mm - 0 malfunctions.
1 G-21 .45 ACP - 0 malfunctions.

I currently own a

G-34 9mm - 1 stovepipe when using reloads ( found the bullet wasn't seated all the way) last time I used someone elses reloaded ammo.
G-19 9mm - 0 malfunctions
g-26 9mm - 0 malfunctions

I have owned other autos in the past Ruger P series and 1911 variants. None of them were as dead nuts reliable as the Glocks. For a defense weapon. I will have nothing else. My G-19 is my carry gun fitted with mep night sights pre ban 15 rnd mag and an extended mag release. The G-34 is what I use when I shoot steel target matches. I shoot in a stock gun class so the few factory Glock upgrades that it came with work well for me. As for the G-26.... It's a little pocket rocket that will take my 19 rnd mags if needed...

Good luck in your search,
Jason
 
Had a 17 and a 34, both great guns, like'ed the 34 more than the 17. Have a couple of Hi Powers, still have a couple of hi powers. The HP's just seem to fit me better but I wouldnt shy away from Glocks but the HP's has a lot more class and mine have been just as reliable as the Glocks. I would have no problem carring either in harms way.
 
WonderNine,

That does seem to be the case. Usually, if Glocks point well for you, 1911's don't, and if 1911's point well for you, Glocks don't.

I'd recommend trying out any gun before you buy it, though.
 
I shot two different Glock 17s that were range rental guns just to see what all the hype was about. None of them were particularly clean and I used range reload ammo. To my GREAT suprise, both Glocks were amazingly accurate and reliable for the 100 rounds I put through them. I had read some Glock bashing and my expectations were low, but boy, was I surprised. Each beater Glock was more accurate for me than the 9mm USP9, Beretta 92FS, SIG P226, CZ75, my BHP, and the much vaunted HKp7 that I had tried. I must add, however, that by the time I got to the G17s, I had accumulated experience that I did not have while shooting some of the others. Now I am debating whether to buy a G17 or a Colt NRM Government Model. I like them both a lot. The G17s felt somewhat blocky in my hand at first, but now I think they fit well based on the results I got. They even point well for me. I did not do as well with a G19 that I tried, which had a very stiff (new or NY?) trigger.
 
I've always thought the discerning question is "Do you see yourself as a gun buff or a self-defense-tool user? If the latter, then the Glock is probably the gun for you."
Click to expand...
I think Tamara put it very well. I am not a "gun buff" in the sense of wanting a large collection of historically interesting or cosmetically attractive guns (although I have some pretty nice milsurps, thank you very much! :D ). I've seen too much of war and civil unrest and crime to want my "practical" battery to be anything but practical, defense-oriented, reliable, simple, and effective. I own seven Glocks in various calibers, and they're my carry pistol of choice (except in .45 ACP, where I find the Glock grips too fat, and have moved to the SIG P220). 'Nuff said.
 
P-35 is the Phrench cousin of the 1911! What was the gun Saddam surrendered? I bought a Glock 17 as soon as they were available 0 malfs, my PHD. son has it now hidden away in luggage on some research vessel somewhere in North Pacifac. I found a Blade Tech Kydex holster to be ideal for CCW with it. I still have a Glock27 (but my CHP son is eyeing it) it does not conceal well for me except in a jacket pocket, and still feels blocky. I have not had any problems with that gun , but shootability is not as smooth or rapid like a 17. My older T series BHP sure seems hard to get a decent 13 round mag for! Talk about hens teeth! While I've not modified the feed ramp it feeds ball and 147grain Police ammo ok(with my one factory mag), so at least it is a useful gun,even though I can't get over the long trigger reset and not dropping the mags free. I just keep it because it matches my Baby Browning and my 1910 Browning (circa 1966) which is another less than stellar design too.The machine work IS beautiful on an old Hi Power (although they took off too much metal IMHO) and worth having for that alone. :cool:
 
I guess I will sum up my opinion by saying that I Love my Hi-Powers, so much so that I don't like to subject them to being scratched up etc. So, I usually carry my Glocks, or XD's. I don't care if I scratch up these ugly pistols; but I am also willing to risk my life to them; they are extremely reliable.
 
I own both a G17 and a BHP. They are both great and would not trade them for the world. I don't often carry the 17 but I do use it in IDPA. I carry the BHP about a fifth of the time and use it for IDPA. Buy both you like them. They each have some great qualitys. I have a g26 that gets carried the most. the g19 might be a good choice if only one is an option. Patrick
 
I have 2 Hi Powers, and I love them. They just feel right for me. That should probably be your main determining factor, since both are usually incredibly reliable. I'm not a huge fan of Glocks, but if I were to ever get one, it would be a 17. But I'd have to get over the P35 first, and well... I don't see that happening anytime soon. :D

Wes
 
I like the fact that you can run +p's thru the G17 all day long...not sure if you can say the same about a Hipower.......I'm left handed and the safety on the hipower isn't reachable...I like the simplicity of the glock...as some one on this board has called it..it's a reliable bullet launcher...if you want art,get a hipower...if you want a 100% bullet launcher that needs little care and can shoot 9mm+p....go with the Glock....IMO:cool:
 
I would say the G-17 is the most reliable Glock.That said if you get one with the platic sights , throw the sights away and replace them right off the bat . I have had two out of three g-17's lose that front sight in the middle of shooting at the range .
 
Glocks work well. But they aren't the infallible neverbreakums that people make them out to be. Having owned lots of them, and CZ and Sigs and Colts and Kimbers and so forth besides, they are about middle of the road in terms of reliability and durability in my experience. I don't plan on owning another one ever again myself, but they do work generally.
 
I salute you all, THR members! Thanks for the input.
 
I consider myself a gun buff.

But there are times when I want something that will ALWAYS go bang, and more importantly won't rust if I sweat on it or make me cry if it gets wet, scraped, dropped, dinged or banged against something.

My NICE guns tend to stay in the safe except when they go into a nice protective case for a trip to the range...

OR, you could say it another way.

Just because you are a car buff doesn't mean that ALL of your cars have to be Porsches or Ferraris. Sometimes it's VERY handy to have an ugly but reliable pickup truck on hand.
 
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