Glock 20 Query

[juggler]

A friend down south has the opportunity to buy a 10mm GLock and asked my opinion. I did some research at Glocktalk and sent him the observations and opinions I found there.
Any of y'all have experience with this gun/caliber? How's it shoot? Good for carry/home ptotection? Is the ammo difficult to acquire?

 

[MrMurphy]

The 20 is a bit big for carry, the smaller 10mm 29 is easier to hide.

I think the round is a bit overpowerful for carry, the .40 S&W or .45 ACP does the job well enough. But it certainly works if he hits.

 

[Black Snowman]

You won't find the ammo at Wally World but it's available at most gunstores and online. Inexpensive ammo can really only be had online. I reload which makes 10 only a little more expensive than reloading for 40 (need tougher bullets and more expesnive brass).

I prefer lighter bullets in the 10mm as it produces plenty of momentum for good penetration even with lower sectional density bullets like 135-165 grainers and there is reduced muzzle flip over the heavy hitters like the 200+ grain bullets. If I were in dangerous game country I'll load up the heavy hitters for their better penetration.

I like the round a lot and along with many others conisder it about the most powerful round you would want in an auto-loading pistol for "serious" use. It has an advantage of being fairly high capacity also. 15+1 in the Glock 20, 14+1 in the Witness full size, etc . . . which coupled with the lower recoil gives it an edge over something like a .45 Super or .460 Rowland.

 

[mec360]

It is in fact a bit large for concealed carry in most any mode, but mine was really a fine shooter. - the recoil was softer, or at least less jarring, than my Delta Elites. Now that the normal-cap mags are <$20 instead of >$80, it's a fun gun to own if you like the Glock trigger / manual of arms. I sold mine in favor of all 1911's (in .45 ACP, no more 10mm) b/c I never really liked the Glock trigger.

 

[Tom C.]

I have one. Don't like the standard Glock grip, so had Robar trim it a bit. They now also can add the equivilent of an extended grip safety of the 1911. Keeps the web of the hand from getting bit. I also added adjustable sights and a heavier recoil spring. I like the way it shoots, but I don't use it much. I shoot CAS instead.

 

[Beren]

I used to own a Glock 20, and I'll own one again someday. If you're interested in getting into 10mm, I believe the Glock 20 to be the best current production 10mm handgun. Frankly, I consider it the second-best 10mm handgun period, just a touch behind the S&W 1076. Personally I prefer triggers that don't change pulls from first shot to second shot, so I get along better with Glocks than DA's.

Probably no more effective for home/self defense than any other modern 9mm/.357/.40/45, but it will certainly get one's attention when fired.

 

[WESHOOT2]

not me

Bought one some years back as my first Glock; kept tweaking it to satisfy my personal ideas (grip reduction, internal parts, Jarvis hard-fit barrel, zillions of sight combo trials) but never-ever could 'like' it (man, I spent tons of money).

Sold it to a friend.

IF I HAD TO have a 10mm it would be the Witness or S&W 610.

 

[dairycreek]

The G20 is a fine weapon but........................

IMHO it has three major problems. First it is a large, large weapon Folks with smaller hands often find it difficult to grip and shoot well. Second, it is difficult to use as a carry weapon (again related to its size). Third, in this part of the world (western Oregon) ammo is sometimes difficult to find easily and always expensive.

Now the problems that I have mentioned are really situational. If they are not problems for an individual the G20 is one heck of a weapon and a lot of fun to shoot. It is IMHO a terrific gun to carry in the woods. Good shooting

 

[MCNETT]

I carry my G29 everyday. Comfy in a Milt Sparks SS/2. Plenty of power and easily controllable with practice. Ammo is only a click away at www.doubletapammo.com
-Mike

 

[PO2Hammer]

I have one and I love it.
It is as accurate as my Sig P226. I don't CCW, so that's not a problem for me. However I do shoot it in IDPA, usually with it's .40 s&w conversion barrel, sometimes in 10mm. I use the $13 Glock sport/combat belt slide and it works very well. High, tight and quiet.
Every store around here (MN) carries Winchester Silvertip 10mm ammo, so that's not a problem either. I order CCI 10mm Blazers by the case and shoot a lot of Blazer Brass in .40 s&w. Both barrels are extremely accurate.
There is just a certain satisfaction with the 10mm Glock, you can feel its power without being punished by the recoil.
This week I'll be ordering the 357 Sig conversion barrel and I'll try to give a report.

 

[C. H. Luke]

FWIW, have a number of friends that hut Deer with G20's during Handgun Only season.

Have one and like it a lot and have a .40 KKM bbl. for it also.
.40's feed pervtcly out of Glock 10mm mags.

Great Pistol!

 

[Mark13]

I want one. but then I would want to carry it, and I don't think that would work.

 

[ECVMatt]

I don't CCW mine, but use it for hunting and such..

It is my favorite glock. So far I have killed three pigs with it and it is a joy to carry in the woods. It is far better than my heavy Single Actions and while I will not claim it is any where near them in terms of power, it seem to have enough to cleanly kill hogs at close distance. I also keep it loaded up at home for HD. Recoil is not a problem and it has much more power than the typical HD handgun. I also like it for hiking and exploring in the desert and local woods. Since I have shot some fairly large animals with it, I know it will most likely stop the local bears, catamounts, and crackheads that are found in nearby haunts.

Hope this helps,

Matt

 

[esldude]

Owned three of them. Really like them. But it is large for CCW. Also was nearly too big in the grip for me. The smaller frame Glocks fit my hand just right. Still was bunch of power without being too much.

Reason I sold them was disappearing ammo after 40 cal came out. And that much of the factory ammo began to be downloaded to merely .40 cal power anyway.

 

[Bandit01]

I love it

First, to reiterate what everyone said:
1 - It is a large pistol (although I have a CCW, I don't always want it concealed, rather I want perps to see what they're messing with;
2 - If you're not going to reload, I say, don't get one. The ammo is difficult to come by and a lot of places don't see the real deal, rather .40 that's labeled 10MM;
3 - Since I reload, I initially had a problem with the recoil and accuracy;
4 - If you're going to reload 10MM, realize this, while you can use .40 caliber bullets, the brass is difficult to come by.
5- Currently, I have a CZ 97 .45. Comparing the two, I like and prefer the 10MM.

I say go for it. I haven't been disappointed at all with it and I have no intention on ever getting rid of it.

 

[C. H. Luke]

"4 - If you're going to reload 10MM, realize this, while you can use .40 caliber bullets, the brass is difficult to come by."

Good Point.....There is a lot of "once-fired" 10mm brass out there that's been thru MP5's and splits readily in Glocks generous, i.e. "sloppy", chamber.

CCW'ing one may be relative? Used to carry a G21 all the time as spine could no longer tolerate all-day carry of a Govt. Model.
Still often carry it in the Winter when it's easier to conceal.

 

[cox3497]

Juggler,

In my experience, the Glock Model 20 is an exceptional pistol. Not only is it extremely light weight (approx. 30 oz.), but it is quite powerful as well. Along with these attributes, it also has proved itself to be one of the most accurate Glocks. It sometimes amazes me what groups I can cut freehand on targets with minimal effort.

As to its light weight qualities, my main purpose for this pistol is hiking in the Rocky Mountains. When I go for a 15 mile hike up and down thousands of feet of elevation, weight matters. For this, I leave the .44 mag. at home.

As some have pointed out, it is a bit more expensive to shoot than lesser calibers, but they are LESSER calibers. For a package so accurate, reliable, light-weight, and powerful, what more can you ask.

As to ammunition, if you desire to realize the full potential of the round, I would recommend your friend purchase ammunition from any of the following manufacturers: Double Tap (doubletapammo.com), Cor-Bon, Buffalo Bore, or the 175 gr. Winchester Silvertip load (this is what I currently carry).

Hope this helps. -- cox3497

 

[Lt. G]

It is a great pistol. It is large but I'm a big guy so thats okay!

 

[Rockstar]

You probably won't find a more reliable large handgun for firing 10mm. 15 rounds of 10mm is a lot of easily controlled firepower. The G20 was designed to accommodate 10mm, not adapted to it. The low bore axis and polymer frame work in concert to make recoil a non-consideration.

If you buy either a G21 or G20, you can occasionally find an upper of whichever you don't have at a good price, giving you all the variations that both 10mm and .45ACP have to offer.

Don't know if anybody's mentioned this yet, but .357Sig and 9X25 Dillon conversion barrels are also available for G20's.

McNett offers lots of powerful ammo options, at reasonable prices, for those of you choosing 10mm.

 

[Gixerman1000]

I love my G20, very accurate and 100% reliable, 15+1 rounds of 10mm is cool too

 

[hnm201]

the assertion that large frame glocks are "to large for CCW"

For the past five or so years I have been hearing that the G21 and G20 were just to large for CCW, and I heard it repeated often enough by people who's opinon carried some weight with me that I took this assertion for fact. So that's why my first .45 glock was a G36. Then a year after I bought the G36 a friend let me borrow a G30 and I realized that it wasn't harder to conceal a G30 than it was to conceal a G36. After carrying a G30 around for about six months I decided to buy a G21. Boy was I surprised when I figured out that once you learn to dress around the gun, the size of the gun becomes less of an issue. The only real issue that I have with CCW is the weight of the firearm. And that's were the G21 and G21 beat other full-size .45s and 10mms by a considerable margin.

There are plenty of folks on this board that carry 1911 government models and Sig P220s who will tell you that they wouldn't think of carrying anything else. The next time you're in a gun shop, ask if you can compare these fine firearms alongside a Glock 20 or 21. I think that you'll be underwhelmed by the size difference. Sure the Glock is thicker. But put that thick slide in some thin kydex and you've got a IWB that's about the same thickness as a 1911 or Sig in dead cow skin. The fact is, a lot of people find that large frame Glocks make excellent carry weapons and nobody can tell you if the weapon is right for you or not.

My carry-gun-progression has gone from compacts, to sub-compacts to pocket guns to sub-compacts to full-size weapons such as the 1911 government model and the large Frame Glock. Once you learn to wear your pants two sizes bigger, wear a good belt and watch your diet, you might just find that IWB carry with a large frame Glock is a breeze and not think of carrying anything else.

 

[bnolsen]

I agree with the above poster. It's not so difficult to conceal! The only thing you have to watch is tight areas with lots of people. It's easy to get it bumped then.

I carry a Glock 20 consistently, and have now for 3 months.

People don't know I'm carry it, it took my mother 3 days to discover i was carrying it around the house. Watch out for hugging mothers!

The smallest primary weapon I've carried is a colt 1911 style, carried that for almost a year.