What to carry: Glock, Wilson or Kimber?

[MikeLief]

So, all things being equal, what's better for concealed carry: Glock 36, Wilson Compact CQB, or a Kimber Pro Carry II?

Having used a Glock 27 for years, I'm one of those people who views it as an utterly reliable, workhorse weapon with a darn-near indestructible finish. It also is . . . kind of boring.

I recently picked up a full-size .45, but it's too big to carry (for me, at least).

So, I'm thinking of the three guns named above.

The Glock 36 seems to share all the plusses of its smaller brother, the 27, but it too is kind of boring. However, it is significantly less expensive than the other two weapons, and is reliable enough to bet my life on.

The Wilson gets rave reviews, but the price! Jeez Louise! The Wilson Polymer KZ-45 sounds interesting, but I'm not crazy about the proprietary magazines.

Kimber sounds like a nice in-the-middle choice, but I've been hearing some disturbing things about their reliability.

So, what do you folks think?

 

[Edmond]

Go with the Glock; there is no question in your mind about it. When it comes down to my life, I'd rather live boring than die exciting.

 

[C.R.Sam]

Glocks are ugly and overpriced.
Glocks work.

Your mind is the weapon and the gun is one of the tools of that weapon.

You are used to the Glock.
Carry it.

Sam

 

[EghtySx]

I would think certainly the Wilson if you can afford it...

 

[Jammer Six]

None of the above.

Carrying is milspec country, and all the weapons you mentioned are tightened, which reduces reliability. Same goes for small 1911's.

If you like the Gluck, stay with it. A small, tight 1911 isn't a replacement for something that works.

Fishing lures aren't made to catch fish, they're made to catch fishermen.

Small 1911's and tightened 1911's are fishing lures.

There will now be a wailing and gnashing of teeth from the fishermen.

 

[MikeLief]

Edmond & Sam,

Yeah, I trust the Glock, but I've been pleasantly surprised by how much better I've been shooting with the .45. Of course, the trigger is nice and crisp, compared to the Glock's, and I realize the barrel is longer than on the polymer pistol.

EghtySx,

The Wilson is a budget buster, but there's always the tax refund burning a hole in my pocket.

 

[C.R.Sam]

Practice with the glock.
Make each shot count as if it were the only one your were going to shoot.
Accuracy first.
Speed will come.

No reason why you can't become combat proficient with the glock.

And, the Glock will be more likely to work when needed.

If you want to depend on a "1911" style gun, use a real GI 1911 or 1911A1. They work too.

Glock not pretty for weddings and barbeques, but they work.

Sam......rather have a wheel here, but that's me.

 

[9x19]

For me, 1911s are range guns, Glocks are working guns.

I'd go Glock.

 

[Warren]

I may be new at all this but go Glock. No friggen safeties and total reliability.

 

[valor1]

Go for the GLock. Shoots well out of the box. No tweaks needed. Absolutely boring but a true working tool. You don't flash your gun to the bad guy to show him how nice your gun looks and then eventually shooting him with it.

1911's are also good. Good for a thousand modifications and options. Good for a defense gun.

No matter what you choose, practice well with it. Use both your left and right hand to practice. Burn your pockets with ammo expenses. No matter how good your equipment is, if your not good at it then its nothing.

 

[IndridCold]

I live by the acronym KISS when it comes to weapons. Keep it Simple Stupid. The Glock is an almost perfect choice for CCW. You could by three Glocks for the price of a CQB.

 

[GroovedG19]

Get the G36.Keep your G27 as back-up.Or vice-versa.

 

[HankB]

Of the three mentioned, I'd go with the G36. Wilson pistols are generally nice, but overpriced, IMHO, by at least several hundred dollars. Kimbers generally work, but I really don't like the additional "safety" features they stick in their "II" pistols to make the guns "better" . . . I feel the same way about the Series '80 Colts, though their approach is different.

A good 1911 can be very reliable, and no repeat no make, model, or style of firearm is perfect.

But from what I've seen, the Glock is more likely to work right out of the box, as long as you feed it good ammo.

 

[Brian Williams]

Which one do you shoot the best in the following situations
weak handed
laying down shooting over your head
moving sideways, backwards
sitting in your car



Which one reloads faster in the dark
Which one has holsters that fit and conceal well
Which one has had any failures

quote
"So, all things being equal"

nope not equal, just similar

otherwise ditto what Sam said

gimmmee a wheelie

 

[Slowhand]

I wish the G36 were just a little bigger, 8 round capacity and a 4-4.5" barrel, like a Glock Commander. The G36 mag extension pinches my strong hand pinkie finger with every damn shot. I tried one at my range, put maybe 4 rounds through it, and gave up. I much would've rather had the gun I'm describing, than the G37 in .45 GAP.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Had a Glock, Went with a Kimber.

Even though the Glock wasnt a 36, it served me well.

I just fell in love with my Kimber Pro Carry II.

I say use the one that your most comfortable with.



Welcome back C.R. Sam, we missed ya!

 

[ColtBRH]

The Glock 30 has it all: reliability, durability, ammo capacity, stopping power, accuracy (possibly the most accurate Glock out of the box), easy to conceal, and it does not cost a fortune.

 

[MikeLief]

How does the Glock 30 compare to the 36 when it comes to concealability?

Also, as someone with small hands, I tend to prefer single stack guns, although the G-27 is an OK fit. I've heard a few fellas with undersized mitts complain that the G-30 is too darn fat for them to comfortably hold.

Comments?

 

[MJRW]

I've got relatively small mitts and I can handle a G30 just dandy. If you aren't used to a larger grip, it may seem like you are trying to hold on to a tree trunk, but it really isn't that bad. It is really just bigger in comparison. I would say the G36 is only marginally more concealable than the G30. The slide is only about 1/8" thinner on the G36 than the G30 and slide length is the same. The overall height of the G30 is either the same as the G36 or shorter, depending on which magazines you use. If you use the one with the thick baseplate which your pinky would fit on, they are the same. However, you could also use a flush magazine which would be more comparable to a G26/27 sized gun. Another bonus of the G30 is that it can use G21 mags I believe. I find G30 recoil more managable than the G36 recoil as well.

Once again though, the ball is really in your court. Numbers only tell part of the story. The question is what are YOU comfortable with. If you knew you were going to a gunfight, what gun would you grab? When you think about carrying all day, what gun do you gravitate to? When you think of the word "reliable," which gun do you think of?

 

[Zach S]

C.R. Sam took the words out of my mouth, er, post, with his first reply...

I wish the G36 were just a little bigger, 8 round capacity and a 4-4.5" barrel, like a Glock Commander.

I agree. Well, I dont wish the G36 was bigger, but I do wish they'd offer a bigger slim-line.

The Wilson Polymer KZ-45 sounds interesting, but I'm not crazy about the proprietary magazines.

I dont mean to sound like a smart***, but the fact that this thread is also about a G36 makes this statement kind of amusing.

Put enough money back for the Wilson, and buy a G36 (or G30) for each hand and take the lady out on a date with the money you saved by buying two guns instead of one

 

[C. H. Luke]

"The Glock 36 seems to share all the plusses of its smaller brother, the 27, but it too is kind of boring."

Boring for sure but a good weapon.

Have had a G30 & a Kimber Compact. Liked the Kimber but too heavy to CCW all the time with a bad back. THe 30 is like a damn brick and even with my large hands never felt right. Also have a KZ and while it's an excellent 1911 that am using for cold weather carry still perfer the 36. omn paper it dosen't seem slimmer but in use it's great. My carry Ammo is Ranger SXT +P 230 gr. Drills are no problem with this stuff and although would not want to shoot it all day it is very managable even with "quick aimed pair" drills as fast as can do them accurately.
Only changes made to mine were Wilson night sights, deburing & polishing of fire-control guts and some 3M textured rubber grip tape.

Do wish they'd made it larger as a single-stack but it's a good workable package as is.

 

[MikeLief]

Zach S,

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I don't mean to sound like a smart***, but the fact that this thread is also about a G36 makes this statement ("The Wilson Polymer KZ-45 sounds interesting, but I'm not crazy about the proprietary magazines.") kind of amusing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey, some of my best friends are smartasses; what I meant was that I don't like the idea of changing over to a 1911-type pistol and not being abe to use the magazines I already own.

CH Luke,

Looks like I'm going to end up getting the G-36, although I'm still tempted to throw caution (and a paycheck) to the winds and get one of those pricy 1911s.

 

[Bainx]

Reconsider the model 30. As ColtBRH stated, it covers all bases.

 

[Zach S]

Hey, some of my best friends are smartasses; what I meant was that I don't like the idea of changing over to a 1911-type pistol and not being abe to use the magazines I already own.

Yeah, that dawned on me about the time I hit the "submit reply" button...

 

[Berg01]

A Pro Carry w/ night sights that has had a reliability tune by a good pistolsmith, is reliable, carries nicely in a pancake, paddle, or IWB holster and has a high shootability factor, which works out for practice & training at the range. I think the new tactical extractor guns would be something to consider for a carry gun.

Some of the folks that I see carrying the compact or sub Glocks practice & train with their full-size version Glocks, which I tend to disagree with. I think you need to train primarily with your carry gun.