Previous Post
Next Post

20150622_191744

I know it’s a matter of considerable debate, but I think GLOCKs are ugly. A powerful tool shouldn’t look like a bar of bad hotel soap. Enter the Lone Wolf Distributors Compact 9mm on a Timberwolf Frame. The modded GLOCK’s Cerakoted sniper grey color and radically customized slide cuts transform a ditchwater dull handgun into the firearm you were handed when you joined Starfleet. Our snag-free T&E gun didn’t have a single number or letter on the slide. There wasn’t even a barrel caliber marking. But my God, did it have new parts. Our package contained every GLOCK part Lone Wolf could throw at it, in it or around it. This example includes . . .

GLOCK trigger and trigger bar fitting Gen3 G17, GLOCK locking block, Lone Wolf (LWD) connector (3.5lb), LWD, Ext Slide Lock Lever, LWD Extended Slide stop pin, Lone Wolf Trigger Spring (6lbs) LWD trigger pin, LWD trigger Housing Pin, LWD Locking Block pin, Compact Timberwolf Frame, LWD Gen4/Timberwolf 9mm trigger housing with ejector, LWD, mag catch spring, and LWD slide lock spring.

20150622_191750

I’m not even sure what all of that means or does. But the Not-A-GLOCK feels terrific in the hand. No really. Like many, but not all shooters, I find it difficult to come to a natural point of aim with a standard GLOCK. What’s more, the grip angle puts my hand and wrist out of the line that gives me stability. The Compact Timberwolf’s grip is, for me, vastly improved. I can get a high hold on the gun and put all of my fingers on the handle. It boasts a fairly small diameter grip, with good holding surface. I can get a natural point-of-aim and a solid one-hand grip, right or left.

20150622_191830

Unfortunately, the modded GLOCK’s trigger still sucks. The note on the invoice said the package included a LWD Ultimate Adjustable Trigger (UAT). It wasn’t in the gun. As is, the trigger feels exactly the same as a stock GLOCK trigger, which is far too long and squishy. That said, the Not-A-GLOCK’s trigger reset was very good; positive and short. If the UAT go-pedal feels like the Ghost Inc. trigger, it would totally transform Lone Wolf’s gun.

Another issue: the normally high thumb position I prefer repeatedly engaged the Not-A-GLOCK’s LWD Ext. Slide Lock lever. The slide locked back during strings. Not ideal. I much prefer the stock GLOCK slide lock. That said, if you’ve trained yourself to keep your thumb lower on the gun this won’t be an issue. You may find that the extended lock allows for the faster malfunction clearing.

20150622_191804

The LWD custom built 19 GFP slide offers another exploration of Lone Wolf’s parts inventory. It includes a LWD S/S guide rod assembly, LWD slide in 9mm, LWD firing pin safety spring, LWD firing pin safety, LWD Extractor Depressor Plunger Spring, LWD spacer sleeve, LWD channel liner, LWD load bearing spring, LWD firing spring marine cups, LWD mid weight firing pin spring, GLOCK extractor, GLOCK Extractor depressor plunger, LWD stock length Barrel LWD threat protector, LWD lightweight firing pin, ultimate 3d slide custom cover plate, LWD custom machined slide, pattern #4, and a Trijicon HD night sight set.

About that sight set-up . . .

At the 25-yard line I couldn’t get a good grouping; the Lone Wolf handgun’s sight obliterated too much of the target. Eventually I used the sight’s top right corner to get groups off a bag. Obviously this wouldn’t do for faster fire. And because the frame is snag-free and the two dot rear sight is so small, one-handed malfunction clearing or racking the slide is, shall we say, problematic. This gun needs Heine Straight 8 night sights, making it easier to rack one-handed as well as providing a smaller tritium front sight for increased accuracy.

20150622_193246-1

I fed the Not-A-GLOCK a total of 500 rounds: 400 Winchester White Box 115gr. FMJs, two magazines of Winchester PDX1 124gr. +P and Winchester Ranger 124gr. +Ps, and some PMC Bronze FMJ rounds. The PMC resulted in repeated failures to fire, with strong primer strikes on the rounds. I tried cartridges from this same box of ammo in an M&P 9mm as well as my WC92FS and had the exact same difficulty. Houston, we have an ammunition problem. So I’m happy to pronounce the Not-A-GLOCK’s reliability unimpeachable.

20150622_192120

Thanks to the sights, accuracy was a bit of a challenge. At the 10-yard line, nailing 5 1/2″ plates in fast fire was completely doable. And I mean as fast as I could get the sights down. The Not-A-GLOCK is a light weight gunl; I had to drive it down a bit. But it’s very easy to control. Traversing horizontal targets was easy, and making the dueling tree bounce was the business.  Recoil is minimal; I’d highly recommend Lone Wolf’s mega-mutant for a new or recoil sensitive shooter. Thanks to the low recoil, grip angle and the compact nature of the gun, shooting one-handed right or left was a doddle – although the long and squishy trigger was an obvious detriment.

My first several groups off a front bag at 25-yards (using the Winchester FMJ round) scored 5″ groups. Not good. The gun sits on the bag just fine, stays stable. In slow fire that long trigger I hate so much wasn’t that big of an concern. Once I started shooting just using the top right corner of the sight, I was getting regular 2″ three and five shot groups.

20150622_192357

I generally consider GLOCKs fatally flawed. Specifically, many GLOCKs won’t cycle when they’re not held correctly. I’ve shot more than a few GLOCKs  – mostly smaller-caliber guns – that fail to cycle when fired in positions I find reasonable if not common for self defense. I didn’t have that problem with [stock] 10mm GLOCKs, and I didn’t have that problem with Lone Wolf’s 9mm modded GLOCK. I laid down with the Lone Wolf in my right hand, cocked my wrist perpendicular to my forearm and mostly parallel to my body and fired several times. It cycled every time.

All in all, props to the Not-A-GLOCK GLOCK. I have no idea what the “Perfection” groupies think of these guns, but I’m a fan. It conceals well, draws and points well, and shoots reliably and accurately. With only a couple of changes, it would be an outstanding daily carry piece, and would do extremely well in competition.

SPECIFICATIONS: Lone Wolf Distributors Compact Timberwolf 9mm
Lengthy Custom Options listed above
MSRP: $800

Ratings (out of five stars):

Style * * * * *
Yup, I gave a polymer striker-fired pistol five stars for style. This gun looks like a tool, but like a tool you brought down with you from the mother ship. Great design well executed.

Reliability * * * * *
I”ll say it: perfection.

Accuracy * * * *
This is a hard one. The 2″ groups are great, but not considering how I had to use the sights to achieve it. Still, it shows the outstanding mechanical ability of the gun either on a bag or in the hand.

Overall * * * * 
An outstanding gun. It might be a five star gun with the UAT or Ghost trigger and a different sight set up. As it is, I’d carry it any day and recommend it to anyone.

Previous Post
Next Post

61 COMMENTS

  1. Does the grip taper down as you get close to the mag well or is that just an optical illusion?

    I too, like nice looking guns but th is craze with putting pointless, cost inducing cuts and grooves on the slide and dirt injesting port holes just makes me shake my head…

      • Ditto. A pricey, ugly GLOCK. I was thinking about getting a LWD lower, and saved some $ and just got a stock 19 / 23 / 32 lower.

        Want LWD performance? The .40 Smith —> 9mm Gen 4 stainless conversion barrel is fantastic. You get better accuracy and looks for about 100 bucks. Mine benefited from a guide rod / recoil spring upgrade to the stainless steel unit from the Glock store.

  2. The whole point of a Glock brand Glock is to have a very reliable and cheap mass produced self defense gun for the masses. It’s not an art statement and it certainly ain’t a bbq gun. And after the dgu if the cops take your compressed cheez whizz glock, who cares?

    This timer wolf thingy is 800+ bucks. Does that also include the cost of the glock? Or is that another 4-6 hundred bucks?

  3. “The modded GLOCK’s Cerakoted sniper grey color and radically customized slide cuts transform a ditchwater dull handgun into the firearm you were handed when you joined Starfleet.”

    Um, no. That would be a Whitney Wolverine upped to .22TCM, or an R51 (if it worked…). Or a banana chambered in Ghostbusters neon orange.

    The basic silhouette is still Glockish, no matter how many slide cuts or paint jobs there are.

  4. Sorry, $800 for a not-a-GLOCK GLOCK when there are Sigs, Walthers, FN and H-K striker fired polymer pistols? I think not.

  5. I can’t be the only one who thinks this looks like a knockoff SuperSoaker, badly spraypainted black.

    The slide cuts look haphazard, like a Dollar Store toy gun.

    • No. Your not the only one. I think 98% of the people here think the gun looks f’n dumb. What is the point honestly in doing this to a pistol? Seriously. Pointless slide porting and really cheesy looking etching and slide serrations. Just looking at the thing is pissing me off. One of the most ignorant looking and complete waste of time and money things ever done to a gun. I didn’t think it was possible to ruin a Glock. But some how someone found a way to do it

  6. I agree with you. Glocks are ugly. They look like a piece of rebar that has been bent into the shape of a gun. They may be good guns, but you have to look at them too. I know, I know – good looks have nothing to do with reliability, dependability, functionality. But you can have your cake and eat it too with other guns (like a Springfield Armory EMP 1911 as just one example). Guns are like women – you want one that is not only faithful, hardworking, and your best friend, but also attractive as well.

  7. Why is it that if Glocks are “Perfection,” so many people feel they have to pimp them up? If I feel a basic model of a gun is not completely good to go right out of the box, it doesn’t interest me at all. The only exception for me is sights, but that’s personal preference, not anything that needs “improving.”

    Reminds me of this video about creating a $4,300 Hi-Point, which I always get a kick out of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjQk244oW9c

    • I gotta agree. I make some vanity upgrades occasionally like wood grips, but in general the only major addition I would ever do is changing the sights. Why would I buy a gun and then spend a boat load of money upgrading it?

    • I worked with a guy back in the early 90’s that totally pimped out a crappy old 70’s Datsun pickup. He told me he had put over $16,000 into it. It was probably a $1000 truck in the early 90’s.

      Today, maybe somebody could drop $30,000 into pimping out a 1988 Buick Century, or a 1983 Chevy Citation.

  8. Can someone explain to me the purpose of cutting holes in the slide? ‘Cuz it just looks to me like more places for lint, dust and dirt to get into the gun.

    “You may find that the extended lock allows for the faster malfunction clearing.”
    Now that’s a funny one right there. I’ve never had to clear a malfunction on a Glock, not that I would use the slide lock if I did.

    One more thing: A gun without a barrel caliber marking is a recipe for disaster.

      • I was thinking the same thing. If I’m not mistaken, I believe as a minimum they must stamp the manufacturer’s name, the caliber and serial number somewhere on the firearm.

        Due to the ease of barrel-swapping in the basic Glock design, caliber markings should be on the barrel, IMO. The article said there were no markings on the slide or barrel, which means that either all required markings were on the frame by design, or this was a prototype and they haven’t decided where the production markings will be placed (I believe prototypes only require a serial number). Putting all required markings on the frame is a poor choice, IMO.

        • As noted in the review, this is a test and evaluation gun and is not for sale. Actual sale models would be marked appropriately.

    • Slide cuts:

      -it’s tactical-er
      -reduce weight
      -can reduce reciprocating mass / felt recoil
      -can look cool (but doesn’t in this case).

      That’s about it.

      • Reducing the reciprocating mass doesn’t reduce the felt recoil. A revolver has no reciprocating mass. Go shoot a .357 magnum and tell me about the felt recoil.

        Newton’s first law of motion. You’re going to have a certain amount of force pushing back no matter what. In my experience, the best way to reduce felt recoil is to INCREASE the mass of the gun.

        • Managing recoil is more complicated than just changing the total mass of the gun. Depending on the mass of the slide and strength of the recoil spring, the impulse can be slowed down. A prolonged shove is less disconcerting than a sharp slap. A low bore axis makes repeat shots easier by putting more of the recoil into the hand and less into muzzle flip.

    • A double feed is cleared by locking the slide back before ripping out the mag. That way you aren’t pulling against the pressure of the recoil spring. You do the same on an ar 15.

  9. I just got a set of Trijicon HD sights installed on my Springfield XD but haven’t had a chance to use them yet .
    every review I ever saw on those sights people were raving about them .

    May I ask what you did not like about those sights? I’m curious because I’ve read that that you have to put the front.on the target rather than under the target .
    Is that what you didn’t like about them?

    • Any front sight can use a 12 o’clock or 6 o’clock hold. I do prefer the 6 o’clock hold. The problem with this particular front sight is that it is too wide to provide accurate shooting at the 25 yard line and beyond.

  10. I’m not seeing the beauty you describe. To me, it looks like a rather ugly toy space blaster gun. My complaint with it’s looks is that I’m paying for all that extra milling and grooving on the slide for what purpose? Nope, not for me.

  11. Glocks are homely. Not pretty, not ugly and certainly something you wouldn’t be ashamed to take out in public.

    This thing is fugly. LIke hide the women and kids ugly for fear of the sensory trauma they would suffer for having to look at the sight of it. I hope it ships with its own burlap sack to hide it’s hideousness should it ever have to venture out in public.

  12. Nice review.

    I can’t see it, though. It’s uglier (I am not into race gun looks), way more dolla bills. Same reliability and trigger. Meh.

    It’s a cool gun for someone else, though. 🙂

  13. This timberwolf frame is an absolute game changer for the small frame glocks when combined with the new and most excellent agency trigger.
    199 for the frame, swap out the lower from your existing gen 3 g-19 and use the existing slide and hardware, 150 for the trigger and you have a truly awesome glock.

  14. What a complete waste of money. The gun looks plain stupid. Too much crap all over the gun. Sometimes you CAN do too much cosmetic junk to a gun. It looks like a toy. Way too far.

  15. Trigger sucks, front sight sucks, slide release gets in the way.. 4/5 rating? Spend the money on a handgun, then spend a bunch more changing everything on it.. maybe you bought the wrong gun to start with?

  16. H&K feels the heat for the Big Ugly title.
    I’m sure it’s a fine tool but gads… I couldn’t bear to open my eyes when I’d be pulling it out of the safe every morning. Breakfast would be in danger.

  17. Remove the barrel and add some LEDS where it used to be and this f*cking thing will get a recurring role in a scy fy channel series.

  18. 5 stars for style???? Seriously????

    Style * * * * *
    Yup, I gave a polymer striker-fired pistol five stars for style. This gun looks like a tool, but like a tool you brought down with you from the mother ship. Great design well executed.

    TTAG should inform the author of this review that his services will no longer be needed based on this rating alone. So your also the type of guy im assuming that hangs every single possible attachment on his AR’s and then thinks they look cool huh? Im amazed they havent took this gun review down all together.

  19. In terms of appearance, this may just be the new Pontiac Aztec of handguns.

    About the sights: I have the same Trijicon HD night sights on my SR9C, and they are not nearly as easy to group well with at 25 yards as the original, smaller factory 3 dots were. If you want a range gun for bullseye shooting or showing off on paper, bad sight choice. If you want a gun equipped to save your life at realistic self defense distances in all lighting conditions, GREAT sight choice.

    The Trijicon HDs are super fast to acquire and the front sight stands out in the sight picture like it’s a neon bulb, even without focusing on the sight at all, as in quick draw point shooting. I am much faster on target, though a bit less precise at longer ranges, with these sights.

  20. I am s-o-o-o glad that somebody else laid out all of the cons that a Glock has.

    I’ve never fired a handgun that sliced up my fingers and bit the back of my hand until I shot a Glock 20!

    I love the one about the Glock being like a “bad bar of hotel soap.” I remember another Glock hater calling it a “Brick on a Stick.”

    Yep. That’s the way it feels to me, too.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here