I love GLOCKs. In theory. The idea of a generic-looking polymer pistol that takes a licking and keeps on kicking [butt] appeals to me on the sub-atomic level. In practice, not so much. Truth be told, I can’t shoot them for shit. Like Goldilocks trying to get comfortable on Papa Bear’s bed, I’m always fussing with a GLOCK’s handle, trying to get a proper grip. I don’t have this problem with a whole range of other polymer-framed striker-fired pistols, from the Belgian FNX to America’s Smith & Wesson M&P. So why not just give-up on GLOCK and move on? Glad you asked . . .
I’m lucky enough to live in a rural part of the Lone Star State that I tirelessly traverse in my Toyota Tundra. (Not literally, in either sense.) From time to time, my Texas-built truck also serves as my hunting blind. I can’t tell you how many pigs and deer I’ve shot after jumping out of my truck just off the beaten (and publicly owned) path. No really. I can’t. The firearm I use for these often spontaneous hunting excursions is known as my truck pistol.
The Wilson Combat Beretta 92G was my truck pistol for a while. Frankly, I never really got to loving the upgraded 92; the trigger gave me trouble and the gun lacked that certain je sais quoi. Specifically, 9mm isn’t enough cartridge for humane body shots into big pigs. So I donated the 92G to an Army friend who’s set to auction it off for a veterans’ charity and drafted-in my Smith & Wesson Model 29.
The Model 29’s .44 magnum chambering makes it enough gun for anything on four legs in the lower 48, with the possible pants-wetting possibility of a close encounter with an ursine inhabitant. I’ve taken deer, pigs and antelope with the Smith out past 100 yards. Yes but –
Texas is still concealed carry. If I want put the Smith on my hip and hit the town, it’s a shirt-stretching violation of the old adage “concealed means concealed.” Which opened the door (so to speak) for the GLOCK 20. Thanks to my lanky frame, I can cover the full-size pistol with a button-down shirt hanging over a high-rise OWB holster. I can also shoot seven rounds of 10mm from the GLOCK way faster than I can fire six rounds of .44 goodness from the Smith.
Yes there is that. And high speed reloading.
TTAG has plenty of reviews of this gun. My goal was: put the GLOCK 20 through its paces as a LOOK THERE’S A PIG! truck pistol. That meant testing the GLOCK 20 standing and kneeling, shooting at steel at 50 yards and in, without bags, at a fair pace. RF donated 50 rounds of American Eagle 180gr FMJ and 25 rounds of Doubletap’s 180gr Nosler JHPs to the cause. It’s nowhere near the round count I’d consider sufficient for a full review, but enough ammo to get a feel for the gun’s console companion compatibility.
At first I was well pleased. Again, the full-framed 10mm fit my hand well, affording me a full and fulsome grip. At 10 yards shooting at 6″ plates, firing a hit-a-second was no great challenge. Dumping 15 rounds into a center mass target wasn’t much of a problem either. But I reckon I couldn’t shoot the GLOCK 20 at its Miculek maximum and still place lead in a 6″ zone at 10 yards.
Anyway, the 10mm bullet struck the steel with resounding force. There was no question when I was on target. Or what would happen to a perforated porker, or a two-legged imminent threat of death or grievous bodily harm.
As I increased my speed, I had to drive the muzzle back on target, instead of letting it fall into place. As you’d expect, the G20 require a firm grip, and it really likes a strong support hand. Shoot Gaston’s gun one-handed and it’s snappier than a pissed-off Yorkshire terrier. The trigger pull feels longer than a J.S. Mill paragraph.
Moving back to 50 yards was a humbling experience. Shooting from a knee without a rest, I hit a 6″ plate a total of one in ten rounds. Not great. When I moved up to 35 yards and the hits became reassuringly reliable. The recoil is there, by God, but it’s manageable, with and without gloves. By the time I had moved-up to 25 yards, ringing steel became more-or-less inevitable. From the kneel I had no misses at that range and speed. But then it happened. The impossible.
Round 52 fired and the G20 didn’t return to battery. The slide locked back with the round sitting flush in the magazine, not pushing forward at all. “Tap” did nothing. Removing the magazine yielded similar non-results. I reloaded and racked, putting the round in the chamber. The GLOCK 20 fired just fine. The next twenty-three rounds (all Doubletaps) fired without a single hiccup.
I did a quick check for accuracy. I ended up with 6″ groups, unsupported, slow fire. Note: I’m not a great shooter standing. I grew-up hunting; I didn’t stand to shoot anything until I joined the army. Even in combat, when I wanted to hit something, I took a knee. So a 6″ group standing at 25 yards isn’t horrible for me. It’s . . . mediocre.
On the positive side, the GLOCK 20’s better than any other stock GLOCK I’ve ever shot. The powerful 10mm round is very much worthy of consideration for impromptu handgun hunting and armed self-defense. But I’m not happy with the G20’s malfunction, and my shooting accuracy was just OK. The GLOCK 20 may be my next truck pistol – but not until I’ve exhausted a few other contenders. Suggestions?