Polymer Gun Wars -XD-Glock-MP or other?

[billt]

Can you guys fill me in on the various Glock Generations? What's the difference?

[Jamie Young]

Is it just cosmetic?

[billt]

I think also on the early models the magazines didn't "drop free". However I don't know if this was because of the way the magazine itself was constructed, or if it had something to do with the frame. All new factory Glock mags are of the "drop free" design, and are metal lined.  Bill T.

[9mmMike]

Still eye-balling Glock trade-ins.

Can you guys fill me in on the various Glock Generations?   What's the difference?  I read somewhere (can't remember) to not buy the Generation 1 Police Trade-ins.

My first Glock was/is a G19 1st gen trade-in.  It had/has a ton-o-holster wear and a trigger that felt like dragging a cinderblock across the floor.  I put a 3.5lb connector in it and a hogue grip.  The 1st gen do not have the finger grooves.  You can send your 1st gen to places like Glockmeister and they will upgrade/swap the frame for you.  Say goodbye to your old frame though.  I do not usually put the 3.5 lb. connector in my Glocks as I find the stock pull to be perfect for me but this gun was just awful without it.  It feels (never measured) more like a 5 lb. pull to me.  I added an Agrip over the hogue later for that phat velveteen look and it has been 100% reliable.
I don’t shoot it much any more as I primarily shoot the 26 that I carry but it does get used as a loaner by whoever I drag along to the range.  My bride alternates between shooting the 19 and the 228.  It still wears the factory plastic sights (as does my daily carry 26) and they have never given me any trouble in spite of the “solution” sellers telling me that I just had to replace them before they fell off.
In fact, all my Glocks are mostly stock.  It’s one of the things that I like about them.  They work as delivered and really do not require any mods yet they are highly modifiable if you so desire.  I like stock though.
The mags all interchange and if you want drop-free, you can just buy some.  I would not pay extra for them as it is really no big deal IMHO.  They are cheap nowadays but the anti's might change that soon.  It is easy to find full capacity unmarked mags currently.  I have a few of each kind and they all work fine in my pistol.
I did swap out the springs from my early mags with Wolff springs but the rest are still stock.

[David_CFI]

   Let's breath some new life into this one! 

Don't forget that there's also a generation 2.5 Glock.  (That would be a 2nd generation frame with finger grooves.)  These changes are often more than just cosmetic; the problem is that Glock doesn't often announce internal changes.  (Think, 'lock blocks' on 3rd generation G-22's.) 

The #4256-1 trigger bar change on:  G-20's, 21's, and 30's wasn't announced by the factory; it was just repeatedly posted on Glock Talk; and, after awhile, everyone caught on.  I suspect the troublesome G-36 has had either its magazines or frame quietly modified; but, there's no way I can prove this suspicion.  I know the new G-21SF has a different slide and barrel configuration; but, this is because someone on Glock Talk took the time to actually measure these differences.  As usual the factory has, yet, to say a word. 

 

Light strikes?  It's not common knowledge that Glock trigger bars have been regularly manufactured with 3 different, 'bird's head' configurations.  (The trigger bars are, like the springs, contract-supplied parts.)  If the bird's head at the tail of the trigger bar is just slightly off (too short) the pistol may deliver an occasional light strike.  Extra power striker springs work fine; I have them in both my EDC Glocks.  The combination you want to AVOID is an extra power (Wolff) firing pin spring, AND a reduced power recoil spring - That could, definitely, cause your Glock to fire OOB. 

OOB events are often signaled by either light or off-center primer strikes.  It's been my experience that many times you'll feel the slide chattering OOB as it cycles - especially during rapid fire.  Fortunately, if your Glock is a 3rd generation pistol and properly set up, an OOB event is exceedingly rare. 

I have an entirely different take on Glock kaBoom! events; I don't think they're all caused by the slide being out-of-battery; instead, I believe many Glock kaBooms! are caused by trigger bar and double fire problems.  (No, I don't feel like arguing the question.  Let's just say that I'm not enamored by Glock's so-called, 'drop safety' - Which isn't the kind of, 'drop safety' that most people think that it is!)    

[Jamie Young]

I suspect the troublesome G-36 has had either its magazines or frame quietly modified; but, there's no way I can prove this suspicion.

I believe that was primarily a feeding issue and the ramp was modified.

[Marcus]

Anyone have a chance to try out the new XD-M yet? I`ve handled a couple and I like the look and feel a lot better than the old XD (which I also like). 19+1 rds. of 9mm and 16+1 rds of 40 is pretty cool too. If they made an XD-M 45ACP I`d have bought one already. I wonder if they`ll make it to market before they`re banned... Marcus

[purpledragonlily]

Glock 19 here. 

[Dave Johns]

I thought I would toss in my 2 cents.   My preferred handgun is a 1911a, but I recently bought a Taurus 145pro compact in 45 cal.  I have only put a few hundred rounds thru it, but so far have been happy.  The grip is substantially narrower and fits my hand better than the Glock 30 I was considering, even though the mag is 10 rounds. For me, the grip on the taurus worked a little better than the Glock, and I like the angle, since it is closer to the 1911a.  I like the others, and certainly would not throw any of the offerings from Glock/Springfield/SW/etc out the window. But at the moment, for me, the Taurus Millennium pro 145 is a pretty nice gun.

Update: 3 weeks, 600 rounds, only 1 FTE. Accuracy is fine for a compact gun. So far, so good!

[stetson]

 I didn't see anyone mention the SW99,I have one in 45acp.The pistol is very comfortable fit in my hand and it soaks up the recoil
with no problems.The sites are easy to pick up and obtain target quickly and the trigger is awesome the first shot the pull is rather long
and the second on  is short; best trigger I ever seen on a pistol.I use this as a carry pistol when I want a 45.All in all I think it's made better than the MP line.

[Dave Markowitz]

I need to weigh in again in this thread.

My father has two S&W M&Ps, one in 9mm and the other in .40.  Both have been reliable with around 1500 rounds through each, including handloads in the .40.

I was leaning towards picking up an M&P-9, and even borrowed Dad's to shoot it a bit before deciding.  One thing that's nice about the M&P is the interchangeable backstraps which let you better tailor the gun for you hand.  Gun fit is very important and the main reason why I don't like Glocks.  (Good guns but do not fit me at all.)

Last Saturday I went to Surplus City and compared an M&P-9 with an XD-9, and wound up getting the XD.  The grip fits me better.  It feels very close to a Browning High Power, which fits me perfectly.  So far it has only 210 rounds through it, including 40 JHPs, but no malfunctions so far.

WRT to the finish of the black XDs, they now have a Melonite finish, which is pretty close to Glock's Tenifer in durability.  My XD is a bi-tone, which has a stainless steel slide, so for me that's moot.

[Slayer]

I like all of them, but I'm still not hearing that any of these firearms are as tough as Glock.

[XDGUY]

can't comment on the glocks believe it or not have never fired one. I have 2 XDs 40 and 9mm the 40 I had trigger work done to and use it for IPSC limited 10 the 9 I use in IDPA. I find them very comfortable to handle. I also have a M&P in 9 not bad-like the changeable backstrap and it does have nice sights.

[Jamie Young]

I still have yet to make a decision on any of these.   

I guess I need more range time with them.