Thoughts on the Glock 17 RTF?

[civilian]

I'll take some pics of my G17 RTF tonight or tomorrow and post them up. I've got somewhere in the neighborhood of 900 rounds through the gun since picking it up a few weeks ago, and have had no issues with the grip texture so far. Buddy of mine also has one and his hands are getting chewed up a bit. All depends on how sensitive your hands are, but after a few 200 and 300 round range sessions, I haven't noticed any damage to my hands or discomfort. Not sure I follow why the definitely ugly slide serrations should come into play during recoil.

[JHC]

From my gun store handling of a couple of RTF 22's I'd love to have one in the 17 flavor. The grip is very positive but I also very much like the 20 lpi checking on my TRP. I hold the belief that the funky looking scalloped slide serrations actually gave me a more positive grasp on the slide. I am theorizing that the curve which seemed to "fit" my thumb created more surface/bearing area friction-wise. Just a theory.

The other day I was shooting one of my 17's out in temps in the high 90's with high humidity and sweating like a hog. The stock 17 felt pretty squirmy and I'd like to try the same with the RTF.

[woodandsteel]

If I don't sell off my Glocks I would like to get my old 17 reframed with the RTF. That way I could keep the old-style serrations.

That is what I don't like about the RTF. I wish that they didn't change to slide serrations. The new style seems to be less user friendly to me. By that, I mean that my hand tends to slide over the new serrations as compared to the older style.

With that being said, I have never fired the new RTF, only held it in the gunstore. And, I should note, that when Glock switched from the Generation 2 frame, to the Generation 3 frame, I was just as unhappy. But, I did eventually get used to it.

I guess I am just slow to accept change.

[awm14hp]

I like it alot I have 3m floor tape on my other glks already for traction

[Rider79]

I don't like the slide serrations, but I'm not too worried about them, since I use the slide stop. I think I'm going to give it a try. I like the boresight solutions treatment, but I don't like the turnaround. I'm an impulse buyer.

[varoadking]

How many rounds have you put through it so far? How do your hands feel after a 200 round session?

200 rounds is enough to start becoming unpleasant...not the side panels - just the backstrap...

[civilian]

I promised I'd put up some pics of my G17 RTF and finally got around to snapping a few photos tonight. Poor lighting and poorer camera skills are to blame for the shots below. I purchased the gun late last month and since then have put 1260 rounds through the weapon, with all courses of fire starting from the gun holstered and concealed under a t-shirt. Range sessions have been a number of drills, most under timed conditions, and have gone as follows:

1. 100 rounds - 3 failure to feed malfunctions. Haven't figured out the cause yet. Magazines were not the factory included mags, but with 5 range duty factory Glock 17 mags that function fine in my G34. Gun was cleaned and lubed prior to first session.

2. 250 rounds - no failures, gun ran fine. Largest single round count of all sessions and my hands felt fine and no abrasions to my palm from the texture.

3. 200 rounds - no issues, no discomfort.

4. 100 rounds - same as above.

5. 170 rounds - same as above.

6. 200 rounds - same as above.

7. 110 rounds - same as above.

8. 130 rounds - same as above.

Texture isn't for everyone, but for me I haven't had any issues with it and certainly no discomfort. All of my other guns have had the grips modified and textured. Only thing I feel inclined to do to the gun is to undercut the trigger guard, but even the finger grooves don't feel that bad on this gun for some reason. Hate the serrations like most everyone else who has seen the RTF guns. After a couple hundred rounds, you can see where dead skin is collecting in the textured area, a sign that the texture definitely grabs. Cleans out just fine with a brush (you won't see them in these pics as I cleaned the gun prior to taking the pics). Running a rag across the grip results in the rag getting hung up on the "barbs" that give the grip its texture.

The gun with a TLR-1 light fits perfectly in a Raven Concealment Light holster that I originally ordered for a G34/35 and TLR-1 combo. Same holster also works for my G19 with TLR-1 and Lone Wolf threaded barrel. I'll give it another 500 rounds or so before feeling comfortable enough with its performance to declare it carry ready, but I'm not anticipating any problems on that front. Just need to run the factory mags to see if the FTF's experienced are mag related, or can be traced to my 9mm range ammo of choice.











Size comparison, from top to bottom: G19, G17 RTF, G34:

[CoryCop25]

Glock offers a pistol with the old style slide and the RTF frame for LE but I am not sure that option was available to the civilian market. I just attended a Glock armorer's school in May and they told me that the PD could order them as such.

[civilian]

Sure wish they'd make that option available to the general public. I don't normally get hung up on how a weapon looks, but in this case I've had to make an exception. Seeing the treatment for the first time at SHOT this year, my immediate question to the Glock rep was "you guys aren't planning on sticking with these serrations are you?" Guy said he wasn't sure, but it looks like Glock is pushing ahead.

[sjc3081]

I presume that the G22 RTF is not only a cosmetic change but a secret attempt to correct the G22 jamming issues, with minor frame strengthening. Glock went to the Gen three frame to correct the G19 problems. It seems very suspicious that the G22RTF comes out at the height of G22 issues with lights mounted. Glock has proven to me thier ability to cover up and deny issues of reliability.