Glock grip reductions and grip plugs

[polymorpheous]

I had an interesting interaction with an employee at a LGS, (I know what you are going to say before you even say it!),this weekend.
My wife and I went to rent a G26 and a M&P Shield to compare.
She preferred the Glock and now has one coming for Christmas.
I mentioned what would be swapped or added to the pistol to her and the LGS said that grip plugs are bad news.
Of course he mentioned he is a Glock armorer.

Number one was drainage.
The second thing he mentioned was something like back pressure needed some where to go and used the backstrap channel.
Then he was absolutely appalled when I told him that I did a chop and reduction on my G17.
He couldn't believe professionals offered this destructive service on Glocks.
Am I missing something?

All that aside...
The back pressure thing is a new one for me.
I can't imagine this has any real bearing on the pistol's function or longevity.
The M&P has a plug/takedown tool in it's backstrap channel.

[Voodoo_Man]

LOL what?

I have a g17 that is cut to g19 with a plug.

Thousands of rounds, zero issues, stop listening to people who talk and dont shoot.

Also, everyone and their mother is a glock armorer.

[Kain]

Grip plugs are a nonissue. Have run one in various glocks for thousands upon thousands of round without issue. LAV reccommends it as an upgrade i would expect he has seen enough rounds through a glock to know.

[polymorpheous]

LOL what?

I have a g17 that is cut to g19 with a plug.

Thousands of rounds, zero issues, stop listening to people who talk and dont shoot.

Also, everyone and their mother is a glock armorer.

That's what I told my wife later.
Glock armorer is as impressive as a NRA instructor.

[Chameleox]

I had a G27 that would blow out the backstrap plug every now and then. It was a friction-fit, and a .40, so it may have been recoil related. Was still 100% reliable though.

This is poppycock. Remember that Glock also makes (made?) variants with the backstrap channel filled with an internal locking mechanism.

[polymorpheous]

Remember that Glock also makes (made?) variants with the backstrap channel filled with an internal locking mechanism.

I had no idea.
A lawyer lock?

[Trajan]

That is a debris channel. I have had the rims of those Azoom snap caps shear off and get stuck in that channel. Without the plug it would have just fallen out. I don't think it's that big of an issue for regular shooting though. I was quite surprised it made its way into there to be honest.

[polymorpheous]

Those A-Zooms are kinda junk heh?

On my grip chop the channel was filled with epoxy.
There's clearance for the trigger box only.

The plug's advantage, as I explained to the wife, is assisting in speed reloads.
I put the same bevel on my grip chop.

[Trajan]

Those A-Zooms are kinda junk heh?

On my grip chop the channel was filled with epoxy.
There's clearance for the trigger box only.

The plug's advantage, as I explained to the wife, is assisting in speed reloads.
I put the same bevel on my grip chop.

Maybe, maybe not. I do use the hell out of them, and the Glock extractor isn't exactly gentle on them. When that happened I was almost in disbelief in regards to hearing how they are needed to keep BS out of the trigger.

Reloads are the same reason I use the grip plug. Starting to rethink that due to playing with a buddy's grip chop the other day that had neither the backstrap filled, or the magwell re-beveled. It was just as fast. Makes sense, the standard isn't flared so it really makes no difference.

[Texaspoff]

With the backstrap filled in, it could hold water if it was get into that area. Now that would be if you submerged the glock in water, rain is not likely going to get enough if any in there to cause an issue. Most folks are going to clean their pistols after being in that type of environment anyway. The back pressure thing is simply absurd, there is no possible way for any kind of pressure to build up in the back strap area.

FWIW I have done a few thousand reductions and such, and have never heard of a single issue with the channel being filled in. My personal Glocks are are reduced, and I have had some of them completely submerged in water during training, and it has never been an issue. Your gun shop counter ninja would absolutely hate me and all my Glocks....:). Not only do I fill the channel, but I add material to make the back strap longer....Oh the Horror.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/Texaspoff/DSC_0022_zps4dcbae73.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/Texaspoff/DSC_0003_zps7569d0d1.jpg


TXPO

[Surf]

I personally use grip plugs as a means to fill and blend the heat shaped magwells that I do on the Glock. Very good improvement in feeding, with no practical downsides.


That's what I told my wife later.
Glock armorer is as impressive as a NRA instructor.This is how I look at it. Not trying to be critical of these certifications as I hold most of the NRA and Glock certs myself but I do not automatically assume a great deal of knowledge from those individuals who might hold those certifications. There are extremely knowledgeable people who happen to have them, but on the other hand I have seen some very uninformed or lesser skilled individuals pass those courses. Many that I would not suggest as a shooting instructor or one to work on your Glock.

[medic75]

Of course he mentioned he is a Glock armorer.



I also played a Dr. on TV.

[polymorpheous]

I also played a Dr. on TV.


Did you actually contribute anything to this thread?

This isn't Arfcom.
Don't post just to up your post count.

"Some people have really got something to say.
Others just want to say something."
This is paraphrasing a quote from one of our moderators, but you get the idea.

[Rattlehead]

...There are extremely knowledgeable people who happen to have them, but on the other hand I have seen some very uninformed or lesser skilled individuals pass those courses. Many that I would not suggest as a shooting instructor or one to work on your Glock.

I met a guy who completed a certified Glock armorer's course and did not even know how to strip the gun down; he thought it was funny. Exceptions like him are the lowest common denominator, like the hung over college student who is barely conscious throughout class yet still ends up with a degree.

As far as the OP's comments from the gun shop - I've never had an issue using plugs in the Glock frames. I've also never had any issues after running a properly grip chopped gun (and I've done quite a few of them on customer guns).

[polymorpheous]

I had zero issues running my chopped/reduced 17 during Mac's TAPS class one cold and rainy October.
The gun did get wet, but the filled backstrap didn't cause any problems.
I feed my Glocks steel case for training classes, so it got plenty dirty as well.
Pistol ran great, wish I could say as much about it's driver!

[kevN]

I met a guy who completed a certified Glock armorer's course and did not even know how to strip the gun down; he thought it was funny. Exceptions like him are the lowest common denominator, like the hung over college student who is barely conscious throughout class yet still ends up with a degree.

As far as the OP's comments from the gun shop - I've never had an issue using plugs in the Glock frames. I've also never had any issues after running a properly grip chopped gun (and I've done quite a few of them on customer guns).

Basically all you do is take the gun down 10-15 times and put it back together in the Glock Armorer course. There's also a few diagnostic things, but really if you don't come away with knowing how to do a detailed strip you probably have a serious learning disability or memory disorder.

[polymorpheous]

Basically all you do is take the gun down 10-15 times and put it back together in the Glock Armorer course. There's also a few diagnostic things, but really if you don't come away with knowing how to do a detailed strip you probably have a serious learning disability or memory disorder.

And in this armorer's course, do they mention the importance of an open back strap channel for pressure?

[kevN]

And in this armorer's course, do they mention the importance of an open back strap channel for pressure?

I don't recall anything mentioned in mine about pressure. I have heard the drainage argument before but I don't think it came up in class. For me, I like to run them when possible but I don't feel bad when I don't. I have had mud get corked in the bottom of an unplugged G17 to the point where it was dripping into the trigger mech but it did not cause any impact. Still i thought it was a good argument FOR running a plug.


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[polymorpheous]

That is originally what they were designed for correct?
Keeping debris from getting into the trigger mechanism?

[trinydex]

Maybe, maybe not. I do use the hell out of them, and the Glock extractor isn't exactly gentle on them. When that happened I was almost in disbelief in regards to hearing how they are needed to keep BS out of the trigger.

Reloads are the same reason I use the grip plug. Starting to rethink that due to playing with a buddy's grip chop the other day that had neither the backstrap filled, or the magwell re-beveled. It was just as fast. Makes sense, the standard isn't flared so it really makes no difference.

i don't find that the grip plug helps the speed of the reload, but more the reliability. the back edge of the magazine tip on a standard glock mag has the steel insert exposed which creates a step. the area the grip plug fills has several angles and several edges that the step can snag on. without the factory semicircular cut out you have much less angles and ledges for the step on the magazine to snag.