Is the Glock 17 still relevant?

[Firefly]

I feel like having a hopefully thought provoking and fun discussion. It seems a silly question at first but hear me out.

We all know, any of us that have had to carry guns all day all night, that real estate is key.

A Glock 19 is compact and almost unnoticeable compared to a lot of other kit. It’s terribly handy and one handed shooting is a breeze. It’s compatible with a lot of weaponlights and its popularity has become vindicated. Given the choice, most switched on people will take a G19. You don’t lose much in terms of sight radius and most get RMRs if they wanna cheat.

Then you have the G34. Government profile. Forgiving sight radius. 1911 length. Very pointable. It’ll never be a Camp Perry gun but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a hell of a direct action pistol and it ekes a bit more muzzle velocity.

So......why even bother with a G17? Sure it was “first” and a lot of outfits make it the defacto standard issue but you don’t have the handiness of the G19 nor the benefits of a Gov’t profile like the G34.

It’s kinda become the middle sister (I consider G26s to be Cousin Oliver and disregard them)

G17 is essentially the Jan Brady to G19s Cindy and G34s Marcia.

It seems like a simple one size fits all choice for department or military units but aside from politics or “because I say so”; what does it really do?

Not long enough for the aptly tactical practical but then not compact enough for secondary or tertiary kit nor viable for CCW.

It’s just there. It’s not a bad choice nor a bad gun. And lord knows I have a lot of time behind a Gen 1 G17 but what early 20s me thought was the untapped answer, middle aged me asks sincerely “what’s the point?”

If the 17/19 rounds are that important then may as well get a G34. If 15 rounds is appropriate then save some weight and real estate.

I think that’s why the G45(which I hate) took off so. It is essentially a Glock 19 PPK/S. It does nothing for me, but I feel it answers that voice in most normies’ heads “Why not just get a Glock 19?”

I’d love to hear other thoughts.

I think a G19L would be fire and I’m intrigued with the G47 and its G19’d G17 appearance.

Really I want some validation, debates, arguments, long winded rationalizations, but mostly I want to know if I am alone in my thoughtpath.

[lsllc]

I agree. The G17 isn’t for me. 34 or 19. Or even G45 with a dot and comp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[1168]

The G17 is a perfectly valid choice for LE or HD. For CCW, I know a guy that carries one IWB with a grip chop to take G26 mags. Personally, if I am going to eff with Glocks, I’ll stick to the 19. But I am far from the only user. All of my 17s are sold. But I wouldn’t mind a “longslide” 19.

[jpmuscle]

With the advent of RDS equipped pistols the 34 imo has certainly become less favorable.

Of the 3 I like my 17s more


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lsllc]

34s keep the weapon light a bit on the cleaner side. The 45 with a comp would do the same as well as have a bit less muzzle flip. Shooting a 34, even with a dot, it seems more tunable and you can be a bit more aggressive.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[titsonritz]

I've got no use for a G17, if I had one I'd chop the grip and make a G19L, but can see them as a legit duty pistol.

[ruckusjuice]

I’m a smaller framed guy with mediumish hands so I’ve standardized on G19s as well. I’ve never owned a G17. I do prefer the G17 mags as my reloads. Many peoples’ hands overhang the frame of the G19 and they pinch themselves whenever they reload. My hands are right at at the ragged edge with a G19. I will pinch the meat of my palm maybe 5-10% of the time I reload the pistol, usually if I’m being more aggressive about it. That doesn’t happen with the G17 mags and that’s one of the reason I prefer them as spares. There are plenty of people who can effectively conceal a G17. I probably could conceal one to the level most people are comfortable with but not to the level I prefer to have it concealed.

The G17 is also slightly easier to shoot for most people due to the larger grip and the longer sight radius. That larger grip is one of the reasons the G19X and G45 are so popular. You get the full size grip to make drawing, shooting and reloading easier but the compact slide so your duty holster doesn’t extend as far down.

[ABNAK]

The Glock 19 is to me the Holy Grail of handguns. It's kinda like Goldilocks, just right. Sure, it's not a "woods gun" you use for Grizzly attacks, nor is it a pocket pistol like the Ruger LCP. It's "just right".

That is why I have taken such a liking to my Glock 48 as I have: it is essentially a Glock 19 with a slimmer frame , the price you pay is less capacity. It is perhaps one of the best-feeling handguns ergonomically I have ever held.

Yeah, Glock 19 and a Colt M4.....will fit most needs one will likely ever have.

[Firefly]

I’m seeing “It makes a good duty weapon”

Yes but it kinda falls into “because I say so and reasons”.

A 19 does same thing but more handy. Fits way more hand sizes. Like...Unless Yao Ming or Shaq post here, I’m seriously bigger than all of you. And the G19 fits my hand so so well yet at the same time even females, mere slips of girls, can wield it a bit more handily than a 17.

Like you can literally do it all with a 19 or if you need more; go for gold with 34.

I mean like, for patrol a 19 can still have a WML and a nice holster. But more compact. You can put an RMR on it. I mean I’m thinking more pragmatic.

Why do people gravitate towards it in acquisitions other than “Glock says its for duty use”

Yes but G19 does same but less obtrusive.

I guess as I age I’m thinking lighter and better. At one point in my life I thought toting a topped off G21 and 4 extra mags was a good idea.

All that weight for no reason. Plus the extra crap.

Oof

[Arik]

I own two 17s. Conceal carry a 17 occasionally but that's already pushing it. I never had a 34 or 17L and never felt the need for one. Mainly because im a cheap bastard and the vast majority of my gun are police trades and I never ran into a 34 police issued for sale..... plenty of 35s though.
Maybe I'm missing something. I use the 17 mostly in classes and was actually thinking of the reverse. Why not just switch to all 19s!?!?! They're more practical, more useful without giving up much of anything.

If we're talking grips I prefer the 17/34 length but the 19 works too. Given the choice based on grip id carry the 17

As I've gotten older I still don't have an issue with weight. In the distant past I've carried a S&W 5906, 4506, 1911 and found the 19 to be the "compact" that feels like a fulls size.