Is the Glock 17 still relevant?
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.
Wake the f*ck up, Samurai
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