Glock hollow backstrap = spare parts storage

[Robb Jensen]

I'm actually HIGHLY considering sending both my G17 and G19 to www.southpawcustom.com for the Sevigny Speedway magwell which is Production USPSA legal!

http://www.southpawcustom.com/speedway.htm

[Eric Shelton]

Not saying you're wrong, but it always interests me how many different theories/ideas/claims people have for what the purpose of the hollow backstrap on Glocks are.

The one I've come to believe the most (though yours makes sense) is that it afford better leverage to pull out magazines that are, for one reason or another, stuck.

Drainage was the exact reason given at the Armorer's Course I attended today. Incidentally, it was taught by Dennis Tueller, and he's a great guy. It was great meeting him.

[Eric Shelton]

Just letting you know what I was told, Dano. I find it hard to believe the plugs I've seen were water-tight anyway... The concern was hypothesized that in a cold environment like Austria (of course, to an Arizonan like me everywhere else is cold), any captive water could freeze, expand, and stop proper function of the gun. They made a point to say the Glock was designed for the Austrian military, so that's what the concerns were based off of, etc.

Keeping in mind that they hit the market around '85, and times/things change (see the thread in the Training forum), and they out-and-out said it in class, it strikes me as a reasonable explanation as to why the hollow area is there. Time and experience may or may not have shown it to be a good idea, and a plug may indeed be a better solution (I have one in my G19), but that doesn't change the story behind it's orgin. Now, whether it's misguided or not, I can't say...

[ST911]

My duty gun rides exposed in sustained winds, gusts to 50-80+ mph, and in t-storms and blizzards. I've had my back to more than a few helicopters hot-loading patients. Not in sands like a desert, but plenty of dirt, silt, and the like.

I spend a good deal of time in backcountry, on ATVs, snowmobiles, sliding down hills, and doing a bunch of dirt and dust promoting stuff.

I've not found a plug to do anything for me yet. I suppose it's possible, but the debris I accumulate has been self-limiting. Anything beyond an initial layer seems to blow or fall back out.

Most consumers aren't buying these because they have a need to keep debris out. They're buying them because they have some compelling need to fill the empty hole.

Others may want debris protection or a mag-guide. You want a plug? Buy a plug. It isn't my money.

[misanthropist]

I'm actually HIGHLY considering sending both my G17 and G19 to www.southpawcustom.com for the Sevigny Speedway magwell which is Production USPSA legal!

http://www.southpawcustom.com/speedway.htm

Hmmm...now THAT's interesting. A mod which fills the hole (which I don't really care about) while at the same time leaving the "thumb on the mag spot" for cluster****ery, and also gives a fast, gamery magwell.

But doesn't affect the utility of the gun as a fighting piece the way a 1911 magwell...might, I guess, I never thought about it.

But this is really interesting and if you wanted you could do it at home with epoxy and a die grinder.

HMMM!

[ST911]

This is exactly the kind of adversial penis waving dribble that turns off professionals from posting here. I am happy your glock accoutrement to you medic outfit hasn't yet failed you.... considering your primary tasking isn't putting extra holes in the opposition after said helo taxi, not surprising. it was a bit disconcerting for the two fellas in the last 8 yrs, which i know of, when they discovered they were carrying a 9mm dive weight on the objective. For some the vast expendature of $3 usd is worth it.

I sent you a PM.

[Iraq Ninja]

Just because Gaston designed something doesn't mean it is right. Remember the original Glock storage case with the hole in the middle? It resulted in more than a few NDs...

Something that lets gunk fall out, lets it fall in too.

May be a good idea for water ops, but that is about it.

[ToddG]

My read on the issue, as someone who doesn't shoot Glocks very often:

1. Many people report running their Glocks without a plug, even in wet/cold/sandy environments, without problem.
2. Many people report running their Glocks with a plug, even in wet/cold/sandy environments, without a problem.
3. Some people have reported problems running without a plug in wet/cold/sandy environments.
4. No one has reported having a problem due to a plug.

Adding all that up, it seems to me that at worst the plug is just a waste of a few dollars, and under some circumstances it might be the difference between bang and click. Cheap insurance, IMHO...

[RAM Engineer]

Anyone used this Nowlin plug that is lanyard compatible? Any alternatives to it?

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=2...for_GLOCK_reg_

[thopkins22]

I don't have much to offer on the subject, other than the fact that I own, shoot, and carry Glocks which have plugs. My experience, usage, and level of training has already been surpassed by folks on both sides of the argument in this thread, so take this with a grain of salt.

I'll admit that I initially bought one because Larry Vickers said that Glocks should wear a butt plug. I don't engage in too much hero worship, however it's painfully obvious that when it comes to setting up weapons he's forgotten more than I'll ever know...so I tried it out.

I won't speak to the reliability aspect because my gun isn't being blasted by sand/ice/rocks/coral/candy during .mil/leo operations.

I bought the Slug Plug and found that on my G19 it extends beyond the heel of the grip like the M&Ps do. It prevents my hand from being pinched during hurried reloads and also provides me with a little bit more real estate to hang on to. It also acts as a mag guide of sorts. Without the plug I never grabbed the front and rear of the magazine to strip a stuck magazine during malfunction drills anyway, so I don't feel like there is a loss of functionality there. For a cost of $5, I can't see a problem with it.