What to replace my Gen 5 G23 with?

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Trey Veston

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Bought a Gen 5 G23 Glock a few months ago, as I've always wanted a G23.

With the Gen 5's, however, they made the slide a bit thicker and heavier. When handling it side by side with my Gen 5 G19, the difference is very noticeable.

And, this is the most inaccurate Glock I've ever had. I bought a Gen 4 G19 a few years ago that I couldn't get to shoot very accurately, so I sold it. Replaced it with a G35. My G29 and Gen 5 G19 are both 1" pistols at 25 yards. This latest Glock is maybe 4" and worse.

I love to benchrest my defensive pistols and have a standard of 2" or better groups for a carry pistol. This Glock can't do it. So it is going to the LGS tomorrow.

Now, what to replace it with?

Looking for a mid-sized .40 S&W semi-auto with 10-12 round capacity and $800 or less. Wanted to try the Beretta APX, but those are non-existent in .40 S&W.

Does CZ make a mid-size .40 S&W auto?

Maybe a used Walther P99 if I can find one.

I have shot the Sig P229 and just hate the way it feels; too bulky and too high of bore axis.

Suggestions?
 
Sorry but 40S&W has died. There is nothing for you to buy. :D

I don’t blame you if you give up on the 23 but I wonder if Glock would fix it? Are they having a known accuracy problem with the new gen5 40s or will they just tell you to live with it?

What weight bullets were you testing with?

ETA: I’m asking these questions because I can’t think of any other 40s&w pistol I would own. :) Gen 4 for me though.
 
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I've used 155 grain, 165 grain, 180 grain, and 200 grain in everything from plated bullets to Hornady XTPs and Speer GDs. Used WSF, 231, TiteGroup, Ramshot Silhouette, and Blue Dot.

Today's results, with proper glasses, at 25 yards, using 8.8 grains of Blue Dot and 180gr Hornady XTPs...

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My $180 Taurus G2c will out shoot it.

I have a feeling that Glock will refuse to even look at it. If I tell them it gets 3.5" groups at 25 yards, they will say that is within acceptable limits. And it certainly is for a defensive handgun. I just want more accuracy.
 
That sucks my Gen 3 Glock 23 is one of my most accurate handguns. I use it to teach people with Glock 19's that the 40 recoils slightly more but still accurate and shootable. The reality is a lot of people cannot even hit paper at 25 yards with a service pistol so you are likely right about Glock's response.
 
I've used 155 grain, 165 grain, 180 grain, and 200 grain in everything from plated bullets to Hornady XTPs and Speer GDs. Used WSF, 231, TiteGroup, Ramshot Silhouette, and Blue Dot.

Today's results, with proper glasses, at 25 yards, using 8.8 grains of Blue Dot and 180gr Hornady XTPs...

View attachment 1003609

My $180 Taurus G2c will out shoot it.

I have a feeling that Glock will refuse to even look at it. If I tell them it gets 3.5" groups at 25 yards, they will say that is within acceptable limits. And it certainly is for a defensive handgun. I just want more accuracy.

I may have gotten lucky but my Gen 5 G23 will do better than that offhand at 25y or braced at 50y with 180GDHP. Best of luck with whatever path you choose with yours.

Keith
 
I have a feeling that Glock will refuse to even look at it. If I tell them it gets 3.5" groups at 25 yards, they will say that is within acceptable limits. And it certainly is for a defensive handgun. I just want more accuracy.
Have you tried some different loadings?

I read an article some time back by a guy who tested ten different aftermarket barrels trying to get his Glock to shoot more accurately. He also shot a lot of different loads and that was what interested me. Out of all the barrels and loads tested, it turned out that the second best combination was one of the loads using his factory barrel.

He ended up choosing a barrel that had the best overall average accuracy out of all the loads tested. But what was ironic was that none of the groups shot with that barrel were as good as the one group shot through his original factory barrel with ammo that it really seemed to like.

It might be worthwhile to play around a bit with different loadings before you ditch the gun.
 
Have you tried some different loadings?

I've tried all my pet loads that did well in my other .40 S&W Glock, as well as a few other loads. Best it ever did was just over 3", with everything else around 4" to 5" and the worst using 155gr bullets at 7.5".

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Last time I was at the LGS, they had a NIB Gen 3 G23 for $499. Should have grabbed it. But, I was wanting to try a couple of more loads in my Gen 5 to see if I could get it to shoot. Guess not.
 
Unfortunately, the VP40 is just a bit too big. Looked at the HK P30 and liked it. Bid on one on Gunbroker that was NIB, but kept getting outbid until the price got too rich for my blood, considering the cost of magazines and holsters.

Interested in the S&W M&P40c 2.0 3.6" and 4.0" models, but my M&P40c 1.0 pistols are not accurate at all and have horrible triggers. Cannot find any references anywhere on line for how accurate the 2.0 models are compared to the 1.0 models. Not sure if I want to gamble $500.

Bid on a NIB Glock G23 Gen 4 with a FDE Cerakote job, which I'm not crazy about, but it ends in 4 hours and I'm the high bidder at the amount I can get for my Gen 5 g23, so we'll see. I already have a bunch of G23 mags, plus holsters, so I would be way ahead on another G23.
 
If it were me, I'd seriously consider an aftermarket barrel. I've been impressed with KKM thus far and I believe they now produce gen 5 barrel replacements.

Your choice. But how do you know the next pistol will be any more accurate?
 
Unfortunately, the VP40 is just a bit too big. Looked at the HK P30 and liked it.
The VP40 and P30 are essentially the same size. They are nearly the same gun, one with a striker and one with a hammer. They use the same mags.


Interested in the S&W M&P40c 2.0 3.6" and 4.0" models, but my M&P40c 1.0 pistols are not accurate at all and have horrible triggers. Cannot find any references anywhere on line for how accurate the 2.0 models are compared to the 1.0 models. Not sure if I want to gamble $500.
At least reputation-wise, the S&W M&P's in .40 S&W never had a bad accuracy reputation. The 9mm 1.0 models did, but not the guns in .40 or .45. The 2.0 reputation is that the 9mm's have improved in accuracy. I don't recall seeing any comments on an improvement of the 2.0 in .40 or .45, but as I mentioned, they never had a bad accuracy reputation.
 
I'd call Glock. Something is wrong with that barrel. Every Gen 5 Glock I've shot has been excellent with the new barrel. I think you just got a fluke.
 
G29 mags will feed .40. Ive had good luck shooting .40 from a 10mm barrel, or you could always get a conversion barrel too. Ymmv
 
I've been enamored with my HK45c to the point that I'm highly considering a P2000, almost had one in .40 on a trade.

I do see them for under $800 online, new, cheaper if you can handle 10 round mags (and the spares aren't cheap).

A smidge smaller than the Glock 23 and the goofy baseplate (which I actually like for carry) can be replaced with a flush fitting option.

I like the push button decocker on the back of the slide, and swapping in LEM is doable as well, or finding a LEM model, which I see on gunbroker fairly often.
 
Intrigued by the HK VP40. Never owned an HK. Looking pretty hard at it.

I have one. It is my favorite 40 S&W. As a matter of fact I consider it my go to house gun. Picked it up in 2019 with night sights and 3 mags for $750 from Bud's. Not sure what they go for now.
 
That sucks my Gen 3 Glock 23 is one of my most accurate handguns. I use it to teach people with Glock 19's that the 40 recoils slightly more but still accurate and shootable. The reality is a lot of people cannot even hit paper at 25 yards with a service pistol so you are likely right about Glock's response.
I wish I never sold my Gen3 G23! I miss it
 
I have the M&P 2.0 with the 3.6 in barrel. FWIW accuracy hasn't been an issue, and it's as accurate as any of my other striker fired guns. It's my go to gun for hiking.
 
Ended up winning a NIB Glock Gen 4 G23 with a dealer Cerakote job. I love the colored frames, but skeptical of cerakote, so whatever.

I already have a bunch of G23 mags, trigger parts, holsters, etc, so that will save me couple hundred bucks over going to something else.

I've always liked the Gen 4 G23 and the finger grooves fit my hand perfectly, and they are getting hard to find, especially NIB. Now, if only it will shoot.

pix419738537.jpg
 
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I'd call Glock. Something is wrong with that barrel. Every Gen 5 Glock I've shot has been excellent with the new barrel. I think you just got a fluke.

I inspected the barrel and it looks identical to my Gen 5 G19, except for bore size, of course. Same wear marks in the same places as my other Gen 5 Glock that shoots 1" at 25 yards. No idea.
 
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