Glock caliber questions and reliabililty

[USPCompact45]

I know this has been discussed before regarding how the 0.40 caliber glocks were not as reliable as the 9mm since the internals of the 0.40 were hardly changed to support the higher caliber.

Is this the same as the .45 ACP and GAP? Are the 0.45 glocks internally modified to withstand the higher caliber pressures? Are these guns just as reliable as the 9mm glock? I hear stories about 0.40 glocks going kb but not with the 9mm.

Are there 0.45 caliber glocks that went kb or is it quite rare? Is the .357 glocks reinforced as well?

 

[valor1]

I don't want to offend you in any way but this has been discussed so many times prbably hundreds, thousands and was sometimes resolved and sometimes not. Some will swear by their Glocks and some won't. Try the search function first. regards.

 

[jc2]

The .45 ACP Glocks have had their problems as well--and like the .40 S&W, it was designed for a smaller (though, in its case, a higher pressure) round and bored out to except the large .45 ACP round.

The 357 SIG Glocks are proving problematic (and have a relatively short service life--30,000 rounds) as well.

Gaston would have been far better off to stop with the G17--he got that one right.

The Gun Zone is probably one of the best Glock resources on the internet:


http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/gindex2.html

 

[hnm201]

IIRC, 45acp operates at lower pressure than 9mm. I own glocks in 9mm, .40 & .45. Other that a reliability issue with a model 36, which was rectified with drop-in replacement parts, I've had no issues with any of my different models. I do prefer the 9mm and .45 weapons as I have never been a fan of the .40 and I have little interest in .357 sig. I have fired factory standard pressure, +P, +P+ and reloaded lead projectile ammuntion (with aftermarket barrels with standard rifling) through all of my Glocks. No Kbooms yet.

I suppose that JC2 is referring to a certain police department's experience with Glock 21s kbooming.

Some people consider Dean Speir's "gunzone" to be an excellent source of information. Others consider it to be an excellent source of disinformation.

 

[Onmilo]

Simply put, if you want a Glock and want to be worry free then buy a 9mm version.

All handguns work their very best when used in the caliber for which they were originally designed.

I guess that's why I like 1911s in .45 acp so much and consider the H&K USP .40 S&W to be the best of the breed in that caliber.

 

[Rockstar]

If you want accurate information about Glocks, please do yourself a favor and get that information from some of us who've fired tens of thousands of rounds through Glocks and not souces like The Gun Zone.

Go over to Glocktalk and seek the advice of a guy who's username is "Butch." He'll answer all your questions intelligently, and even provide excellent pics.

There is no problem with .45ACP Glocks. I know from personal experience, which is considerably more personal experience than any anecdotes that you'll find on The Gun Zone. I guess the "classic" piece of misinformation is the gleeful referral to the Portland P.D. G21 debacle. Guess what? Had nothing to do with the pistols; had everything to do with bad ammo and ignorant cops.

 

[JohnKSa]

Gaston would have been far better off to stop with the G17--he got that one right.

I wouldn't go quite so far, but I do agree that the fullsize Glocks designed specifically for a particular caliber have been the cream of the crop. The scaled down Glocks and the ones that are basically rebarreled versions of another caliber Glock seem to have been a bit more problematic.

 

[jc2]

the ones that are basically rebarreled versions of another caliber Glock seem to have been a bit more problematic.

For those who may not be familiar with Glock models that includes the:

G21 (.45 ACP--rebarreled 10mm)
G22 (.40 S&W--rebarreled 9x19)
G31 (357 SIG--rebarreled 9x19)

Rockstar, you might want to try reading (in its entirety) The Gun Zone. You will find that in your example of what's wrong with it (the G21 and PPB), you agree with him. The Gun Zone is a good source for information on Glocks--in fact, it is a whole lot better source than Glock Talk (too many "true-believers" over there). Dean Speir just doesn't sugar coat his remarks enough for some sensitive souls.

 

[pauli]

you must, however, take dean with a healthy (or, i suppose unhealthy) grain of salt.

 

[HSMITH]

The drivel to truth ratio at the gun zone is about 50-50.

Take whatever you read over there with an anti-agenda sized handfull of salt.

 

[jc2]

Like I said, Dean doesn't sugar coat his remarks enough for some of the more sensitive souls. Actually, his data is good, but he is a little too polemical for many people.

 

[Gary G23]

Simply put, if you want a Glock and want to be worry free then buy a 9mm version.

what he said

 

[USPCompact45]

Thanks for the responses. I visited the mentioned sites and it really seem that all the kabooms were due to using federal or reloaded ammo. It seems like that is the problem. Hmm, I do like the 9mm and I know it is a good enough defense round but I still would like a higher caliber such as .40 and .45 in a compact version firearm.

Any suggestions?

 

[DAVE RICHARDS]

I've never seen a .45 Glock Kaboom. It's usually the .40's. I know I had a G-27 go on me with factory ammo. I've read at ammolab of a ouple of G-30's going and one G-21. My G-30 has been good to go except for a small spriong breaking early on. I wouldn't orry to much about trusting a G-30. I wear mine often and know it will go boom if I need it.

 

[Pietro Beretta]

For the less chance of Kb!

Dont use reloads

Dont use American brand ammo

 

[JohnKSa]

I still would like a higher caliber such as .40 and .45 in a compact version firearm. Any suggestions?

Pietro pretty much nailed it and that's about what Dean Speir says as well. Stick with good quality ammo and you'll be ok.

 

[USPCompact45]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm leaning towards the glock 23.

 

[glocker1911]

The original design, the G17, is hard to top. That being said, I've never seen a Glock of any size or caliber that I would call unreliable. I would feel confident that any Glock will work, as long as I do my part (cleaning, lube, ammo selection and proper mags). I wish I could say the same about out of the box performance of most of the 1911s I've owned!

 

[Biker]

I've put 16,000 plus through my G23 and have NEVER had a single problem with it. Maybe I just got lucky...
Biker

 

[..]

Nothing wrong with Glock .40's. The "intended caliber / didn't change much" BS is just that. The majority of LEO's wouldn't use them if they were as bad as the armchair internet commandos claim them to be. Internet induced hysteria is rampant, even on Glocktalk. Glock is #1 with LEO and civilians for a reason.

 

[jc2]

That's a very debatable opinion to say the least. The G22 certainly has a considerably shorter service life (30,000 rounds) than the G17. I doubt very seriously the veracity of your assumption "majority of LEO's [sic]" use .40 S&W Glocks (though a lot of them are in LE service).

 

[KLR]

Perhaps a better way of looking at it is: Glock kabooms (or any other quality pistol kabooms) are exceptionally rare. Of the extremely small subset that do kaboom, the .40s are more frequent than, say, the 9mm. Reloads, lead ammo, and Federal ammunition also seem to be a factor in a lot of the kabooms. Also ammunition that is described in terms such as "Totally Metal Plated" or "Totally Metal Coated" is good to avoid with polygonal rifling.