Glock Gen 3 or 4?

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TheCracker said:
So I'm wanting do dive into the word of Glocks. I've never shot one much less owned one. I really want a G19 and plan to get one once all the craziness dies down.

I have studied and know the changed made to te Gen 4 but am a little Leary ad have heard some like the Gen 3 better.

I'm looking for opinions from the experts on here. Which one do you guys like better and why?
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If you're left handed and/or intend to shoot stiff cartridges in the gun by all means get GIV.
For example if one wants new full size .40, .357, 10, or .45GAP I see no point in getting Gen III gun. If you intend to shoot commercial 9x19 cartridges or 9x19NATO rounds then new Gen III gun should serve perfectly fine.
 
I prefer the Gen 4 myself. I like the ability to change the grip, I like the grip texture better on the gen 4 and I like the recoil spring on the gen 4 better, now that they seem to have ironed out the issues some were having with the 9MM variety.

However, I have carried a gen 2 G23 since about 1994. I carry inside the waist band and so that means that, depending on how I dress, the gun may be in direct contact with my skin. This is not a problem with the smooth texture of pre-gen 4 guns but COULD be an issue with the more aggressive gen 4 texture.
 
I was looking to purchase my first Glock(s) when the Gen IV first was comming out. The problems then have for the most part been solved now.
If I were in the market today I would get a Gen IV G 22 AND a threaded 9mm conversion barrel and call it good.
As a matter of fact I might just do that when all of this settles down again.
 
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PabloJ wrote,
If you're left handed and/or intend to shoot stiff cartridges in the gun by all means get GIV.
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I don't know, I'm just asking, but does the big mag release button on the Gen 4 get in the way of the left hander's trigger finger?
 
wolf695 said:
The 4th gen has to much toys with it, the change out back strap, bad!!! if you really use your glock, you will drop it! kick it, stratch it up! A 4th gen wont take the beating!
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Pretty drastic claim there. If you don't mind, I'd like to see your references and comparative data that supports your position.
 
I have a G23 (Gen 3) that I love. If the option had been there at the time, I'd have grabbed a Gen 4. I prefer the texture of the Gen 3, but the larger mag release is a win, and the new spring is a win for everything beyond 9mm. As I type this, I'm about 20 minutes from trading my PPQ 9mm for a G19 (Gen 4). I'll likely try to pick up Gen 4s for my next 23 and 19.
 
Your biggest problem will be finding one at a reasonable rate. Generation dont matter.

While I am not personally a fan of Glock, my wife is, and she has settled on a G19 for CCW. Which is beginning to be a headache for me. Unless you really feel like paying well above MSRP.
 
I've found that for a sub-compact CCW (like my 26), the new texture on the Gen 4's is AMAZING. On a full-sized, it's still helpful but doesn't make so much of a difference. Where I found the Gen 4 really got my was the new recoil spring assembly. I'm not a physicist, so maybe it's just mind over matter, but I definitely noticed a difference for the better.
 
JTQ said:
I don't know, I'm just asking, but does the big mag release button on the Gen 4 get in the way of the left hander's trigger finger?
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I shoot Federal HydraShok loads (.40 ballistics) using either right or left hand and larger safety bothers me less then 3rd gen one when shooting using left hand. I suspect oval safety catch would be even nicer but we can't get those in US.
 
http://tractiongrips.com/

If you don't like the grip, try these. I have them for both my Gen 4 26 and Beretta Nano. I really like the texture. Both guns feel really good now. It really helped the Nano more so than the Glock, but they are both an improvement for me.
 
Gen 4 G19 hands down, for me at least. My second 9mm pistol purchased, didn't like the Glock circa 2008 - too "blocky". Now, my main carry piece for winter. Now I say, "where have you been all my life"!
 
The adjustable backstraps did it for me. I'm a bit more comfortable with the bigger mag release and grip of the Gen4's. All mine work 100%.
 
The Gen 4 is everything I want a Glock to be. I'll likely never buy a Gen 3 again.

If only those Glock beavertail backstraps made it to market...
 
My experience with a Gen 4 Model 21 that I bought new one month ago. Your mileage may vary -

"Perfection - Lost" I purchased my first Glock twenty years ago and have purchased several more since. All have been unfailingly reliable with good trigger pulls and brass ejection. I saw the Gen 4 models for the first time at the 2010 NRA convention in Charlotte, NC and knew that I would own one eventually, but after reading of some teething problems with the new model I waited. I finally bought my Model 21 Gen 4 a month ago. Immediately, I noticed the heavier trigger pull compared to my other Glocks, but I hoped this would lighten up some with use. After my first range visit this past Monday, all I can say is I have lost confidence in Glock. Out of 25 rounds fired, I had two pieces of brass eject and hit me in the forehead, something that has never happened in thousands of rounds fired with my other Glocks. Also, the extremely heavy trigger pull destroys accuracy. So at this point, I'm faced with either throwing parts at it to correct the problems or sending it off to a gunsmith to improve the trigger and ejection. For a company that says they're "Perfection", this is totally unacceptable to deliver a pistol with these shortcomings. I'll be holding off purchasing any more Glocks......at least until they come out with the Gen 5!
 
wolf695 said:
I use a 3rd gen glock she does a good job! I was a hard core beretta man, but once I put the glock through its paces it surprised me! shes lighter, she is a dead on shooting machine. The 4th gen has to much toys with it, the change out back strap, bad!!! if you really use your glock, you will drop it! kick it, stratch it up! A 4th gen wont take the beating!
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.
You have personal experience with this? Because I find it hard to believe. There's not enough changes between Gen 3 & 4 to warrant such a statement.
 
There's not enough changes between Gen 3 & 4 to warrant such a statement.
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Really? The change from machined small parts to injected molded is a pretty big matzah ball..
 
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