Which subcompact Glock? 26, 33...

[Dollar An Hour]

I'm looking for a subcompact semiauto for IWB carry.

I was thinking Glock 26 and noticed that the 33 is the same exact size chambered in .357 Sig with one less round capacity.

I know the 26 is very shootable, is the 33 going to be a real handful?

I like lower ammo cost of 9mm for range time, and realize that shot placement is the key, regardless of caliber. But I think we can all agree that all else being equal, more power is nice.

 

[orangeninja]

More power does not negate shot placement and practice makes for good shot placement. If you will practice more with a 9mm, get a 9mm. A 9mm +P+ gets dangerously close to the velocity of a .357 Sig.

.357 Sig about 1300'ish FPS
9mm +P+ about 1200'ish FPS

Edited to add, both chrono'd rounds were 125gr .357 Sig and 127 gr. 9mm.

You're talking about about 100 fps difference and just a smidge more penetration in ballistic gel. For penetration however a 9mm 147gr. out penetrates both.

 

[C-grunt]

I agree with alduro, I would take an extra shot over slightly more power. I believe Double Tap makes some 115 grainers that do around 1450 fps if you want some screamers. Plus the ammo for the 26 is a lot cheaper, so you can shoot it more. But then again, Im a big 9mm fan

 

[Dollar An Hour]

.357 Sig about 1300'ish FPS
9mm +P+ about 1200'ish FPS

Edited to add, both chrono'd rounds were 125gr .357 Sig and 127 gr. 9mm.

You're talking about about 100 fps difference and just a smidge more penetration in ballistic gel. For penetration however a 9mm 147gr. out penetrates both.

I guess I didn't realize how powerful 9mm +P+ was.

Makes more sense to stick with less expensive 9mm ammo, more practice time and much greater variety of bullets to choose from. Thanks.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

I bought a 26 for a carry gun. I have other guns for target shooting. Turns out I like shooting the 26 so much that the others just take up space in my safe. It is by far my favorite handgun, and the one I would pick if I could only have one handgun.

 

[gbran]

I parked my Kahr PM9 for the G26. It's a little bigger, but much more shootable and carries more capacity. I shoot Hornady 115gr XTP's. They compromise between expansion and penetration and do well in denim clad geletain.

 

[USPCompact45]

I found the g33 more uncontrollable than the g27. The g26 is very nice and for that size of gun, the g26 shoots the best.

 

[dpesec]

I have a G26 and love it. It's a great easy to pack weapon. I have added a LaserMax sight to it.

 

[Onmilo]

I liked my Model 26 so much I bought a second one.
I have no use for .40 caliber guns and feel that, like the 10mm, the .357 Sig needs a barrel length of at least six inches to truely maximize the performance of the cartridge.

 

[1911austin]

I the .357 Sig needs a barrel length of at least six inches to truely maximize the performance of the cartridge.

Yea. The 125 grain Double Tap load will ONLY do 1415 fps from a 3.5" G33.

 

[Dollar An Hour]

9mm it is...

I parked my Kahr PM9 for the G26. It's a little bigger, but much more shootable and carries more capacity. I shoot Hornady 115gr XTP's. They compromise between expansion and penetration and do well in denim clad geletain.

That's one plus of 9mm - boat loads of ammo from which to choose.

And as mentioned above, the 9mm will be much more enjoyable to spend time with at the range, and cost less to practice with.

Thanks for the input guys. It's definitely the 9mm. Now I need to decide between the G26 and XD Subcompact.

I'm under the impression the G26 is easier to strip, finished better, and has a lower bore axis which should make it softer shooting, but the XD gets better sights and trigger.

My friendly local gunshop guy is sorta trying to steer me to the XD. He says most of his staff have gone to XD's and he sells alot more of them.

Price difference is about $50 more for the Glock but that's a non-issue.

Will hit the range next week with some guys from the shop and definitely try the XD9, not sure if there will be a G26 there.

 

[orangeninja]

That's one plus of 9mm - boat loads of ammo from which to choose.

And as mentioned above, the 9mm will be much more enjoyable to spend time with at the range, and cost less to practice with.

Thanks for the input guys. It's definitely the 9mm. Now I need to decide between the G26 and XD Subcompact.

I'm under the impression the G26 is easier to strip, finished better, and has a lower bore axis which should make it softer shooting, but the XD gets better sights and trigger.

My friendly local gunshop guy is sorta trying to steer me to the XD. He says most of his staff have gone to XD's and he sells alot more of them.

Price difference is about $50 more for the Glock but that's a non-issue.

Will hit the range next week with some guys from the shop and definitely try the XD9, not sure if there will be a G26 there.

I've owned 8 Glocks and 5 XDs....get the Glock. Trust me, softer shooter, better customer service if something does go wrong, the Glock is lighter, thinner and a tad smaller. The Glock also has a tougher finish, the finish on an XD wears very quickly, all my Glocks still look new. Lastly Glock has a much tighter quality control and the minor details are payed more attention to, such as the seam of the frame or the rough spots on the trigger. I'm not knocking XD, they are a fine weapon, but they are not a Glock.

 

[spooney]

I have a G26 and love it. It's a great easy to pack weapon. I have added a LaserMax sight to it.

How do you like the Lasermax, I have a G27 and have been trying to talk myself into one, the almost $300 price tag is a large amount for me so basically what I am asking; Is it worth it?

 

[brandyspaw]

I had been looking for a number of alternatives for concealed carry .
When I finally decided to return to the dark side (the world of Glocks) I made a concerted effort to shoot all the baby Glocks. I managed to find
enough people willing to let me shoot all of them except the G36. I finally con-
cluded I'd rather have the most managable gun and went with the G26.

Its certainly not the best in terms of power but I think its the most controlable and I consider shot placement more important that all the
power you can get. It may be a wimpy 9mm but I consider all handgun calibers pretty weak. So for me the G26 was a good compromise.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

The 36 is also a very nice gun. I would probably get a 30 if I wanted a .45 ACP carry gun because I could use the mags from my 21 in a pinch, but if I didn't have the 21 I'd probably go with the 36. I've shot both the 30 and 36, and they are both great guns.

 

[The Goose]

My personal experience is that I find the .357 Sig difficult to manage. I have a full size G31 and it is the most difficult gun to shoot that I own. Somehow the recoil feels different to me and I find follow up shots tough. Even the G29 10mm is easier for me to shoot. I carry a G26 and keep a G17 for home defense. I like the controllability which increases accuracy. I use Doubletap 115gr. in the G26 and Doubletap 147gr. in the G17. I just do not enjoy shooting the .357 Sig.

 

[sgtb]

I love my G26 and would not trade it for anything. I had a G32 that was a fine gun but I decided to cut down the number of different calibers I use. You can't go wrong with the G26.

 

[Onmilo]

Yea. The 125 grain Double Tap load will ONLY do 1415 fps from a 3.5" G33.

Yeah, and beat holy heck out of the pistol in relatively few rounds fired.
Not really an issue because I don't think most folks can afford to do much shooting with that ammunition.
A standard factory load that stays within the pressure curve will also generate those figures in a six inch barrel and be a lot friendlier to the longevity of the handgun.

 

[Dollar An Hour]

I've owned 8 Glocks and 5 XDs....get the Glock. Trust me, softer shooter, better customer service if something does go wrong, the Glock is lighter, thinner and a tad smaller. The Glock also has a tougher finish, the finish on an XD wears very quickly, all my Glocks still look new. Lastly Glock has a much tighter quality control and the minor details are payed more attention to, such as the seam of the frame or the rough spots on the trigger. I'm not knocking XD, they are a fine weapon, but they are not a Glock.

I'm going to hopefully find one of each to shoot this weekend. I know for sure I can acquire an XD9, but I need to find a Glock.

Is it true Glock's customer service trumps Springfield Armory? I've heard gunsmiths won't touch an XD because SA keeps the parts to themselves (making it so that you have to ship the gun back for any problems).

 

[Pistol]

G26 for you

If you are concerned about it and do not have experience with firm recoil, the time, and $ to do enough practice..... stick with the G26. I suggest that based on what I think your point of view is from the post.

That said, I also think you will be happy with the G sub compact as a plinker and carry gun. I found it to be versatile, accurate, and plain fun. I did not think I would be able to enjoy multiple uses from a sub size, but my G27/33 does it for me.

I have a G33 barrel and I like it, but I can do all of the above and have shot 357mag and TC Contenders a lot. So I do not view the control issue the same way. The FMJ ammo is 2x the 9mm price if you do not handload.

Hope this helps.

 

[orangeninja]

I'm going to hopefully find one of each to shoot this weekend. I know for sure I can acquire an XD9, but I need to find a Glock.

Is it true Glock's customer service trumps Springfield Armory? I've heard gunsmiths won't touch an XD because SA keeps the parts to themselves (making it so that you have to ship the gun back for any problems).

My experience with Springfield is not that great. I had to ship it back and they didn't fix the problem, on two seperate guns, two seperate times.

 

[middy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The G26 is the ultimate CCW, IMHO.