Considering buying a Glock 23. It seems to be the gun that fits my hand the best of the ones I've held so far. Anybody on the board own one? What do you like? Pros? Cons? Any other similar guns that you would recommend trying out before I buy? Thanks for any input
It's a good gun. Functions well and you can carry a Glock 22 magazine as a backup if you want (I do for my G 27). No real complaints. Go shoot one first and make your decision. Some people don't care for the Glock fit when shooting, it doesn't bother me however.
__________________ Fishing a 1998 Sunbird Neptune. 09 Evinrude ETEC 225 on the back.
The 23 is a good gun. I believe in all the Glocks. I love my 27. I also have a 22, had a 23 and have my favorite the 21. Which is a 45. That is my favorite most accurate shooting glock and for a 45 has little recoil. Like sharp said go shoot them, what feels good in your hand may not once you fire it. Try several of them you will find one that is most comfortable for you. If you are near painesville, ohio Atwells has a great selection of glocks and if they still do it, they have models you can shoot and test. Vance's in Columbus also has a great selection as well.
I_Shock_Em,
This is the best advice, so far. If you don't shoot the gun well, you might as well be throwing rocks. It's very important for a combat handgun to have a good fit and feel to it.
Glocks are excellent weapons, but don't fit my hand, so I don't own one. The Smith & Wesson M&P and Springfield XD models fit my hand and shoot very well, for me.
I highly recommend going to an indoor shooting range, spend the time & money to shoot as many handguns as do interest you. You may be very surprised as to what you make as a final decision. This time & money will be well worth it, as handguns are expensive and there's no sense in having buyer's remorse, when it can be prevented.
* I had full intensions on carrying a compact 1911, but after carrying one for a while, I found the methods (cocked & locked) to be "unsettling"...despite the many options of good holsters to make this option feasible.
* After that, I was still set on getting a 45 acp in some other configuration. My conclusion on this thought was..."large calibers and small handguns do not mix".
* I found 40 cals to be too "muzzle flippy" for accurate repeat fire.
I settled on a 9mm for a caliber, a M&P for a brand and use a Fobus Kydex or Uncle Mikes pancake holster for a method of carrying it. This combination fits my hands, my budget and I shoot it well.
As you go through these "steps" you'll find that the brand of weapon, caliber of choice and method of carrying is very personal. These can and often do vary greatly from person to person.
Good luck with your choices!
Bowhunter57
Last edited by Bowhunter57; 03-04-2012 at 09:31 AM.
i own a few glocks and the G23 was the one that started my addiction. the G23 is still my daily carry gun because its the gun im most accurate with, shoot the most and feel most comfortable with(not to mention reliability). my first year going to knob creek and doing the defensive pistol shoot, i took my G23 and actually scored really high for an average shooter. but the guys that finished ahead of me shot G34 and G35's and im positive were professional shooters (at least most were), but i held my own. so for the next year, i got a G35 with the extended capacity mag (.40) and i practiced. went back down for the next shoot and i actually scored worse?? my next trip to fort knox, the trusty G23 went back with me. i didnt break any records, but for an amature, i shot damn good again. now i dont hesitate to know which gun i prefer to carry or take to shoots. granted some day the G23 is a little bulky, but you need to dress for the carry and it is NOT an IWB gun, IMO. ive done several internal upgrades to many of these pistols. its very easy usually knock out a few pins and insert the new piece and put the pins back in. some upgrades you neeed to twist things around, but if you have any mechanical ability, its really easy.. just a word of warning, if you install the 3.5 lb trigger connector, be prepaired for double taps, they happen accidently, thats why i wont install one in the G23. also if youll notice from my photos, im a HUGE fan of non-skid tape and grip covers. top to bottom, G35, G23, G19C(9mm), G27. the G19C and the G23 are exactly the same frame. ive switched slides at the range just to see which grip i like better, somedays its the grip tape, somedays it the aero grip (i think thats what its called) im probably going to sell the G27 to finance an AR.
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I am another happy G23 owner. I've had it for almost 2 yrs. I've shot a variety of other Glocks that friends own and at ranges, however I still can't separate myself from the 23. It is my primary CCW gun. I find I do not have any issues carrying it IWB, OWB, or in a shoulder rig. I also second checking out Atwells if you are reasonably close. If you look at the gen 4 you can change the grip profile with interchangable pieces.
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Going to the range after work tonight with a buddy to try out a few pistols. I know I will be shooting the Glock 17, 21, 22, and a desert eagle (for s***s and giggles). Hopefully the range has a Glock 23 I can rent. I also wanted to ask you experienced glock owners (referring to the 23), what are the differences between the Gen 3 and Gen 4 pistols? From what I've found (youtube primarily) is that there aren't too many major differences between the two. I've seen that the main spring mechanism in the Gen 3 is a single spring, while in the Gen 4 it is a double spring. That was the only major difference I've come across. I read that this adds a little bit (not too much) weight to the Gen 4. I also see that the magazine release on the Gen 4 is a little larger and "easier" to use than the Gen 3. The only other differences I've found are very minor, i.e. a different design pattern on the front of the trigger guard, some sort of serial number inside the slide on the Gen 4 (does not exist on the Gen 3). Anybody have any other differences they know about? Will report back on what I end up shooting tonight.
Going to the range after work tonight with a buddy to try out a few pistols. I know I will be shooting the Glock 17, 21, 22, and a desert eagle (for s***s and giggles). Hopefully the range has a Glock 23 I can rent. I also wanted to ask you experienced glock owners (referring to the 23), what are the differences between the Gen 3 and Gen 4 pistols? From what I've found (youtube primarily) is that there aren't too many major differences between the two. I've seen that the main spring mechanism in the Gen 3 is a single spring, while in the Gen 4 it is a double spring. There is no mainspring in a Glock, you're referring to the recoil spring
That was the only major difference I've come across. I read that this adds a little bit (not too much) weight to the Gen 4. I also see that the magazine release on the Gen 4 is a little larger and "easier" to use than the Gen 3. The only other differences I've found are very minor, i.e. a different design pattern on the front of the trigger guard, some sort of serial number inside the slide on the Gen 4 (does not exist on the Gen 3). Anybody have any other differences they know about? Will report back on what I end up shooting tonight.
The other differences are more aggressive stippling on the grip of the weapon and the back-strap is now interchangeable to better optimize the fit in your hand. If the range you're going to doesn't have a 23, just shoot the 22. The fit in your hand will be identical, there's less than 1/2" difference in the grip length of the pistol. This is negligible between the 22 and 23.
If you were looking at a 27 I would speak a little different because that's about an inch difference between the full size gun and that bothers some people because the pinkie finger has to wrap under the magazine.
__________________ Fishing a 1998 Sunbird Neptune. 09 Evinrude ETEC 225 on the back.
Thanks for the info Sharp Charge, I appriciate it. I am by no means an expert in the mechanics of pistols. I did not know the name of that spring so I just called it the "main spring." I did see that the backstraps are interchangable on the Gen 4. My buddy is bringing the 17, 21, and 22, so I'll definately be able to shoot the 22. Will let you know how it goes
Ended up taking the desert eagle, a Springfield SD40, Glock 22, Kimber Tactical Ultra II 45, and a S&W .357 mag.
I'm really not in the market for a revolver. Shooting the .357 confirmed that. Wasn't a fan of the long trigger pull.
I knew that shooting the Kimber would be a bad idea......loved the gun. I shot the gun extremely well. Fit the hand nice. Smooth trigger pull. Like everything about it except for the price tag.
Still like the Glock. The 22 fit my hand well (I still want to shoot the 23 even though there isn't much of a difference between the two). Didn't like the grip my buddy had on the gun compared to the 23 I held on Saturday. I know this really isn't an issue. I felt that I was quite accurate with the gun. Not a lot of recoil to it. I like the fact the the Glocks are easy to break down.
Definately liked the SD40, especially the smooth, lightweight trigger pull. Really liked how the gun felt/rested on my hand between my thumb and trigger finger. Kinda up in the air on how the rest of the gun fit my hand. I shot the gun quite well again. I will definately be taking the Glock and the SD40 out to the range again.
And what's not to say about the Desert Eagle....gotta love the hand cannon
I've still got more guns to put my hands on and shoot before I make a decision. The Glock and the Springfield are definately at the top of the list right now.
Sounds like a good day at the range. I'm not trying to push you from trying a G 23, but the main difference that you'll notice will be when it's in a holster not in hand. But you should be able to find one at Stonewall or B&T in Lorain.
If you're liking the Springfield XD40, let me know if you're interested in a lightly used one. A friend has one for sale in Parma with a few extra mags and a Galco IWB holster. Shoot me a PM if you want more info.
__________________ Fishing a 1998 Sunbird Neptune. 09 Evinrude ETEC 225 on the back.
I own the Gen4 G19 (same frame size as a G23 chambered in 9mm) and I absolutely love the gun. If you are a decent shooter, chances are you can pick up a Glock and shoot it well. The G22 is a little more accurate due to the barrel length, but in terms of overall performance, the G23 is tough to beat. I traded in my Springfield XD9 because I did not shoot it well.
Trying different is what i did as well.....but somehow still have 5 different carry pistols and 12 holsters....right now the glock 30 with a crossbreed supertuck or a smart carry waistband has been my go to for over a year now..gotta love a accurate soft shooting 10 + 1 .45
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Trying different is what i did as well.....but somehow still have 5 different carry pistols and 12 holsters....right now the glock 30 with a crossbreed supertuck or a smart carry waistband has been my go to for over a year now..gotta love a accurate soft shooting 10 + 1 .45
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Haha, I stopped counting. lol
__________________ Fishing a 1998 Sunbird Neptune. 09 Evinrude ETEC 225 on the back.
Several years ago I was deciding between the Glock 22 and Springfield XD 40. I really wanted the Glock but bought the Springfield mainly because of price. The gun shot fine, was built really well, but I was just never accurate with it. Shot other handguns without any problems. I recently sold it and got a Glock 22 and love it. Very accurate. I think the grip on the Springfield was just not right for me. Get what you shoot the best.
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Made it out to the range again the other day. Put a couple boxes through the xd40 and the g23. I'm leaning towards the g23. I seem to be a bit more accurate with it. For whatever reason, I was consistantly shooting high left with the xd40. Still plan on shooting a few more guns before I make my decision.
I have a 17 and a 22 simply because they fit my hand better, have had them to the range and have had no issues with them so far. Got a excellent deal on the 22 as a guy traded it into a local shop and it looked to be unfired, stripped it looked at the barrel etc and it showed no signs of use at all and got it for $425 as the shop still had to sell it as used, only thing I didnt get was the warranty card.
Well, I am now a proud member of the Glock family. I ended up getting the Gen 3 G23 yesterday. I spoke with a few guys from a few different gun stores and I decided I better jump on it now before I cannot find one/ prices go through the roof. I heard that Glock and Ruger are a million guns on backorder and they aren't taking anymore orders until they catch up. I was also told by several local stores, that what they have is what they got. They said they do not know when they will be getting more of just about anything. Spoke with 5 different stores and they did not have any G23's in stock. Luckly for me the one store that had the gun was the one with the cheapest price that I had found and I was fortunate enough to get the last one. If you are in the market for a gun, I would buy now!!!!
Can't wait to get out and shoot MY Glock for the first time!!!!