Range Report Glock 23 (IDPA match)

[The Rabbi]

So this morning the weather looked lousy and I didnt think I'd go to Brush Creek for the club match. But lo and behold it cleared up nicely. Since I hadnt expected to go, I wound up at the shop without my equipment. When I made the decision I looked around to see what I had to compete with and the likeliest candidate was a Gen3 Glock 23 in .40

Now, I have to say, that although Fitty Sen, Too Short, and other rappers talk about the Glock Foty, I am the only one on this forum, that I know of, professional enough to handle that----OUCH!

Anyway, I have never shot the 23 before. I was using a Predator holster from the shop, an inside the waistband job with an outside attachment for a Blackberry. It worked OK when I got it situated. The gun felt kind of bulky in there. I'm sort of a fat guy so I wouldnt recommend the 23 for IWB carry.

It came out of the holster OK. Sights were the standard variety so acquistion was pretty quick. The big downside I found was the recoil, which was way too much. Follow up shots were hard to make. I didnt really notice the trigger, so I guess that was good. The gun seemed like a great candidate for the spray n' pray style of shooting, thus of immediate interest to LE departments.

I did fine in the competition, with a zero down stage, a one down stage, and a 3 down stage after the initial getting used to the gun thing. It functioned perfectly with ball, hollow point, and Blazer aluminum cased ammo, something in the same magazine. I found the mag release didnt fit my hand too well and I had to cant my hand around to reach it properly. That of course is an individual thing.

Overall, while I admire the 19 (the 9mm version) quite a bit and would probably carry one, I don't see a lot of upside the .40. But YMMV.

In all, the Glock would be tremendously improved by the addition of a circular magazine that would flip out from the frame.

[deerslayer]

The big downside I found was the recoil, which was way too much. Follow up shots were hard to make.

I started out in IDPA with a Glock 23, and did not have the same problems you mention here. I have a 19 and a 23, and find little (but some) difference between the two with WWB.

[Guest price g]

A forty has a advantage over a nine, in that it can be down loaded substantially and still make the power factor. I use Atlantia Arms ammo for my .40. 180gr. down loaded to minor velocity. It is softer than factory 115gr nine.

[molonlabetn]

^^^^

Even so, you lose 2rd mag capacity... and you aren't practising with recoil which you would expect in a SD situation.

I see tremendous value in practising with a 23, with equivalent loads, if a 23 is what you carry.

[DWARREN123]

I use factory 40 in my G23. Recoil does not seem to bother me. I do carry IWB using a crossdraw posiion.

The GLOCK fits me well but I don't love it, it is my utility handgun.

[et45]

Recoil is a subjective thing.Some people like the sharp snap others like a firm push.Find what works for you.I also shot my first match with a Glock 23.It had night sights on it and the sun reflecting off the glass vials made aiming a challenge.I switched to a Glock 21 with Heines for the next match and stayed with it for about 3 years.

[Guest canynracer]

WAIT....hold the phone...

there is a HOLSTER that holds a BlackBerry????????????

where oh WHERE is this???

[Guest price g]

^^^^

Even so, you lose 2rd mag capacity... and you aren't practising with recoil which you would expect in a SD situation.

I see tremendous value in practising with a 23, with equivalent loads, if a 23 is what you carry.

I hit the paper very well, thank you:) p.s. my carry is a g33 with 125gr Federal hp, thats recoil for you

[deerslayer]

^^^^

Even so, you lose 2rd mag capacity... and you aren't practising with recoil which you would expect in a SD situation.

I see tremendous value in practising with a 23, with equivalent loads, if a 23 is what you carry.

LOL, you must not shoot competitively. Many gamers don't give a rodent's rump about whether or not a load is similar to carry ammo.

[The Rabbi]

WAIT....hold the phone...

there is a HOLSTER that holds a BlackBerry????????????

where oh WHERE is this???

Pretty cool holster. IWB with outside pouch for the blackberry or a version for a cell phone. Company out of Gun Barrel TX. I couldnt make that up if I tried.

[cadillacdude1975]

I hit the paper very well, thank you:) p.s. my carry is a g33 with 125gr Federal hp, thats recoil for you

amen to that. i carry the same pistol, but i use the Speer 124g JHPs. this puppy is a mini bazooka.

[Bigiron]

I'm quite pleased with the handling of my G23. When first shooting it, I was pleasantly surprised with the lack of recoil.

[molonlabetn]

LOL, you must not shoot competitively. Many gamers don't give a rodent's rump about whether or not a load is similar to carry ammo.

The point was that it doesn't make much sense in terms of gaming or carry to handicap your magazine capacity by using a larger caliber, and at the same time use reduced power loads in order to replicate a smaller caliber which it would have made more sense to simply use in the first place, and have higher capacity. If you're playing with the fine-line between minor and major power-factor, I could see some potential benefit... but PF is directly proportional to the recoil impulse in a given gun. So a 125pf 9mm in a G19 and a 125pf .40 in a G23 will exert the same net force on the shooter if the slide mass and recoil spring are similar (which they are). Combination of bullet weight and velocity makes no difference if their product is identical. The pressure curve might be very slightly different, maybe even enough to feel... but changing recoil spring weight will make a more dramatic difference than that. Certainly not gains which would make an extra mag-change worthwhile.

I'm no pro or anything, but I know enough to realize in my own case that it made more sense to buy an XD-9 with 20rd mags for gaming than use reduced-recoil loads in my XD-357, and only have 12rd. If I were to use the XD-357 again to run through the stages... the only logical reason to do that is to get the feel of full-power loads, which is certainly an ability worth honing as well, as several have noted they do just fine.

But, if it makes sense to a 'gamer' to handicap both their magazine capacity and ammunition instead of using a smaller caliber, just in terms of minor PF, that's fine... My lack of competitive shooting experience surely renders physics and practical apportionment of ammo to be moot.

If the reason is simply to use the same gun for multiple purposes... that's fine too. No other justification is needed.

[et45]

Mag capacity is not an issue,IDPA limits mags to 10 rds in ESP and SSP which are the only two divisions you can shoot a Glock 19 or 23.

[molonlabetn]

Mag capacity is not an issue,IDPA limits mags to 10 rds in ESP and SSP which are the only two divisions you can shoot a Glock 19 or 23.

That's a good point which I had not considered. That for sure is another reason to prefer IPSC.

[deerslayer]

That's a good point which I had not considered. That for sure is another reason to prefer IPSC.

I strongly prefer IDPA, but I won't get into why. I'm with you on the goofballs downloading their .40s--doesn't make that much sense to me, either, unless they started with a .40 gun and don't want to buy a new one. Like et said, capacity is not an issue in IDPA.

In competition, I usually shoot WWB, which feels exactly the same as my carry ammo, whether 9mm or .40. I'm not the typical IDPA "gamer"; I shoot a compact with a leather thumb-break holster, instead of a 5" gun in a kydex rig. Sometimes, especially in hot weather, I'll even compete with the gun concealed under an untucked polo-type shirt (my preferred warm weather carry method). Any when I'm really feeling wacky, I'll use the 27 under an untucked shirt. Talk about being handicapped!

[Urse]

The Glock 23 is one of 4 guns I rotate as primary carry weapon. It fits my hand naturally and the low bore axis makes it handle quite well for me. I prefer to use my Glock 34 for gun games.

[et45]

I strongly prefer IDPA, but I won't get into why. I'm with you on the goofballs downloading their .40s--doesn't make that much sense to me, either, unless they started with a .40 gun and don't want to buy a new one. Like et said, capacity is not an issue in IDPA.

In competition, I usually shoot WWB, which feels exactly the same as my carry ammo, whether 9mm or .40. I'm not the typical IDPA "gamer"; I shoot a compact with a leather thumb-break holster, instead of a 5" gun in a kydex rig. Sometimes, especially in hot weather, I'll even compete with the gun concealed under an untucked polo-type shirt (my preferred warm weather carry method). Any when I'm really feeling wacky, I'll use the 27 under an untucked shirt. Talk about being handicapped!

There is a guy around here that carries and competes with a G34 in an IWB holster under an untucked shirt and does quite well with that set up.More often than not he will win his class and be second or third overall or sometimes take the top spot outright.

[gunsablazin]

I do not shoot IDPA to practice gunfighting, I shoot it because I enjoy the game, and I like it when I win one every now and then. I don't know why, but a .40 downloaded to near 130,000 pf or so has less felt recoil than a 9mm in the same gun type, ie. glock 34 compared to the 35. I don't compete in that class yet, but when I do I'm using a G-35 with light loads. The first time I fired that combo I asked the owner of the pistol when Glock started making a .22, really extremely light recoil. The light .40 is the "gamers" gun of choice right now, shoot one and you'll see why. I'm not knocking the people who shoot IDPA to practice their defensive pistol skills, everyone has their own reasons for shooting. My name is Robin, and I am a gamer.

[Urse]

I do not shoot IDPA to practice gunfighting, I shoot it because I enjoy the game, and I like it when I win one every now and then. I don't know why, but a .40 downloaded to near 130,000 pf or so has less felt recoil than a 9mm in the same gun type, ie. glock 34 compared to the 35. I don't compete in that class yet, but when I do I'm using a G-35 with light loads. The first time I fired that combo I asked the owner of the pistol when Glock started making a .22, really extremely light recoil. The light .40 is the "gamers" gun of choice right now, shoot one and you'll see why. I'm not knocking the people who shoot IDPA to practice their defensive pistol skills, everyone has their own reasons for shooting. My name is Robin, and I am a gamer.

To each their own. Party on!

[Guest price g]

That's a good point which I had not considered. That for sure is another reason to prefer IPSC.

One day I would like to try an IPSC match, till then IDPA and 3-gun.

[deerslayer]

There is a guy around here that carries and competes with a G34 in an IWB holster under an untucked shirt and does quite well with that set up.More often than not he will win his class and be second or third overall or sometimes take the top spot outright.

I know a guy who also carries and competes w/ a G34 in an IWB holster, and he's not a very big guy. I can't ever see carrying that gun IWB, but to each his own. I have trouble hiding anything bigger than a Glock 19/23, but I rarely use an IWB holster.