Previously we discussed the merits of a rimfire rifle. Moving on in the gun world, a full sized semi auto pistol should be a priority. It is important because a pistol is both the hardest to master and the most likely to be in arms reach should you need a firearm for defense.
About 10 years ago I sold all my pistols and wanted to start over. My idea was to buy two pistols that shared the same ammo. I decided on 9mm, which will invariably be another post, for several reasons.
My idea behind just buying two guns is a theme that will play out for the rest of this series on building a gun collection that makes sense. For each category of firearm, buy one large and one small. In the world of semi automatic handguns, I wanted one pistol for concealed carry and one that covered everything else that one would need a pistol for.
The subject of this article deals with the latter. I attempted to remove all bias and research what would be the one pistol I would want for home defense, competition, fun at the range, and to survive an all out zombie armageddon.
I wanted reliability, accuracy, a threaded barrel, ability to take high capacity magazines, availability of aftermarket upgrades, and a pistol suitable for IPSC, IDPA, and 3 gun would be a plus. After much debate I settled on the Glock 34 gen 4.
Starting at the front, I changed the barrel to a threaded Lone Wolf for suppressor use. The front and rear sights were swapped for the Warren tactical Sevigny series with the front being a red fiber optic rod. The rear notch is matte black with a wide notch to allow the shooter faster acquisition of the front post. I wrapped the grip in skateboard tape from talon grips. Using a dremel I created a larger undercut where the trigger guard meets the grip. This gives me a slightly higher grip improving recoil control.
As I mentioned before, I am a bit of a trigger snob and this lead to a lot of problems. I thought I could change every spring and the entire trigger mechanism and everything would be ok. $300 something dollars later I had a full compliment of Zev trigger parts and a gun that would not eject cases, had light primer strikes, and the trigger would randomly not reset. Solving each of those problems to the point that I trusted the gun to work flawlessly with its short 3.5 lb trigger pull took years. The trigger does feel nice compared to stock, but is it by no means worth what I went through to get there. Any future Glock I own will get a $13 connector and nothing else will be touched internally.
With the rail under the barrel I can attach a Streamlight 800 lumen flashlight, and I purchased a 33 round "fun stick" magazine just because I could.
This model is great for everything I would need a pistol for short of concealed carry. It has roughly the same demensions as a 1911 while weighing a pound less. With its low bore axis, a relatively long 5.3 inch barrel, and the sandpapered grip which is smaller grip compared to its gen 3 brethren, this pistol is extremely easy to keep on target even when pouring lead into your target.
Another benefit is that it accepts inexpensive and readily available Glock 17 magazines. This compatibility extends to most open ended Glock 17 holsters as well.
My only regret, aside from the trigger, is that the MOS version was not available when I bought mine. The debate on the viability of dot optics on a pistol will be for another post, but just having the option is worth the small difference in price.
In conclusion, some gun enthusiasts enjoy acquiring dozens of pistols in every caliber, but there is something to be said for buying one gun that covers all bases. I feel that one is better served spending money on ammo, training, and repetition on one trigger, than chasing the next best handgun.
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