Glock 26L - New Project

Yeah, that is what I learned. Generally you can't swap out the standard OEM slides from a 17 to a 19, 19 to a 26, etc. It's a shame, really. Then you could REALLY mix and match all you want, without having to develop skill with a Dremel.

I've noticed that the introduction of the Gen 5 has led to a pretty big price drop on the prior generations. Used (e.g., police trade-in) Gen 4's are now going for what the Gen 3's were a few months ago, and used Gen 3's are getting crazily inexpensive. It's got me thinking about another Glock project after I finish the "29L".

I've spent more time on a consistent basis with Glocks this year than ever before. I've shot them for decades, but never really focused hard on improving my skill with them before. So now I've gotten to the point where I can shoot the 26L better, faster and more accurately than any of my beloved revolvers. I've had no malfunctions after thousands of rounds, and in an IWB holster it hides as well as a j-frame.

I've taken it all the way down to pins and springs many times, and it's ridiculously simple and easy to do. I can replace anything in it with a quick order from Midway and 30 minutes.

I'll never give up my beloved revolvers, but if I'm being completely practical, I'm at a point where it makes a heck of a lot more sense to carry a Glock than a wheelgun.

The one thing that's kept my 357's and 44's in the game has been that I feel better with lots of power. Yeah, I know, bullet construction improvement, quick follow ups, blah blah blah, but I'll never feel quite as good with a 9mm as I do with a 357 or bigger. If my 29L experiment turns out as good as my 26L, then I'm looking at 357 mag level power, and I'm pretty sure that the 29L will become my regular carry gun with the 26L relegated to extreme non-permissive environment situations.

I am both happy, and frustrated, all at the same time.

Nice analysis, TJ. Look forward to hearing about your 29L.

Consider going with the 10mm? I've got a 2nd Gen G20 and I like the 10 quite a bit. Especially for the reloader. It has 41 Mag power at the stiffer loadings. Certainly not as snappy as the .357 SIG.

29L eh? Have to keep us updated on that project!

I sure will. Just learned that the frame will be delivered to my FFL today. Got a couple of G29 mags yesterday. Loaded up plenty of 10mm 180 grain ammo so I can test fire it.

Insert diabolical laugh here.

Tennessee Jed wrote: Insert diabolical laugh here.

Saw a post that Tamara Keel (http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/) has done a G29L. You might want to look up her postings. I'd do it, but Firefox is currently sucking some serious @$$ on my machine.  I'm afraid I'm going to have submit to the Googlesphere. Googlehu akbar!

Thanks CF! I looked it up and I am glad to see that at least someone else has done this before.

She really went all out, with a red dot sight and everything.

Tennessee Jed wrote: She really went all out, with a red dot sight and everything.  

That's The Tam, "I'll Keel You!"  She's hard-core and a great read. We used to be friends on Facedbook, until I admitted I liked Alien Gear holsters and was summarily dumped for insufficient gun hipsterism.

I do like her writing, but I'm getting a little weary lately of her entries that talk about yet another 300 rounds of Tula ammo through yet another polymer 9mm. I remember when she used to delve from time to time into revolvers, and other interesting and not-so-common topics.

You know, that brings up a new trend I'm seeing amongst the uber-cool-tactical-doods: bashing hybrid holsters, like your Alien Gear. I don't get it. I listen to what they say, although I have yet to hear a legitimate reason why hybrid holsters are a bad idea.

The closest thing to a legitimate argument I've heard so far is that sometimes the sweat gaurd portion of the holster will fold over, and users will muzzle themselves while re-holstering because they point the gun inboard.

Seems like a super nit-picky item to me, though. If someone has, let's call it "waist overage", that causes the sweat guard to fold-over, they will still have the same issue of something hanging over the lip of ANY iwb holster.

I personally have this "affliction", and I still use hybrid holsters almost exclusively. Yet, when I re-holster, I simply keep the gun straight up and down, I slowly insert the muzzle into the holster mouth, and while inserting the gun I use the side of the barrel push over anything that might be hanging into the lip of the holster while keeping the gun straight up and down. I'm not muzzling anything and this is accomplished safely and effectively long before the trigger gets anywhere near the mouth of the holster.

Frankly, I think the gun hipsters are just pissed because the masses have discovered a very comfortable and effective way to conceal their handguns that aren't the horribly uncomfortable AIWB method they all require to be a member of the cool-kids-club.

?Remember the forum we left, with the know-it-all dip. Kind of reminds me of the person you describe, TJ. Seems to be a fair number of know-it-all's about. Maybe we should rename them KIA's. It seems appropriate - both for the Killed In Action concept and for the Korean car namesake. (BTW, who in his right mind calls a car "Killed in Action.)

On a side note, I would think 10mm to be a bit too powerful for the street. And I don't find the .357 Sig I carry to be snappy; it just shoots like a Sig. In some ways it's easier to shoot than the .40.

I remember a couple of know it all's from there. Can't say I miss them.

I don't disagree with you, full-house 10mm's could be a bit much. The 10mm load I usually carry is a bit sedate, and closer to 40 S&W than full-house 10mm: Hornady Custom 180 grain XTP at around 1120 - 1150 fps. The same weight in a 40 usually runs around 1000 fps.

However, I've got a 40 S&W conversion barrel ready to go in case this grip reduction doesn't give me enough control. That conversion barrel has worked very very well. Never had any malfunctions, even when shooting plain jane 40 S&W ammo at IDPA matches. And shooting 40 S&W out of a Glock 20 is a whole lot like shooting 38 specials in a large 357 mag revolver.