Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Glock 21 Gen 5. w/ RDO

Friends,



Those who are long time Campfire readers and participants are likely to know that I have been an advocate of the Glock 21 .45 ACP for many years, having a couple decades worth of experience with them. I have used the G21 Gen 3 as a duty, competition, hunting and large animal defense gun. To be honest I really did not pay much attention to the Gen 4s when they came out. However I did pick up a Gen 5 G 20, and it had some very interesting upgrades. Enough so that it piqued my interest about perhaps getting my hands on a Gen 5 G21. Plus I had heard a few people make some comments about the Gen 5 G21 being super accurate. Honestly I was curious about this, as I knew from shooting the Gen 3 that the G21.3 is extremely accurate. Far more than most really realize.

Skipping right to it, I finally got my hands on a G21 Gen 5. It definitely was going to need an RDO to eek out top accuracy performance. So it was topped with a C&H Precision Duty, closed emitter RDO.





Our weather here has been not so hot (literally). But after getting the sight mounted I could not stand not shooting it. Schools were shut down due to blizzard warnings, and kids were driving me nuts so it was a good day to take a mental health break and go to the range, even if it was snowing, the wind was blowing and the temps were in the single digits!

I did have to do a little shovel work first..



But morning found me at the range and surprisingly there were no other vehicle tracks going in!



The wind was blowing a LOT more out of town! But I paced off 20 yards, set up a target and decided to see how close I would be on a USPSA target. I was just shooting over my tailgate with a couple of sandbags. I did not have much desire to drag everything out, as it was brisk out..

Not exactly a fancy setup and the wind was blowing hard enough that it was covering my gear and rocking my target a little.




The first 5 shots over the bags with cold hands/stinging fingers and I had a pretty good idea that this was something to pay attention to.



I went back and made an adjustment, to move the point of impact up. Fired another 5 rounds.

Actually, before I fired the next 5 rounds, I literally did 10 jumping jack and stuck my fingers in my armpits for a minute as they were fairly cold, and I needed to warm them up enough to feel the trigger better.



Yep,

This gun shoots.


BTW, the big window on RDO was very nice. It is one of those things where you instantly know it is the right choice.

I had some old 200 grain LSWCs and put 10 in a mag, just to see how they would group.

They were not bad, but I could tell I was not going to do my best work, as my hands were already getting really cold, but here is the group with those:



I shot 2 mags of my heavy 250+Ps at a relatively quick pace, at part of the backstop, just to confirm function. Ran great, not a real surprise there.

I have been a LONG time advocate of the G21.3 but I can tell already that the Gen 5 is going to cause my old Gen 3 to be put into backup, status.

Quite impressed so far.

There will definitely be more to report with this gun. But I knew I was not going to give it a fair shake due to degraded human performance caused by environmental factors.

I traded my gen 3 for a red hawk, sure miss my 21, thanks for update!

What's the capacity?


I like glocks now.

I wish they'd come out with a 48 concept .45 or 10mm.

Damn good shooting Mackay!
What does that RDO cost? Never heard of it, but the only RDO I’ve owned and have is a Trijicon RMR on one of my AR pistols.


I’ve been thinking about upgrading my old Glock 20 to one of the Gen 5 models, with maybe a RDO.
My eyes are starting to “get old”. 😬

Jim,

It is 13+1. You can get extra capacity base plate if you want to boost up your reload. I have a couple of mags that have +4 base plates, so they are 17 rounders.


Here is a pic of my Gen 3 with a 17 rounder in it, 18 rounds of .45 makes for pretty good bear (or anything else) medicine!

Nice!


Years ago I bought a Springfield XD in 45.


I think it holds 13 as well.

They are about $325. For a closed emitter like this, it is a very nice optic. Huge window, solid easy adjustments. I actually can't speak much on adjustments, as I literally made a single adjustment and was dead nuts on. Nice optic, thinking it won't be my last.

New gun, freezing cold weather, snow-covered range….yeah, I feel your pain. Brings back memories of the same kind of activities when I lived up on the Canadian border. Made me appreciate SC where I can shoot in (relative) comfort year round.

I actually LIKE winter. Hate the heat.

Besides, today was not really that cold. I was just texting a friend over in Glasgow, in eastern MT. It's getting chilly there. 24 below right now and going to get down to 34 below tonight. That does not take into account the wind..

Nice shooting. What kind of velocity do you get out of your 250 grain +P loads? For me 9mm is a two legged self defense cartridge but a hot .45 ACP hardcast bullet makes a lot of sense for a do everything pistol.

Thanks! I’ll check them out.

Nice shooting! Funny thing is I just saw Gen5 today at the LGS and that was the first i knew they even produced a G5 version on the 21. I have a Gen3 version that shoots quite well so I may have to take a harder look at the G5, as I have been doing alot more shooting with optic equipped handguns. Also can vouch for the quality and accuracy of your 250+P loads out of the several platforms I have used them in.

I’ve been ready to pull the trigger on a USP45 but lack of RDO option held me up so keep going back to the 21 but the accepted accuracy edge of the Hk over a Glock has had me stalled. Think you pushed me over the edge to buy another Glock.

Out of a 5" 1911, they do 925 FPS.
I have not clocked them out of this shorter Gen 5 barrel.

I can tell you that in gel they penetrate in FEET, not inches. Much like the old .45 Colt load the Army issued that was a 255 grain .45 slug at 855-900 and designed to kill both horse and rider. The concept of a large, heavy bullet at moderate speed has been working for well over a century. Worked then, works now. Now we just have the ability to carry them in a higher capacity platform that recoils less.

My FNX 45 Tactical is one of my favorite pistols. That loading sounds about tailor made for it.

Picked up a 21, Gen 5, used, at my local SW a month ago. Shot it for the 2nd time today. 20 below in Fbks today.
I will see if I can find that brand of rdo to check out.

Buy some of Mackay's +p ammo and give it a try. My money is on you not being disappointed!

MS:

Just wondering, but if you were to venture forth into brown bear country whether you would pack your Glock 20 (10MM) or 21 (45ACP). Assume your top-shelf loads in either. I believe you have both, but which one has the edge IYO?

Thanks, in advance.