Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Glock 21 accuracy expectations

Assuming an unmodified Glock 21 .45 ACP and a decent shot with factory ammo, what sort of 25 yard groups should one expect?

Reason for asking is that a friend of mine's son has asked for one for his upcoming birthday and he (the father) is asking me some questions about it. The son wants something that will go bang every time when carried under less than clean conditions - backpacking mostly - so a Glock is certainly good for that but I've never owned one so can't realistically give him an idea of what sort of accuracy level to expect on targets.

Jim,

My experience with Glocks has been they will hang accuracy wise with most any other semi. I have found that how the firearm fits the shooter and shooter skill have much more to do with actual results than mechanical accuracy of the weapon. By that I mean just because it shoots well from a ransom rest or a solid rest on a bench does not mean it will give great results in the field. If I was choosing between a Glock, Sig, H&K, S&W etc... I would consider how it fit me much more than its absolute accuracy potential. In reality they will all show more accuracy potential than most can make use of.

-Z

Mine shoots pretty good. At 15 yards it will chew up a 2" hole in a target.

I shoot it standing unsupported. From a rest or something it would do better. The pistol itself seems capable of very good accuracy.

In my experience the Glock 21 is considerably more accurate than the other caliber Glocks (9, 40, 357, 10mm, etc) and can hold it's own with a decent 1911.

It's popular to replace Glock barrels with something aftermarket, but don't fall for it, the factory Glock 21 barrel is better than most aftermarket options.

I'm basing this on a couple of hundred different Glock 21's, not a sample of one or two;

Accuracy is about as good as any other service grade pistol in that caliber .... 2.5" or so at 25 yards with commonly used factory loads.

Obviously, if you find something the gun likes it may do better.

I've got a Colt Series 70, Mk.4, and a Kimber Stainless Custom 1911 that will both shoot 1.5 inch groups at 25 yds. for five shots. The Kimber will do it with several loads. Neither gun has had any accuracy work done.
I've also got a 1006 Smith that will do 1.75 inches at 25 for five.
Never have I seen any Glock do better than 2.5 inches at that range. Three to 3.5 inch groups seem to be the norm. E

No offense to your friend or his son, but offhand the Glock is likely going to be capable of better accuracy that he (or most any shooter) is.

If you'd seen him shoot you'd know he would take no offense at all. He's a lousy shot with a .45 to put it mildly. He has a very nice stainless Kimber Target Model and he jerks the trigger every time. However, he says his son is a "lot better" than him but never having seen the son shoot I don't know how much "a lot" is.

Anyway, thanks to all for the replies. I just wasn't sure if the mechanical accuracy was in the 2" range or the 4" range but it sounds like the 21 will be just what his son is looking for.

Jim, why don't you go with the son to Impact Guns and rent a Glock 21. He can shoot it there and determine if it is the right pistol for him. Also you'll know if he can shoot a Glock .45 ACP accurately.

Just a thought.

L.W.

I often carry a G20 when hiking and it shoots markedly better than my high-volume G17. I would say it shoots as well as any Kimber/Colt I have shot, but it requires more work and concentration from me to wring out the accuracy from it because of the difference in the Glock/1911 trigger. If the G21 shoots as well as the 20 it is GTG.

You can also get a drop in barrel to convert the 20 to .40 S&W so he can carry the 10mm in the woods and shoot volume with the cheaper 40. No other parts are needed. I am just throwing that out there because the 10 is probably a bit better in the woods than the .45, depending on purpose, and he will make up the price of the extra barrel on the savings from shooting .40 over .45 at the range.

I know that my friend and his son go to Impact Guns a few times a year together, that's where he learned his son was a lot better shot. I did raise the concern of grip size, Glocks are bulky to start and the .45 is even bigger around. Neither one of them are big gun folks but just stay current enough to keep their eye in.

Mostly I don't want to get too much in the middle of this and recommend this or that, just acting as kind of an adviser on whether a Glock .45 would "go bang every time and be decently accurate" which is his son's criteria and then help him find the best price on one.

I would say for a 'non gun' person, a G21 is far better than most choices as long as it fits the hand reasonably well.

All of my Glocks will shoot 2.5" or less at 25 yards off of a sandbag, with the correct load.

And my Glock 32 in .357 Sig and my Glock 20 in 10mm will both shoot 1.5" 5-shot groups at 25 yards.

Made he should look at the 41, little longer sight radius.

The Smith/Wesson M&P .45 is very accurate and might fit his hand better. It should fill the role he wants just as well. Just another option...

Is he thinkin' he's gonna be attacked by a hummingbird at 25 yards?

The handgun's gonna be able to hit anything that could seriously **** him up at the distance it'll be when he figures that out.

Adrenaline's a bigger problem than inherent accuracy, for the purposes you describe.

Jim,

This^^^ I would seriously consider the M&P 45 over the glock 21 for fit If looking at the polymer 45's. I've had both (G21, G21 SF & M&P).

As far as Glocks go for field carry I would pick the G20 or G29 over the G21. Unless of course I was a reloader and was going to Super it (which I did).

Gotta disagree with the comment that Glock barrels are as good as aftermarket barrels… of course it would depend on the brand but the KKM I had for a G21 had a lot more chamber support than the factory barrel… and that is why a lot of folks go with an aftermarket barrel (or to shoot lead). Accuracy was also better!

YMMV

Jerry

My understanding of Glocks was that according to Massad Ayoob he thought that Glock had got everything right with the .45ACP's especially in the G30. Which could also be an option.

I have a G30 that has be fitted out with springs, connector, KKM barrel and sights and the darn thing is super accurate. It stays up with a Para 14-45 race gun that I had made a few years ago. Stays up with but does not surpass.

The G21 should be a good choice.

More chamber support has nothing to do with the quality of the barrel, and unless you're pushing 45 Super loads through it, the .45 doesn't need more support than the factory chamber; it will handle near-Super loads without issue. KKM makes better barrels than most other aftermarket outfits, and I like them, but I wouldn't call them "better" than Glock OEM. Shooting lead is just another excuse, the OEM 45 barrels handle lead really well.

Accuracy is not an issue that would concern me...but...

Keeping in mind that the G21 has an overly large grip for most average hands, I agree with the other recommendations here and to just mention to put some rounds downrange with one first and see how it goes.

Over the years I've run into a lot of folks that shoot my g19 or 1911 well that can't manage a g21 or will ever be comfortable with it, so it is not a workable choice for many shooters.

In the glock line-up, I find the G19-23 profile to be a good compromise. I am also confident when comparing the terminal performance of the 40 round relative to the 45...I generally have no issues with hot 9mm as well.

The Barnes all copper bullet raises the bar across all calibers, and tends to neutralize the caliber debate somewhat, but is certainly adequate by any standard of comparison.

Gripwise, G23 or 1911 is usually no problem for most folks.