Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Tell me about Glock 10mm

I'm curious about the 2 Glock 10mm, the G40 and G20. I've shot a couple Glocks but thought the triggers kind of sucked. But they seem to be close to indestructible.

I bought a RIA 10mm this summer thinking the extra heft of an all steel 1911 frame would tame the beast. I found it very comfortable to shoot with Buffalo Bore 220s. Which leads me to investigate the Glock - holds twice as many and weighs a couple ounces less fully loaded.

Will the polymer Glock handle consistent use of Buffalo Bore/Underwood 200/220 hard cast?

Any weirdness to Glocks I should know about?

Anything else - like feeding issues with the Buffalo Bore/Underwood ammo?

Thanks.

The Buffalo Bore 220 hard cast load feeds flawlessly in my Glock 20. Very accurate in it too. My other go to load for it is a 200 gr Hornady XTP HP over a max load of AA-9. No light loads ever in mine. Some say it needs a heavier recoil spring. But mine runs just fine with the Factory supplied one.
Only mods to mine are a Ghost 3.5 lb trigger connector and night sights.

It’s my go to gun for bow hunting in the lower 48 in bear country and while rifle hunting too.
15 +1 rounds of the Buffalo Bore load give me that “warm fuzzy” felling. 🤠

Good info. Based on a sample of 3, I'd bet I do something with the trigger if I go that route.

The only purpose for this gun is plinking and meat getting/carry in bear country. I'm curious on the 6" G40.

Had one of the G40’s for a while. I much preferred the size and weight of the G20 for packing as a sidearm in the woods.

Thanks for the info. My RIA has a 5" barrel and I have a Commander length 45 ACP. Both carry well enough.

Was the trigger a drop in unit or did you have a smith do it?

No worries. You can’t go wrong,IMO.

The guys with the G40’s will chime in.

I did it. I only replaced the trigger connector. Only takes about 3 minutes

Thank you for the info!

I put a set of meprolight adjustable on mine, it also has a heavier trigger spring which reduces the trigger pull. I am pleased with the gun, 180 grain XTP’s over 13.7 grains of AA#9 is a good load. I believe you can go to 14.5 but this seems fairly brisk and is reasonably accurate. I want to improve the trigger pull some more.

Yup. Nobody buys a Glock because they like the trigger; you buy them despite the trigger, because of their other advantages. A factory "-" (minus) connector and an extra power trigger spring are easy improvements to the trigger.

Yes, they'll handle a steady diet of Underwood and Buffalo Bore. Handloads at that same level are pretty much all mine ever shoot, and have been doing that since the gen 3 SF frame was pretty new so it's been a while.

They are not the easiest guns to shoot well, but if you can master the trigger you'll find them durable, reliable, and reasonably accurate with powerful 10mm loads. And if you need to, they'll safely run 40 S&W ammo right out of the box with no alterations; most other 10mm pistols are not safe to do that.

And if someone wanted they can pick up one of the conversion barrels for 40 SW for ~$145.

I'm headed to the local gun range today to try out a few Glock models to evaluate the trigger situation. I dont need a target gun. I'd be happy with 2" groups at 10 yards.

I have a G40 with red dot.....extremely accurate with Sig ammo. I use for hunting with Diamond D chest holster.

I have a G20 and G29. They shoot the hotter Buffalo Bore and Double Tap loads with ease. Recoil even with those hot loads is softer than standard 45 ACP hardball from a 1911. The wide backstrap, Glock grip angle combined with the plastic frame really tame recoil.

I don't find the trigger to be that bad. It is a crisp 5-6 lb trigger, exactly the same as most out of the box 1911's. Yea, you can work on a 1911 trigger, or buy one of the target models with a better trigger. I can make kill shots at 50 yards on a human silhouette target with either of mine. Good enough.

You can buy a 40 conversion barrel if you want, but I shoot 40 S&W ammo through mine as is. They function just fine and I don't give up any accuracy. But I can buy cheap FMJ ammo in 40 or 10mm for exactly the same price ($14/50) rounds so I rarely do so. But it is nice to know I can if necessary.

I hit a pig at 44 yards with a stock model 20. Drew blood, but could not find it.

I LIKE 10mm, a lot. Tried a G20 early on, first magazine of factory loads fired experienced a case rupture that burned my palm, cracked the grip, mangled the magazine. Got rid of the Glock - don't think it had enough case support - although I did switch to a longer Glock barrel which gave me no problems. Still, I have two EAA 10mm's I like a lot, also a Kimber 10mm 1911 an an RIA 1911.

Mike Holmes

Mike - tell me about the EAAs. I looked at them as well and really liked the SS versions.

Even with the horrid trigger 5 180 XTPs touching st 10 yards is easily do-able. The G20 has become a favorite of mine. However unless you reload you cannot get the most out of the pistol I thought about the witness as well, parts availability and just durability of the Glock moved me in that direction

Glocks have been around for nearly forty years now and their design is well proven. The G20 loaded with 200-220gr hardcast is now probably the number one gun found in the holsters of guys outdoors in "bear country". It is the perfect combination of effective caliber, controllability, weight, magazine capacity, weather/rust resistance and ABSOLUTE reliability in a $500 package. The 40 is heavier and probably best considered in the role of a primary hunting gun, especially when a red dot is mounted. If you are just looking for something that can be grabbed and fired in an emergency you can do no better! The 1911 10mm's are nice but I do not want to have to think about releasing a safety when trouble is a split second away. Good luck.

The Glock 20 sells like hotcakes in Alaska, mainly to sport fishermen.

You bring some good points to the table.

My plan was to go shoot several Glocks today - but my local gunshop started closing on Sundays a few weeks back.........................Guess I'll go next week.

I'd be skippy happy with a 2" group regardless of the trigger.

I find I can slow fire about any trigger somewhat effectively, my 45 colt is creepy and needs fixed one of these days. I tend to shoot a good trigger better with point and shoot situational practice.

I like the 40 and I carry it most days.

Everybody knows I have a gun anyway.

In the old days, hearing anyone say they had the Glock 40 was a sure sign that he didn't know what he was talking about, since what he meant was that he had a Glock 22, 23, or 27, not 40. That was before there actually came to be a Glock Model 40.

Got into 10mm three and a half years ago. So far have owned (in order of purchase):

Glock 40
RIA Combat Commader
PARA USA Elite LS Hunter (now the Remington Hunter)
Glock 20
Glock 29
Kimber Stainless Target II
Ruger GP-100 MC

Glock 40: Great low recoiling gun. Accurate but not as accurate as the 1911s. 100% reliable. Added TruGlo TFO tritium/FO sights and a LW .357 SIG barrel which is a joy to shoot. Also a LW stainless steel guiderod and HD spring. Trigger is stock...is ok but not as nice as the one on my 19 which is also stock.

RIA: Shoots WAY better than the $500 I paid for it. Just as accurate as the 1911s costing 2-3 times as much. 100% reliable. Great sight, nicely braking trigger but throws brass 40+ miles...

PARA: Great shooting gun, very accurate and easy to shoot.

Glock 20: Everyone's darling but mine...just beat my hand to death, especially my trigger finger...after five rounds I would be flinching... Sold it to one of my best friends who is a Glock person and he just loves it...

Gloock 29: Kicked worse than the 20...it also went down the road.

Kimber STT: Wonderful shooter that I made into a muliti-caliber gun with extra barrels and slides. When my eyes are up to it have no problem hitting an 8" gong at 100 yards...

Ruger: Would have made a great LE weapon "back in the day". Will also run .40 S&W but usually a thicker aftermarket clip is required...love mine... Looking for a 3" WC Model now...

If you like 1911 triggers, the Glock is a whole different animal....

Bob

Glock fowty problem solver is actually a high point

Great info. After sixty some years shooting everything I could buy, borrow or trade for, a guy came in to the shop with a 20 and he needed money. Unfired but with only one mag. Box, papers, goldish lube still on the rails. Vgave him $250. Have accumulated some brass, hp bullets and dies and a box of Magtech fmj for practice. Next week, devirgination.

Please let us know how it shoots and your impressions.

I saw that. Thanks for posting.

I carry a G40 in a cross draw belt holster. Hornady factory 180 grain SP. changed the trigger, mounted a Trijivon RMR dot sight. It exceeds expectations.

Glock 40 MOS with RMR and Trijicon suppressor sights to co-witness the RMR. I find it much easier to find the red dot this way. My smith is a trained Glock armorer and I got him to do a trigger job. Not 1911 quality, but not bad for a Glock.

Another buddy is a range officer with lots of experience. He says to put the first joint of the trigger finger on the Glock trigger, not use the finger tip as with a 1911. This Gen 4 Glock has a smaller grip, easier to reach around far enough to position the trigger finger as noted. It does seem to work.

This one has a 7" KKM barrel, which is a drop in fit. The two clip Man Gear Alaska holster has enough room to cover the 7" barrel. I found one on Ebay for $46 plus $10 shipping from CDNN, and in the extra cost tan color. Here is the Man Gear Alaska link.

https://mangearalaska.com/gen-2-mtu-semi-auto-holster-mos-accommodation/

DF

I'm not Mike, but I've got an EAA Witness Hunter 10mm with the 6" barrel. It is a really well made pistol and the trigger is great. It's a shooter too, one hole accuracy at 25yds, and that excellent grip shape really soaks up the recoil. It's been a while since I held one so maybe the later ones are different, but I've never held a Glock that felt good in my hand. The triggers were atrocious too.

damn I have to rent one of those somewhere! One hole accuracy at 25 yards! That's amazing!!!

Also what ammunition where you using? Reloads, factory, bullet weight?? One hole group at 25 yards! How many rounds in the group you shot??

I really like both my EAA's. One is stainless, the other blued. Probably prefer them to my 2 1911's in 10mm (although I really like them also). I need a chance to shoot them more, been seeing lots of hogs on my place, so I hope to get busy on them.

The EAA is a solid pistol, and feels that way. With a powerful handgun, I like heft!

Mie

Thank you!

Mike do you get one hole groups as well?

I had a couple EAA 10mm pistols during my search for a good 10mm. They worked, but the platform is not as good for heavy 10mm loads as a 1911 or Glock 20/40 in my experience. The EAA Witness series feel like heavy guns, but the slides are actually pretty light weight and use the same basic format for light 9mm all the way up to hot 10mm. That's great for a 9mm target pistol producing 250-300 ft-lb, the light slides translate to minimal muzzle flip and fast shooting, but not so good for heavy 10mm doing 800-900 ft-lb over the long term. In the two I had, as I worked up loads to the hotter end of the 10mm spectrum accuracy tended to degrade (sometimes wildly) and reliability suffered because of excessive slide speed. With weak "FBI load" factory 10mm ammo they were fine, but there's no point in a 10mm if that's what you want to shoot.

If I were to do another EAA 10mm, it would have to be the 6" Hunter model for the longer barrel and heavier slide.

My standard steel frame models in both 10mm and .45 were decent shooters but were definitely not "one hole at 25 yards". The two I had in 45 were definitely more accurate than the 10mm versions. The Stock II competition model I have now (9mm) is very accurate, but I still wouldn't claim "one hole" even with that one. These can be good shooters, but I wouldn't expect any of the standard models to be exceptionally better than other common 10mm pistols.

Yondering for the glock 20 what have you done if anything to your triggers?

I'd have to look up the load data but I think it was a mid-range load of Longshot or AA9 with 170gr Lee cast bullets. The hole is about the size of a quarter, five shots, all touching, 25yds, benched, iron sights. Not every group, but enough to be convincing. With 180 XTP it shoots nearly as well and seems to want to keep up with my Super Blackhawk 44 mag which is an honest 4" gun at 100yds with a 4x scope mounted. I need to get an optic on the Witness to wring the most out of it but I really don't plan on using it past 50yds.

I don't have another 10mm to directly compare it to but slide speed is up there, it flings the empties with authority. I have additional main and trigger springs to try. Haven't had a lot of time to play with it.

180 XPT about the most accurate bullet so far in my Glock 40.

DF

This has been an informative thread. I'm about convinced I need to just buy a Glock and shoot it till I get used to the trigger.......

There are aftermarket option, IMO, none of them very good, just better than factory.

Other than the trigger, hard to beat the Glock.

DF

I am going to go with Yondering on the Witness 10mm, a fine Custom made 1911 would have a 1.5 inch group guarantee, there is no way that a 10mm witness would do this on a regular basis. You might shoot a group like that but to repeat it 5 times I don’t see it happening, earst while folks would be buying witness pistols for competition instead of paying thousands of dollars for an Ed Brown etx

My Gen 3 20 shot 180s very well. Got a deal on an Alpha Wolf 6.5" barrel and have that on there now. It is a hammer with Underwood 200 grain cast bullets.

I start with a factory "-" connector and extra power trigger spring. Most of the time that's a decent enough trigger to work with. I have aftermarket triggers in a few of my Glocks but for the most part they are just a different trigger shoe and nothing particularly special.

The nicest Glock trigger IMO is the full ZEV package, but be prepared to pay for it. I don't use that in a carry gun though; IMO it's more of a range gun trigger.

Thank you, I am with you, there is only so much you can do with the glock trigger. Would love to have the full zev trigger, just more than I feel I want to spend at this time. I have the spring in the gun, will just buy a ghost connector for it and call it good for now. Probably get 500 Montana bullet 200 grain bullets and a Kanai chest holster for now.

That's what I did. I carried one during the winter for six consecutive years when I was down on the ranch. It took probably four or five boxes of factory ammo to get used to it.

Fortunately, I never had to use it but I was confident that I would be sufficiently well armed to deal with smugglers or other miscreants wearing heavy coats or multiple layers of winter clothing.

Like you stated in your original post, the triggers kinda suck, that's just the way it is....but they are plenty functional and really have never been that hard for me to use. I can complain about it and dislike it, but it's not a lightweight rifle shooting extended ranges with a big focus on the trigger.....it's for shooting quickly and efficiently at 25 yards and (for me) the trigger isn't the most important factor there.

Jay you have a great point and where I'm at. Except, my target distances be more like 25 feet. I've managed to stock some pretty creepy/crappy triggers fairly well but it takes a bunch of concentration. I wonder how that translates when you dont have time to think/concentrate only react.

Dry fire. Lots of it.

I never understood why folks feel they need to "hot rod" the 10 but down load the 41, 44 Mag's, the 45 Colt less than "Ruger Only" loads let alone 475 and 500 Linebaugh's. I have (do) owned them all and have critters with a few and just don't see the logic of ramping up the 10?

I think guys just what to reach the original ballistics, ( and should stop there).

Yeah, that's something I've wondered about. Hope I'm never is a spot where it's reaction only..... Personally, I notice how bad the Glock triggers are a lot "less" when I'm shooting them quicker compared to when I'm concentrating.

Come down for a visit and shoot mine, you're welcome anytime. I need to get it out and shoot it. I'll have to check to see what ammo I've got on hand but you're welcome to try it out.

Personally I feel the trigger thing is somewhat overblown.

It's like buying $400 ballbats
A good hitter can get good hits with a junky bat.
A bad hitter ain't hitting dingers with anything.
The best hitters can't be certain how much the bat helped.
If a good hitter just cleared the fence with a great bat,
MAYBE the bat made the difference.

My most deadly rifle has a crappy trigger.
A pile of deer have still died.
The G19 has a spongy crappy trigger.
I'm amazed at how often it will break claybirds at 50-75 yards.
I
Indian vs arrow vs
guys with OCD analyzing tools.

No, I didn't say it doesn't matter.
Just that,
MAYBE,
more focus on shooting, less on the tool.

PS. Dead certain some here can out shoot me.
Bet with money on the line,
Me with my 1911 or Python,
Them with a stock Glock...
I'm still losing.

I agree with the opinion that Glock triggers suck. I have owned multiple dozens of Glocks over the years and never changed out a trigger. They are easy to "master" through repeated use. They do get much, much better through both live firing and repeated dry firing. I highly recommend repeated dry firing for multiple reasons, not the least of which is the break in of the trigger. As to the topic of this thread, since they came out, I don't think I've been without a G20 or G29 since they came out.

They do. EEA Witness is one of the more popular pistols in three gun and action pistol competition. A friend of mine from work runs a couple of them in three gun. It is a much more affordable option than a custom 1911 and will run with any of them. You can get anything from mild to wild from the factory.

don’t know anything about 3 gun but it kind of strikes me as odd that such an obscure manufacturer would be chosen over glocks sigs S&w etc. So what data can you provide in the form on links that will prove your contention that Eea Witness pistols are very popular in 3 gun shooting. OTOH 3 gun shooting has nothing to do with hair splitting accuracy, so even if they are 30% of the 3 gun market this would not speak to their accuracy would it??? Would we not be talking about a different shooting game?? Post up some links of the witness being shot at camp Perry for accuracy!!

I don't see how it's my responsibility to educate you further. If you don't accept that the EAA guns are any good, that's your prerogative. Carry on.

Obscure? The EAA (Tanfoglio) competition models are used by a LOT of the top level competitive shooters (and thousands of lesser shooters as well). The Stock II model I have has been used to win something like ~15 national championships. Talking about sports like USPSA, IPSC, etc. They are very common in Europe (being an Italian gun), and Tanfo's success with their competition models are what pushed CZ into developing their own versions (Shadow, AccuShadow, etc). Anybody familiar with competition shooting knows what a Tanfo is.

They are not at all a carry gun, but the better models are sort of like a Ferrari of the gun world.

would the 10mm he shot the one hole groups with fall into this category of performance?

I suspect that was a bit of an exaggeration. The competition models are pretty accurate, but obviously not that accurate, and if he's got the standard model the accuracy definitely varies more from one gun to another. The competition models apparently use Lothar Walther blanks and are polygonal rifled, but I'm not sure where the standard barrels come from, possibly they are made in house by Tanfo.

Also as I alluded to earlier, the design of the Tanfo pistols makes them great for competition (light slide - low recoil/flip) with the standard service pistol cartridges like 9/40/45, but that same light weight slide makes them less than ideal for full power 10mm. That's more about reliability than accuracy though. For full power 10mm I feel that a Glock 20 or 40 or a 1911 are better choices. (The 1911 because they can be tuned better for powerful loads, and the Glocks because they were designed for it from the start.)

Here's my Stock II just for something to look at. The competition frames like this one all have the square trigger guard, and almost all of them imported into the US are large frames, so you can buy this exact same gun in 10mm as well; you'll pay $1,000-1,200 regardless of caliber. They all need trigger work; I spent about $350 more in trigger parts and got the SA pull down to a hair over 2 lb and the DA is ~5.5 lb. I won't claim one hole groups at 25 yards but it shoots pretty well, fast and flat.
BTW that's hard chrome, not stainless. For a 9mm target pistol these are pretty sweet but definitely are of a different character than a tough-as-nails workhorse like the Glock 20.

thanks for the information, I never knew that Tanfo made competition guns. Yours is a nice looking pistol, the trigger pull at 2 pounds is awesome. I am continuing to upgrade a glock 20 however I realize the trigger will only get so good but it is a good reliable back country capable pistol.

Glad to help.

I agree with the assertion that Glock triggers lack finesse.I got tired of it in the G20 and replaced the connector with a 3.5 unit. This was a tremendous difference. The trigger pull in the G43 was painful for my wife to use due to sharp edges and and a noxious stacking of the trigger pull.Replacing the connector and filing sharp edges off the trigger . I found it unpleasant to shoot also due to the heavy stacking and the sharp unfinished edges. It was well woth the upgrade. G20 pull resulted in a smooth 2stage pull that was light and easy to control.

https://www.glockstore.com/Ultimate-Trigger-Stop

try one of these as well.

Yondering, that's a magnificent pistola.
I might be forced to buy one.

If I were doing it again, I'd surf the Brian Enos forum classifieds for a used one. If you can find one with the trigger already slicked up, that's worth a bunch. They definitely fit the model of an Italian product - high quality but they each have their own personality and the stock triggers are generally not what you'd expect from an American pistol.

Thanks.

bwinters,

For your stated intended use, there is nothing wrong with the Glock trigger. I prefer their 5 lb trigger and have that installed in all my Glocks. You do not need or neccesarily want a competition light trigger in your Glock field gun.

The best thing you can do is fire and dry fire (as Yondering suggested) your Glock to get used to that trigger. It will serve you well. Also, nobody has mentioned the reset of the trigger after the first round is fired. Learning the Glocks trigger reset and taking advantage of that design will enhance your speed and accuracy for subsequent shots.

Finally, as a semi auto some bullet profiles will feed better than others. Gear your search towards 100% reliability. Glock barrels are a bit more generous than most aftermarket barrels in the chamber area, as they are geared towards reliability. Aftermarket barrels, such as my KKM 6 in Ive installed on my Glock 20, although tighter than Glock chamber wise, can be throated at the feed ramp at KKM if requested, to enhance the use of WFN hard cast bullets, like the Montana Bullet Works bullet I use. Using Longshot powder, out of the standard barrel I get around 1150 fps, and get around 1300 put of the 6 in KKM. I also use a 22# recoil spring.

So, although a G40 will give you a slightly longer sight radius and the ready availability to use an optic, I choose to go with a G20 with a 6 in barrel for the extra ballistics without the extra weight of the longer slide of the G40.

Ive carried Glocks for over 30 years and have used them to defend myself and others in deadly confrontations. Set up correctly with the right ammo and when you learn the weapon, they are reliable. Are they the most accurate platform for the 10mm? No, but they are accurate enough.

Excellent post. Thank you for taking the time to post that info!

Great post.

I have been researching on getting a can (suppressor)

I have considered the 10MM. I use a 50 GI on one G21 and a 9" Dasan barrel and other parts, springs, etc on a 45 super on another G21. The 9" and the 50 are both quite "shootable". A Technical term. A hot 45 ACP in the 21 w/9" barrel is a pussycat. My theory is The forward weight has leverage the short barrel doesn't and of course the springs and guide made for greater control of the slide speed all work together to mitigate the recoil forces. The 45 super loads so far show no hammering of the slide to frame. All this makes me think that a 2" longer barrel in the G20 might be a great advantage and still manageable. 2" extended shouldn't be a holster problem with an open ended one. YMMV of course. Don't try it if you don't wish to. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

If you're open to suggestions, I would really suggest just going with suppressed 9mm instead of trying to suppress a 10mm pistol.

There's a good argument for "suppress all the things", and I don't completely disagree with that, however, if you are looking for a similar experience to suppressed 9mm, I think you'd be very disappointed in a suppressed 10mm. The sound levels are still fairly high, and there can be a lot of powder particle blowback (although that depends on the load). I consider it more like suppressing a 223 AR15 - it does reduce the noise quite a bit, but for more than a shot or two you'll likely want to use hearing protection and dealing with the gas blowback is a consideration. In fact, in my experience my suppressed 223 and other AR15 calibers are quieter than suppressed 10mm. I don't even bother using a suppressor on my 10mm any more.

Even 40 S&W is not that great suppressed, with generally a fairly sharp sound unless you use the suppressor wet. Suppressed 9mm with subsonics is by far the most pleasant, easiest, and quietest choice out of these options, and also the cheapest with the most suppressor options.

Youndering,

I apologize, I got a text last night about the same time and unintentionally posted what I was texting someone else. To long a day.

anyone know what the standard recoil spring tension is in the gen 4 G20? I probably need to get a spare anyway.

!!

Jimmyp-

The factory dual spring set up on the Gen 4 is 17 lbs. Underwood loads through the gun and the empties fly 30 feet! If you buy another spring, get a 20 or 22#, keep the factory set up as a spare. You can still run regular factory 10mm through the gun as well as heavier stuff with those heavier springs.


Manny