The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Handguns => Topic started by: billt on August 03, 2017, 07:02:27 AM
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I've had an E-Mail notification on these for quite a while from Davidson's, but they never have any in stock. The other day they unexpectedly E-Mailed me saying they had just gotten some in. I immediately ordered one. It came in yesterday, so I right away drove over and picked it up. I just made it home before the rain came. The Glock 17-L is very hard to come by. I had read they are only releasing 500 of them for import into this country for 2017.
The reason it is a limited production gun, is because they have to shut down the standard Glock 17 line, then change out the tooling and fixtures to machine the longer 17-L slide. So they wait until they get enough orders from distributors to make it worthwhile. The result is only a couple of runs of them are produced every year. If you want one, you have to, "strike while the iron is hot", so to speak.
I'm really excited about this pistol. I have a standard 17, as well as the 19 and 26. But the 17-L has always intrigued me. As I said, I didn't realize how hard they are to come by. The 34's are a dime a dozen in either Gen 3 or Gen 4. Because they are so well used in all of the run and gun games. But no one stocks the 17-L around here, and Phoenix has many gun shops. They are much more uncommon than I thought.
Glock did a beautiful job in machining the slide to weigh and balance the same as a standard Glock 17 slide. The sights are sharp and definitive, as well as adjustable. The trigger is so much better than the conventional triggers the other service Glocks receive. It's much lighter and crisper. Surprising for a Glock. I have zero doubt this gun is going to see a lot of ammunition. I'm only sorry that I waited so long to get one!
(http://i.imgur.com/vkMLmIU.jpg?2)
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Nice, Bill.
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Me likey!!!
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Congratulations on getting one. I've never held or fired one. I'd be curious as to it's accuracy. Too bad they don't pay as much attention to the trigger for all the other Glocks.
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Have you determined the trigger pull weight with a trigger pull gauge?
The simple solution to any glock is The Edge trigger assembly, if needed, they are excellent.
There are a couple of versions, but I use the competition.
I have them on a gen 3 and gen 4 model 35"s, and except for the cost, they are very to install and adjust.
But it does involve extra money.
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Have you determined the trigger pull weight with a trigger pull gauge?
No. And I really should get one. I have enough guns now that I would be able to get my money's worth out of one.
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I have the Lyman pull gauge, and it is easy to use (digital) and will give you average weight of pull with multiple tests. You just have to read the operating instructions, takes a 9 volt.
It is around $50-60.
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The G17L with its 6" barrel looks really odd when you're used to seeing a 2" shorter barrels on G19s and other similar size pistols. For some reason a 6" 1911 doesn't look so out of place. But performance counts more than looks anyway.
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I had a beautiful clear, cool, still morning today. So I headed out to the range with the new Glock 17-L, and a good supply of ammo. I brought along the following:
100 rounds Federal Champion boxer brass 115 Gr. FMJ
100 rounds of Federal American Eagle 124 Gr. FMJ
50 rounds of Fiocchi 115 Gr. FMJ
100 rounds of Federal 115 Gr. +P+ JHP (9BPLE)
All 350 rounds fed, fired, and ejected without a hiccup out of both magazines. At 25 yards the adjustable Glock sights printed dead on. This gun is a joy to shoot. That long barrel really helps in the accuracy dept. A 6 O'clock hold chewed out the bull in all of the targets. The only thing I noticed was the Federal 9BPLE printed about an inch or 2 higher than the rest. But not enough to worry about. All the Internet talk about this gun being picky with 115 Gr. FMJ was nonsense. It shoots it as good as any other weight ammo.
It performed in the typically boring Glock fashion. Not a single thing to complain about. This trigger is without question the best of any Glock pistol I own. And it got better the more I shot it. But after 350 rounds, I was getting tired of loading magazines. I was totally happy with the guns performance, so I decided to pack it in, and head for home. Afterward I gave it a field strip, along with a good wet cleaning. And she's ready for another trip to the range. If you are walking the fence on one of these 17-L's, don't hesitate to grab one. You'll be very pleased how accurately this pistol shoots.
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a little historical perspective.. the early 17Ls were popular with the USPSA crowd playing with major 9 early on with 175 power factor, prior to VihtaVuori powders being popular in the states as they unlocked a little slower than the 17s
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So Les, one of the things you are saying is, in general, that the VihtaVouri gave a little higher velocity than other powders available?
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Rastus... yes, many if not all of the VV pistol powders are triple based with nitroguanidine (sp) used as a retardant, but still offering energy to the reaction, producing higher velocity at lower peak pressure... IIRC most of the case separations I personally saw were loaded with heavy cast bullets and 540 powder...I never switched to a 38super, but friends that had both, tried to use similar loads in major 9 for the old 175 power factor... I did manage to blow up a case in a P35 and standard length 17 with some borrowed ammo.... luckily no damage to me or the pistols... in the 80s it was not uncommon to see someone at a match with "38 super face" with particles of powder imbedded in their face
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Bill you need to try the M&P 2.0 long slide.....
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Bill you need to try the M&P 2.0 long slide.....
It's only a 5" barrel, isn't it?
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Depends. Which ruler are we going to use?
Yeah, it's the 5" barrel.
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Note the Vicker's Tactical baseplate on the mag. It's sure nice....cost too much though. However, if you have ever had a mag hang up you'll appreciate being able to strip it out.
(https://i.imgur.com/ed78UfZ.jpg)
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That's a nice gun!
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Slide is not as long as I would have liked...but I can carry it.
After over 5,000 rounds in my carry M&P 9 I'm starting to wonder about the trigger job on it...not that I'm seeing any issues. Just wondering. So, I picked this one up to slip into the holster a few weeks ago.
Which...I ain't shot it yet shame on me. I've got to decide on this...or the VP-9...or stick with the Ruger SR-9 (best reset and trigger overall after a $20 Ghost trigger connector upgrade).
Then there is the new Sig P320...picked one of those up today for grins and giggles.
Man do I have a lot of range work looking ahead of me.... 8)
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I would be interested to see how the FDE Cerakote holds up on that slide with using solvents to remove the powder fouling and such.
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If it's the same thing they coating they have always used it will hold up quite well. So, the disclaimer is that I don't know what today's coating is or what was used in the past. I assume it's the same thing.
So, a couple of the instructors at USSA had the desert tan colored M&P's years ago when I used to be able to get out and train. The things were driven every day and over a year and a half or maybe two I didn't see any problems with the coating. So...obviously I am hoping it is the same thing.
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I asked because if it's actual Cerakote, it won't hold up well at all. Especially from any kind of holster wear. A guy at my club range bought a Cerakoted Glock in FDE. The frame had a Digital Desert Camo pattern on it. The slide was solid FDE Cerakote. When he took it out of the box to show it to me it was brand new, and really looked nice.
He was using one of those Blackhawk SERPA type holsters. And was doing draw and fire drills from 7 yards. After just 5 or 6 magazine fulls, there were deep scratches all down both sides of the slide. The gun looked awful. He was pretty disappointed. If that was a stock Tennifer treated slide, there wouldn't have been a mark on it.
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Yeah, I was surprised when you said ceramic coating. That through me for a loop because I didn't think that is what it is.
I don't like any of the ceramic coating finishes. There was a big push that ceramic coatings were going to revolutionize the oilfield back in the early 90's. I never saw it that way and the actual performance confirmed my expectations and it's so-so performance.
I am sure ceramic coatings have their place. I just don't know where it can be used effectively in applications that affect me.
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If that was a stock Tennifer treated slide, there wouldn't have been a mark on it.
Indeed.
It has taken me over 13 years to wear through the stock coating on a G27 slide that I carry daily (and I mean any time I have my pants on) for nine out of every twelve months. I carry in a leather holster except for Sundays. On Sunday I use a kydex paddle holster so I can take it off quickly when I get to church and leave it in the truck (.38 snub stays in my pocket, though ;) ).
One side of the slide is worn pretty good and some of the other side where it contacts the holster at the tightest points is as well. One corner of the slide has worn through the finish where it contacts my side during carry.
The next best thing I've found to that is Parkerizing.
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I've always contended that all of these spray on firearms coatings were nothing more than high tech paint. The people who provide these products will all argue differently, in favor of their increased durability. However they wear no better, and they all will stain from solvents, oils, and powder residue, just like paint will. Cerakote will show holster wear in a single trip to the range. Just like what happened to my club members Glock. These products will only provide protection, if you wish to have the weapon it's applied to as a safe queen.
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I've always contended that all of these spray on firearms coatings were nothing more than high tech paint. The people who provide these products will all argue differently, in favor of their increased durability. However they wear no better, and they all will stain from solvents, oils, and powder residue, just like paint will. Cerakote will show holster wear in a single trip to the range. Just like what happened to my club members Glock. These products will only provide protection, if you wish to have the weapon it's applied to as a safe queen.
Bill,
A very good friend was doing coatings (DuraCoat, CeraCoat) a few years ago as a side gig at the range he owned. After a while he stopped because they didn't hold up for long. He just advised folks with "guns they were going to actually use" to just paint synthetic stocks with Krylon or Rustoleum paint from Lowes or walmart, and use Alumahyde from Brownells or boat paint on the metal parts. That way when they wore down, you could just reapply it cheaply.
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I'm really excited about this pistol. I have a standard 17, as well as the 19 and 26.
>snippage<
The trigger is so much better than the conventional triggers the other service Glocks receive. It's much lighter and crisper. Surprising for a Glock.
Do you have "-" minus connectors in your standard Glocks?
If not, the difference you feel is just the "-" connector which comes stock with that gun. (same connector that the 34 & 35 uses)
There isn't anything special about the 17L trigger that's any different than your 17, 19 or 26. It's the connector.
http://www.glockmeister.com/45-Pound-Stock-Connector/productinfo/G721/ (http://www.glockmeister.com/45-Pound-Stock-Connector/productinfo/G721/)
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They are very nice. I got one last year. I dont like the gen 3 frame texture so i bought a vickers rtf2 17 frame and mated them up. Very sweet, my weird FrankenGlock. Sweet long sight radius is fun to shoot at distance.
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Vickers puts his name on some good stuff.