Compensated pistol in close quarters?

[Frisco]

I got a Glock 23C in a trade some time back.  I didn't see the "need" for a comp'd 23, but it was a SMOKIN' deal, so I traded an old Smith & Wesson Model 19 for the pistol and 10 standard capacity mags.

I didn't like shooting it with the comp'd barrel because I got a lot of residual powder to the face, so I bought a standard G23 barrel, dropped it in, and the issue was cured. 

One advantage I THOUGHT I might get out of the barrel swap proved to be true.  The lighter slide moves at greater velocity, and the gun seems to run faster.  The pistol is also a bit lighter to carry, even though weight on a Glock isn't heavy...every ounce counts.

That being said...I noticed, while firing at night with the Surefire light attached an ON....the muzzle blast was nearly 100% eliminated in the enhanced light from the light mounted on the pistol.  Food for thought.

The barrel swap option, seems to be the best option for you.  I mean, if you like your pistols, and shoot them well....why get rid of them?

[Tonebo]

The idea of getting a new gun for defense is a good idea if you have the money to do so, you might like something in .40S&W if you like your 10mm. IF money is an issue, the barrel swap might be the better way to go for you. And as far as not telling the wife, in my opinion she should learn to shoot any gun you have proficently, in the case that you are wounded and unable to continue or in a scenario where both of you need to defend yourselves at the same time.

[twyacht]

I only own 1 comp'd pistol, an EAA Witness .40, it works fine, no issues except the dirty front sight is a pain to clean.

I haven't really considered contact close firing and now agree it could be bad.

Next gun show, a new barrel should be available.

Thank you.

[Carlos]

Goss,

Keep in mind that we are not solely concerned with the size of the blast in the case of contact shooting, it is also the direction of that blast.

-RJP

Hello all ltogether,

I'm new to the boards and have just been pointed to this thread by my friend Pepper.

Just a short introduction, my real name is Mike and I live in Germany.

I've had my year of military service in the '90s and have been active in the reserve forces for about a decade now, doing mostly infantry and range training recently, my current "MOS" is as an S6-Squirrel. Fortunately I am located near one of the few remaining US Army garrisons here in Germany and thus have ample opportunity to cross-train with different Army branches.
I earn my money as an engineer in the private industry and do some additional security contracting for some companies from time to time and thus try to keep myself up to speed as a CCW citizen (one of a few in this country...).

I'd just like to confirm and stress Rob's statement.

On Saturday we did a CCW-Class and I had a chance to compare a Glock 19C and a Glock 17C to the regular Glock 19 (the one I usually carry) while doing zero-distance drills.

Besides the regular gas backblast returned from the target you could also clearly notice a blast directed upwards and even behind the eyepro, coming from below. Some particles made their way to hit the lower parts my cheeks. It didn't really disturb shooting, but there definitely is a certain risk of injury to the eye. Neither heat nor flash posed any problem to me or my clothing.

You should know and take it into consideration when choosing to use a compensated gun.

On the pro-side the compensated gun definitely reduces felt recoil and muzzle rise, improving recovery time. I am used to fire non-compensated guns and can do so pretty fast, but the 19C definitely gives a certain edge. If you really need this edge is also part of the consideration process when choosing a new gun.

As I already own 2 regular Glock 19 I am considering to get a 19C for another CCW-Permit I am working on. The possibillity of "shutting off" the compensator by using a second barrel without compensator cuts is a neat Idea. So probably I'll be going that way just to have the choice.

[Rob Pincus]

Good stuff, Carlos....

If you are coming to IWA next week in Nurnberg, PM me....

-RJP

[Sponsor]

[Carlos]

Just in case it went unnoticed (haven't found a function in the message system to verify that) -> PM sent.

[callithump]

Id endorse Magnaport for the big bore woods gun but for street carry my concerns would be velocity loss and inadvertent gas cutting.

[pioneer]

Talk to those who have been involved in a shooting and you will learn that recoil, loud noise and in some cases, muzzle flash is not felt by the shooter.  The incredible adrenalin dump into your body will block out most outside sensations except those required by your body to survive.  It would be a good idea, I think, to not have a ported pistol too close to your face in a car, because of glass fragments and burning powder.  Perhaps for driving at night it would be a good idea to wear some sort of clear safety glasses, and of course your cool dude sun glasses during the day. 

[Carlos]

On Saturday we did a CCW-Class and I had a chance to compare a Glock 19C and a Glock 17C to the regular Glock 19 (the one I usually carry) while doing zero-distance drills.

Another class, some more observations.

Compensated Glocks, especially the model 17 seem to be a bit more prone to FTF stoppages due to limp-wristing.

I assume that this is caused by the compensator counteracting the unlocking process of slide and barrel (being a Browning Petter principle based system) by consuming to much energy to ensure a secure feeding later on.

While shooting normally those Glocks don't show any sign of a problem and are just as reliable as Glocks usually are. We experimented a bit with this phenomenon and compared non-compensated versions next to their compensated brethren. The latter produced FTFs well before standard Glocks did while being shot limpwristed.

Did somebody notice this also?

I think it is something to be aware of and to make sure to rigidly lock the wrist while shooting a xxC Glock zero distance.
It's kind of embarrasing to have to clear a FTF in knife fighting distance... 

[Rob Pincus]

Carlos,

YEs, the compensation robs some of the energy that is supposed to push the slide backwards, which loads the recoil spring with energy, which then uses that energy to strip a round and chamber it. The 17 has a relatively heavy slide compared to the frame, which means that inertia isn't helping the process of the slide moving more than the frame. Combine these factors with the awkward/less supported positions encountered in contact shooting and you have a tendency for more Malfs.... adding lightweight/underpowered training ammo adds to the problem.

-RJP