Glock Competition and Long Slide Pistols Review

My first experience with competitive shooting turned me off from it and I always really avoided the more intense, uber-competitions as a result. Right around the time that my Dad started introducing me to guns, he was at the height of his gun competition-faze. To make a long story short, at one competition some disagreements over which bullet hole belonged to whose gun led to some tension, and a few punches later my Dad was banned from the local gun range. My Dad tried to instill in me from that point on that gun ownership is about safety, recreation, and hunting – not hurt feelings or bruised egos.

I’ve carried this philosophy with me ever since – I never gamble on competition, and I never take the results of them too seriously. In general, I find that competitive shooting isn’t always as competitive as one might think – my friends and I participate in competitions and events for the fun of it, not for the sake of winning. However, that doesn’t mean that we don’t want to perform our best, and part of performing your best is making sure you’re using the right gun for competition.

As a full-fledged Glock enthusiast, it’s only natural that I would turn to Glock for my competitive gun needs. My primary carry weapon is currently the Glock 19, although I’ve had extensive experience with the Glock 19, the Glock 22, and the Glock 21. I am in luck that Glock provides an extensive line of competition guns and long-slide guns to choose from, all in the calibers that we just touched on – 9 mm, .40, and .45 auto. The primary difference between the main iteration of these calibers and their competitive brothers is, of course, the length of the guns. I’ve gotten the chance to try my hand with all of these competitive counterparts, and the shooting experience is a fairly different one compared to the main guns in these lines. The Glock line of competitive and long-slide guns is a celebrated one, and for good reason, as we cover here in our Glock Competition and Long Slide Pistols Review feature.

Competition Glocks Review

Glock 34 Gen 4

Caliber / System

• 9×19 / Safe Action

Dimensions

• Length: 222 m / 8.74 in.
• Height: 138 mm / 5.43 in.
• Width: 30 mm / 1.18 in.
• Barrel Height: 32 mm / 1.26 in.
• Length Between Sights: 192 mm / 1.18 in.
• Barrel Length: 135 mm / 5.31 in.

Weights

• Unloaded: 735 g / 25.95 oz.
• Loaded: 935 g / 33.01 oz.

Trigger Pull / Travel

• Trigger Pull: ~2.0 kg / ~4.5 lbs.
• Trigger Travel: ~12.5 mm / 0.49 in.

Barrel Rifling / Length of Twist

• Barrel Rifling: right hand, octagonal
• Length of Twist: 250 mm / 9.84 in.

Magazine Capacity

• Standard: 17
• Optional: 10 / 33

As mentioned, my primary carry Glock is of the 9×19 variety, as is this excellent competition pistol. The primary difference between the Glock 34 and the main 9×19 Glock, the G17 (which you can read about here), is in the barrel length – the G34 barrel measures 0.82-inches longer than the 17. The gun also features a longer sight radius as a result of the barrel length, extended mag and slide releases, and reduced trigger pull. The longer slide of the gun helps offer better balance than that of the standard 9×19 Glock’s, which results in quicker recover time in between shots, allowing for faster, more accurate shooting. The bottom line when it comes to these competition Glock’s and their sight radius is, the longer the sight radius, the less the effect of sight misalignment.

Having used the Gen 4 version of the Glock 34, I also benefitted from the dual recoil spring assembly of the gun, which results in diminished muzzle rise and recoil in the gun. The interchangeable backstraps in Gen 4 Glock’s make this a more accessible gun as well, as you can find a fit that works best for you. I gave this gun a whirl for the purposes of this review and let me tell you, it performed as admirably for me as I could have expected – I kept my shots to within a two-to-four-inch radius from 10, 20, and 30 yards, and that’s damned good for me personally. It must be said that results will vary depending on the shooter – a number of different factors could make the Glock 34 perfect for some and problematic for others. However, with that being said, it’s hard to find fault with the G34 right out of the box – it just gets the job done.
https://twitter.com/GlockMagazine/status/762405614702166016

Glock 35 Gen 4

Caliber / System

• .40 / Safe Action

Dimensions

• Length: 222 m / 8.74 in.
• Height: 138 mm / 5.43 in.
• Width: 30 mm / 1.18 in.
• Barrel Height: 32 mm / 1.26 in.
• Length Between Sights: 192 mm / 7.55 in.
• Barrel Length: 135 mm / 5.31 in.

Weights

• Unloaded: 780 g / 27.53 oz.
• Loaded: 1025 g / 36.18 oz.

Trigger Pull / Travel

• Trigger Pull: ~2.5 kg / ~5.5 lbs.
• Trigger Travel: ~12.5 mm / 0.49 in.

Barrel Rifling / Length of Twist

• Barrel Rifling: right hand, hexagonal
• Length of Twist: 250 mm / 9.84 in.

Magazine Capacity

• Standard: 15
• Optional: 10 / 22

Like the Glock 34 in relation to the Glock 17, the Glock 35 features the same dimensions as the Glock 22, its brother in the .40 family, but with a longer barrel for improved sight alignment and balance. This also results in lessened ‘kick’. All of this adds up to a shooting experience which is more manageable, more accurate, and better suited to competition.

.40 caliber guns aren’t always the most manageable to handle and fire, but the excellent build quality of Glock, combined with the advantages afforded by Gen 4 Glock guns – dual recoil spring assembly for reduced recoil – makes shooting the G35 a breeze. This gun is highly, highly recommended for any kind of competitive shooting in this gun category.

Glock 41 Gen 4

Caliber / System

• .45 / Safe Action

Dimensions

• Length: 226 m / 8.90 in.
• Height: 139 mm / 5.47 in.
• Width: 32.5 mm / 1.28 in.
• Barrel Height: n/a
• Length Between Sights: 192 mm / 7.56 in.
• Barrel Length: 135 mm / 5.31 in.

Weights

• Unloaded: 765 g / 27 oz.
• Loaded: 1020 g / 36 oz.

Trigger Pull / Travel

• Trigger Pull: ~25 N / ~5.5 lbs.
• Trigger Travel: ~12.5 mm / 0.49 in.

Barrel Rifling / Length of Twist

• Barrel Rifling: right hand, octagonal
• Length of Twist: 400 mm / 15.75 in.

Magazine Capacity

• Standard: 13
• Optional: 10

Full disclosure – I don’t have a tremendous amount of experience with this firearm. My first time shooting it was when I headed down to the range to give it a test run for the purposes of this review. A longer version of the Glock 21, the flagship .45 auto entry pistol from Glock, the Glock 41 features one of the most popular calibers around – the one that stuck with Glock enthusiasts, as opposed to Glock’s own .45 GAP caliber guns. I remember when I first used the G21, I was absolutely blown away by its performance. I had never fired a .45 pistol that handled so well or put less strain on my wrist. The Glock 41, very thankfully, only builds on the achievements of its predecessor.

The longer slide of the G41 makes for an unsurprisingly more accurate shooting experience, but this feeling of accuracy is virtually enhanced by the slimmer profile of the gun. To have the power of the .45 auto in a gun this slim and with this kind of target acquisition and accuracy-friendly shooting is truly remarkable. I was hitting my marks from 15, 25, and 30 yards through hundreds of rounds of different kinds of ammunition, and it was maybe the most fun I had ever had firing a new pistol. The Gen 4 Glock features like the modular back straps and dual recoil spring assembly only added to this experience in using a gun that I recommend very highly, particularly if .45’s are your thing.

Long-Slide Glocks Review

Glock 17L

Caliber / System

• 9×19 / Safe Action

Dimensions

• Length: 243 mm / 9.57 in.
• Height: 138 mm / 5.43 in.
• Width: 30 mm / 8.85  in.
• Barrel Height: n/a
• Length Between Sights: 205 mm / 8.07 in.
• Barrel Length: 153 mm / 6.02 in.

Weights

• Unloaded: 670 g / 23.63 oz.
• Loaded: 950 g / 33.5 oz.

Trigger Pull / Travel

• Trigger Pull: ~2.5 kg / ~5.5 lbs.
• Trigger Travel: ~12.5 mm / 0.49 in.

Barrel Rifling / Length of Twist

• Barrel Rifling: right hand, hexagonal
• Length of Twist: 250 mm / 9.84 in.

Magazine Capacity

• Standard: 17

While the Glock 34 Gen 4 builds on the Glock 17 design by lengthening the gun and slide by 20 mm, the Glock 17L takes things one step further by lengthening the gun by an additional 21 mm (to 243 mm in total length). As we’ve discussed, the longer the sight, the more accurate the gun will fire – usually. In addition to the increased length, the Glock 17L also features a trigger pull at ~4.5 lbs, which counteracts some of the accuracy boost that the longer length provides.

Overall, the Glock 17L fires accurately, but should fire even more accurately for a gun of its length. The G17L will not even fit into the regulation box for IDPA or UPSA competition, rendering it virtually useless in many sanctioned or official competitions. After a few hours with the G17L, I was disappointed – not because the pistol isn’t a good one, but because I expected more out of a gun of this length, and a Glock at that.

Glock 24

Caliber / System

• .40 / Safe Action

Dimensions

• Length: 153 mm / 6.02 in.
• Height: 138 mm / 5.43 in.
• Width: 30 mm / 1.18 in.
• Barrel Height: n/a
• Length Between Sights: 205 mm / 8.07 in.
• Barrel Length: 153 mm / 6.02 in.

Weights

• Unloaded: 757 g / 26.70 oz.
• Loaded: 1082 g / 38.16 oz.

Trigger Pull / Travel

• Trigger Pull: ~2.5 kg / ~5.5 lbs.
• Trigger Travel: ~12.5 mm / 0.49 in.

Barrel Rifling / Length of Twist

• Barrel Rifling: right hand, hexagonal
• Length of Twist: 250 mm / 9.84 in.

Magazine Capacity

• Standard: 17

The longer-yet version of the Glock 22, building on the length of the Glock 35, is the Glock 24. At 225 mm in length, the G24 is slightly longer than the Glock 35, and remarkably similar in most other respects. Like the Glock 17L, you’re going to have a harder time finding gun competitions for which the Glock 24 will qualify, but it is a great gun nonetheless which is accurate, easily handled, and well-built.

It’s funny, the Glock 24 is actually the pistol that my brother carries most often – it’s a gun I never particularly took to, but then again I am not a .40 cal guy. In any event, if you’d ask my brother why he carries the G24, he’d tell you, quite simply, that you get the best of both worlds: the .40 caliber offers good stopping power but not so much that it becomes a difficult handle like a .45 auto might, and the length of the gun make it extremely accurately. If this sounds like the gun for you, give it a test drive at your local range.

Glock 40

Caliber / System

• 10mm

Dimensions

• Length: 241 mm / 9.49 in.
• Height: 139 mm / 5.47 in.
• Width: 32.5 mm / 1.28 in.
• Barrel Height: n/a
• Length Between Sights: 208 mm / 8.19 in.
• Barrel Length: 153 mm / 6.02 in.

Weights

• Unloaded: 798 g / 28.15 oz.
• Loaded: 1138 g / 40.14 oz.

Trigger Pull / Travel

• Trigger Pull: ~25 N / ~5.5 lbs.
• Trigger Travel: ~12.5 mm / 0.49 in.

Barrel Rifling / Length of Twist

• Barrel Rifling: right hand, hexagonal
• Length of Twist: 250 mm / 9.84 in.

Magazine Capacity

• Standard: 15

The origins and background surrounding this gun are pretty funny. The 10 mm auto was originally developed as a 9 mm alternative with more stopping power for those who deemed the .45 auto guns to be of too great a size for law enforcement officials to be realistically carrying around all day. Now with the Glock 40, we have a 10 mm weapon that is probably too long to be carried by law enforcement officials in any easy or comfortable way.

Like the rest of the long-slide Glock weapons, the G40 adds increased accuracy in its longer length. Unlike the Glock 17L, however, the trigger pull is not compromised – this is simply a gun that will shoot accurate and true based on its superior sight radius. With that being said, the Glock 40 is certainly on the larger side when it comes to Glock’s long-slide guns – it isn’t quite as long as the Glock 17L, but it is wider, and it is both wider and longer than the Glock 24 .40 caliber. What’s the bottom line? If 10 mm is your thing, the Glock 40 is a great option – assuming you don’t mind the size.

Conclusion

Whether you’re interested in competitions for the fun of it or to get your competitive juices flowing, or you just want a longer gun for the sake of having a more accurate shooting experience, Glock has you covered. With the variety of different hand guns we have detailed from Glock which feature longer frames for improved accuracy, you’re sure to find something that suits you in any of 9 mm, .40, 10 mm, or .45 variants – try them out today to see which works best for you!

Want to learn more about Glock guns? Check out our Glock 30, Glock 36, Glock 37, and Glock 38/39 features here at Gunivore!