Shot my 21SF for the first time. [Archive] - Glock Talk

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DMCA
09-13-2008, 21:26
I went to the range on Friday, for the first time in about 14 years, with only minor plinking in that time. My shooting, with each gun I took, was quite poor but did show some improvement towards the end.

I took a total of 4 pistols, a Sig P226, 9mm, P229, 9MM, S&W K-19 (4") and the 21SF.

I shot about 250 rounds through the Glock and about 100each through the rest. First off, I really liked shooting the Glock. I fired a friends in the late 1980's and wasn't impressed, probably because I viewed myself as more of a "high end" gun person and this particular friend bought the cheapest version of everything he ever wanted. I had a snobbish attitude towards Glock.

The only other 45 ACP I have is a 1950's vintage Colt 1911. When it was given to me as a gift around 1975, it had been shot a great deal. It was and is very sensitive to ammo and has to be rigorously cleaned or every 2nd shot must be manually cleared. I like the way it looks, have a sentimental attachment to it but I never viewed it as an SD weapon because the only way I felt comfortable with it having a round in the chamber was on the range. But I have always enjoyed shooting that caliber.

The 21SF evoked a lot of memories of shooting that gun, but in a vastly more effective package. The Glock feels a lot more utilitarian and I don't feel like I'm carting around a family heirloom that must be protected. The design and handling of the gun are very appealing to me and I'll look forward to shooting it on a regular basis, something I couldn't say about my 1911.

The other part of the 21SF that was intriguing me was the trigger. I've read in lots of places where it is disparaged and people look to modify it, either by lessening or increasing it's pull. While 300 rounds isn't a lot of experience, I don't find myself with any longing to change the existing trigger, in fact, there is much about it I like.

A revelation on this range trip for me was shooting my Smith revolver. I have 3 revolvers left in my "collection" having believed a long time ago that I was moving on to autoloaders. I took this gun to the range only because I came accross some 38spl ammo and decided to see if it was still functional. It was and shooting that gun was a distinct pleasure.

The 2 Sigs, I am quite familiar with. My 226 is a German made gun with a nickel finish and one which I will likely sell to a friend who values it's country of origin and features more than I do. My preference is for the P229.

Overall though, I really like this 21SF and wish I had been more open to Glocks when I had a lot more money to spend on these sorts of things!

Having said that, one of the chains here in S. Cal had a reasonable price on a new G17 and based on no gun buying in the previous 15 years, I bought it. Like the 21SF, the G17 grip feels very good in my hand.

I've read some other threads which really disparage Glock and while I don't know anywhere near enough to suggest they are the world's greatest handguns, they are a remarkable feat of industrial design and engineering. Some people thing they are all utility and no soul, but the soul part could be argued as well.

With the bug returning to me, I'll probably buy some other guns in the future but arguably, no gun collection could be complete without at least one Glock and in my case, probably more than 2.

Glock_Wenc_21
09-13-2008, 22:30
Great Review Congrats!

StraitR
09-13-2008, 22:40
First, welcome to the board.:wavey:

Congrats on your new Glocks. The 17 and 21SF are two outstanding choices. I have one of each myself.

Lot's of people fight the "gun snob" thing when it comes to Glocks, but the bottom line is they work and work well. That's more than you can say about most pistols that cost hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars more.

DMCA
09-14-2008, 00:18
Great Review Congrats!
Thank you. I'm a transplant from the Chicago suburbs to LA. I think I bought a gun in Oak Lawn in the early 1980's.

sigpro-fessor
09-14-2008, 00:54
any pictures?

DMCA
09-14-2008, 15:04
I need to shrink the image

StraitR
09-14-2008, 16:28
I need to shrink the image

Use Photobucket.com (http://photobucket.com/). It's free, and you can resize them as you upload.

DMCA
09-14-2008, 18:05
Need to hone my photography and shooting skills.

DMCA
09-14-2008, 18:20
Hope I don't get carried away!

These are the ones I took to the range. The P229 is 15 years old, the P226 is 17 years and the Smith is about 30 years.

MacTech
09-14-2008, 20:01
I'm a newbie to both Glocks and the venerable .45 ACP myself, I own the full-size grip G-21, and it's rapidly becoming my favorite pistol

No, it's not as stylish as my Taurus PT-99 AF, to me, the Beretta-style open-top slide design is one of the best looking firearms

No, the slide action when chambering a round is not as smooth as the PT-99, the 99 feels like it's riding on ball bearings and the hammer makes pleasing, precise "clikkety-click" noises when racking the slide back, the 21 feels faintly rough

No, it doesn't hold as many rounds as the 99 (up to 17+1)

Still, there's something "indefinable" about the 21

It's a big, blocky hand-cannon, and I love it, I love everything about it

It's got a pleasing balance and weight
it points naturally, I pick it up, raise it to eye-level, and the sights are already lined up on target
the recoil is smooth and controllable, a gentle backwards shove
the trigger pull is consistent and repeatable
the grip feels like it was molded to fit my hand
it locks up like a bank vault
it's built like a tank
and most importantly, it holds 13 rounds of the massively powerful .45 ACP cartridge, massive amounts of firepower, be they FMJ or JHP, the 21 has a large reserve of power on tap

Things I'd improve on the 21 series;
Stock night-sights (Tritium and Fiber-Optic)
Stock factory 15 round magazines
Make extended capacity (25-35 round) mags readily available in the US
minor tweaks, really, the 21 series is pretty much ideal as it is, the firepower of a 1911, with a much larger reserve capacity

The 21 series is a great pistol, highly reccomended, I always wanted a .45, but I never liked the thin grip and low capacity of the 1911, the grip was too slim to comfortably fit my hands, and 8 rounds is a tad low for a modern autoloader

cimpala
09-14-2008, 21:29
Congrats!!!!!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::welcome:

sigpro-fessor
09-14-2008, 21:37
I'm seriously contemplating a G21 SF before Obama gets in. I think not owning a 45 would be un-American.

Mine will have to be the picatinny railed version though. :thumbsup: Which by the way seem to be drying up a bit. I wonder if they're even still in production, or if Glock is just selling off their remaining enventory?

JReeves997
09-14-2008, 21:47
Nice review. This makes me want to finally go over the edge and buy a 21SF.