Flexmoney Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Chuck, I shoot my little G26 about as well as my G34...usually. The G26 is more challenging in the gun handling area. There just isn't as much grip. (not an issue between the G17 and G34). I've burned down a longer range USPSA classifier with my G26 (bettering my G34 hits and time). But, I've also lost the grip a bit on a reload and practically dumped a mag trying to down some steel (sight picture looked good until the gun shifted during trigger pull due to flubbed grip). To me, the G17 vs. G34 is going to be a personal preference thing. Everything else about them is/can be identical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midvalleyshooter Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) ........K Edited January 11, 2012 by midvalleyshooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 ...my logic is this. I intend on shooting considerably more IDPA than USPSA even though I enjoy both sports. Even when I shoot Steel Challenge stuff, I register in IDPA SSP division. I am under the impression that the G17 is easier and quicker to draw from concealment than the G34 for me at this stage in my development. Besides, the 4thGen G34 was not available when I aquired my G17. Now that the G34 is available, I plan on picking one of these up. I also have to wait for Comp-Tac to manufacture a belt holster for the 4thGen G34. I really like the G17. I don't believe i'm hurting myself at all by using one. Thanks everyone for their opinions and advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimAustinTX Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I bought a 17 a couple weeks ago in a moment of weakness . There is something about the 34's balance I don't really like and the sight radius on the 17 is as long as all my 1911's so I don't feel like I am giving up anything there. I guess I will see how it goes. Is your Glock a Gen 3 or 4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strick Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 It is a Gen 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landshark45 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Got a gen3 g34 that I'm going to start using in ESP. I stippled the grip and it feels much better to me now. It's is way different than my 1911 I'm used to but it runs nice and flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimAustinTX Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 It is a Gen 3. Are you planing on shooting in ESP or SSP with the Glock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrVvrroomm Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I use a Gen4 22 in both USPSA and IDPA (2 different guns) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smo11 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I got a good deal on my 34 And also I like the sight radius.better than the 17 I had an eye injury a couple years ago and the 34 is easier to focus in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 How is your G19 on reloads (much pinching on the skin of the hand)? I'm not Lee, but I started IDPA with a Glock 19. You learn very quickly to let your pinky float off the gun during a reload -- not that you'd pinch the pinky, but it rearranges the contact between the bottom of the frame and your hand, to avoid the blood blister you get otherwise..... I still do that reflexively to this day..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Koski Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 It took me a while to unlearn the "tea with the queen" technique when I bought a full sized gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul-the new guy Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Great pic of Vogel on the last issue of Front Sight with his "tea with the Queen" reload happening. Its a good pic, new mag almost in spent mag barely out and a piece of smoking brass about even with his belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan N Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Great pic of Vogel on the last issue of Front Sight with his "tea with the Queen" reload happening. Its a good pic, new mag almost in spent mag barely out and a piece of smoking brass about even with his belt. I wonder if he does this because he has small hands and has to shift his grip to press the mag release. I have to do the same thing because I cannot fully reach the mag release without slightly shifting my grip. My appologies for furthering the thread drift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProGunGuy Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I traded my gen4 17 for a gen 3 34. The 34,for me, just balances a lot better. the extra inch of the barrel does not make much of difference in the draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garyg19 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I had used the G19 for two years and have since changed to using the G34 this summer primarily for it's accuracy at distance. I also liked how the magazines extend a little further in the mag carrier allowing a slightly better grip during reloads. I get a better grip overall on the G34 than the G19. I used my G26 for a rogue match a few months ago. it called for all stock length mags. My mag carries just swallow those little G26 mags right up. Only the base pad really sticks out. At the match, I dug through the trash can for a used target, cut some strips off, and rolled them up and put them into the bottom of my mag carriers as spacers. How is your G19 on reloads (much pinching on the skin of the hand)? Yes to much pinching of the skin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyes4targets Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I shot my G34 for years and no matter what I dabbled with, always came back. Unfortunately my wife started shooting and stole my G34 so I am going to have to start loading for my G35 and see if I can get it set up the same way. Sigh, the price we pay to may our women happy. Never say unfortunately about your wife shooting! Be glad, I can't get mine interested in shooting until Coach or Gucci start making a gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyes4targets Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 As far as the G34 vs. G17, I'd go with the G34. It's just a touch longer and will help with those long distance shots. However, you can't possibly carry/conceal a G34, whereas you can possibly a G17. So just decide if you want to use your carry/conceal G17 for IDPA for all of the practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waktasz Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 As far as the G34 vs. G17, I'd go with the G34. It's just a touch longer and will help with those long distance shots. However, you can't possibly carry/conceal a G34, whereas you can possibly a G17. So just decide if you want to use your carry/conceal G17 for IDPA for all of the practice. Don't be silly. The grip is the same on the 34 and 17, which is what makes it tougher to conceal. The extra little bit of slide doesn't even matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GmanCdp Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Glock 34 length 8.15 1911 std length 8.25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not-So-Mad Matt Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Don't be silly. The grip is the same on the 34 and 17, which is what makes it tougher to conceal. The extra little bit of slide doesn't even matter. So, should Glock put a 34-style upper on a 19-style lower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waktasz Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I would love that but it won't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not-So-Mad Matt Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I would love that but it won't work. Well, you obviously can't take apart a G34 and a G19 and swap slides, but would anything go terribly wrong if you designed a new G34 frame to hold 15-round G19 magazines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 (edited) I shot a classifier match out of state last weekend and I was asked by more than a few fellow competitors why I was using a 17 instead of a 34. My answers were: 1. The Gen4 G34 was not available when I bought my G17 2. I believed that the G17 would be easier (and yes quicker) to draw from concealment 3. I like the way a 4.5 inch slide length gun handles. The Gen4 G17 was plenty accurate enough. Although the classifier match doesn't require drawing from concealment, the gun handled just as I expected and hoped. Besides...I'm not aware of anyone personally who carries a G34. Both guns are excellent choices. I look forward to buying a Gen4 G34 and giving it a try... Edited February 15, 2012 by Chuck D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cherryriver Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Well, let me throw in a slightly different perspective: My (female) partner and I have an instruction business which is quite successful. Our main product is a Women's Introduction to Handguns course, featuring, as you may suspect, a lead instructor who's a woman. And, a successful action pistol competitor whose name you may recognize here. But rather than run a disguised ad for our business, I'll just relate what I actually see on the range. Now, I'm not a Glock person. I had a Gen 2 17 for a while and sold it because I never took it to the range. My partner has a couple of long Gen 3s she had worked over for competition and used to shoot in IDPA some. We use her Gen3s in our classes at one range and the house's Gen4s at the other. Along the way, a number of 17s and XDms get run as well, once the main part of the range time with full-size .22 Rugers gets done. I can tell you this: these new shooters almost universally do their best centerfire shooting with the 34s, and double especially with the Gen4 34, than any other gun. This even includes our "Phase II" class where we show them a bus tub full of 9s and have them feel them all up. I confess a surprise to all of this, but when we're looking for centerfire trainers, it's going to be Gen4 34s. This is based on two things: first, the bullet holes in the targets. Secondly, the G34 might be the easiest to rack of all of the common centerfires we have them try, and this should not be discounted as a sales point. One caveat- we don't have an M&P Pro 9 on hand yet, so this might be a factor later. They just aren't on the shelves in good enough numbers in this neck of the woods. And... I'll even whisper that a certain instructor has actually taken to surreptitiously unloading the leftover 9mm ammunition through the house Gen4 34 after the range session is done and the ladies are returning to the classroom. And, possibly enjoying it. Just a bit of actual bullet hole on-the-range observation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magsz Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I have both in generation 4 flavor. I have 15k through the 17 at this point. I only have 1100 through the 34 at this point. The 17 balances better as i believe the weight is balanced over the ejection port. The 34 is muzzle heavy which makes target transitions a little weird as it feels like you're trying to flip a light switch with a broom handle. The 17 tracks better under recoil and for me, right now, points better. The 34 does not recoil and it has almost zero muzzle climb. The gun points poorly but this is a training issue as i am still re acclimating to the longer muzzle and different front sight location. The 34 has better potential for accuracy at distance due to the longer sight radius but in practice, both guns shoot accurately as balls at 25 with the factory barrels. The real difference between the two guns comes into play when you start running reloads. The 34, due to the extra barrel length can be downloaded even more and still make reasonable power factor levels. This results in an even softer, less jumpy gun. My vote still goes to the 17 but i am heavily biased as i seriously love that hand gun. I will be shooting the 34 for at least another 14k rounds before i commit to one or the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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