What Kind Accuracy Can You Expect Out of a Glock 35

[P.E. Kelley]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fWJ71FdIFI&feature=share&list=UUP2a8nE0aB3-5Za-KOVsOHg

Stock G34 other than the sights.

[bountyhunter]

I have been shooting a Springfield Range Officer in Limited 10. It's accuracy is outstanding. I want to shoot Limited, but don't have the jack right now to purchase a race tuned 2011. I have looked at a lot of polymer guns and after much deliberation and for many reasons I think the Glock 35 might be the ticket but I come back to accuracy. I know it won't be as accurate as a good 1911 or 2011, but just what level of competition accuracy can one expect out of a Glock 35 compared to an M&P Pro 40 or a XDm Competition in 40 S&W?

The biggest determiner of accuracy of a G35 is how well you can control the hideously awful trigger as you pull it.

I suppose you can guess I never grew to love my Glock 35.....

We will findout about the "hideously awful trigger" when I pull it.

I just find it awful because it is exactly the opposite of the kind of trigger I can shoot: which is to say, a trigger with a light take up, well defined break point, and a clean, crisp break.

A Glock has a long, mushy spring-loading takeup as the striker spring is loaded by trigger pull and the break point has nothing to alert the user as to it's imminent release. Some people can shoot them, I am not one of them.

[theblacknight]

All Glocks should shoot sub 2" groups with good ammunition from 25 yards when rested.

You have been reading to many gun magazines.

Most guns are not capable of 2" groups with any ammunition. Period!!

You may be lucky to have one that does but that is all it is. Luck.

Your post is based off what data? I'm guessing about as much luck as what you are accusing here.

Gen 4 17's already have a good reputation of this kind of accuracy. DonovanM and another fellows on FB getting sub 2" groups is what helped me switch to Glocks.

[G17]

Good call, theblacknight. Right on!

[Bart Solo]

Well I took my Glock 35 Gen 4 to the range tonight and fired a few magazines at basic competition distances. The gun appears to have reasonable accuracy, but I didn't shoot it nearly as well as I shoot either of my Springfield 1911s. That is probably because of the trigger. It isn't anything like the 1911. In fairness, my Springfield GI's trigger was pretty clunky when I bought it, but it has since been the beneficiary of a Springfield Custom Shop action job. The Glocks trigger pull is longer and the break isn't nearly as crisp. I had to fight the urge to just yank the trigger. That is never a good thing. I suspect a trigger job of some kind is going to be needed before it will be usable in competition. The problem with the trigger isn't going to be when shooting slowly, it is going to be shooting fast.

I had never shot a 40 S&W before. As everybody says the recoil is sharper than the 45 ACP. Not as heavy but sharper. The recoil was probably made worse by the light weight of the Glock. Of course, coming from the 45 I don't think the recoil is going to be a problem. I can see, however, why folks coming to the 40 S&W from the 9mm occasionally complain.

I am going to have to learn how to hold the Glock better and with greater consistancy. My first two magazines were shot from 10 yards. My first magazine was shot slow fire and resulted in a nice tight group around the bullseye. My next magazine was fired faster, almost rapid fire, and resulted in a group a couple of inches left of the bull. They would have all been hits, but some of them would have been Charlies. I think that means I need to work on my weak side grip.

The sights were OK, but replacing them with something a little more appropriate to competition isn't all that expensive.

I looked at the expended cases. I didn't see much in the way of the dreaded Glock bulge. Apparently the newer Glocks have a better supported barrel.

All of that said, I don't think I will have much trouble shooting it in competition. Of course, it was a Glock. It functioned flawlessly.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Bart Solo

[Pasley]

As far as the trigger; the couple of Glocks I own, the trigger smoothed out a good bit after a few hundred rounds. Also, you can put a minus connector in it without spending much money at all.

[Nimitz]

Glocks are great guns for revealing issues with fundamental marksmanship issues like trigger control ... A great shooter can shoot a Glock as well as a 2011 .....

That being said you have yourself a great gun and can be competitive with anyone out there ...now just spend your money on ammo ...

[Bart Solo]

The Glock 35 gen 4 has a 4.5 pound connector instead of the standard 5.5 so I guess I already have a minus connector.

After the last range session I thought about the issues I was having and decided to install the medium beaver tail back strap. The pistol now fits my hand like a glove. I spent some dry fire time pulling the trigger with the muzzle an inch from a blank wall focusing on the front sight (one of the best drills I have found to work on trigger pull issues.) After a couple of sessions I found myself adjusting to the longer pull of the trigger. It is still not as nice as the 1911 but it is more than usable.

This afternoon I loaded some 180 grain bullets and made my way to the range. I did my usual range live fire drills. I started at 7 yards fired a magazine slowly. I repeated the procedure at 10, 15 and finally 25, every shot focusing on my hold, front sight and follow through. The gun shoots a little high at 25 yards. Still in the alpha zone but high. The last part of my normal drill is to bring the pistol back to 7 yards and fire the last magazine rapid fire (or rapid fire as fast as the range will let me.) The results were very encouraging. Today I shot the Glock just about as well as I shoot my 1911.

I think this Glock is going to be fun. I also think adjusting the back strap was important. The beaver tail forces my hand higher in the gun.

My only problem today was my weak side hand wasn't as strong on the last magazine. Again I shot to the left of the center of the bull. Not far enough off to complain, but not what I like.

You know the 1911 single action trigger pull does one thing. The Glock safe action trigger pull does three things. It is bound to be different. I am beginning to think trying to make the Glock trigger act just like a 1911 trigger is a fools errand. You have to accept each for what it is and what it does. The fundamentals of shooting don't change from gun to gun. You just have to be prepared to make minor adjustments.

Edited December 29, 2013 by Bart Solo

[pdg45acp]

It depends on what you are shooting in your G35 and how you have your G35 set up.

Here's my G35 limited gun with a LW barrel and sights I forgot that name of. 180gr FMJ from Everglades, 5.4 unique, Rem 1 1/2.

25 yards, standing, weaver stance. It's a great shooter.

Edited December 31, 2013 by pdg45acp

[MetropolisLake]

Now the next question, 180 or 165?

180. Factory Winchester white box 165 is very harsh in my 35. 180 grain Blazer Brass runs swell and is more of a push without the uncomfortable vibrations. I was ready to burn the thing with 165. Switch to 180 and take a video lesson on grip and instantly I'm shooting 10 times better, enough to render my 3-gun pistol setup obsolete much to the dismay of my bank account.

[MetropolisLake]

Well I took my Glock 35 Gen 4 to the range tonight and fired a few magazines at basic competition distances. The gun appears to have reasonable accuracy, but I didn't shoot it nearly as well as I shoot either of my Springfield 1911s. That is probably because of the trigger. It isn't anything like the 1911. In fairness, my Springfield GI's trigger was pretty clunky when I bought it, but it has since been the beneficiary of a Springfield Custom Shop action job.

Should be no surprise that it's never going to feel like a worked over 1911 trigger. That being said, I just came off of 1911's and I just sold mine to fund building up my G35. It takes getting used to, mainly in the form of dry firing the hell out of it.

The Glocks trigger pull is longer and the break isn't nearly as crisp.

A 1911 trigger's only job is to let go of a hammer. A glock is actually pulling the striker back while you pull. Plus, and especially at first, you have a ton of friction. All the stock connectors and whatnot rubbing against each other is what you're feeling. That's why people polish the internals. Or just dry fire and run through about 5,000 rounds, that'll do it plus you'll be used to it.

I had never shot a 40 S&W before. As everybody says the recoil is sharper than the 45 ACP. Not as heavy but sharper. The recoil was probably made worse by the light weight of the Glock. Of course, coming from the 45 I don't think the recoil is going to be a problem. I can see, however, why folks coming to the 40 S&W from the 9mm occasionally complain.

Shoot 180 grain rounds and watch the video below, trying to mimic what he does. To be honest I shot my 1911 rather sloppily, which was masked by not feeling the need for fast follow up shots, a heavy frame, and a good trigger. Glocks are a different beast, you actually have to know how to man handle them.

I am going to have to learn how to hold the Glock better and with greater consistancy.

[Less]

Just adding this out there: I shot a G35 in many matches (production) the stock barrel was certainly capable of 4" groups at 25 yards.

A barsto barrel made it awesomer, tho...

6 shots, 15 yards. (PPC/B27 target. X ring is ~2"x 3"...)

[MetropolisLake]

I'm curious as to how accurate a G35 can be with a conversion barrel to 9mm.

[dmshozer1]

All Glocks should shoot sub 2" groups with good ammunition from 25 yards when rested.

You have been reading to many gun magazines.

Most guns are not capable of 2" groups with any ammunition. Period!!

You may be lucky to have one that does but that is all it is. Luck.

Your post is based off what data? I'm guessing about as much luck as what you are accusing here.

Gen 4 17's already have a good reputation of this kind of accuracy. DonovanM and another fellows on FB getting sub 2" groups is what helped me switch to Glocks.

Try 10 shot groups and then repeat the 10 shot groups and report back. Be honest.

I have often shot 3, 4, and five shot 2" groups but go to 10 shots to really see what the gun is capable of.

Been at this a very long time. I hang with a lot of very good shooters with very good equipment.

It has been very rare to see any IDPA, IPSC or three gun type pistol produce consistent 2" groups at 25 yds.

I will admit that some guns will do it but very few. Like I said, you may have one and if you do, you are lucky.

[dmshozer1]

Just adding this out there: I shot a G35 in many matches (production) the stock barrel was certainly capable of 4" groups at 25 yards.

A barsto barrel made it awesomer, tho...

6 shots, 15 yards. (PPC/B27 target. X ring is ~2"x 3"...)

I completely agree. 4" groups are common at 25 yds but 2" groups are a different story.

At 15yds most better than average guns should produce a group as shown.

[dmshozer1]

It depends on what you are shooting in your G35 and how you have your G35 set up.

Here's my G35 limited gun with a LW barrel and sights I forgot that name of. 180gr FMJ from Everglades, 5.4 unique, Rem 1 1/2.

25 yards, standing, weaver stance. It's a great shooter.

Nice shooting, nice group. Really.

Perfect example of why one needs to fire at least 10 shots to check their group and then try to repeat it.

In the above group, some are in what looks to be 2" some are not. Overall group looks to be around 5 or 6".

It may have been that the first 5 went into 2" but then opened to 6" or the other way around.

10 shots, then repeat. For real.

[JBP55]

From Hilton Yam. 01/02/2014

As an experiment, my Glock 17 build used a match fit Briley barrel with 1:16 twist.

It shoots extremely well, with sub 3″ standing offhand groups at 25 yards being the norm, and 1.5″ clusters being common.

However, my recent Gen4 Glocks also shoot just as well with their stock barrels.

I do not really feel that most shooters should expend the effort with match barrels on their Glocks, as it is an unnecessary expense.

[JBP55]

Mas on the G41 which shoots good groups rested.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Flexmoney
to fix video link

[Flexmoney]

Overall group looks to be around 5 or 6".

That group is inside of 4 inches. The rings are at 1 inch increments. It looks to be about 3.5 center to center*....the lower left and upper right holes being the furthest apart. And, it is more than 10 shots. There seem to be a few doubles in there too...I wonder if that was a full magazine?

You are right though, for good numbers we need to have standard definitions. More than 10 isn't 10. Though I do think most here would be expecting a 5-shot group.

* - That group may be a bit better than that even. I got curious and printed off one of those targets. Mine printed a bit smaller than the advertised one inch increments.

[Flexmoney]

Mas on the G41 which shoots good groups rested.

About 10 of us should kick in a couple bucks each and get Mas a better video camera. LOL

[Givo08]

My gen4 G35 easily shoots 2" or less groups off a rest with Winchester ranger 180gr JHP. I have shot several 25 yard bullseye courses with it and can manage to keep 8 or 9 out of 10 rounds at 25 yds inside the 10 ring.