Deciding between the G22 or G17!

[Sethinator]

Hey guys this is my first post, and would be my first handgun purchase. I would really prefer the G22 because i would like a round with a little more juice than a 9mm. But my question is i have heard the .40 cal is a dying round. Is that true? A gun is just a porce of metal without rounds.

Thank you for your time

[ron169]

Anyone who says that 40 is dying doesn't know squat. Federal currently has a 9 month wait for training ammunition for law enforcement agencies. They can't make ammunition fat enough to meet demand

[KustomHolsters]

It really is personal preference, so i will just list advantages of each.

G22- knock down power, amunition avaliable in most cases were 9mm is not avaliable, the abundance of police trade in G22s make it cheaper

G17- more capacity, less recoil in theory, ammo cheaper than 40, also makes a great production/ all around action shooting sports gun

If i were to be in your position i would without question go with the G17 as the capacity is greater and the modern day 9mm amunition is very impressive in terms of balistics and such

[Southpaw]

Welcome! You forgot to state what your intended use is for this gun; knowing that helps us provide more meaningful recommendations.

[Joe D]

Competition use? The .40 shoots softer than a 9mm when both are loaded to a 130 PF.

[9x45]

The G22 and G17 are the same gun (frame size), the only difference being the upper and magazine. You can put a 9mm conversion barrel in a G22 but not a 40S&W in a G17. You can also drop in a .357SIG barrel in a G22. Recoil is greater for the 40S&W and capacity is 2 rounds less. Both are good for home defense and CCW. For competition, the G22 will make major in USPSA Limited and Limited 10, and the G17 is the gun for production (all minor scoring). Both are good for IDPA SSP (minor floor). Ammunition is widely available for both, 40S&W being more expensive, even if you reload, 40S&W bullets/brass are higher cost than 9mm. Having said all that, the G17 is still the best choice. Save the rest of your $$$ for shooting lessons, preferably from a USPSA Grand Master in your area.

[Braxton1]

The "dying round" part comes from the fact that several notable law enforcement agencies have recently switched back to the 9mm from the .40, .45 ACP, and the .357 SIG. Their reasoning (and I'm not trying to justify it myself; just reporting it) is that the 9mm ammo is more plentiful, it recoils less and is less stressful on the guns (so they should last longer), and it is cheaper to shoot. Plus the guns hold more rounds. These agencies also report that modern 9mm premium ammo has been engineered to a point where its main disadvantage (lack of penetration) has been mostly overcome.

The FBI and the Georgia State Patrol are two of the agencies leading this charge.

[polymerfeelsweirdman]

G34 is always the answer

[pcs352]

Pretty much what Braxton1 said. The 9mm Glocks will last much longer and for defensive use there is no real difference with modern ammunition. In competition you have to decide what division you'd like to shoot which will point you in the direction of caliber.

[Locomotion]

I agree with the comments regarding the 9mm. I'd go with a 9mm for self defense. Even Phoenix PD opened the option to their officers with a specific type of ammunition. As far as competition it is a good Production Division gun. When you get into the other divisions in USPSA you have to consider power factor and the fact there are 2011 platform you are competing against

[Joe D]

Hmmm, now what gun did Robert Vogel use to win the IDPA Nationals? Answer G35 He was only 20 points down for the match. I asked him why a .40 vs 9mm. Response. The .40 shoots softer.

[bigtimelarry]

Maybe Sethinator doesn't reload. .40 cal Factory Ammo is a LOT hotter than 9mm..

[1eyedfatman]

Hmmm, now what gun did Robert Vogel use to win the IDPA Nationals? Answer G35 He was only 20 points down for the match. I asked him why a .40 vs 9mm. Response. The .40 shoots softer.

I shoot a G34 which has many mods to it. I rented a G35 at the range and used factory ammo to try it. The G35 shot MUCH harsher then my G34 to the point I said no way, I'll wait before going USPSA Limited. I've read about additional mods that can be made to a G35 such as Seattle Slugger and weighted magwells. If someone said they could make that G35 shoot the same as my G34, I would have been impressed and interested. Now, if someone was to say I can make that G35 shoot software then your G34 with factory 147gr ammo and still have it meet power factor and fit USPSA rules, I'd love to know how.

Edited December 25, 2014 by 1eyedfatman

[9x45]

Hmmm, now what gun did Robert Vogel use to win the IDPA Nationals? Answer G35 He was only 20 points down for the match. I asked him why a .40 vs 9mm. Response. The .40 shoots softer.

I thought he was running a G34 with 147's in Production and SSP/ESP. But still a 40S&W has a heavier bullet and will shoot softer for the same power floor, minor. The difference is cycle time.

http://www.vogeldynamics.com/gear/

[bulm540]

I shoot a glock 22 and then a 35 in production and sometimes IDPA. As Joe D said, it is crazy soft.

[Braxton1]

Yeah, .40s running a 180 grain projectile at Minor Power Factor is very soft, but whether you LIKE that is subject to personal opinion. To me, it feels very slow and "lopey". It's almost like I am waiting on the gun to finish cycling before I can pick up another sight picture. I don't run 147s in 9mm for the same reason.

In my 9mm Production guns (Glock 34 or XDm 5.25 for USPSA and 17 for IPSC), I run 124s at approximately 1050 fps. It feels snappier and it feels like the gun cycles faster.

I would like to video both set-ups on a high-speed camera, just to see if it is a "feel" thing or if it is verifiable that the gun is cycling slower.

[AlphaShot]

Several people have said that, but at the same time 90% of the police trade ins are 40 S&W and it is practically the only round for a Limited division shooter. I don't thin you need to worry about it going away in the next few decades.

[BrknCylncr]

Get both. Either way, you eventually will. That's how it is with Glocks. They multiply magically because they are awesome!

[Joe D]

Guys, trust me when I say no one ever "waits on the slide". Years ago I was running a friend on the clock when his Glock went full auto. You can't pull the trigger fast enough. I load a 160 gr lead bullet for 9mm. It does not shoot as softly as a 180 gr .40 at a 130PF.

[twodownzero]

Hmmm, now what gun did Robert Vogel use to win the IDPA Nationals? Answer G35 He was only 20 points down for the match. I asked him why a .40 vs 9mm. Response. The .40 shoots softer.

I have held the timer for Bob and his Glock 35 and I'm convinced he could have won the IDPA Nationals shooting a high point with one hand tied behind his back.

.40 Minor, when loaded properly, does shoot softer but it isn't worth the increased cost of components to me. I only shoot .40 in USPSA limited where it is necessary for competitiveness.

And besides, all Glocks should be 9mm with limited exceptions not relevant to the question presented here. Get the 17 and shoot it until it falls apart.

[Joe D]

Two of my shooting buds shot the Nationals. One was the High Senior and the other was High Distinguished Senior. I just looked at the scores again and the site shows Bob only 10 points down. Guess he needs to speed up a bit.

[bowenbuilt]

There are tons of police trade-in G22's you can buy cheap if you shop around. Get the 22 and a conversion barrel for 9mm and have both. If you find you like the 9mm better and want to shoot production trade it for a trade-in G17. I like them both but for minor the .40 is notably softer.

[RJH]

G35. Or 1911.

[sheepdog566]

If your looking for a defensive pistol don't overlook the 9mm. There's no such thing as "knock down power" in common defensive pistol rounds. A pistol round does not create a large wound channel like a high velocity rifle round. Pistol round wound channels are limited to the bullet diameter at expansion, so there's minor differences between 9-45. This wasn't the case prior to bonded bullet technology. When issuing guns we give new recruits the opportunity to shoot Glock 9, 40, and 45. They usually pick the 9 or 45.

[PKT1106]

I don't think you can go wrong with either, depending on what you want to do with it. Just production, G17 or G34. Limited/L10/Production, G22 or G35. The Glock 17 is pretty universal and you can find parts for it everywhere, sometimes Goodwill.