Consolidating my collection, can't decide on a carry gun.

[Choppie]

Hello guys,

I've went the H&H route in .40 and .45 full size pistols, have the 1911s in colt stainless and blued steel and even have a XD in .40

Former NAVY (12 years), and have been shooting and reloading for a while.

I want to get rid of most of what I have and focus on two night stand guns for the house and a carry that I would like to really spend some time with at the range to get better at shooting. The Colt stainless .45 is my choice for home, LOVE IT, I can toss it around the house and yard with zero worry's about the finish, and well  you all know how it shoots--like a dream.

Deciding on G26, G27, G29 but the following components are at play;

Cost of ammo, and is reloading really going to make it worth going for lets say the G27 or G29, as choosing those is gonna take quite a few more trips to the range to get proficient at handling them.....hickock45 makes it look too easy and I have no illusions about having to spend some time/money on range ammo....OR go the reloading route. The G29 seems would be a bit too jumpy to get married to, then as im getting older, become painful to shoot, so the G27 seems to be the sweet spot, I already have the H&K .40 USP but its getting a bit to bulky to always carry..... and the H&K .45 USP..... forget about it.... I need a small cart to carry it around now...

How bad is the cost of reloading .40 for the G27 and how much would I really save? Haven't reloaded in YEARS.... Should I just go with the G26 and stop all this brain storming!!!

ALSO, I could save a little on cost trying to hunt down a G26.2 or G26.3 (im trying to start a new trend to standardize the naming of models....seems logical G26.2 (G26 GEN2)

Thanks in advance.....

Awesome forum.....

Choppie

 

G26, G27, G29

[HGxyz]

I can only tell you what I did.  I like the softer recoil and cheaper ammo so the G27 is retired.  Good 9mm target ammo can be had for under $200/case.  Reload only if you really enjoy it - it won't save you much money, particularly if you value your time.  I like the smaller grip on the gen4, so I bought one and gave the g26 gen3 to a friend.  I haven't tried the gen5, but it should definitely be considered.  The G29 is nice, I rented one a couple times but never bought, and decided supplying it with ammo would be too much of a headache.  I also sometimes carry a G43, when I want something slimmer.  G32 (.357 Sig) for in the woods, and same gun in the nightstand with a .40 cal barrel and 125 grain win ranger ammo.

If you've ever seen the The Fugitive - Tommy Lee Jones has some good advice on your Colt.

[Choppie]

20 minutes ago, HGxyz said:

I can only tell you what I did.  I like the softer recoil and cheaper ammo so the G27 is retired.  Good 9mm target ammo can be had for under $200/case.  Reload only if you really enjoy it - it won't save you much money, particularly if you value your time.  I like the smaller grip on the gen4, so I bought one and gave the g26 gen3 to a friend.  I haven't tried the gen5, but it should definitely be considered.  The G29 is nice, I rented one a couple times but never bought, and decided supplying it with ammo would be too much of a headache.  I also sometimes carry a G43, when I want something slimmer.  G32 (.357 Sig) for in the woods, and same gun in the nightstand with a .40 cal barrel and 125 grain win ranger ammo.

If you've ever seen the The Fugitive - Tommy Lee Jones has some good advice on your Colt.

I'm going to have to say, I agree with you. Shot placement is more important than caliber..... and jumping down to the small grip and small gun, is going to really require I spend some time shooting and that can get quite expensive. G26.3 or G26.4 is starting to make more sense all around.

Man I love my colt, I'm looking at it now, M1991A1 stainless, series 80. I doctored it up a bit, put a rubber finger grip on and it just fits likes its molded for my hand. When I first took it out of the box, it had a bead blasted, flat finish on it...STUPID, anything that touched it left a scratch or mark on it. So I got out my dremal and buffed out all the bead blasting.....its a nice smooth dull gray now....no matter where I throw it around....the finish looks the same. Requires ZERO babby sitting.

[ZMBKLR]

Years ago I got rid of all my 40 and went all 9mm to simplify my life. I don’t regret it one bit. I carry a Gen4 G26 and love it. It’s got a magpul 12 round mag in it so it’s 12+1 and what ever I carry for a spare. 

I’ve tested several magpul mags for it. They all have been flawless.... just a pain to load all 12 at first. 

[TX OMFS]

I carry a G27 every day. 'Merica.

[Alcoy]

G26.X would be my suggestion.

[Mike Papa]

The 1911 is an awesome pistol. I was issued several during my first eight years in the Military Police. And I have went through several phases of Colts, Kimbers and Ed Browns. But my current job issues Glocks, so I sold my assorted collection of pistols and standardized on Glock. I currently have two G19.5 and two G26.5 to choose from. My favorite holster is the kydex Raven Phantom for the G19 which works just as well if I’m carrying a G26. All my spare magazines are G17 17 rounders which fits G19 and G26. My chosen carry round is Gold Dot 124+P. This is as simple a setup as I can come up with. KISS. Of all the nice pistols I have had over the years, I couldn’t be any happier than I am with my Glock 9mm four piece set. 

[Texas48]

I carry a Glock 27 Gen 4 as my EDC because I wear business casual with tucked in shirt. The 27 disappears so its great for CC and my range is 2 miles from my house so I fire at least once a week. I have a 26 but just feel a little under gunned with 9 mm. Not looking to start a caliber war. The 26 is very shootable and follow up are a tad faster. I just feel better carrying  the 27. My favorite Glock is my G29sf but won't conceal for me as easily as my 27 and is somewhat heavier.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Texas48

[Smokey45]

My carry gun is a 27.3, so naturally I have two of them. I also have the 22/23/35. I have 9mm conversion barrels and magazines for all of them. When I shoot minor in action pistol games, I toss in the 9mm barrel and play. I've toyed with the idea of getting .357 Sig barrels for them as well. I love choices! My current cost per reloaded round is $.10 for 9mm and $.12 per round for the .40. The $.02 difference in reloading cost is the bullet, so about $2.00 more per hundred.  I'm not aware of any loaded ammunition anywhere that can be bought for $10-$12 per hundred. So, if you have range brass available, and maybe if you don't, it pays to reload.  I just throw this out there for your consideration.

s45

[Cougar_ml]

The G29 is a little heavier, so because you reload you can download 10mm to the same power level as .40, and it will feel like shooting 9mm in the G26.  Only real downside is that it's a little larger and heavier than the G26/G27, but if that isn't an issue, the extra weight is a benefit for the recoil reduction.  

That being said, 9mm is a lot more readily available and cheaper off the shelf than 10mm or even .40.  You also get more rounds with the 9mm with everything else being equal.

As smokey said, reloading cost is negligible in difference between them, though the 10mm brass is slightly more expensive and a lot less common.  Upside of the Glock 10mm is that you can shoot .40 in it no problems, just clean the chamber before switching back to 10mm.

 

[Moshe]

Finally had to replace my Bladtech belt.  I tried to like their new "one size" fits all.  But, I am going to send it back.  I found a better one on Amazon that had a similar concept as the original Bladetech.  The belt does not sag, and keeps everything where I need it.  I have 9mm, .40, .45, .45 Super, .45 Rowland, .38/.357.  Different tools, different jobs.  .45 you can get in 15 rounds+.  Ruger 1911 is coming out with 15 round .45 ACP.  I like my Springfield, it just means carrying more magazines.  Or, there is the FNX-45 Tactical.  It has 15 rounds standard, and can do double/single/cocked and locked.  Mine, I just need to find the right plate for my Trijicon RMR.  I think that will be my new carry piece.  Five mags, no problem.  I also am having my G-21 machined.  It is getting an RMR.  The Magazines are getting +3 Arredondos.  So, it is possible to carry more .45 ACP in magazines. 

So, a lot of it has to do with the right gear, the right clothes.  I may look like a bag of bones in my clothes, but, I concealed 7 G-19 mags, plus the Glock19 with RMR, and Viridian light laser the other night.  No one knew.  9MM can be deadly, depending on shot placement, but that can be said with a lot of things.  I like flying ashtrays.

I haven't given up on Glocks, I am just getting away from striker fired, simply because, I like having options.   I love my HKC .45 and HKUSP .40 cocked and locked.  I guess, it boils down to I like having a pistol I can carry cocked and locked.  The trend lately seems to be little 9mm's regardless of the format.  I think Glock tried to come to the RMR game with the 35 offering, but because of size, it is not that popular.  I saw and interesting thing the other day.  A G26 with the rear sight replaced with a Burris fast fire 3, which I thought was ingenious.  You are not loosing out because of a small sight radius, and it will take any 9mm Glock mag you want to stick in there.  I always didn't like the small sub Glocks, because my hands naturally push left when the weapon is too small, with a striker fired pistol.  This may over come that.

[Borg warner]

Glock 27 with a KKM 40-to-9 conversion barrel. I have a G23 with the KKM 9mm barrel and I shoot the cheaper 9mm ammo for most of my practice shooting but each range session I fire 40-50 rounds of 40 caliber after firing 50-100 rounds of 9mm. In the G23 the isn't much difference between shooting 9 and 40 and the more ammo I shoot the more muscle memory I develop and the more familiar I am with the gun and I'm always working to improve my shooting.

You WILL save money by reloading. A single stage press is not all that slow if you have a powder measure. I use a lee hand press and I can size and de-prime cases while watching TV and then I use a powder measure to charge cases and carefully inspect powder levels before seating bullets and check every 25 rounds with a scale. I used to cast my own bullets and that saved me even more money. The best reloading manual is the Loadbooks USA separate load books for each caliber

here is a chart on the cost breakdown for reloading 10mm. 40 S&W cases are somewhat less if you buy used once fired brass. And you would use about a grain an a half less powder per case. Cases can be reloaded about 8-9 times with full power loads

Edited December 2, 2018 by Borg warner

[MikeG36]

Used G27s can be had for a great price right now. As Borg states above, add a 9mm conversion barrel and or 357 Sig barrel and you have two or three guns in one. I have a G23 with LWD 40:9 conversion as well as a standard Glock 32 barrel so I can shoot all three calibers from one pistol. When the next stupid ass democrap president is elected, we may be in another ammo crisis. That kind of caliber versatility could come in handy.