The G22 Gen 4 is one of the best things I’ve done – but not what you’re thinking…

[Tangle]

I wanted a .40 cal platform. I wanted a Gen 4 Glock. Well, the no brainer was get a G22 Gen 4; so I did. Now a flashback to about 4-5 years ago to a phone conversation with Ernst Langdon.

As we talked about numerous things, I couldn’t resist asking him about using a Sig P220 ST to beat Rob Leatham and his highly customized 1911 in a national competition. One of the things Ernst told me was that when he started training with the .45 ACP P220, he was surprised to realize how many bad habits had slipped into his technique over the years. He went on to explain the reason this had happened is that you could get by with some bad things with the low recoiling 9mm he had been shooting for years and years. Now fast forward to the present.

I was shooting the .40 cal G22 Gen 4 and it was going all over the place. The hits were good but the gun was jumping like a bucking bull. I realized what was happening – the same thing that Ernst experienced – bad habits/technique had slipped into the 9mm shooting unnoticed and with the heavier recoiling .40, all the bad stuff was showing up.

BTW, as a sidebar, the recoil of a G22/.40 cal isn’t ‘snappier’ than a 9mm – it’s heavier. I estimate the recoil of the .40 cal range ammo I was shooting to be about 50% heavier recoil than the 9mm range ammo I was shooting.

Anyway back on point, I made some adjustments to technique and the G22 responded. The muzzle lifted less and it came back on target faster. It was a great lesson to me. I applied the same technique(s) to my G17 Gen 4 and saw a remarkable difference.

So the heavier recoil of the G22 disclosed some technique shortcomings that I wouldn’t have otherwise realized – that’s why buying the G22 Gen 4 was one of the best things I’ve done in a while.

There was a peripheral effect as well – I fell in love with the Gen 4. So much so that I traded my G17 Gen 3 in on a G17 Gen 4 and that’s turned out to be another ‘best’ thing I’ve done in a long time.

I’m all in on the Gen 4s. I put a Ghost Inc Ultimate connector in my G17 Gen 4, but then that’s another thread. Suffice it to say here, that I love the 3.5 connector in the Gen 4!!!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Guest1]

Maybe this will help some to realize that Trigger and Grip will affect a group size,great post by the way,I love it when someone falls in love with their Glocks all over again.

[genauwiedu]

Glad you hear you are happily drinking the Gen4 coolaid. I didn't read your whole "once were uber reliable" thread, but i got the consensus you did not like Gen4......or really glock much for that matter. Glad that changed!

[AZ Hawk]

You didn't write this just to convince me to buy a Gen 4 did you?

In all seriousness, I am going to be getting a Gen 4 G23 within the next two weeks. Of course I'm only buying the G23 because who knows if and when any of us will see a Gen 4 G32!

Anyways, it's good to see you are really enjoying the Gen 4 models.

[threefeathers]

Great post, I agree with you.

[Tangle]

Glad you hear you are happily drinking the Gen4 coolaid. I didn't read your whole "once were uber reliable" thread, but i got the consensus you did not like Gen4......or really glock much for that matter. Glad that changed!

Well, I don't know that it's accurate to say I'm a kool-aid drinker, but I really do like the experiences I've had with the Gen 4s. But, it would be wise to understand I've posted the same favorable remarks about many brands of guns.

But, I do think I had lost interest in Glocks. I didn't like that I couldn't switch the mag release, I didn't like that the grip texture was slick - I realized that as soon as I picked up a RFT2 and realized how much purchase it provided. And, I could take or leave the grip size. Then I picked up a Gen 4 and kinda went, hmmmm....

After shooting the Gen 4s I've had a renewed interest in Glocks. The gen 4s are everything they were and more.

[Tangle]

You didn't write this just to convince me to buy a Gen 4 did you?

I did! I was just thinkin' what can I do to tempt AZ beyond what he can resist!

...In all seriousness, I am going to be getting a Gen 4 G23 within the next two weeks. Of course I'm only buying the G23 because who knows if and when any of us will see a Gen 4 G32!

I can't say about the G32 gen 4 but I saw a G31 Gen 4 in the case at Shooter's Depot Friday. Can the G32 gen 4 be far behind?

...Anyways, it's good to see you are really enjoying the Gen 4 models.

Yeah, I bought with a bit of trepidation in light of all the problems we've heard about. Although, I believe the problem reports produced heavy distortion of reality. We tend to post and hence read the bad, and don't hear about the thousands that are working right every time.

After 550 flawless rounds, even with one of the heavier WMLs, I'm all but convinced that Glock has everything under control now.

I suspect by now the newer models being released, i.e. the G31s, G21s have all the fixes in place.

[21bubba]

What's going to be your "favorite" gun next week? Your opinions seem somewhat akin to a butterfly.

[Crowbait]

What's going to be your "favorite" gun next week? Your opinions seem somewhat akin to a butterfly.

My guess is that it's similar to my taste in music, he likes a whole bunch of different stuff...at least he admits it though and doesn't keep pumping one brand or another just because he once promoted it and now doesn't want to be seen as wrong...

[Eaglebeak]

Tangle, very good wisdom that applies across the board whether one is a "Glocker" or not.

Everytime I go to the range, I always run a few magazines through my Colt 1911 .45ACP to polish up my accuracy and tighten the shot group to my satisfaction before going on to practice with anything else. "Tuning in" with the heavier recoil first keeps bad habits from creeping in, and maintaining accuracy with everything after that is a piece of cake.

[glockman10mm]

It's hard to be a Glock of any generation. While they may not hold the beauty to my eye like a good revolver or 1911, they are light, reliable, and soooo darn maintenance free.

As far as recoil of the 40 round, I really don't notice it as much in the 19 and 23 as it is in the 22/17.

[edr9x23super]

I agree with your assertions regarding the 9mm guns and bad habits; Back when I used to shoot a lot of USPSA matches with a 38 super full house race gun, one trick I used to keep myself from falling into the "spray and pray" trap was to force myself to take one weekend out of the month and shoot my old single-stack Springfield I used to make Master back in 1987 (before the race gun era); it was a humbling experience sometimes to go from an almost recoilless optically sighted racegun with a huge magwell you couldn't miss on a reload to a narrow 45 with 3 times the recoil......

It was a great way to bring me back down to earth, needless to say!!

[21bubba]

My guess is that it's similar to my taste in music, he likes a whole bunch of different stuff...at least he admits it though and doesn't keep pumping one brand or another just because he once promoted it and now doesn't want to be seen as wrong...

Or perhaps you are in agreement with his latest opinion and want to jump on board... Having different opinions and even changing one's opinion is fine, but when one has Tangle's stellar reputation it can become confusing and questionable at times.

[apvbguy]

Great concept, since I've been shooting 9mm, I haven't shot my .45 or .40, I will be making a point of shooting those guns before breaking out the 9mm guns.
FWIW: I really like my gen 4 g22

[Crowbait]

Or perhaps you are in agreement with his latest opinion and want to jump on board... Having different opinions and even changing one's opinion is fine, but when one has Tangle's stellar reputation it can become confusing and questionable at times.

Negative. I have yet to squeeze off even one round out of any Gen 4...but thanks for playing! ;)