Glock 20 modifications for backcountry carry

[PredatorX]

I am a big fan of stippling the grip. I always had a hard time getting a full positive grip around the full frame model 20, which is partly why I favored the 29, but after trying a 20 with a stippled grip that someone offered in a trade, I loved it. I think no matter how wet or dirty the grip or my hand got, I have full confidence in the positive grip.

I think a stippled grip is important for a mountain gun. Think about it. If an attack is going to happen it is going to occur over the carcass..when your hands are bloody. Or sweaty. Or the griz chomped on your arm and blood is running down it. I have had a few different glocks and never stippled any of them. This G20 is going to get that treatment though.

Anyone know if you can remove the stippling easily enough?

 

[Rob5589]

Stippling is melting divots into the plastic. I would imagine it would be difficult to go back to stock. You can always run some grip tape of some kind if you don't want to trash the plastic.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Stippling is melting divots into the plastic. I would imagine it would be difficult to go back to stock. You can always run some grip tape of some kind if you don't want to trash the plastic.

Or just buy the gen4 which already has good texture.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I might have made progress.

I installed the Wolf magazine spring mentioned above and shot the Glock again with the 220gr HC Underwood ammo and KKM barrel. I wasn't real optimistic so I only loaded 5 in the magazine. I got all 5 to feed fine. I had forgot but I'd put the factory recoil spring and rod back in when I loaded the 180's back up after my earlier post. I shot those 5 with the factory recoil spring instead of the 24lb one. I had a friend show up to borrow a trailer then so I didn't get any more shooting done.

I need a much larger sample size, but it actually worked for those few rounds. Even better at 15 yards all the shots landed in the 3"x3" piece of cardboard I had stapled to the white paper on my target board. I need to shoot it further and more, but that showed promise.

Forgot to add I tried the 220gr Underwood ammo with both recoil springs and the KKM barrel before swapping the mag spring out. It failed to feed first shot with both before the mag spring change.

This is craziness here, none of my 3 Glock 20s have had a hiccup of any sort except with a lone wolf barrel, I’ve put eel over 1500 rounds through my KKM barrel with no other modifications, no springs, or anything like that and shot a fair bit of hard cast woods Ammo to function test and never had a single issue.

 

[Wrench]

Your grip has a lot to do with it. Hold the gun tight on a pistol rest and I bet it does fine. I have seen mine act up as soon as I get weak on my grip.

I mentioned early on that increasing the recoil spring will make it over run the mag spring.

 

[Fatcamp]

This is craziness here, none of my 3 Glock 20s have had a hiccup of any sort except with a lone wolf barrel, I’ve put eel over 1500 rounds through my KKM barrel with no other modifications, no springs, or anything like that and shot a fair bit of hard cast woods Ammo to function test and never had a single issue.

But many do have issues when swapping out parts. Many. The internet and local range are full of stories. I always recommend people use and shoot a factory gun to loosen it up and establish a baseline.

GT-5000 is an awesome grip tape. IDK if it matters to you but stippling ruins value.

Good luck. Hope you get it running well.

9mm EDC

 

[2Stamp]

another vote for stippling or good grip tape. Both of my EDC guns are stippled. It's not hard to do yourself. If you're not comfortable taking a soldering iron to your grip, just use a good grip tape. Moisture can affect some tapes so don't be afraid to replace it as needed. I even put a couple strips of tape along the front of my slide on one of my G19s. I rack the slide by gripping up towards the front and it helps (my other G19 has serrations cut in that helps).

 

[thinhorn_AK]

But many do have issues when swapping out parts. Many. The internet and local range are full of stories. I always recommend people use and shoot a factory gun to loosen it up and establish a baseline.

GT-5000 is an awesome grip tape. IDK if it matters to you but stippling ruins value.

Good luck. Hope you get it running well.

9mm EDCView attachment 98723

I have no intention is stipling any of my glocks but that being said, glocks are relatively affordable and not collector pieces so if stipling was something that felt better to me I’d not hesitate to get it done.

 

[Fatcamp]

After handling stippled grips I think GT-5000 precut for Glock or a Gen 4 gun is a better option.

 

[mcseal2]

No complaints at all on the grip of the G20 Gen 4 I have.

A weak grip isn't the problem I don't think, I have 2 1911's, a Sig 226, four Ruger P series, plus several smaller frame semi-autos for concealed carry. I haven't had a limp wristing issue with them. If anything the tendency of the Glock to point a bit high for me makes me really lock down on my grip. After Wrench's post earlier I focused on that when shooting it to make sure that wasn't the issue. I really don't feel much recoil difference to make me flinch between the Underwood loads and the Fiocchi 1250fps rated 180gr JHP ammo I've practiced with. The 180's have yet to have a hiccup with any parts combo I've tried. I've also brought in another shooter who had the same issues with both ammo choices. I don't think it's a user error at this point.

I've done a lot of switching parts on my Glock to try to make it work. I hope I have it figured out now, or will soon.

Again I'm just trying to figure this out. The 180's have fed fine and I'm now through the 200 rounds I bought first. I'm still not cussing Glock, It's just the hotter HC ammo I've had issues with. With ammo 95% of Glock 20 buyers probably use it has been perfect.

I hope to get more of the Underwood ammo through it tomorrow or Monday. If that or the 22lb spring I ordered doesn't work I'm going to try another brand of HC ammo and see if that feeds great. So far I've only shot Fiocchi 180gr JHP and Underwood HC 200gr and 220gr. I got another 400 rounds of the Fiocchi after the first 200 did so well, at under $26/box sale price I think it's a buy.

The gun is past 220 rounds now so I would think it any breaking in issues are done. That said I've changed components some so some of the parts haven't seen that many rounds.

I'm confused but still hopeful.

 

[mcseal2]

Shot it again today. I first tried the 24lb recoil spring assembly and 220gr Hardcast with the mag using the Wolf +10% spring. Failure to feed both shots I tried.

I went back to the stock recoil spring and shot another 10 rounds. I had 2 failures to feed in those 10.

I really locked down my grip the whole time to make sure I was doing my part there. The accuracy was good at both 15 and 25 yards.

I'm going to wait for the 22lb spring I have on order to arrive. If that doesn't fix the problem I'm going to try the Underwood Extreme penetrator 140gr ammo and Buffalo Bore 220gr HC. Hopefully one of those will feed without issue. If that doesn't work I'm going to use the Glock with 180's where black bear are the biggest threat and carry something else in big bear country. Confidence in a firearm is important to me and at this point I'm going to have to put a lot of rounds of something I consider adequate for big bears through the gun without an issue to have that confidence. That will get expensive at $1 or more per shot for factory ammo.

Shot a few more 180's while I was out shooting, still no failures of any kind there. I have full confidence in it at this point with that type ammo.

I don't know what more to say. I'm still no expert on Glocks, just sharing what I'm trying as I go along. There may be a simple fix I haven't tried, or something simple that I'm missing. The gun just doesn't seem to like the heavy lead hot loads.

 

[myalias789]

What happens when you return everything to stock?

 

[mcseal2]

Just walked out and tried it with the 220's, stock recoil spring, barrel, and magazine. 2 failures to feed in 5 rounds.

I had not tried stock everything with the 220's yet.

 

[doverpack12]

Have you tried the glock barrel? Mine has fed double tap 200 gr WFNGC flawlessly. I would urge you against the. Buffalo Bore bullet as that bullet design (strictly 10mm 220 grain) is not a good bullet design for a hardcast bullet and the way they are intended to cause trauma and damage with straightline penetration.

 

[mcseal2]

I did try the Glock barrel, same issues with it.

I kinda thought the Underwood design looked good too, I just can't get them to feed. That's why I thought about Buffalo Bore, it isn't the same shape.

 

[Rob5589]

That info from the 10mil forum is nuts. There is no way in hell I would trust my life to a gun with all sorts of kooky modifications like two springs in mag.

I pick mine up tomorrow so I have yet to shoot it. But, I would lean heavily towards the all copper Leheigh or one the controlled expansion rounds from UW before going to crazy spring and mod combos. Of course, that is purely my opinion, so take it for what it is worth.

 

[mcseal2]

Im not to sure about it either. I just figured id share it since it supposedly fixed the problem im having. Ill let everyone make their own decision what to do with it.

After a little more thinking i deleted the post. If the modification could be dangerous i dont want to share it.

 

[KChunter71]

Have you shot a coyote with the 10mm yet?


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[Downeaster]

Have you shot a coyote with the 10mm yet?


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Nope, just a bear...it died.

 

[mcseal2]

No coyotes with the 10 yet. I have always had a rifle handy.