Self Defense Options

OP
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WKR
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May 24, 2019
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just curious what do you have to build to consider a glock "woods carrying"?

I’d opt for probably a larger frame & slide gun with a weapon light & red dot ideally.

Something I wouldn’t typically carry concealed around town.
 

Bobaloo

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Especially during archery season or during the off-season, what is your go-to self defense option?

Typically where I’m at in Georgia, it’s wild dogs or the two-legged tweakers we have to be wary of. I’ve personally been followed by pit bulls to my stand, on different properties at that. Wild dogs are my biggest fear, they don’t seem to be afraid of people.

I’m going to make it a point to carry a pistol with me every time I’m in the woods. I’m going to “build” one of my Glocks to cater towards “woods carrying”.

That being said, would you rather have: Glock 19, Glock 45, Glock 34
Red Dot, Weapon Light?

I’m torn between the Glock 45 or Glock 34 with a Streamlight HL 1,000 and a Red Dot.

View attachment 656900View attachment 656901
Another possible option is a buckmark lite with 5.5 barrel. Light weight, more accurate, adjustable rear sight, reliable, and with barrel length to squeeze some velocity out of 36 gr mini mag hp's.
 
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Another possible option is a buckmark lite with 5.5 barrel. Light weight, more accurate, adjustable rear sight, reliable, and with barrel length to squeeze some velocity out of 36 gr mini mag hp's.
Were talking self defense pistol in the woods for and up to possibly grizzley. I dont think a 22 is a viable option unless you shoot yourself to keep from getting mauled.
 

Dave0317

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I consider my G19 about ideal as a woods and general purpose defensive pistol. I have a TLR-7 that I sometimes carry on it. And of course several holsters to carry it in various ways. On a bow hunt, I’ll carry it in a holster that I use some 550 cord to attach right below my bino harness.

The comments above are mostly accurate about red dots, I’ll just add that for a “woods pistol” I would generally prefer irons (Dawson Precision as my first choice, Ameriglo Kyle Defoor sight set as a close second). For everything else I think it’s worth learning the red dot, it’s faster and more precise than any iron sight arrangement. But…if I’m getting rained on, collecting dirt and pine needles as I leap over deadfall and bust my ass in mud puddles, I’ll take the irons. I carry a pistol with a red dot at work, and a few rain drops in the right spots is really all it takes to alter your sight picture a bit. So, they do have downsides in an all-weather all terrain type environment.

As for a comp, best advice I have heard on that is from John Lovell: if you think a comp would help you, you need to train more, if you know that you don’t need a comp to shoot fast and accurate, you may realize some benefit from one.

If you only want to have one pistol Setup for all CCW, home defense, and woods situations, I’d have to say it would be hard to beat a G19 with a RDS and a light. And several holster options.
 

Beendare

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Some good advice above Dave.

My carry pistol is trashed after a long hunt. I regularly unholster and reholster mine as the crap that collects in there- it's surprising how much junk collects in there.

I know the competition guys love those optics....but I too think they aren't a good idea in the woods.
 

tdoublev

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I’ll be headed into grizz territory this year. Anyone have thoughts on the Xten vs G20? I tried out a G20 at a range one day and had 5-8 jams out of a box of 50.
 

Beendare

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I’ll be headed into grizz territory this year. Anyone have thoughts on the Xten vs G20? I tried out a G20 at a range one day and had 5-8 jams out of a box of 50.

Something weird there. Glock is known for its reliability.

The most common reason I’ve seen for a malfunction when taking friends shooting -especially fairly new shooters,- is, they are limp wristing the pistol. Could be bad springs….or rough feed ramp.

My G20 is 100% with 4 different ammo’s including 2 different hardcast loads. I own a bunch of Glocks- all 100% in my hands though my Daughter and Nieces have had hangups. The only semi auto pistol I’ve seen thats foolproof with new shooters is an HK.

Glocks aren’t the easiest pistols to shoot- it takes some technique and practice. It usually takes 500-1,000 rounds through one to appreciate them.
 

tdoublev

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That’s what the tech behind the counter said as well. I could just be a wuss
 

dgl503

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I’ll be headed into grizz territory this year. Anyone have thoughts on the Xten vs G20? I tried out a G20 at a range one day and had 5-8 jams out of a box of 50.
Agree that limp-wristing is likely the case if the gun hasn't been messed with and using factory ammo.

As for OP, G45 is the better carry option over the G34 (and I love the G34). The longer slide isn't really necessary when you put an optic on. Sight radius with irons isn't a factor anymore and the velocity of bullet lost is minimal. Either way, you gotta practice with it.
 
OP
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WKR
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Agree that limp-wristing is likely the case if the gun hasn't been messed with and using factory ammo.

As for OP, G45 is the better carry option over the G34 (and I love the G34). The longer slide isn't really necessary when you put an optic on. Sight radius with irons isn't a factor anymore and the velocity of bullet lost is minimal. Either way, you gotta practice with it.

I ended up buying 2 Palmetto State Armory Daggers (Compact & Full size) The compact is a G19 gen3 clone and the Full Size is a G45 clone.

The Full Size has an Optic, polished internals, Overwatch Precision TAC trigger and suppressor height sights. Gun has 500 on it so far with no issues. That’s including around 300 rounds of Russian steel-cased BS ammo.

I’ll probably end up keeping the G34 and sending it off to be milled, suppressor height sights and some other work done to it. I’ll rotate between the G34 and PSA Dagger G45 clone for the time being and sell/trade the gun I don’t like.

Side Note- The PSA Daggers are honestly great guns. The 2 I own have a combined ~1k rounds on them and they’ve been great. They absolutely compete with the Glocks that I own.
 

Beendare

WKR
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I ended up buying 2 Palmetto State Armory Daggers (Compact & Full size) The compact is a G19 gen3 clone and the Full Size is a G45 clone.

The Full Size has an Optic, polished internals, Overwatch Precision TAC trigger and suppressor height sights. Gun has 500 on it so far with no issues. That’s including around 300 rounds of Russian steel-cased BS ammo.

I’ll probably end up keeping the G34 and sending it off to be milled, suppressor height sights and some other work done to it. I’ll rotate between the G34 and PSA Dagger G45 clone for the time being and sell/trade the gun I don’t like.

Side Note- The PSA Daggers are honestly great guns. The 2 I own have a combined ~1k rounds on them and they’ve been great. They absolutely compete with the Glocks that I own.
The key element there - that Overwatch trigger. Polymer is polymer, right?

Glock triggers have never been the best....thus, the reason many hate them. You have to do everything right to shoot Glocks even half way decent.
 
OP
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WKR
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The key element there - that Overwatch trigger. Polymer is polymer, right?

Glock triggers have never been the best....thus, the reason many hate them. You have to do everything right to shoot Glocks even half way decent.
It’s a shame how awful stock Glock triggers are. Even the PSA Dagger factory triggers were better. The one PSA Dagger with polished internals actually has such a nice trigger and trigger break now, I may leave it.

All my factory Glock’s I did the same polishing work to, ended up replacing the entire trigger, bar and connector to get a decent feel.
 

Beendare

WKR
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Yeah,
Its not hard to improve those Glock triggers with the $.25 trigger job.

Smaller compacts that are a little bit harder to control benefit from better triggers, IMO.

The stock trigger in my SW Shield was terrible but that little thing shoots great with an Apex kit.
 

Mark.c

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Aug 1, 2022
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Ferrel dogs, mountain lions (and ferrel humans):
-Glock 19
-Streamlight TLR-7 (no laser)
-Tritium front sight with red or green insert, black rear sight
-GLOCK Performance Trigger
-No RDS (open emitters can get moisture and dirt on them)
-No compensator

Compact, simple and reliable. Basically did this to an M&P-9 using Apex parts.
 
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