Today I brought my new gen4 G26 to the range for the first time. Prior to its first outing:
- reversed mag button
- installed Glock extended slide release
- installed Lone Wolf 3.5 connector
I’ll probably swap the slide release in favor of a Vickers. The Vickers version works better for me on a “naked” backed gen4 Glock, while the Glock extended lever works better for me when I have the Lasergrips on the gun. I have pretty short fingers and thumbs, so the wider and longer grip circumference from the Crimson Trace actually makes it hard for me to reach anything but the extended lever. Of course, I’m most likely going to get a set of Lasergrips for this little guy eventually.
The trigger measured in at five pounds eight ounces. This is about six ounces heavier than the same setup in the G17, though the G17 has had some polishing of the trigger bar and obviously a lot of breaking in.
The pistol shot 300 rounds of 124gr American Eagle FMJ without any problem.
Using my CCC Shaggy (for my G17), I ran a variety of drills. The gun still has the stock plastic “sights” (it should be a law that you must put that word in quotation marks when referring to disposable plastic aiming nubbins) but things turned out all right. In particular, I had some good F.A.S.T. results:
- 5.51 (clean): 1.75, .54 / 2.54 / .24, .22, .22
- 5.01 (clean): 1.58, .51 / 2.23 / .23, .23, .23
- 4.64 (clean): 1.55, .43 / 2.02 / .21, .22, .21
For that last run, I used a G17 magazine as my spare instead of reloading to a shorty G26 mag. It made a definite difference in the reload time.
I also shot this week’s pistol-forum.com Drill of the Week and actually scored better with the G26 (33 out of 36) than with my G17 (31 out of 36).
While I see no reason to switch to a G26 for ordinary everyday purposes, the gun’s ability impressed me. Unlike some folks, I didn’t find any trouble with the fact that my pinky was underneath the gun rather than wrapped around the frame. In fact, I didn’t even realize it or think about it. The gun has slight enough recoil that it’s very manageable even with just an abbreviated grip. It will be interesting to see how my carry ammo (Federal 124gr+p HST) feels, but I’ll be surprised if the difference is notable.
For those times when I just cannot carry the G17 test gun due to size, the G26 makes for a very nice alternative. Same manual of arms, same ammunition, the ability to use G17 magazines… it really is the same gun, just baby-sized. Once it passes the 2,000 Round Challenge, I’ll definitely consider when the G17 is not an option. An 11-shot 9mm beats the heck out of a 5-shot .38 or 6-shot .380 if you can manage it.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
I’m a huge fan of the 26. I bought mine over a year ago to fill that exact role of carry when I can can’t conceal the 17. The commonality of the two pistols makes switching between the two seamless.
I also have a gen 4 G26. I carry it daily as my back up to my G17. I have about 500 rounds through mine with no problems what so ever. I even loaded some ammuntion that was extremely weak to see if I would get a malfunction and it ran just fine with those extremely under powered loads. Good luck and congrats on the new gun.
I have a G27 I carry everywhere with me. I have even carried it with me out of state. It is a good size. I do agree that 10 rounds is better then 5. My G27 is a gen 3 and I have no plans on upgraging to a gen 4. If it works well, why fix it. Have fun with you new Glock.
I assume you have a G26 Shaggy in the works for it? Planning HD sights or something different?
Todd,
I don’t remember you mentioning being unable to carry the p30 all the time. Is it just the availability of the smaller/similar design that brought this about or is the Glock 17 just that much more difficult to conceal than previously reveiwed firearms? The reason I ask is I was in a similar boat – glock or p30 for CCW. Now that Sig announced the P224 I might just have to wait ;).
Totally kidding on the P224 by the way…
I saw a video where the sig execs literally talked about hacksawing a p229 down to make it. Doesn’t seem like it was designed ‘from the ground up.’
GJM — Not at the moment. If I were to get a separate holster for it, I’d get one made for the G19. The longer “muzzle” on the holster tends to help with concealment and at least for me, the Shaggy is completely comfortable even in G17 or HK45 size. For sights, ideally I hope to snag another set of the Ameriglos I’ve got on my G17.
Shawn — We actually had a 9mm prototype of what SIG is now calling the P224 at the SHOT Show in ’07. While it’s true it wasn’t made “from the ground up,” neither are most guns. The commonality of parts with the P226/P229 is actually a benefit in my opinion. The reason the 9mm baby SIG didn’t go anywhere in ’07 was due to an inability to make it durable enough in .40/357 and the company’s feeling that it would look bad to produce a gun in only 9mm (which, in this market, tends to make people think the 9mm version might not be durable, which isn’t true). It will be interesting to see what SIG has done to resolve the durability issue with the hotter calibers.
Walther PPS……
Post up some pics! I’d love to see it!
+1 Lebowski
So is this going into your carry rotation? 😉
The G26 is one gun that I find awkward to shoot but to each their own.
You won’t notice the difference between the 26 and the 17.
Until you slam a magazine home on the reload and blood squirts out of the giant pinch blister on your little finger or palm.
Been there done that.
I shot the best 25 yard group of my life with a Glock 26. Freestyle 5 shots touching. I had that target hanging on my wall for years.
Pics or it didn’t happen!
I think of the G26 as my last gun. The matching pair I have will stay with me till I die. Then the two sons get one each.
I have won matches with them and scored better scores with them in every discipline I shoot. It is by far the best gun I have owned over my 55+ years.
As much as I love my other pistols such as the Beretta 92D and my Kahr PM9… The G26 is the best by far as a gun that can do it all for me.
If I were to be limited to only one handgun by law or circumstance. The G26 would be it.
Enjoy yours AND maybe it should be your next test gun.
“…Enjoy yours AND maybe it should be your next test gun…”
I agree, a Glock 26 test would be nice to see.
I appreciate the interest in a G26 test. However, the G26 is not a gun I would choose over a G17 or G19 unless circumstances required a level of concealment I couldn’t achieve with the bigger guns.
I’m hoping for a Walther test next…
I’ve avoided using larger mags for reloads (G19 in my case) because I wanted the grip to feel the same way every time. Was the faster reload because the G17 mag was easier to grip?
FotoThomas — that is exactly how I feel about my G19s … 🙂
No G26 test obviously means a CZ75 test.
Ehm, what is the “reversed mag button”?