Cheap Clone vs real Glock

[Koda]

If I had a clone, a diy, etc, in my holster, I wouldn't have that confidence.

Why if it has proven the same reliability?

 

[Aero Denezol]

Resale/residual value.

It matters if you find yourself needing cash. Not everyone has access to credit and cheap stuff is hard to offload. Over the years I've seen guys lose their arse on cheap guns. They bring in a bagful of guns that sit here forever and sell for next to nothing. I stopped taking stuff like that in because I can't move it.

People like labels and brand names. Is it stupid? Probably. But people are apes.

 

[Indy62]

Why if it has proven the same reliability?

If there was Glock clone or diy that had the same proven reliability, I'd be interested to see those studies. As far as going to another brand with proven equal reliability, I'd have to pass. I wouldn't be interested in a lateral move for a carry weapon. Now if it were say, 30-50% MORE reliable than a glock..then yeah, I'd take a serious look at it. Personally for me when I get set on something that works and i'm confident in, I'm not gonna change 'just because'. My wife always gives me a hard time at restaurants because I default to what works for me. Bacon cheeseburger and fries

Like others have said, other brands, clones etc may be ok for a range gun, collecting, emotional purchases etc..but when it comes to a carry gun..stick with what you feel confident will shoot..whether that be Glock, Sig etc. I follow the same principal with the other guns I own, a Mossberg 590 and Saint AR. I also have a modded 10/22..but it's a range only / emergency bug out type option for me. I wouldn't have confidence that it will always fire, every time, when needed

 

[front_sight]

Yes, however usually with different tolerances and/or materials. If it's made of the same materials to the same tolerances as the real deal, then it will function the same as the real deal. The problem is when you change anything at all, you're rolling the dice. They may be Glock compatible but not Glock reliable.

Again, what you're buying is a Glock made the way Glocks are supposed to be made and the proven, repeatable reliability that comes with it

And tolerances, and how they are determined, is the big difference. I come from a manufacturing background and have seen this many times.

Glock has drawings on all their parts. All the drawings have tolerances. The tolerances are designed to allow all the parts to work together when they are all within their range. Tolerance stacking is when multiple parts are at the max end of their range, so that when assembled there is either the tightest possible fit or the loosest possible fit but the assembly (gun) will still work.

When you reverse-engineer an assembly, you disassemble it and measure everything. You don't have the luxury of the original parts drawings unless you have some serious industrial espionage at work. You have to make your own drawings and you GUESS at what the tolerances should be. If yo uare serious you get your hands on 10 of whatever you are copying and you average all the dimensions on each part and then STILL GUESS at what the proper range of size is. Then as you make your prototypes and test them, you redefine some of the parts sizes so that the gun actually runs and holds up over time.

Can this be done successfully? Of course. Springfield and Girsan have apparently done it with the High Power. Polytech in China did it somewhat successfully with the M1A. And Norinco has copied the Browning .22LR (I think it was them). (Note - the Miroku copies from Japan may have had the luxury of starting with the Browning drawings, which would have the original tolerances, or at least input from Browning engineers as they examined and measured prototypes).

But the problem is when you buy a copy, you don't know how far down the R&D road the manufacturer is and how the materials, heat treatment, and parts fit is going to hold up over time.

One should just know what they are getting into with these firearms copies, especially if one is considering being an early adopter.

 

[Koda]

But the problem is when you buy a copy, you don't know how far down the R&D road the manufacturer is and how the materials, heat treatment, and parts fit is going to hold up over time.

I think this is probably the answer to my question...

 

[Jcon268]

With so many aftermarket options out there from cheap to expensive Glock clones, plus DIY builds, what is the real world difference between a clone and a "Real McCoy" Glock? Primarily, What are you getting in a real Glock you arent in a cheap clone?

Reference:
Glock19 Gen3 $550 (Sportsmans)
P80 PFC9 Regular price $350 (deltateamtactical)
Combat Armory CA19 pistol regular price $330 (combatarmory)
Note: consider that with the cheap clones you can very often find them on sale for even less, eg, that Combat Armory CA19 is currently $230.

View attachment 1798920

I see the Glock platform the way I see the AR platform. Easy to build, modify, etc. Your results may vary. When you buy an AR assembled by a manufacturer with a lofty reputation such as say BCM, you're getting a lot of QC and tolerance checking. Probably the same thing with Glock. When you mix and match parts yourself, you might get something that goes bang every time OR you might get something that lets you down when you need it work most.

The funny thing to me is, it seems like the same guys who will only buy a stock Glock without exception that will slap together an AR with whatever the cheapest "just as gud" parts because it said milspec in the description. Stick to only brands that carry a good reputation of consistency, who will make the situation right if you get a bad part and then shoot it over and over and over until you gain confidence in what may ultimately be used to save your life one day.

 

[Koda]

The funny thing to me is, it seems like the same guys who will only buy a stock Glock without exception that will slap together an AR with whatever the cheapest "just as gud" parts because it said milspec in the description.

This AR analogy is perfect to what Im asking about with clones especially DIY builds.

Im thinking were seeing the same thing happen with pistols that (AR) rifles have been doing successfully for years now.

 

[billdeserthills]

The only reason to buy a clone is if they offered something the stock glocks didn't. A while ago you could get them with a RMR cut, but now Glock is doing that too. So far, can't see a good reason from here.

I agree, which is why I got a couple--mine came without serial numbers

 

[billdeserthills]

Only the DIY homebuild clones. Ive built one myself and am finally working out its function. But i havent read any bad reviews or fixes for the complete clones.

Only 'fix' my clones needed were some genuine Glock mags & a 200 round break in

 

[Kruel J]

I think this is probably the answer to my question...

I would think those basics would be fairly obvious.

 

[Koda]

Only 'fix' my clones needed were some genuine Glock mags & a 200 round break in

How many rounds do you have thru them without a jam?

Would you rely on one to defend your life like EDC?

 

[CountryGent]

AIM Surplus has LEO trade-in Glocks for as low as $349.95 (21FS in .45 ACP) and $369.95 (17, Gen 3 in 9㎜ Luger). If my goal was some inexpensive Glocks to stash, I think I'd start there. But, admittedly, I'm no expert by any stretch on the Glock line or clones.

 

[Koda]

I would think those basics would be fairly obvious.

Not to the millions of Glock owners who've modified their guns.

 

[Kruel J]

Not to the millions of Glock owners who've modified their guns.

Not really apples to apples. A cheap clone is different than a match barrel upgrade or whatever.

 

[Koda]

Not really apples to apples. A cheap clone is different than a match barrel upgrade or whatever.

Lots of expensive clone barrels out there.

 

[Kruel J]

Lots of expensive clone barrels out there.

This was about cheap clones right? So what's that got to do with expensive upgrades?

 

[Koda]

This was about cheap clones right? So what's that got to do with expensive upgrades?

Subject is "primarily " about cheap clones but also about expensive.

Quality is subjective...

If its not manufactured from Glock its a clone.

Whats interesting is i built a P80 and was having feeding malfunctions. I suspected a bad barrel, an expensive one. (I posted about it ). The mfg insisted his barrel was in spec, but in my real world experience some factory ammo wouldnt fit. He admitted he makes his chambers tight...
I replaced the barrel with the cheapest clone I could find, a Swenson brand. Its never failed to feed since. FWIW its also one of the most precise pistols I have. $50 bucks.

 

[Kruel J]

Subject is "primarily " about cheap clones but also about expensive.

Quality is subjective...

If its not manufactured from Glock its a clone.

Whats interesting is i built a P80 and was having feeding malfunctions. I suspected a bad barrel, an expensive one. (I posted about it ). The mfg insisted his barrel was in spec, but in my real world experience some factory ammo wouldnt fit. He admitted he makes his chambers tight...
I replaced the barrel with the cheapest clone I could find, a Swenson brand. Its never failed to feed since. FWIW its also one of the most precise pistols I have. $50 bucks.

Yeah that's probably a whole other topic. I too have had the experience of an expensive barrel that performed lousy (for the money).

 

[Jcon268]

He admitted he makes his chambers tight...
I replaced the barrel with the cheapest clone I could find, a Swenson brand. Its never failed to feed since. FWIW its also one of the most precise pistols I have. $50 bucks.

This was a problem with Zev pistols for awhile. Most Glock owners know their tolerances aren't overly tight but that's what actually allows them to be so reliable. Sometimes you pay good money to get really tight tolerances but then the pistol gets really picky with ammo or needs a long break-in period. Most people think that spending more money is about functioning better but it seems more to do with chasing that tiny extra bit of precision that may OR may not ever be reached. This is why my Zev would only be a range gun and not be used for duty/defense.

 

[Triton900]

For what its worth. We run CJTC (WA State Criminal Justice Training Commission) qualifications weekly. I see a wide range of pistols come through for qualification each time. I cant recall anyone failing the qual. due to a Glock malfunctioning. I have seen a half dozen or so have to retake the qual. because their cheaper (and on occasion, more expensive) clone failed or malfunctioned and they were unable to recover. Its mostly fitment and small parts issues. Your mileage may vary of course.