Thinking about buying a Glock 20sf. Your thoughts? Home defense, hiking protection, etc. Is ammo readily available?
Awesome gun. Owned a couple 20's and 29's, but a new 20SF is on my short list, hopefully very soon. I shoot my 21SF the best out of all my handguns and don't doubt that the 20SF will be as good.
I got a 29 not long ago, and just recently put some rounds through it and it was great....I've no doubt that you'll enjoy the 20 as well. Ammo isn't reliably on the shelf at many places but it is available. Excellent choice!
I've wanted a 10mm for sometime too, but ultimately I haven't bought one because you can't get ammo at Wal-Mart (which is the cheapest place to buy in my area) and 10mm just isn't cheap in general. I can say that I do hope to own one oneday though.
This. If you reload you can really take advantage of the 10mm cartridge. As far as most off the shelf stuff goes, you can get pretty dang close to it with .40. I'd still like to pick up a 29 though.
You can also buy .40cal drop in conversion barrels for 10mm Glocks... around $100 and apparently they work with 10mm magazines. Two guns in one :thumbup:
Have one, like it very much. Load my own ammo, though. For commercial ammo, Double Tap makes some very nice and fast (1600 fps) rounds for the 10 but they are spendy - $41 for a box of 50 135 gr Nosler JHP.
It's my hiking gun. You really have to re-load, if you want some hotter loads. Although I have been packing the Double Tap 200 gr hardcast, for woods protection.
I carried a 1076 for a few years and loved it; never felt undergunned whatsoever. The 1076 isn't that great of a gun and started to "rattle loose" right before I switched to the SiG. The 10mm Auto is one of my all time favorite "pistol caliber" rounds. I've owned a bunch of different 10mm handguns and sadly (stupidly) sold them off over the years. Still have a 610 and think I might keep it. Did sell an ole 2nd gen G20 some years back and now that I've got a G21SF (and absolutely love it) want a G20SF something fierce. Unlike most 10mm guns, the Glock Model 20 was designed from the start to be 10mm and then "converted" to 45ACP The big Glock was made to run the 10mm race from the git go. Most other pistols chambered in 10mm Auto were first designed to be 45ACP handguns (read 1911s and say Smith autos) working with much different fodder (45ACP vs. 10mm Auto is a night and day difference in what they do to a gun for instance, Colt had to put a 26lb recoil spring on the Delta Elite to get it to run and the Deltas still beat themselves up). So the Glock G20SF is good to go. I still think it's overpowered for the two legged predators, but for a carry piece in the outdoors its hard to beat. Have thought about getting an MP5 clone in 10mm, but I don't really know what I'd do with it. As for ammo, you have to be rich or reload if you want to shoot it at all. As mentioned, Double Tap makes some smoking hot ammo. Winchester still lists their 175gr Silvertip at 1290fps (one of my favs). I still have a couple boxes of the old NORMA 200gr ammo left IIRC it was supposed to rocket outta there at something like 1200fps. The 10mm Auto is an awesome cartridge, but one that was "too-much" for its intended purpose and thus the 40 S&W is alive and well. I don't think the 10mm will ever go away, but I also don't think its ever going to be much more popular. That in mind, if you can afford to buy the ammo (where ever you find it) or reload for the 10mm, you'll be a happy man. If you're thinking you'll be able to pick up ammo at Wal-Mart or Bi-Mart when you pick up your prescriptions well, we'll probably be seeing you G20SF for sale here soon.
Own one, LOVE IT. I sold my other Glock's but kept my 20SF. So many different loads available from mild to wild, much more comfortable to shoot than the Delta Elite I use to have, you can get conversion barrels from Lone Wolf to shoot cheaper .40 short&whimpy when you go to the range (or you can get barrels for .357 sig and 9x25 dillon). I bought mine as a "Woods Gun", but now regularly carry it. When I'm in the woods I carry 230 hard cast that do 1125 fps, and when I'm around town I carry either 165 grain that do 1300 fps, or some 135 grain that do 1600 fps.
Here are the barrels - Lone Wolf Distributors - Product Detail - LWD Barrel M/20 Conversion to 40 S&W Stock Length - $114.95 Lone Wolf Distributors - Product Detail - LWD Barrel M/29 Conversion to 40 S&W Stock Length - $114.95
I own a stock G20 (not Slim Frame), and I really like it. It's my primary carry peace, and it sits comfortably in my Ted Blocker IWB holster everywhere I go. I've probably put close to 1000 rounds through it. Reasonably accurate, and with full powered ammo, it's a real firebreather*, while remaining controlable in confident hands. Contrary to a popular belief, factory 10MM ammo is not that hard to find and it doesn't have set the wallet on fire. There are actually a number of 10MM manufacturers. Full power loads are not available from most major manufacturers (a blessing, and a curse, as I will explain in a minute), but full power loads are available from a few sources. However.... Your gonna pay for them. DoubleTap (Doubletapammo Shop) has been around for a little while, and they have developed some very impressive loads, ranging from a 125 gr. Barnes tac-X at 1600(?) to hard hitting 230gr Harcasts. There is much debate over the validity of DoubleTaps velocities, a debate which recently flared up after a few youtube video comparing numerous manufacturers velocities. SwamFox GunWorks (SwampFox Gunworks and Ammo) has several full powered loads, as well as some that are NOT to be used in stock-glock barrels, due to a lack of full casehead support**. Oregons own Grizzly Cartidge Company (RCW Arms, LLC : RCW Arms, LLC) makes 3 (I think) 10MM full power loads, to include the new 140gr. Xtreme bullet, an all copper design that is... well unlike anything I've ever seen (they're friggin' pricey, and interesting as heck). As well as 2 more conventional bullet loads in 155gr and 180. Elite Ammunition (www.eliteammunition.net) also offers full power loads. Full powered loads are more expensive, usually over $1.00 per round. That said, DoubleTap is only about .81-.86 cents per. Personally, I think 10MM Auto is the single most versatile caliber of any modern semi-auto pistol. think about it: You have a 105 grain difference between the lightest and heaviest loads available which is more than any other autopistol as well as a wide velocity range for each bullet weight (because the 10MM can replicate .40SW balistics), there is literally bullet for every practical application. You can hunt, plink, protect, and defend with one pistol!*** There are many low powered ammo sources available as well. Please note that low powered does not mean cheap, as evident by the federal hydrashock, one of the weakest 10MM loadings available. BVAC offers 10MM on cheaperthandirt. Georgia arms offers their 'canned heat', which worked great in my pistol. Remington UMC, Hornady, Blazer, And others i can't remember I'm sure. I'd say get your G20SF and try to enjoy it half as much as I do mine, you won't regret it. For a Home Defense application, stick with the light/fast bullets, say 165gr or less. Hunting/woods protection, 180gr or more. Notes: * It not a .44 mag or a .454 casull, or anything like that. That's wasn't the purpose of it's design. It was designed to be a manstopper. Turned out, it works really well for a lot of other things too;-) **10MM can be loaded HOT. Most 10MM pistols do not have 'fully supported' chambers. You will need to buy an aftermarket match grade barrel for your pistol. Consult your weapons manufacturer for more info. *** Unfortunately, 10MM owners don't have a lot of options when it comes to pistols that prefer a diet of 10MM. Hope this helps.
