Well I finally got a look at the new GEN 4 Glock, and I must say I'm left scratching my head. I heard all the rumors and some sounded good and some sounded bad while others were just wishful thinking. Well now I have finally seen it and all the rumors can be put to rest. These are the only mods to the new Glock GEN 4. 1) They added a new gripping texture to the circumference of the grip, which is similar to the RTF2 but has cubes instead of polymids in a larger pattern. This style is called the RTF1 or simply the RTF treatment. 2) They added the much anticipated interchangeable backstraps. Backstrap 1 is a short frame, Backstrap 2 is the standard Glock grip, and Backstrap 3 is a large frame grip. Oh yea and they all have the standard glock arch or "hump" at the bottom of the grip. 3) They have a redesigned mag catch that is user reversible for ambidexterity and it is slightly enlarged, reaching back slightly for easier mag changes. 4) They have added a captive dual recoil spring system, which they say will aid in extending the life span of the gun, and I would hope helps with recoil management as well, though that was not the intention of the design.
Well there it is, no more rumors no more waiting, this is what the Gen 4 Glock 22 (and subsequent models) will be. I must say it is nice to see a change, but as a serious Glock enthusiast and shooter Iam dissapointed. Did Glock just not listen to what people wanted? The interchangeable backstraps are great, but why wasn't there a flat backstrap included. Shooters have been chopping the back of thier Glocks for years just to get that feel and grip angle and here was an opportunity to give us that. The mag catch is cool I can live with that, I guess I'll have to run one to have more of an opinion. The gripping texture I can probably live with too, it needed it for sure, the GEN 3's are just too slick. The dual spring set up was a good mod as well, the .40 cal. Glocks have always been undersprung.
Here's the thing, and this is my opinion, but I just felt that after 12 years of developement that this gun would be greatly enhanced with the GEN 4 offering. It certainly is not! A short frame backstrap insert, great, I'm sure it will feel better than the original size for those of us that wanted enhanced trigger reach and control, but how in the hell did they not offer a flat backstrap! This is one of the most sought after after market mods requested by those shooters that send thier guns off to guys like Robbie Barkman(Robar) and David Bowie (Bowie Tactical Concepts). Just look at the CCF raceframe, if there weren't serious shooters out there that didn't want this mod then no one would make money selling it. There is also no change to the finger grooves(still there), the terrible undercut on the trigger guard, or the beavertail area, and there are still no kidney cuts behind and above the trigger. Suffice to say the grip could be alot better and changing a couple backstrap widths and texture isn't going to cut it.
Don't get me wrong it's not right to look a gift horse in the mouth, I will take what I can get from a company that doesn't want listen to it's customers. Look how long it's taken to get this far. No no, I'm not complaining about what we do have here, just about what we should have. This gun is simply what the GEN 3 should have been. With that being said this pistol (the GEN4) should be light years ahead of the original Glock and that it is not. Oh well I guess they did get rid of those crescent cocking serrations. At the end of the day Iam a Glock shooter and enthusiast, and I'm not going to quit carrying my G32 or competing with my G17 and G34 just because the company doesn't listen, that's what a gunsmith is for anyway. The GEN4 looks like a great Glock and I hope that we will see more than just the G22 before the spring gets here because, yes, even though im *****in' about it, I still want one.
Well there it is, no more rumors no more waiting, this is what the Gen 4 Glock 22 (and subsequent models) will be. I must say it is nice to see a change, but as a serious Glock enthusiast and shooter Iam dissapointed. Did Glock just not listen to what people wanted? The interchangeable backstraps are great, but why wasn't there a flat backstrap included. Shooters have been chopping the back of thier Glocks for years just to get that feel and grip angle and here was an opportunity to give us that. The mag catch is cool I can live with that, I guess I'll have to run one to have more of an opinion. The gripping texture I can probably live with too, it needed it for sure, the GEN 3's are just too slick. The dual spring set up was a good mod as well, the .40 cal. Glocks have always been undersprung.
Here's the thing, and this is my opinion, but I just felt that after 12 years of developement that this gun would be greatly enhanced with the GEN 4 offering. It certainly is not! A short frame backstrap insert, great, I'm sure it will feel better than the original size for those of us that wanted enhanced trigger reach and control, but how in the hell did they not offer a flat backstrap! This is one of the most sought after after market mods requested by those shooters that send thier guns off to guys like Robbie Barkman(Robar) and David Bowie (Bowie Tactical Concepts). Just look at the CCF raceframe, if there weren't serious shooters out there that didn't want this mod then no one would make money selling it. There is also no change to the finger grooves(still there), the terrible undercut on the trigger guard, or the beavertail area, and there are still no kidney cuts behind and above the trigger. Suffice to say the grip could be alot better and changing a couple backstrap widths and texture isn't going to cut it.
Don't get me wrong it's not right to look a gift horse in the mouth, I will take what I can get from a company that doesn't want listen to it's customers. Look how long it's taken to get this far. No no, I'm not complaining about what we do have here, just about what we should have. This gun is simply what the GEN 3 should have been. With that being said this pistol (the GEN4) should be light years ahead of the original Glock and that it is not. Oh well I guess they did get rid of those crescent cocking serrations. At the end of the day Iam a Glock shooter and enthusiast, and I'm not going to quit carrying my G32 or competing with my G17 and G34 just because the company doesn't listen, that's what a gunsmith is for anyway. The GEN4 looks like a great Glock and I hope that we will see more than just the G22 before the spring gets here because, yes, even though im *****in' about it, I still want one.
