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Posted: 8/13/2017 9:40:57 AM EDT
I used to have a Gen4 19. It was the most hated handgun I ever owned, could never get a grip on it that really worked. Sold it, don't regret it. Also had a Gen3 G17 that I hated almost as much. Sold, no regrets.
A week ago on a lark, I try out a Gen4 G17 at a local rental range and this proved to be an entirely different experience than the Gen3 G17. Almost bought one but then noticed the LGS has G34s in stock as well. I was wondering how much better does the 34 shoot? I'm probably going to end up carrying this gun. Yes I know, get a G19...I'll refer you to my above story. Don't like them, don't want one. I have learned over time that I just dislike compact and subcompact pistols in general. They carry great but don't shoot that great. Basically I'm willing to make whatever changes I have to to my wardrobe in order to IWB a larger gun that I can shoot well. So, G17 or G34. Which one puts the bigger grin on your face? |
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The 17.4 is my favorite, it just balances the best for me. Both are excellent pistols though.
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I'd imagine the G34 would be a bear to carry. Get the 17.4. The slide cutout on the G34 doesn't lend itself well to carry IMHO either.
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Agree with the above. Get the 17 if you plan to carry it. The extra length of the 34 can make it challenging to conceal.
I personally have a 34 for range and work use, and a 19 for carry. |
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What! Four replies where everyone agrees? Yes, out of your choices the 17 would be the better carry for the reasons mentioned. I personally would find it cumbersome IWB but if that's your comfort level then go for it! If you were looking for a range gun the 34 is a sweet shooter and would be my pick but for comfortable carry I compromise with the smaller frames that you don't care for.
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I own a couple 34.4s, a 17.3, a 19.3 and a 19.4. The only perceptible difference for me is the slightly shorter frame on the 19.
If you had a bad experience with a 17 and a 19 and one good experience with a 17, I would suggest you look elsewhere than glocks. Gen 3 vs 4 should be a very minimal perceptible difference and I think the gen 4 is the worse of the two. |
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I own a couple 34.4s, a 17.3, a 19.3 and a 19.4. The only perceptible difference for me is the slightly shorter frame on the 19. If you had a bad experience with a 17 and a 19 and one good experience with a 17, I would suggest you look elsewhere than glocks. Gen 3 vs 4 should be a very minimal perceptible difference and I think the gen 4 is the worse of the two. View Quote |
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I have several Glocks and the G17 Gen 3 is definitely my favorite. I added a 3.4# connector and it shoots great!
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If you're going to carry it get a 17.
I started out shooting a 17 in USPSA then went to 34 and now shoot a modded 35 in Limited. The 17 is still my favorite. |
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Gen 3 vs 4 should be a very minimal perceptible difference and I think the gen 4 is the worse of the two. View Quote I find that the reduced hump size and more aggressive texture to be much more comfortable on the full-size pistols. The dual stage RSA and larger magazine release are an added bonus. I would be perfectly fine if they quit making the Gen3 guns tomorrow. |
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Opinions differ, I find that the reduced hump size and more aggressive texture to be much more comfortable on the full-size pistols. The dual stage RSA and larger magazine release are an added bonus. I would be perfectly fine if they quit making the Gen3 guns tomorrow. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Gen 3 vs 4 should be a very minimal perceptible difference and I think the gen 4 is the worse of the two. I find that the reduced hump size and more aggressive texture to be much more comfortable on the full-size pistols. The dual stage RSA and larger magazine release are an added bonus. I would be perfectly fine if they quit making the Gen3 guns tomorrow. |
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I find length has very little to do with in concealing a gun. It all comes down to grip size.
I think the 34 is the bees knees and carry a g22 every day at work. I also think a g19 with the trigger guard cut down a bit and the finger bumps removed makes a world of a difference. |
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I always thought the heavier trigger and the goofy recoil spring was a good reason to stick with Gen3.
I routinely carry a G34. Carried IWB it actually carries better than a 19 or 17 as the longer slide doesn't dig into the side of your hip and it acts like a rudder keeping the grip tucked closer. If you carry with the grip in the holster, then yeah, it would be harder to conceal than a 17. I wish OP could shoot my Gen3 with no finger grooves, no thumb shelves, double undercut, scalloped, stippled. Entirely different feel. |
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I always thought the heavier trigger and the goofy recoil spring was a good reason to stick with Gen3. <snip> I wish OP could shoot my Gen3 with no finger grooves, no thumb shelves, double undercut, scalloped, stippled. Entirely different feel. View Quote Not sure how a modernized two stage recoil spring with an extended service life over the original is "goofy" As for the stippled frame, thats a big +1 I have a 17.3 I had worked over by Polymer Refined and it feels amazing in the hand. Totally different than a factory gun. |
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Really? A Gen3 and Gen4 have very distinctly different triggers.
The recoil spring does nothing for a 9mm. It was intended for the 40, but Glock tried to use it in the 9, same as the Gen2 and 3 guns. |
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The recoil spring does nothing for a 9mm. It was intended for the 40, but Glock tried to use it in the 9, same as the Gen2 and 3 guns. View Quote The 9mm Gen4 variants had to have a reduced power RSA to function reliably, but it does have a longer service life. IIRC the Gen4 RSA has a roughly double recommended replacement interval over the Gen3 RSA. |
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I can carry a 35 in a comp tac CTAC as easy as I do my 23.
It's is basically the size of a 1911 govt model. It's a tack driver. |
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I wouldn't buy anything right now.
Seems like the gen 5 is being released in two weeks. Then pick the 17 |
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I carry a gen3 17rtf2 on duty and shoot a gen4 34 for USPSA.
34 is by far my favorite. When I switch to limited division (undecided if I will go 35 or STI at this point) I will carry the 34 for duty. |
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17 and 34 are my favorite Glocks. If I could only have one it would be the 34. I carry my 34 daily.
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The G17 is best Glock. The G34 is a longer G17 that is more aesthetically pleasing it just looks bad ass.
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Slight differences for one can be big differences for another. I'll rent another 17.4 to make sure it wasn't a fluke before buying. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I own a couple 34.4s, a 17.3, a 19.3 and a 19.4. The only perceptible difference for me is the slightly shorter frame on the 19. If you had a bad experience with a 17 and a 19 and one good experience with a 17, I would suggest you look elsewhere than glocks. Gen 3 vs 4 should be a very minimal perceptible difference and I think the gen 4 is the worse of the two. Nowadays I have shot Glocks so much I can't really tell a difference. I also do grip mods professionally, so I can make any Glock "feel" right to me. |
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I say get which ever one floats your boat more. The 17 is awesome. The 34 in my opinion is more awesome and looks cooler to boot. Recently, I went with a G34 (MOS). Just started carrying it not too long ago with an RMR and a Streamlight TLR1 (I don't normally carry a weapon mounted light. But I had a holster already that works for a 34 and generally requires a mounted light. Plus, with light, it's no longer than the 34 slide).
Seems crazy to some to either carry a 34 IWB or OWB(preferred for me). But I've carried a Beretta M9/92 of different flavors for years. CZ75 etc. No biggie to me. Yes, I generally need to dress around it some when I carry. But that's fine to me as well. If I need to go more incognito. I have a G26 or a Beretta Bobcat for those roles. I would get the 34. Carries just fine. Of course this may depend on where and how you carry. |
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I carried a G34. No difference between carrying it and a G17. It's the grip height that makes concealing difficult, not the slide length. I carry a G17 with the frame chopped to G19 size and reshaped like a BHP now.
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I like the 34 and have carried a 34 with an X300 on it off and on for years now.
If I could get it with a G19 grip it would be perfect. |
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I shot the 17.4 again. I definitely shot it better than any 9mm I own, and I like the balance. Don't have a G34 to rent there, but I might try handling one in another LGS before making my decision. One thing that struck me about the G17 Gen4 was how accurately I could dump a magazine into a fairly small area at 50 feet rapidly. I could never do that with a G19 or Gen3 G17.
Unfortunately, the only thing I have to trade is a Sig P320, which I doubt anyone wants anymore I could part with my Beretta M9, which I didn't shoot as well as the 17. The Beretta is just so damned sexy though, I hate to part with it. |
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Carry an RMR'ed and X300U equipped 34 everyday AIWB.
Doesn't carry any different to me than a 17. |
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Glock 34 Gen4 is the best gun Glock makes. View Quote The additional slide material where the recoil spring fits pretty much eliminates the possibility of a crack in that location....which unfortunately as we have seen is one of the spots glock slides can crack. I prefer the way the 17 shoots though, simply due to the recoil impulse. I have 3 17's now and only 1 34. I think I need another 34 to balance that out |
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From a functional standpoint, hard to argue. The additional slide material where the recoil spring fits pretty much eliminates the possibility of a crack in that location....which unfortunately as we have seen is one of the spots glock slides can crack. I prefer the way the 17 shoots though, simply due to the recoil impulse. I have 3 17's now and only 1 34. I think I need another 34 to balance that out View Quote |
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From a functional standpoint, hard to argue. The additional slide material where the recoil spring fits pretty much eliminates the possibility of a crack in that location....which unfortunately as we have seen is one of the spots glock slides can crack. I prefer the way the 17 shoots though, simply due to the recoil impulse. I have 3 17's now and only 1 34. I think I need another 34 to balance that out View Quote |
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Glock just made another batch of 17L's. Don't overlook those.
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Quoted:
From a functional standpoint, hard to argue. The additional slide material where the recoil spring fits pretty much eliminates the possibility of a crack in that location....which unfortunately as we have seen is one of the spots glock slides can crack. I prefer the way the 17 shoots though, simply due to the recoil impulse. I have 3 17's now and only 1 34. I think I need another 34 to balance that out View Quote |
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I've seen other guys swap RSA weights to mitigate that odd recoil impulse. View Quote For real though shooting slow 147gr out of a 34 is beyond fun to run quick. |
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Myself and everybody else I know are using 13 pound springs in their 17's and 34's. Makes a huge difference in the recoil pulse. Much faster to get back on target. The dip the front sight takes when the slide goes back into battery because of being overly sprung is worse than the the recoil or the rise of the front sight caused by the frame coming to an abrupt stop against the frame after extraction.
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Myself and everybody else I know are using 13 pound springs in their 17's and 34's. Makes a huge difference in the recoil pulse. Much faster to get back on target. The dip the front sight takes when the slide goes back into battery because of being overly sprung is worse than the the recoil or the rise of the front sight caused by the frame coming to an abrupt stop against the frame after extraction. View Quote |
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11# here but I'm only shooting minor PF through it. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Myself and everybody else I know are using 13 pound springs in their 17's and 34's. Makes a huge difference in the recoil pulse. Much faster to get back on target. The dip the front sight takes when the slide goes back into battery because of being overly sprung is worse than the the recoil or the rise of the front sight caused by the frame coming to an abrupt stop against the frame after extraction. |
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I prefer the G17.
The balance shifts a wee bit forward on the G34, but I never noticed a difference in performance. I traded my G34 for an RMR that I had installed on my G17. I have no regrets. |
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17C and replace the disconnector with the factory 3.5lb version. It's my favorite and most accurate gun.
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Easy. Get both.
I have both and shoot the 34 the most. Bishop3 |
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I EDC a pair of G34s.
I dislike the G19 for myself, but I recommend the 19 to others generally. I love the 34, and I like the 17 pretty good. FAIL-SAFE is sitting next to me laughing at my voices as I type and he carries a VP9, but he is left handed and doesn't get to go to heaven. He brought a G17 gen 2 for me to lust over. He won't sell it to me. Also, I don't have money for it. But he also has an FAL I love. I need it. John Creasy carries a 34. |
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I've carried and shot them all, been carrying a g35 with 357 barrel in it. I know the last 34 I had was the best trigger I ever felt in a glock. Slight take up, nice clean break, and it was very accurate. I have another one on the way and am putting a micro T1 on there. Not sure how an extra inch on a gun makes it harder to carry than a g17.
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