Posted: 6/24/2012 2:41:55 PM EDT
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My favorite sized 1911 is the Commander, and I'm a big Glock fan. So, since I have duplicates of many of my Glocks, I decided to do a little experimenting with a G19.
Right up front I want to say that this was not an original design that I came up with. I think it was years ago here on ARFDC that I read about a similar conversion. I started with an LEO trade-in Virginia Beach Sheriff marked Glock 19. I then used an A&G grip adapter that attaches to a G17 magazine when you use it in a G19 so you have a full grip. I Dremelled both the bottom of the grip and the top of the adapter, just like you do when welding two pieces of metal together. Everything was attached using fiberglass resin and it turned out extremely strong. Here's a pic after the main fiberglass application and shaping: 
Because the A&G adapter is designed to be affixed to the magazine and held in place with a set screw, it's a tight fit on the magazine. After the epoxy dried, I had to open up the adapter to allow the magazine to drop free as easily as an unaltered Glock frame. It took another minor application just for cosmetic purposes, then I used Rustoleum truck bed liner applied with a sponge. Now, to finish it off and make it more durable, I'm going to Cerakote it. I know this is the exact opposite of what most people want when they do a Glock grip mod. Most people want a smaller grip for concealibility. I wanted something different. This turned out exactly like I wanted it to. I originally planned to fabricate a beavertail out of Acraglas, but the Grip Force Adapter works so well for me with a full size frame, I just went with one of those that I had in the parts box. 
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Nice. So how does it shoot? I just got it done this afternoon. I'm going to try to shoot tomorrow, but I have a trip to New Hampshire to make to pick up my new German Shorthaired Pointer addition to the family. I can't wait for some of the MA shooters to chime in. This started life as one of the few MA "compliant" G19's. I wouldn't even consider doing a grip mod to something fairly rare and desireable, like a Gen 1 G17 or 19, but it's a Gen 3 G19. Speaking of the Gen 1 G17, I feel that Glock had it right the first time back in the 1980's and it all went downhill from there. Gen 2's are still OK, but once they added the finger grooves on the Gen 2.5's, it was all over for me. I have huge hands and the finger grooves don't even come close to matching up to my fingers. This grip mod feels almost exactly like one of my three Gen 1 G 17's. |
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You need to come back to work. You have WAY too much time on your hands.  Hey, just because you haven't grown enough hair on your nuts to chop up a Glock, don't hate me! Yes, I wish I was back at work. Hopefully just one more surgery and I'll be back annoying the Training Dept. Get ready. |
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OK, made a small mod to the Glock. As much as I hate to finally accept it, the 80's are over (damn I looked good in that Miami Vice white jacket, too), so there's no reason for anyone to ever put their damn finger in front of the triggerguard. So I ground off that useless squared triggerguard.
Sometime in late July, I'll be visiting my gunsmith friend. I think I'll leave the Glock with him and have him Cerakote it for me. He has some of the air dry Cerakote in Black and Gray. I'm not sure how baking the other Cerakote on would react with the fiberglass and truck bed liner I used. If I knew it wouldn't react negatively, I'd have him bake on a green finish. I just don't want to be the test case and find all my hard work bubbling off in the oven. Here it is with the rounded triggerguard. Hey ZombieVT, I'll grind up your Glock for you anytime you want. 
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Nice. So how does it shoot? I just got it done this afternoon. I'm going to try to shoot tomorrow, but I have a trip to New Hampshire to make to pick up my new German Shorthaired Pointer addition to the family. I can't wait for some of the MA shooters to chime in. This started life as one of the few MA "compliant" G19's. I wouldn't even consider doing a grip mod to something fairly rare and desireable, like a Gen 1 G17 or 19, but it's a Gen 3 G19. Speaking of the Gen 1 G17, I feel that Glock had it right the first time back in the 1980's and it all went downhill from there. Gen 2's are still OK, but once they added the finger grooves on the Gen 2.5's, it was all over for me. I have huge hands and the finger grooves don't even come close to matching up to my fingers. This grip mod feels almost exactly like one of my three Gen 1 G 17's. I have never even held a gen 1 glock 17. javascript:insertText('  ');
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Nice. So how does it shoot? I just got it done this afternoon. I'm going to try to shoot tomorrow, but I have a trip to New Hampshire to make to pick up my new German Shorthaired Pointer addition to the family. I can't wait for some of the MA shooters to chime in. This started life as one of the few MA "compliant" G19's. I wouldn't even consider doing a grip mod to something fairly rare and desireable, like a Gen 1 G17 or 19, but it's a Gen 3 G19. Speaking of the Gen 1 G17, I feel that Glock had it right the first time back in the 1980's and it all went downhill from there. Gen 2's are still OK, but once they added the finger grooves on the Gen 2.5's, it was all over for me. I have huge hands and the finger grooves don't even come close to matching up to my fingers. This grip mod feels almost exactly like one of my three Gen 1 G 17's. I have never even held a gen 1 glock 17. I bought my first Gen 1 to use as a host for doing some grip mods. I planned to add a beavertail and get rid of the hump on the back of the grip. After shooting it for a while, I'm glad left it like it was. After that, I kept running into them and I picked up a few more. All of them, along with my early Gen 2 G19 just made the trip back to Glock for the Six Part Upgrade. Now I'll really be happy when I find a Gen 1 G19. They made 800 of them so it shouldn't be that hard! I've answered ads trying to buy more Gen 1's. 99% of the ads that have a title of a Gen 1 Glock for sale are not Gen 1's. They are Gen 2's and the owners just don't know what they have. You always see ads for "Gen 1 Glock (insert your model number other than 17 or 19 here) for sale". Too bad Glock only made G17's and the 800 G19's I mentioned. |