THE CUSTOMIZATION OF THE 21ST CENTURY GLOCK 48 PISTOL
GLOCK GUN ART
WITH MECHANILCAL ENHANCEMENTS
THE CUSTOMIZATION OF THE 21ST CENTURY GLOCK 48 PISTOL
Bob Pilgrim
Since the genesis of firearms gun smiths who were also artisans offered examples of their craft that were not only lethal, but pleasing to the eye. Firearms in general, even the base models were generally beyond the financial reach of the average subject unless they were conscripted into his ruler’s armed forces. Private ownership of firearms were not only cost restrictive, but were illegal in many countries for the common man to own Contracts awarded by his majesty often hinged on the presentation of a heavily engraved and inlaid with jewels and ivory version of the firearm hoping for the potentate’s approval.
Jordan’s King Abdullah
When I served Jordan’s King Abdullah, who is an accomplished shooter and gun fighter I was shown his warrior father’s private collection of long and short guns from all over the world including Israel. Lodged in a guarded secret location his vast collection of antique and modern weapons included many that were gold plated, jeweled and highly engraved. However, when in military attire the king’s father frequently carried a, SW .357 Magnum revolver in a British type flap holster in the 1’oclock position. King Abdullah, a Gunsite graduate and his sons continue the warrior tradition.
Looks and Lethality
Some firearms, such as the Pennsylvania long rifle are beautiful in their own right, but others need help. However, I remind myself that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and beauty is in the eye of beholder, so beauty is largely subjective. Others that are more practically oriented often fall in love with what’s under the surface and what the firearm’s potential is. But we are very lucky, because today we have many guns that possess both attributes.
Glock’s Odyssey
When Glock 17 (G17) pistols first arrived in America they were both mocked and condemned by gun gurus and institutions such as the FBI. The plastic gun with its block like slide was considered the ugliest gun to hit the market, Colonel Jeff Cooper of Gunsite’s American Pistol Institute said it looked like a dart gun and the FBI added by pronouncing that it was an accident waiting to happen without the benefit of a manual safety. And security experts referred to it as terrorists hijack special, because of its predominance of plastic and presumptive ability to escape magnetometer detection. This proved to be a red herring, but its father, Gaston Glock was disturbed enough to threaten to sue the FBI for its negative pronouncements. His threats resulted in a meeting inside the FBI Academy’s gun vault where in strained English he discussed his gun while disassembling it to show us the appreciable number of metal parts that enabled the pistol to function. He confided that it cost him less than$ 100.00 to make the computer designed gun, but retailed it for three times that investment, because if he sold for less people would think it was a cheaply made firearm. However, no friends were made and even though our group had a better understanding of the pistol the Bureau still considered the Glock too dangerous for any shooter.
Three Star Glocks
Glock nevertheless still courted the FBI and several of us got “samples” to familiarize ourselves with the Glock’s capabilities. In time the pistol grew on me and I managed to obtain a personally owned “Three Star “G 17. Allegedly, these Glocks exhibited superior accuracy when test fired by the factory and their carry cases were marked accordingly with a trio of stars. Hitting 8 – inch falling plates from the holster in three seconds or less at 50 yards was routine with this pistol. At John Shaw’s Mid-South Institute of Self-Defense Shooting, that now 30 year old Generation One handgun was the first to clean Shaw’s all steel target shooting standards test that he authored with the input of Delta and SEAL students.
Templar Custom
Today, that old companion has received a facelift and some internal parts replacement. Templar Custom Arms updated both my G 17 and G 20 with grip reductions and angle changes, very aggressive snake scale checkering on both grips and rounded trigger guards. Trigger guards are thinned to eliminate finger drag and undercut where they meet the front strap. Magazine extraction cuts have been made to the front and side panels at the butt end of both grips. Both slide’s edges have been melted and fore and aft grasping serrations have been tastefully milled into the slide for more positive slide manipulation. Both pistol have extended slide releases and enlarged magazine releases. Templar’s Bob Meszaros’s attention to detail includes checkered recoil plates should the shooter have to physically prompt the slide into battery. Ameriglo bar dot luminous metal sights provide excellent day/night sight pictures and crown the flat black and stainless Cerakoted slides. Slides embrace KKM Precision stainless steel match barrels and recoil springs surrounds a mercury filled Haart’s guide rods of unrecalled origin. Finally, a drop in trigger kit from Glocktriggers.com was added to the pistols ensemble. These were my first customized Glocks and more were to follow.
www.Templarcustomarms.com
ROBAR
An early IPSC competitor in South Africa, Robbie Barkman moved to Arizona and over many years has become a household name in the shooting industry. In addition to a training and managerial stint at the American Pistol Institute his gun smithing services were in such demand that he left Gunsite, to set up ROBAR, which would offer full time custom weapons work. Uniquely, he plated firearms with NP3 and Roguard. Impervious to rust, NP3 is used by the offshore oil and aerospace industry. In addition to superior protection it possesses a high degree of lubricity and resembles brushed stainless steel. It needs little to no lubrication and can be cleaned by wiping it with a cloth. Robbie customized my Glock 29 10 mm compact pistol. All external and internal metal parts received the NP3 treatment. The pistol was turned into an attractive firearm with new Warren Tactical sights, a 1911 grip reduction, beaver tail, rounded and deeply undercut trigger guard, enlarged magazine release and unique grip stippling with a black special black finish on its frame. All this was accompanied by Glock Trigger’s, drop in trigger kit and three different KKM match barrels in calibers 10 mm, 9×25 mm Dillon and .40 SW. Lone Wolf provided a compensated barrel in .357 Sig. Recently, he sold the gun smithing end of the business to focus on industrial plating. However, ROBARS signature specialty services will continue under the supervision of retired marine Freddy Blish.
Robarguns.com/custom-firearms-finishes
Bowie Tactical Concepts
David Bowie, of Bowie Tactical Concepts is a warrior and has in part, inherited through distant relative Jim Bowie his professional expertise in fitness, defensive tactics, shooting and related law enforcement skills. A veteran deputy sheriff, he has been a 15 year member and commander of the county’s SWAT team. In addition to 25 years as a first rate trainer, Bowie is a nationally recognized gunsmith and gun artisan specializing in the customization of the plastic genre of handguns including Glock, Smith and Wesson MP series and Heckler Koch.
Glock 48
Because of Virginia’s draconian gun laws and my anticipation of the state’s proposed 10 round magazine limitation I decided to acquire a lightweight and easily concealed 10 round carry gun, so I could continue to be armed in these disturbing times . Without hesitation I selected the single stack Glock 48 -slim to satisfy those requirements, I am not a Glock fan particularly, but I have always shot them well and the G 48 seems to combine the best attributes of their full sized and compact pistols. It is frequently compared to the Glock 19, perhaps Glock’s most popular selling pistol. Rather than leaving well enough alone I decided to improve on perfection and have the piece customized. Prior to submitting my G 48 for practical and cosmetic surgery I had several conversational works up with David. Bowie had customized my Glock’s 34 and 43 and I was more than satisfied with his meticulous work. My only instructions regarding the G 48 were to perform his usual modifications, but don’t make it look like a toy gun like so many of the custom Glock offerings do on the market today. I also wanted a black pistol, because the darker color projects lethality and business, but when I turned Jim loose that changed. More on this later.
When I revealed my plans to a coterie of retired FBI agents who were happy with Bureau’s acquisition of the Gen Five G 19 I was roundly criticized for wasting my money and instead should have opted for the higher capacity antecedent of the slimmer version. I had a G 17 and never felt the need to obtain what has become the world’s universal handgun when the larger sibling’s performances, were in my opinion measurably better than its more compact brethren. However, one of my more technically oriented critics pointed out that I was giving up an appreciable amount of fire sustainability for a slight gain in concealability. The G 19 has a 15 round reservoir while the forty – eight’s stick holds a paltry decade or 1/3 fewer rounds than the nineteen. This significant sacrifice in fire sustainability is in exchange for only 0.16 inches difference in width between the higher capacity pistol and the single stack. I agree that 15 BBs are better than 10 and it could mean, blah, blah, the difference in winning a prolonged gunfight or not, but after his lecture I quietly informed my audience that that was yesterday and today that has changed and was no longer a factor. (More later).
After several weeks of anticipation the slim and highly concealable pistol arrived at my home. When it emerged from its padded carry case it looked both familiar and new. Externally Bowie made the following modifications:
- Grip was reduced and reshaped to duplicate the 1911 pistols eighteen degree grip angle. Grip was completely shredded for superior grip. For a person with a large hand there is not much to hold onto with its slim grip. Its slim circumference lacks the meat a double stack magazine fed pistol provides. While its smaller dimensions fosters concealment pistol torque with the gun can increase, but Bowie’s shredded grip stippling mitigates that Newtonian phenomenon. Other areas of the pistol receive the same treatment, such as the undercut and rounded trigger guard and bilateral trigger finger registers. The base of the grip enjoys bilateral magazine well cut outs so a recalcitrant magazine can be ripped from the gun. Bowie also opened and slightly flared the magazine well. As previously mentioned, the trigger guard is undercut to foster a higher grip. And the trigger guard sheds the hook and is rounded. In Bowie’s opinion this amputation makes the pistol easier to re holster and looks better than the hooked configuration. While some successful shooters wrap their support hand index finger around the hooked guard they are in the minority. Some proponents end up exerting pressure on it as they stroke the trigger, which tends to milk shots low and left for a right handed shooter and right for a southpaw. What this amounts to is two trigger fingers firing the gun. Furthermore, I have taught my students that the grip is weaker when the fingers are spread apart and stronger with fingers together. Unlike its other pistols Glock does not include an under barrel rail for white light or laser accessories. Where permitted, the only technique that I found the hook useful for was head or face strikes. Here the Glock’s under muzzle portion of the frame and the hooked guard makes contact with the head and face in an effort to stun the subject so a control hold can be affected against a resisting hostile. Furthermore, the Glock, held in a two handed grip with muzzle high and finger out of trigger is punched out striking the head with pistols under muzzle dust cover and pointed edged of the hooked trigger guard. This stunning technique was taught to US Navy SEALs by Duane Dieter of Close Quarters Defense, so that neck and arm seals can be applied.
- Bowie radiuses and refinishes the slide. He rounds the ejection port edges to eliminate holster drag and all edges get extra melting attention. For example, Bowie rounds out the bottom of the slide for smoother cycling. I mentioned previously that I give Jim a free hand in modifying the 48. He surprised me and finished the black slide with a gunmetal gray cerakote. While I wanted a dark slide I had to admit that it looked good and is similar to Glock’s two tone version. In addition, bilateral slide lightening cuts that are very popular among custom gun shops lightened the slide for “faster cycling and more rapid cooling.” These “slots” can also augment forward slide manipulation. Progressive wave serrations cut into the entire length of the slide’s dorsal surface. This unique pattern sheds slightly more slide weight and lends itself to one handed emergency hooking manipulation. Some will criticize opening up an essentially sealed system, but Bowie reminded me that some Glock’s feature top side slide cuts for weight control and other purposes. All metal removal has dropped the G 48’s weight without magazine by 1.42 ounces. These lightening features might be enjoyed by very high level competitive shooters who want a faster cycling gun and I have witnessed one colleague who was a “Top Shot” finalist beat a Glock slide into battery with his wicked fast trigger manipulation.
- Internally, Bowie reduced trigger take up and weight by one pound. A Ghost connector is installed, and interface angles are tweaked. However, the wall or overcoming sear resistance is very steep. Depending where you place the trigger scale’s hook I get a high weight of 7.25 pounds and a low resistance of five pounds.
- Additionally, the barrel’s metal feed ramp and step to chamber are reshaped and polished. Extractor is reshaped and everything metal is polished.
- Because I wanted to use the G48 with a suppressor, Bowie installed a set of high profile Ameriglo Night Sights. However, only the front post contains a Tritium vial.
The G 48 already has accessories galore and I collected several of them for the readers review as follows:
Backup Tactical
Barrel maker Jason Bayne, CEO of Backup Tactical provided an extended and threaded barrel that enables the attachment of muzzle brakes, suppressors and compensators should that be desired or required by a mission. In contrast to many barrel makers , Jason prefers a 1:16” twist for the nine and feels that it offers the most versatility for the variety of bullet weights available in .355 caliber, with the exception of tepidly loaded 147 and heavier grain rounds. The 1:10” is “too fast” for the lighter bullets especially in barrels over four inches, but he hasn’t experienced any key holing with the broad spectrum of bullets launched with the slower twist rate barrel. At one extreme for example, KKM Precision offers a Beretta match barrel with 1:32” twist that is designed to produce tight groups with 115 grain ammunition. As far as I can tell, like other 9 mm Gluck’s the G 48 has a twist rate of 1.9.8.” And in my experience the medium bore polymer pistol has stabilized every bullet weight that I have fed it. Bayne further advised that his shop uses WISI 416 Stainless Steel and rifling is created by a pulled broach. Uniquely, he offers this barrel in four different colors.
backuptactical.com
King Glock
Bowie is not a fan of compensators on defensive or tactical pistols. Other special agents that I have discussed this with believe that they are begging for failure. When I was active, compensated pistols were tested by Special Operations Detachment Delta and I was fortunate to obtain one for my match 1911. My contact further modified it, so it also acted as muzzle break as well as comp. It worked well for me, but overall results were not significant enough for the military to justify adoption for their backup pistols. These days find the teams taking a serious look at RMR optics for their handguns. Although proven in competition one squadron commander told me that they didn’t hold up. Nevertheless, many of these zero magnification optics find a place on lightweight semiautomatic civilian versions of the AR platform for close range target engagement.
For the purpose of this article I wanted to accessorize the Bowie G 48 with as many aftermarket items that I could obtain, so in spite of some colleagues criticism I purchased King Glock’s aluminum comp and brake. This 5/8 ounce, 1.194.5 X 0.74.1” “gadget” had a good reputation for effectiveness and it quite reasonably priced. My first impression was that it resembled a much scaled down version of an Abrams tank muzzle brake. No instructions or marks like “Top” come with the King Comp, so you have to look it over and figure out which direction the vents direct the gasses? Two small approximately .17 caliber dorsal vents redirect pressure up and are the comp, while four (Two on each side) large angled back vertical vents perform muzzle brake tasks. Quite honestly, I didn’t expect much of recoil and muzzle dampening effect with nine millimeter cartridge. It fits ½ x 28” threaded barrels and has a small set screw on the underside of the comp to lock it to the barrel and prevent loosening. It comes in chrome and black. I choose black because I wanted to keep the gun black. For me, black means business.
In addition to reducing recoil and muzzle flip I wanted to compare accuracy and velocity between the comp and the Glock barrel? Once I got all the ingredients together I was disappointed to discover that King Glock’s comp would allow the pistol to be inserted into the holster I acquired for the article, but would not give it up for the presentation. However, the G 48 looked good in the Kydex. Never the less, its presence may nullify your scabbard. After 25 rounds of assorted ammunition the compensator became loose and had to be retightened. During the accuracy test phase with the comp installed there was no night and day difference in recoil control and muzzle flip. This was confirmed by shooting standing offhand strings of fire at 25 yards with and without the compensator. I used the hottest Federal 115 grain +P+ rounds in an attempt to generate as much pressure as I could to evaluate the comps effectiveness. Between the heavenly similar crashes of +P+ detonation I could detect a slight reduction of muzzle flip an felt recoil with the King Comp, but not enough to make it a permanent part of the pistol. My colleagues sighed with relief, because as retried LEOs and force members they felt that they were malfunctions waiting to happen. It should be noted that the comp did not degrade groups and they were similar if not slightly better than bare barrel groups.
www.kingglock.com
MAGILLS Glock Store
Lenny Magill’s Glock Store has grown into an impressive enterprise and he has always been generous in his support for my articles. This time, Lenny provided beautifully machined, plus four rounds, magazine extensions with extra power magazine springs and Alan wrenches. The aluminum base pad adds some undesirable bulk to the flat pistol’s profile, so I plan on using the modified now 14 round magazine as a reloading reservoir. It also extends the butt of the pistol by 1.5 inches and the extra length may be a deal breaker for some? With a dual magazine pouch holding a pair of the bigger sticks plus a 10 rounder inserted and one in the oven there is a potential for having 39 rounds at one’s disposal.
When seated, the mag extension adds an inch and a half to the pistol’s butt. When it comes to concealment the bottom of the pistol’s grip where the magazine well is located is also referred to as the gun’s butt as in the administration of a devastating “butt stroke” to an adversary’s jaw during a bayonet joust. It is the most difficult part of the handgun’s anatomy to conceal and creative gun smiths go to great lengths to mitigate it as much as possible. The butt will often “print” against a cover garment if it is not loose enough or while bending over, which causes the jacket to drape forward.
www.glockstore.com
We the People Holsters
For outside the waistband’s carry I purchased a We the People’s carbon fiber holster that features an adjustable cant from 0-15 degrees and a paddle for easy on / off and re positioning depending on the circumstances. Shoulder injuries and other age related surgeries have developed enough flexibility limiting scar tissue that cross draw has become the most feasible defensive method of concealed carry for me. My rational is as follows:
- Draw is subtle. Shoulder and upper body movement is minimal.
- Can have arms crossed and have full firing grip on gun without telegraphing
- Gun doesn’t print when bending forward
- Easy draw from seated position
- When bladed toward threat and a normal fighting position is assumed butt is away from threat to make gun takeaways more difficult and pistol merely needs to be rocked out of holster to muzzle threat from close combat position
- Support hand or “Cavalry Draw” is remarkably fast and can be executed without muzzle crossing the body
- If engaging in open carry, holster should level II minimum security
Kydex is 0.8” thin and therefore lightweight. Holster is designed to minimize weight to keep gun holster package as light as possible, but still maintain excellent strength. Sweat guard protects shirt from lube and carbon stains and interior of holster is pattern leather smooth to facilitate slick draw and reduce holster wear on piece. The holster is specific firearm molded and a simple tension screw adjusts hold on gun. Tension should be adjusted to hold gun in scabbard when turned upside down. Some pistoleros advocate enough tension to grip 2.5 times the pistol’s weight when inverted. As mentioned rake angle is adjustable and that includes the holsters drop. Finally, each product is shipped in its own black tote bag. While not necessary, it is nevertheless a nice touch. These holsters have a lifetime warranty and discounts are available for military and law enforcement personnel.
Shield Arms
Earlier I outlined the pro and con arguments for and against the G 48. One salient point was the loss of five rounds for a small gain in concealability when comparing the 15 round G 19 with the G 48. That argument has been put to rest . Enter Shield Arms and their phenomenal 15 round steel magazine that fits flush with the G 48’s grip. The drop free Shield magazine is 0.25”larger at its widest point than the Glock 48 magazine, but 0.2 ounces lighter than the 10 round stick. Loaded with 147 grain Super Vel Hush Puppy FMJ ammunition, finds that the Glock magazine weighs 7.1 ounces while the Shield tips the scales at 9.4 ounces with 15 rounds full up. Go to war weights (GTWW) with 10 + 1 see a carry weight of 25.3 ounces. GTWW for the Shield augmentation with 15 + 1 of the same ammunition causes overall weight to jump to 27.1 ounces. The 14 round Glock Store extended magazine weighs 9.4 ounces with ditto ammo. Adding ounces to the G 48 system seems to defeat the purpose of the G 48 to be relatively light in weight. However, you get the 15 round Shield tube by adding just 1.8 ounces to the G 48’s heft. How did Shield Arms cram five more rounds into a very confined space you ask? This is one of our light bulb moments where you scratch your billiard ball head and ask yourself why didn’t you think of it? We all know that Glock magazines are metal lined polymer affairs. The metal inside a polymer sleeve stiffens the latter, so magazine ejection is reliable. When loaded the old polymer sticks were tough to extract. Glock intentionally designed them to do that, so soldiers would not lose them during combat. That steel / plastic combo takes up room. Eliminate the polymer, substitute an all steel version and viola you pick up the additional ammunition. Shield Arms recommends the installation of their $25.00 enhanced aluminum magazine release to withstand the additional battering from higher capacity strings of fire. They have decent polymer base pads with witness holes .The pads have 16 indentations to mark the magazines, so you can keep track of their performance. For $225.00, a package containing five magazines, extra power magazine springs and the magazine release is available. Shield Arms manufactures complete pistols and rifles as well as parts for various firearms. Their mottos are: “Ante Omnia Armari and Mutatis Mutandis.” Translated they are “Before All Be Armed” and “With things changed that should be changed” respectively. The company has certainly lived up to those lofty phrases with their innovation. Congratulations.
The grip on the G 48 is small for my ham fisted hand and causes my trigger finger to fall on it up to the first joint. Normally I like to press the trigger with the pad of my index finger. With this firing grip I have to be very careful not to “milk” my groups low and to the left. Without significantly compromising the pistol’s compactness I would like to add a pair of palm swells to the grip panels. The best way to do this would be to slip a rubber sleeve that contained the swells over the polymer grip. However, I must admit that decorating the G 48 with a number of aftermarket accessories and additional rounds makes a simple firearm more complex and precludes its desirable lightweight attributes. It reminds me of the military’s quest for a lightweight shoulder weapon that resulted in the development of the 6.64 pound M 4 carbine. But it didn’t take long before the weapon was tricked out with a myriad of force multiplying devices and weight catapulted to 9-10 pounds, which obviously defeats the purpose of reducing the infantry soldiers load.
Shieldsrms.com/-Glock43 X-48 -15round mag
Glock Whisperer
Johnny Glock (JG) has been aptly called the “Glock Whisperer,” by a noted firearms scribe, because of his intimate knowledge of Glock physics and his extraordinary ability to engineer vastly improved actions via his drop in combat and completion trigger kits. For those that demand the best he offers individually crafted custom actions. For the latter, Johnny will interview the more exacting customer over the phone to get an idea of his desired action specifics. These conversations are distilled into a shooting profile enabling Johnny to tell what kind of shooter you are. Unless directed otherwise he will create a trigger that will compliment your shooting style. For these services his custom triggers are the most expensive on the market. The G 48 has a good stock trigger, which I could live with, but I wanted something better, so I contacted the best to customize my pistol mechanically. Combined with Bowie Tactical’s work I wanted to make the G 48 distinctly mine.
Johnny is a one man shop and although quite busy answered the phone on its first ring. Immediately you can sense his energy and passion for all things Glock. He seemed more than willing to chat and will , in addition to his tutorial videos on YouTube will give guidance over that phone. After explaining the project he enthusiastically volunteered.
His drop in Combat Kit arrived with his new Evolution flat faced trigger with Glock like trigger safety tab in red trim on board. The number of replacement parts in the glassine envelope can be intimidating, but in reality are simple to install. Simple sure, but I had a competent gunsmith install my kit. After installation, the flat faced trigger felt familiar, because I have several installed on other guns. It had a short take up of about 1/8 “before it hits a distinct wall as in engages the sear. The wall feels heavy, but it isn’t. Trigger weight measured three to four pounds depending on where you placed the trigger scale’s hook. Before the trigger breaks there is scintilla of movement as the sear is disengaged. Its break is a clean snap and initially it was hard to anticipate, which a good thing. There is no over travel. Its trigger return spring is strong and reset was forceful and short. Johnny’s first concern with the Combat Kit is reliability. The other attributes are secondary. With a provided tool trigger slack or take up can be adjusted fore and aft. With some of the newer Glock’s I need all the help I can get and JG’s trigger will definitely give one an edge.
However, that lofty image was quickly shattered when I put a mix of premium rounds through the gun for familiarization firing. Half a dozen rounds failed to fire upon first strike and two different cartridges would not detonate with repeated strikes. When I reported this with an image of the primers of the two (Sig Sauer and Super Vel) recalcitrant rounds to Johnny he became extremely concerned and a flurry of questions about the customized Glock followed. End result was my patient gun smith Hall Precision; (Fredericksburg, VA) replaced the red striker spring with the heavier yellow striker spring. This change bumped trigger weight up from four to four and a half pounds. Other qualities of trigger remained.
Once again, I spread out an assortment of rounds and bullet weights on my range’s shooting bench. Weights varied from 90 grains to 147 grains and one after another went off with boring regularity. Checking out the primers showed deeper indentations than those from the lighter spring. Obviously, when replacing stock triggers with those with less resistance a balance has to be created, so that the trigger is as light as desired, but a controlled explosion occurs every time the striker is released.
www.johnnyglock.com
Excellent Accuracy
With the right ammunition the G 48 is capable of excellent accuracy. Its only hindrances have been its notoriously crude plastic sights and heavy triggers. The G 48 is better than most of its smaller siblings and you can opt for excellent night sights. If moved laterally most of the rounds fired at 25 yards from a hand held rest would have filled the 10 ring of a Shoot and See target. Six different loads were launched. The first string was fired from the G 48’s factory barrel, The second string was projected via Back Up Tactical’s threaded barrel with the King Glock compensator attached. Although each shot was very carefully released, typical of my initial familiarity with heavy pivoting triggers the majority of my groups with the exception of one were slightly low left. Federal +P+115 grain JHP clipping along at 1200 to 1300 fps was the only round that shot POA/POI. All five rounds landed in the targets X ring. Recoil was tolerable even with the hot rounds, but the narrow grip likes to do the twist. A strong grip helps, but shooters with smaller hands will like the feel of G 48 and find that it drops their trigger finger’s pad right on the trigger’s face. Nice. However, big mitt’s index fingers will be forced to rest on the triggers face right up to the first joint. A good position for revolver shooting and preferred by some riflemen, but I never liked it for operating semi auto pistols. All the rounds tested will give you the necessary accuracy to deal with threats at typical gun fight distances. Unless you like to light up the range, embrace severe muzzle blast and love healthy recoil I would avoid the rounds with pluses on their brass rims. Stick with the standard pressure loads and those that are carried by law enforcement. They have done all the research and carrying the same load as your local police or sheriff’s department may help you in court if you are defending yourself when involved in a shooting.
It should be noted that these groups were shot with its factory trigger.
Suppressor Reliable
I hooked up one of my suppressors to Back UP Tactical’s threaded barrel and in the G 48 it was totally reliable with subsonic ammunitions. There was a lot of blowback and felt recoil increased. Accuracy was not effected one way or another.
Compensator / Threaded Barrel Affect
As you can see in the chart, the longer threaded barrel with compensator increased every round’s muzzle velocity. Both the +P and +P+ rounds eclipsed 1300 fps. Not bumped up to .357 Sig class, but definitely smoking along. However, accuracy was shared 50/50, but the comp tamed the Maxx Tech load into an acceptable group.
- Bowie Tactical Concepts have customized Glock’s 34, 43 and 48 for author. They shoot as good as they look.