Compact Glock 21

[JTROKS]

Here's my custom Glock 21 chopped up.



I've seen HighValleyRanch's chopped up Glock. I wonder if anyone has done such customization to their Glock 21. Please chime in and provide inputs as far as shootability, controllability and overall opinion if it's worth the trouble and cost.

[Gisray]

Just buy a G30. If you want the larger mags get a grip spacer. It is combat accurate, all Glocks. Just seems like someone having more money than they know what to do with. I wish i had that problem.

[JTROKS]

I have shot the Glock 30 and aother sub compact 40 Glock. It felt like something whipping my trigger finger everytime I fired it. With the full size slide/barrel it's easier to hit (in theory) and recoil won't be really bad.

[yellowsulphur]

If you want to play the waiting game Lone Wolf Distributors makes stainless steel after market uppers and soon will release their "L" models. These include the 20/21 which will be available in either 5.5" or 6". The compacts will include 19/23 and will be available in 4.5" or 5.5". I know your looking for a .45 and not a 9mm or .40, but if these sell well more calibers will follow. I'm waiting for a 6" 20 to convert my 21 and hopefully a future 17L for my 34.

Here is an image of a 21 to give you an idea what they look like:

[naimad]

Here's my custom Glock 21 chopped up.



I've seen HighValleyRanch's chopped up Glock. I wonder if anyone has done such customization to their Glock 21. Please chime in and provide inputs as far as shootability, controllability and overall opinion if it's worth the trouble and cost.

http://www.bowietacticalconcepts.com/pictures.html

[HighValleyRanch]

Great!

Of course I was going to say that!
Is that a gun you did or a photoshop rendition of what you would like to do?

Although when I did mine, it was practically unknown, the chop job is getting much more popular. I've seen quite a few now.
If you want it done professionally, I recommend these guys.

http://www.southwestshootingauthority.com/612600.html

Desert Scout on glock talk. They do amazing work.
The chop job is only 50.00 plus shipping. If you want that extra on the back like I did on mine, you might have to pay extra.
There are some advantages to this over just getting a 30. You get the same velocity and longer sight radius as the 21. It really balances better than the sub. When you chop off the grip, you take off 90% of the hump. My glock 19 chopped to a 26 is like a 26 with a grip reduction. it feels so much better than my stock 26! The hardest part to conceal is the grip, not the slide length, so you get the advantage of the full size with the concealability of the compact. It's much cheaper than the lone wolf long slide alternative.
Going that way, you would have to purchase an extra conversion barrel, the dust cover and 21 slide. Total cost for that would be way over 300.00.
Cost for the 21 chopped to 30 would be less than 100.00 (including shipping).
Additionally, I have found that with the 26 mags with the pearce pinky extension, it is the perfect size grip for my hands. That combo still comes out shorter than the stock 19 grip. And of course if I want the original size grip, I can use the 19 mags with a AG sleeve. Thus, I have three grip lengths I can choose from in one gun. Also, I could purchase a lonewolf dust cover, and long model 17 conversion barrel, and using my model 17 slide, could come out with a compact "long slide" version of the glock 34.

[JTROKS]

I'm glad you chimed in HighValleyRanch. I'll probably do my own chopped version. Looking at all the work done by shops I'm sure that's enough guidance for me to chop it myself and give the grip a good non skid pattern. It's the pattern I need to think about to give it that unique look. I've done STIs and other grips such as this one on my 5906.



I suppose it's just a matter of getting a G36 mag and do some more photoChopping to put my plan on paper.

[Quiet]

I suppose it's just a matter of getting a G36 mag and do some more photoChopping to put my plan on paper.

Shouldn't you use a Glock Model 30 magazine?
The Glock Model 36 magazine is too skinny to be used in the Model 21/30.

[HighValleyRanch]

Nice!

Nice job you did on that!
I make wood grips and use a dremel to stipple them.
But everyone has been using a soldering iron to stipple or texture their polymer frames and grips.
I'm not sure how Southwest does their grip reductions (flatten backstrap) but you can do either with plastic fill or many people are using the heat method.
Bowtie on glocktalk found that you can heat the backstrap over a candle and when the plastic gets soft, flatten the strap down pretty flat. Advantage of this seems that you retain the original frame polymer, so when you stipple it looks consistent throughout. When you use the plastic filler, I think it's a little harder to blend in. But as i stated, when chopping down the larger frame, you loose most of the hump.
You will need a glock 30 mag, not a 36. The 36 is the slimframe version single stack. As the locking tab for the 30 and 21 mags are in the upper portion of the mag, you can use the mag as your reference for the cut on the 21 grip. That's exactly how I did mine. I used a band saw. The glock frame is almost perfectly 90 degrees flat when on the saw table, so I just marked off with tape and cut. Of course I checked to see if the cut was 90 degrees by doing a practice cut on the frame lower than where I need to hack off. I had to cut off almost 3/4 inch. I cut right to the intergral portion of the magwell and then left a portion so that when the mag was inserted it blended with the backstrap.


My new 26 is not so flat and goes up at the back. On the front, I did not come down like the 26, but just cut straight across. You can see that in the comparison photos.

I have seen pics where SW just cut off the bottom of the grip straight across. This also looks nice, more like a shortend 1st gen model 17 that has a straight bottom with the exposed mag.

I haven't decided whether to do a grip reduction on my 26 yet. My glock 29 (10mm) and my 26 are both on my CCW permit and I want them to match.
So if I do my 26, then......??

[JTROKS]

Shouldn't you use a Glock Model 30 magazine?
The Glock Model 36 magazine is too skinny to be used in the Model 21/30.

Yup! I just had a brain fade when I posted 36. Thanks for posting the pics, now I got a very good idea how I go by doing it. Now to think of the pattern for doing the no skid grip. Thanks again.