Need your knowledge and help to make a decision

[Jayjay1]

Hello guys,
I´m from Germany and want a 10mm pistol as a back-up gun for hunting.

10mm Autos are very rare over here and so the market is small for them.

For carrying it, weight is a thing (not the only one, but it counts) and so I thought I want a polymer-gun.

All I can get is:

- Glock 20 Gen 4
- Glock 40 Gen 4
- Glock 40 Gen 4 M.O.S.
- XD-M 10mm 4.5" (no OR or Elite, actually the importer says he has only 2 of them left, all others are 9mm)
- EAA / Tanfo Witness P Match Pro (not sure yet, the importer says 50:50

Well, Glock would be the easiest for me to get, but please don´t hate me, I had two Glocks and they were ok, but I never became a fan.
I have medium hands and the Glocks are my emergency nails.

Getting older I begin to shoot lately with red dots and would love to have the option.
But only the Glock 40 would give me that and in my opinion (call me wrong) it is just to big to carry it as a back-up.

Well, comparing those pistols, which one would you take as a hunting back-up gun?

[sqlbullet]

Witness P-Match Pro weighs the same as the Glock for within 8 grams according to the websites.  So, if the Glock 40 is too big, same for the witness.

My EDC is a Glock 20 Gen 3 SF.  I am not a huge glock fan-boi, but my carry gun is my "bet my life on it" gun and the Glock has proved the most reliable and consistent.  I have other guns in 9mm that are just as rock solid (FN High Power, Arex Zero 1, Jericho 941F and FS to name a few).

My other 10mm's (Ruger SR1911, Para P16-10mm, RIA FS HC, Witness, Witness Match) both have more hiccup's and weigh significantly more. 

The Witness guns come close in reliability, but it seems to be luck of the draw.  If I could easily get a different gun I might be inclined to take a chance on the Witness P-Match Pro.  In fact, here in the US if I were in the market today, I would almost certainly get that gun.  But here in the US if I decided it didn't fit the requirements I could easily grab a Glock or and XD-M.

The XD-M may be a great option.  I have an XD9 and it is a solid gun all around.  Reports are similarly good for 10mm and so it may be a great non-Glock option.

If I had to bet on a one and done...Glock 20.

[Jayjay1]

Well, the Glock 40 being "big" it´s not the weight what I meant, this thing is just huuuuge.
How or where will you carry it?
It is the only one of those I can get, which has a OR-option, but I just don´t see me carrying it.

Some tritium nightsights or something like it will do the trick too in the beginning I guess.
(Am absolutely new to the red-dot-on-pistols-thingy, have mounted my first red dot on a Walther and am still not sure if I like it. Will have to train more with it I guess, but like I said, I´m not getting younger, so ...)
Otherwise I would have getting the slide milled.

So you say, the Glock is the most reliable of it, which makes me wonder, if there are owners of the XDM oder the EAA which can report about the reliability of there guns.

I like the look of the EAA.
I have two CZs and had one Tanfo, which I like quite a bit.
And I´m not sure, if the high bore axis of the XDM makes it a bit snappy.
I would have to order the EAA and reserve the XDM, which means I would have to buy them, even without being able to handle them before.

So my best bet is, that you guys can help me with your experience.   
 

[The_Shadow]

There are many different offering from EAA / Tanfo that are chambered for 10mm and the Stock models are great as well.  Good luck with you're acquisition

[sep]

I own a Glock 40 and previously owned a Glock 20. I've owned 4 XDMs and 1 XD chambered in 9mm and 45. I like the springfield platform but have no experience with it in 10mm.

My Glock 40 has an adjustable rear sight and fiber optic front sight both from Dawson Precision. I carry it in a leather slide holster which also fits my STI Perfect 10 and both my Dan Wesson 10nms. I also have a nylon chest holster which can carry those pistols plus my S&W 629 44 magnum. I prefer the longer sight radius of the Glock 40 to the Glock 20.

The Glock 40 with red dot would require a different holster to work with the red dot. A custom holster maker could make you something to fit. My 10mms are carried primarily defensively for bears. So, I don't use a red dot as my 56 year old eyes can still see well enough to work with iron sights and I am confident with them.

Both the Glock and XDM triggers can be improved by installing Zev Tech and Powder River Precision triggers if you are unhappy with the stock triggers. Hope this helps.                   

[Jayjay1]

Hope this helps.                 

Thank you, this helps a lot, every info about this pistols does so for me.

I´m 53 in 2 weeks, wearing glasses since 10 years and now have problems far and near.
I still can see the irons pretty good, but I realize it is getting worse every year.
Shooting with red dots is a whole new story and I try slowly to get used to it.

May I ask you how big your hands are, and if you´ve ever handled a SF-version?

[blaster]

I have a 10mm XDm and like it. I put a Vortex Venom red dot on it for a while but recently took it off and installed adjustable fiber optic sights. the red dot was great in low light but bad in my South Fla. sunlight. the worst problem was unlike a red dot on a rifle where it naturally lines up when the rifle is shouldered,  the dot sight mount goes into the rear sight dove tail cut on the slide. with no rear sight, I had to search for the dot by moving the muzzle around. I couldn't get a shot at a hog that was running by me because of it.  I would not use it for self defense or dangerous game.
I also have a Witness Steel that I like and is a great shooter but is no where near as reliable as the XDm. the only problem I've had with the XDm was with what I thought were light primer strikes but were caused by a batch of reloads with some high primers.  the Witness has about every upgrade instaalled and still isn't as reliable as the XDm. I have heard of other people's Witness pistols running flawless. not mine. (this is my second one) get the XDm!

[Rooster41]

I have both the XDM and G29 (little sister to the 20).  I had a 20 at one time.  Traded it for the 29. I like them both. I like the feel of the grip of the XDM better. I shoot both about the same.  I would think a chest rig of some sort would be best for hunting.

blaster, it sucks that you had bad luck with the red dot.  I am assuming you used a plate the slid into the dovetail.  I have a red dot using a mounting plate on the dove tail of my 29 and I have no issues finding the dot and not having a rear sight. With that being said, when I was cop I carried a Glock 19 MOS with Vortex Venom. I shot probably around 700 rounds before qualifying with it and then shot it monthly. That could get pretty spendy doing that with 10mm. With my G19 I added supressor height sights. If you use a mounting plate in place of the rear sight, you might as well take the front sight off because it does no good. It does not co witness one bit. I shoot my G19 and 29 at 12" plates @100 yards and sometimes I even hit it.

But not to stray too far off topic. I would day of the choice and you may be leaning towards adding a red dot I would go to the Glock 40 MOS. If it does not come with supressor height sights, those are a must. On my G19 the red dot sit right on top of the front sight. USing a red dot sight takes some time before you develope the muscle memory and when you point the gun the dot is there. I left the police department in October and put my G19 in the safe after my last shift. Last week I took it to the range and it took no time to find that dot. But also If you go with the red dot, also shoot with the iron sight from time to time, just so you know where it shoots if the red dot sight fails you.

[Kenk]

Great point about continuing to practice with the irons, as they do fail occasionally

Ken

[Jayjay1]

And also getting used to the red dot.

I´m a IPSC shooter and RO, and when I see someone rotating his gun in front of his face after the "BEEP!", I know exactly that he is not used to his red dot.

That´s what I mean, when I say I have to get used to it.
Pull the gun, present it to the target and the dot has to be there.
That takes some training.

Sage Dynamics has a great video about that learning process on youtube.


But BTT:
I´m still hoping someone who has a EAA P Match Pro (polymer pistol with DA/SA) will join this party.
I´d really love to hear how durable and reliable it is.

I´m used to the CZ plattform and love it (had and still have a couple of them).
CZ offers no 10 over here, so the Tanfo would be my first choice I guess.
But No. 1 is reliability and durability as a hunting back-up gun, so if someone could bring in infos/experience about that it would be a blast.

[Roguer]

I can only give my experience on opinion on the Glock 40.

The Glock 40 is a great woods and hunting pistol for me. I carry it in a Blackhawk G20 holster with no problem. But because its a Glock with no manual safety that's why its just a woods gun and hunting pistol for me. But it cut out the need to carry a carbine in the wilderhood for me.

As for sighting systems I was going to get thanks to the MOS. I practiced with the OEM iron sights so much I got use to them and took down deer and other things that needed downing with just the basic irons. But I still intend to up grade the gritty trigger on mine.

I don't think there is a Non-MOS Glock 40. But then you don't need to put an MOS on if you don't want one.

[Jayjay1]

As I stated above, I want it as a backup gun, which means, I will carry a rifle as my main gun anyways.
So a Glock 40 is to much / to bulky to carry it also in my opinion.

But new infos and thoughts.

I´m German and have opened such a thread in an Austrian forum, you know, where the Glocks all come from.

There is a Austrian dealer / Doubleaction from Vienna, who said you can´t ride a Glock 20 or 21 with full house loads in general.
Those two pistols, with the heavy slides, will cause damages with high pressure rounds after a while.

He says (I try to translate): "The slide gets bend after a while, and then the loading indicator gets thrown out every second or third shot."

Without giving any opinion to that, I´m just reporting what he said.
 

[sqlbullet]

FUDD in my experience.  Even with the stock barrel and above max handloads I have had zero issue with my Glock.  I get  bigger smiles in my Para P16/10mm. 

I can't imagine a strong enough overload to bend a Glock 20 slide.  And, the Glock large frame was designed for the 10mm and then scaled back for the Glock 21 in 45 ACP.

[Roguer]

As I stated above, I want it as a backup gun, which means, I will carry a rifle as my main gun anyways.
So a Glock 40 is to much / to bulky to carry it also in my opinion.

But new infos and thoughts.

I´m German and have opened such a thread in an Austrian forum, you know, where the Glocks all come from.

There is a Austrian dealer / Doubleaction from Vienna, who said you can´t ride a Glock 20 or 21 with full house loads in general.
Those two pistols, with the heavy slides, will cause damages with high pressure rounds after a while.

He says (I try to translate): "The slide gets bend after a while, and then the loading indicator gets thrown out every second or third shot."

Without giving any opinion to that, I´m just reporting what he said.

Well get what fits your hand for a 10mm. The G-40 with the smallest back strap fits mine. Some older G20s I had to pas on as they didn't fit my hand well. I got my G-40 as it fit my need for high capacity, and 6" barrel that I could find at a good price. I wanted a RIA ultra 10mm but the 6" barrel version at the time was not any where. For me my G40 is my back up gun when I'm carrying the bolt actions especially, the 15 rounds are better than 6 rounds from my 357wheel gun when I needed them. (More than 6 four legged threats at that time.)

The XDM 10mm has good reviews, the EEA 10mm types seems to be liked well by people here. The important part for a back up gun is fitting in your hand that you you can handle the best for you. Or can work for your needs. As these are 2 other ones that are suggested.

As for a Glock Slide twisting from full 10mm power loads is a new one I never heard of. I'm sure the REAL EXPERTS here can tell us about that. Here you can find a lot of information on things like that just by asking.

[4949shooter]

I am 56 and have had 3500 plus rounds through my Gen 3 Glock 20 and my Gen 4 Glock 20 each. If weight is your consideration I would suggest the Glock 20.

I have a Glock 40 as well. It shoots great, especially with my older hands and wrists. But it's heavier and more unwieldy to carry.

So for a backup gun to your hunting weapon....G20 all the way. She isn't pretty, but she works.