An outstanding “end of the world” handgun is under review today, the Glock 35. This one deserves a close look.
Glock Handguns
Truth be told, I’m not the biggest fan of Glock handguns for a number of reasons. First off, I haven’t run across anyone who says that the Glock line of handguns actually fit their hand perfectly. Secondly, I don’t know why Glock still insists on installing plastic sights, front and rear, on their handguns. What I do love about the Glocks is that they always go “bang” if you give them just the smallest amount of care. That’s important to me, and they are more than accurate, too. However, Glock is rapidly losing their grip on first place as the handgun of choice for law enforcement in the United States, giving way to more updated handgun designs that fit the hand better and do the job just as well as the Glock can do it. Many others cost less than a Glock, too.
Favorite Gun Question
The number one question I (still) get from readers and others is, “What is your favorite gun?”. Of course, this is impossible to answer. It depends on what you expect the “gun” to do. Are we talking self defense, concealed carry, law enforcement, big game hunting, plinking, or any the other chores that are called upon by a “gun”? If we are talking self defense, I’ll ask the person what they carry and then tell them that is probably the “best” gun; otherwise, they’d be carrying something else, right? Then it comes down to which is the best caliber. Again, for what purpose are you using it? Get my drift? There is more to answering these types of questions than one single answer.
The Same Answer
I’m still asked what my favorite handgun is and what would I carry if it were the end of the world. My answer still remains the same. It is some form of quality 1911, and more than likely it’s one with a “Commander-esque” size barrel– 4 to 4.25 inches in length– and chambered in .45 ACP. Also, given my druthers, I’ll take one with a lightweight aluminum frame. I guess it’s hard to teach this old dog new tricks, but this would be my first choice in an end of the world handgun.
Then we have the usual follow-up question, which is: What would be my second, third, fourth, and so on choice in an end of the world handgun. That brings us to the Glock 35 that is chambered in .40 S&W caliber. Now that the FBI has gone back to carrying 9mm handguns, due to better ammo designs, everyone is jumping on the 9mm band wagon again. Truth is, the 9mm wasn’t that bad of a choice, so long as you remember you have to hit your target. Misses don’t count. So, these days, we are seeing a lot of .40 S&W chambered handguns on dealer shelves that are trade-ins and priced right, too.
Glock 35 Gen 4 Model
The Glock 35 under review is their Gen 4 model with the extended and overly large mag release, which is also reversible to the other side of the gun for southpaw carry. The Model 35 was originally designed as a target gun to be used in various shooting competitions. However, savvy police officers and especially SWAT teams have discovered the 35, for all manner of law enforcement work. At first glance, the 35 looks like it has a very long barrel. Well, it’s longer than normal full-sized Glocks, but honestly at 5.31 inches for that barrel, it is only slightly longer than the barrel on a full-sized 1911 with a 5-inch barrel. Then we have the top front of the slide that is milled out, and it is done in order to shoot the 35 a little bit faster, making the slide a little bit lighter in weight.
The overall length of the Glock 35 is only 8.74 inches, and it stands 5.43 inches tall with its 15-rd magazine. Unloaded, the gun weighs 27.53 oz, which is still plenty light for all-day carry. The trigger pull, while still spongy, comes in at 5.5 lbs; however, it is a simple task to lighten the trigger pull with an after-market trigger or just by changing some springs. We also have an accessory rail on the dust cover of the frame for attaching lights and/or lasers, and there is a new and improved dual recoil spring, for a longer life.
Changeable Grips
Gen 4 Glocks come with several different back straps; however, even with my large hands, I find the back strap just fine. Attaching one of the other back straps makes the trigger reach all that much longer, which is not a good thing. There is also a slightly rougher texture on the polymer frame, for a better grip. And, then we have the plastic sights, front and rear. However, the rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation, and it comes with a tiny screw driver for making those adjustments, too.
Damped Recoil Makes Shot-to-Shot Recovery Faster
The slightly longer slide and barrel help dampen the recoil of the hot .40 S&W round, making shot-to-shot recovery much faster than with the standard Glock 22 model. This is a good thing. Some people find the .40 S&W recoil objectionable and prefer a 9mm Glock. That’s no problem in my book. If you don’t shoot a particular gun/caliber all that well, then find something that fits your hand better, in a caliber you can control.
Glock 35 Might Be Ideal End of the World Handgun
Now this brings into to why I believe the Glock 35 might be an ideal choice for an end of the world handgun. Long-time friend and owner of Cold Steel Knives, Lynn Thompson, isn’t very well known as a pistolero, but he is. I watched a video of him with a standard Glock 17 9mm standing off-hand repeatedly hit a steel silhouette target at 200 yards down range. It was amazing, to say the least. So, how about the Glock 35 with the longer barrel and a harder-hitting caliber like the .40 S&W.
The same shooting feat could easily be done with the 35. Now, I’m not advocating that we leave our long guns behind and only arm ourselves with a handgun, especially in a situation that is dire, like whatever brought about the end of the world scenario. However, it’s good to know, with a little practice, you can take a Glock 35 and deploy it at distances you wouldn’t normally think of doing.
Holsters and Set-up
The longer barrel on the Model 35 allows it to fit in many holsters that are designed for the Glock 17 or 22, and that’s a good thing. And, carrying the 35 on duty isn’t much of a hindrance compared to the 17 or 22. I like Blackhawk Products Tactical Thigh Holsters, and my 35 fits nicely in it. Plus, I can carry two more spare 15-rd mags on the holster set-up, using the Blackhawk mag carriers.
To spice things up a little bit, how about getting three of the genuine Glock 29-rd .40 S&W magazines and carrying them on your off-side in a Blackhawk sub-gun thigh mag carrier, which holds those three extended mags! Now we’re talking some serious fire power, if you ask me. I believe, with just a little bit of practice, anyone can easily hit man-sized targets with this Glock 35 out to 100 yards or beyond, and that will sure keep the bad guys heads down, at the very least.
Ammo For Testing
I fired slightly more than 400 rounds of .40 S&W ammo through the Glock 35 and had zero malfunctions. From Black Hills Ammunition www.black-hills.com, I had their 155-gr JHP load, 180-gr JHP, and 140-gr Barnes TAC-XP load. From Buffalo Bore Ammunition www.buffalobore.com, I had their 200-gr Hard Cast FN Outdoorsmans load, which is standard pressure, 125 & 140 Barnes all-copper hollow point TAC XP load, which is standard pressure, and their 155-gr JHP load that is rated at +P.
Testing Results
As already mentioned, there were zero malfunctions with the Glock 35, nor did I expect any. Accuracy testing was done over the hood of my Chevy Avalanche, using a rolled up sleeping bag as a rest. Distance was 25 yards. I could easily, if I did my part, keep five shots inside of three inches with all loads, and there were a couple standouts. The Black Hills 180-gr JHP and the Buffalo Bore 200-gr Hard Cast FN Outdoorsman load broke the 2-inch mark several times. As shooting progressed, the spongy trigger pull got a little bit better, and I believe with more shooting the trigger will get even better and won’t be so spongy, or I could replace the trigger with a match-grade version for a lighter and crisper trigger pull.
Given the Chance, Take a Look at This End of the World Firearm
Like most readers, I can’t afford to purchase all the firearms I’d like to have, nor would I if given the chance. At my age, I have more than enough guns to see me through the end of the world, or whatever may come. However, if I were looking for one handgun to add to a battery of firearms to help see me through the end of the world, I’d take a very close look at the Glock 35 with half a dozen 15-rd magazines and half a dozen of the extended genuine Glock .40 S&W mags that hold 29-rds.
Add in a Blackhawk Tactical Thigh set-up and on the other leg a Blackhawk sub-gun drop-leg mag pouch and I’d feel pretty well armed, especially if I lived in a big city, where distances wouldn’t normally be that long and the Glock 35 could sure protect you without being burdened with a lot of gear and ammo. Of course, many will say that you can’t ever have enough ammo, and I agree, except when it comes to walking long distances. Then you’ll find out just how much ammo you are willing to carry for your firearms.
Final Word
Once again, I’m not advocating that this should be your only set-up. But if you are on a limited budget, the Glock 35 with the above mentioned spare mags, makes a lot of sense. Once you have this set-up, then you can work on getting an AR-15 or whatever type of long gun you want. Remember, we are all on budgets, like it or not, and I’d feel well-armed with the Glock 35 and the spare mags. Give it some thought. If you prefer something in 9mm, then go with the Glock 34. In either case, you can’t go wrong.
Now you’ve heard from the first person who says that Glocks fit his hand perfectly.
My primary handgun is a Glock 21 – .45 ACP. It takes a big hand to accommodate this gun, and I have big hands. I love the way this gun fits, shoots and recoils. And, as you said, it’s accurate and dependable.
the gun with the sweetest grip is the full steel 9mm or 40 baby eagles by magnum research
I think Pat has the best job in the world. Hat’s off to you, sir.
“Glock is rapidly losing their grip on first place as the handgun of choice for law enforcement in the United States, giving way to more updated handgun designs that fit the hand better and do the job just as well as the Glock can do it. Many others cost less than a Glock, too.”
Are you sure about all of that, or is that just your opinion?
That’s what I was thinking. I’m not aware of any major or minor LEA replacing their Glocks with another brand!
I have both the G22 and G27 Gen 4 and they both fit my hands just fine. Love to be able to get standard sized mags here, but we can only have neutered capacity in N.Y…..just have to carry that many more 10 rounders.
A short time before the infamous Miami/Dade shootout, the FBI came out saying the 9×19 was the most lethal handgun in the world. After, they went on a multi-million dollar quest to replace it with the 10mm, which proved too powerful for the vast majority of agents to handle. Some threw their pistols down the first time they fired them, thinking they had blown up. By the time they went through two downward revisions in cartridge power, the “FBI load” 10mm round was equal to the .45 ACP in energy. The .40 S&W emerged from this debacle in 9mm-framed pistols and the rest is history.
Now, decades later, the FBI is once again coronating the Nine. Fine with me, that leaves me with more selection and better prices on tons of buy-back Forties.
In classes conducted by John Farnam, we deliberately fire a Glock 9mm pistol with a limp wrist. EVERY shot produces a stovepipe stoppage. It takes a long time to work through a 15 round magazine, clearing these. Next, we limp-wrist any Glock .40S&W, using only one finger and the thumb, shooting sideways out of the grip, and the Forty chugs through the entire magazine without a single complaint. The difference is slide velocity. The higher energy of the Forty round that shortens its life, is also what my save yours…it overcomes the problems incurred with weak grips.
When I see a small-statured student struggling with a lot of malfunctions in their 9mms, I trade my Glock 22 or 23 with them and the stoppages disappear. This lesson was driven home hard after a day with bulk Remington training ammo, which is very underpowered. My little girls got a lot of experience clearing stoppages with their Nines. I swapped them out with Forties, and they ran fine for the rest of the two-day course. Asked if the recoil bothered them, they said, “Huh?” So much for the punishing recoil of the .40, guys.
Pat nailed the number one reason I stick to the Glocks. They RUN, and I get filthy dirty in my job. They are the Kalashnikov of pistols.
The Wolfe conversion barrels run just fine in all my Glocks, so I can switch to 9mm any time I want. The reverse isn’t true…..can’t make a Nine into a Forty.
My four 1911s have gathered dust in storage for over a decade, and I have a ton of .45 ammo. The Glocks just do the job better for me, especially after I learned to run the trigger. In the 35 years I’ve been taking courses, I’ve seen the Glocks displace just about every other pistol out there. But we have all sorts of great new guns to choose from, so we’ll see what the future holds.
Good review, Pat!
PS, The .40 S&W round is easy to reload…the Nine is finicky with its tapered casing and variable wall thickness. Just don’t try to make it into a 10mm and avoid R-P brass. Leave the full powered loads to the factory. For those Forty shooters who are sensitive to recoil, the Barnes 140 gr load is mild, and equals 9mm energies.
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A couple of clarifications: the extended factory .40 Glock mags are actually 22 rounders, not 29 rounders. As someone who has been through the Glock armorers course, the purpose of the milled out portion on the upper front part of the slide is to give the slide the optimum weight for reliable cycling. This does create a critical weakness in the gun for WROL scenarios – if you get a bit of gravel or other debris in that milled out section, it won’t run. The 34, 35, and 41 are great guns for gaming the system at IDPA, but a 17, 22, or 21 will be more reliable in a rough and dirty environment.
Good review, I carried a Glock 35 in my last two years of law enforcement with several Glock extended magazine’s in my bag. Super accurate and totally reliable. My EDC is a Sig c3 lightweight 1911 in 45acp but when I travel to big cities I switch to the 35. Never feel under gunned. Keep up the good work.
After 24 years in the Army and carrying both the 1911 and the M9, I now carry concealed a G26 w/ extended ‘pinky’ cap on the 8rd mag w/ 2 G19 15rd mags as back-up. My main squeeze for field / combat is a G19 Gen.4, and yes…it fits my hand perfectly. No mental grip adjustment necessary as with the 1911 or M9. However, I really like both of the older platforms and shoot regularly with both to keep up proficiency. Heck, for that matter, I like revolvers too!
Sorry… 10rd mags not 8 (I must’ve been thinking of the 1911
Same people who whine about Glock not fitting their hands refuse to do undercuts and remove the finger pieces but will drop $1K on a 1911 to make it fit their hands with grips, beavertails safeties, slide cuts etc.
The whines about plastic sights. It took me from 1986 to last year to finally knock off mine on a barricade and replaced them with some steel nightsights.
I’m sure that nowhere in his entire history did he ever replace the sights on another gun he owned for any other reason right? Pllllease
GET OVER IT your excuses are invalid.
I’ve had a few really good 1911s and shoot them very well. However, the grip on them always bites the webbing between my thumb and index finger, and after a while, it is not so much fun to shoot. So a couple decades back or so I switched to a Glock 21 as EDC and found it fit my hand better than just about anything else I’d ever held and shot. I still have that gun, and a couple of model 22s for combat times. My one 1911 is a para-ordinance stainless that is a real tack driver, but more or less also a safe queen. What I like about the model 22s is I also have a Kel Tec Sub-2000 in 40 S&W and a full complement of extended mags. For a briefcase carbine combined with the Glock and the price I got it for, I couldn’t resist, and it is a suitable get-home combo for me. I too have no use for the add-on backstraps. It only makes sense that the bigger 35 would be appealing.
The grip? Orthe slide?
I have owned and shot a wide variety of handguns over the years and I do recognize the quality and accuracy of Glock handguns, but I must say, I am definitely in the ‘does not fit my hand right’ crowd. Training and practice as well as a quality fire arm are extremely important, but I firmly believe that if it does not fit comfortably in your hand, you will not do as well as you would with a gun that does fit. My preference for a daily carry is the Walther PPS. It is very concealable, accurate…and most importantly to me, fits my hand like a glove. I do not feel like I am holding a gun so much as the gun is just an extension of my hand/arm. Bottom line, get the best quality gun you can afford…but before you do, try as many different ones as you can to find the one that is most comfortable in your hand.
I have shot several Glocks in different calibers and I think it’s an excellent handgun. Do I have one or carry one–no I do not. For me it’s a personal choice and I prefer a pistol with an external safety and not striker fired. My EDC is a Sig P938 and again that is my personal choice and I feel comfortable carrying and shooting the Sig. In a SHIF situation, I will be carrying my Colt .45ACP and possibly the Sig as a back-up.
My buddy, whom is a Marine, and was did 3 tours in Afghanistan lost his Glock 22 in a fire fight. He watched as it went down a cliff that was about 00 feet to the bottom. After things settled down. H4e made it to the bottom and found his weapon stuck between two boulders. Looking it over he saw no real damage, he racked the slide and put a mag through it with out a hitch. I will never own another kind of handgun.
That was 500 feet.
If you’re over 50 like me you may remember the first home video format BETAMAX. Sony invented both the VHS and BETAMAX format. For you younger folks before DVD’s these two competing, incompatable, videotape formats were the first way you could bring home and watch a Hollywood movie. Even though Sony ivented both formats they decided to sell the better, but more expensive, BETAMAX format players. Evey other manufacturer adopted VHS. Hollywood relased movies in both formats. But eventually VHS won the format battle because there were just millions of more VHS machines sold. Maybe even today you’ll see VHS discount $1.99 movies at the supermarket.
So for a moment think of .40 S&W as the BETAMAX, and 9mm the VHS of ammo. 40 may be better and more powerful, but 9mm has won the format war. Every year millions of 40 S&W rounds are manufactured, but hundreds and hundreds of millions of 9mm rounds are made. Just like BETAMAX and VHS the free market (and the world’s military) decided 9mm is the format. So think of the TEOTWAWKI supermarket. The discount bin, or any bin, is more likely to have 9mm “movies” for sale. I’ll be glad my Glock 17 has the format to “play” the movies that are available then.
Great post makes sense! I prefer .40 over 9mm but with a inexpensive conversion you can do both!
Go to Alpha Foxtrot and they have different angled Lowers for a not-Glock Glock
I like glocks but I really like the colt 1911A1 in .45 cal. It fits my hand well and it is a 1943 military and it shoots better than my sons Kimber in .45. The main reason it that I can disassemble it totally with just a nail. I had one of the first glocks to reach the US and after 3 mags the extractor went flying somewhere. How do you install a new spring and extractor? With the colt its real easy. Anyone with a glock or any type of firearm should take a class on disassembly of your firearm that you will depend on and get any tools and spare parts you will need.
I have a Glock 35, with Wolf barrels for 9mm and .357 SIG. I do use 9mm magazines with the 9mm barrel. All work fine, making for a very versatile weapon.
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As an added benefit, part numbers for actual metal sights and replacement triggers will be printed on the back so your spouse or loved ones can read them to you while you’re on the Ghost website. For all you pre-Gen 5 owners, you will also find the part number for the updated extractor, because Gaston knows how hard it is to hit the bad guys with hot brass hitting you in the face!
Remember, Gaston loves you!!!
1) How about you direct your dismissive sneers to the Seals, MARSOC, Rangers, CIA officers, Delta and British SAS officers who use the Glock 19/17? Or to the many police officers who carry Glock. Or to the paramilitary contractors. Maybe to Raymond Davis, the CIA contractor who shot those two guys off that motorcycle in Lahore Pakistan.
2) And before you cite the Army’s Modular Handgun System competition, let me note my opinion that Sig desperately bought that contract with a low ball price quote, not by merit. Having lost the FBI and ATF contracts to Glock.
3) I don’t believe in accepting only one gun model — you should be familar with the virtues and shortcomings of what’s out there and be prepared to use whatever’s available. But one should focus on the facts — including the judgments of those who actually fight for a living.
Your scorn for the Left has affected your sense of humor Don!
Stop taking yourself so seriously…I own three Glocks; a 17, a 26, and a 29. Which reminds me…”there is a .40 for real men…it’s called a 10mm”-Col. Jeff Cooper
“Then, on the morning of April 11, 1986, eight Miami FBI agents spotted and approached two wanted bank robbers. In the ensuing firefight, Special Agents Dove and Grogan were killed as well as the two bank robbers, Matix and Platt. The event shocked the nation as well as the law enforcement community. The autopsies of the two crooks revealed that the then-issued FBI service round, a 9mm, lacked sufficient penetration to readily incapacitate. Had one round penetrated Platt’s body an inch more, it’s likely that the two FBI agents would have survived the encounter. This real-world event became a driving force behind the 10mm Auto and validated Cooper’s idea that magnum-level ballistics in a semiauto had serious application in the law enforcement world.”
Read more: http://www.gunsandammo.com/ammo/handgun-ammo/a-history-of-the-10mm-auto/#ixzz54xX7yTJO
Jeff Cooper is a dated and dead! There a plenty of current instructors that surpass him on skill and knowledge. Tactics and weapons evolve. So, you have a choice evolve or perish!
I’ve had a g35 for quite a while now. Love it! Great gun. 40 is a lot of fun to play with when hand loading. I’ve used some 200gr xtp’s and it shoots like a 45acp. I’ve also loaded down some lead cast (I know, I know, you cant shoot lead in glock barrels)145gr and it shoots like a 9mm. As a whole I like 165gr. One last thing, Im not saying I could do this again however shooting freehand I did hit 10 out of 15 on a 12 inch round dingger and when we walked it off it was about 120 yards. It took a bit of Kentucky windage and don’t know if I could do it again, but I did it once
PS Re MHS, I think the SIG is fat for a 9mm. However, it’s possible that Sig’s partner Winchester won the competition with an innovative 9mm round –possibly a spoon-tip ( Löffelspitz ) akin to the H&K 4.6×36 mm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4.6%C3%9736_mm
Our gun press was craven re Army info control and rather stupid in covering that competition. I particularly laughed at the articles re how “modular” the SIG is — there was NO requirement for “modular” in the MHS RFP. Only for grips that fit a wide range of hands –met by the different backstraps.
I tend to agree with you that some of us find that the Glock does not fit our hands very well. For this reason I did not purchase a Glock until I witnessed the accuracy and reliability of the Glock’s being used by others while i was taking firearms training using a 1911. I now own several Glocks (favorite being the 357 Sig models). I do with each and every Glock also purchase a Hogue rubber grip and cut to fit. With these attached the Glock fits my hand perfectly. Why I’m not sure, as i have small hands.
5 bad guys coming thru a door to kill you. You have a choice of 3 calibers only,to defend yourself. u can have 5 rounds only, being 9mm .40cal or .45acp pick that caliber u would use to save your life
I choose my .45 but that’s just me.
Annoyed at having to read “.45 or die” drivel at this point in the evolution of firearms.
Can one not simply bypass an article about a solid gun/round that is not their brand without finding a way to disparage it?
How’s the wifey like shooting that 1911? How accurate is your 12 yo with it? Prepping firearms has more to do than how manly one seems themselves.
For me .45.
However I think the best answer is whichever one you can get 5 good hits with.