# Range reports on new G17



## joepeat (Jul 8, 2015)

Since I bought my Gen3 G17 three weeks ago I've been to the range five times and shot a total of 536 rounds: 500 WWB 115gr, 20 Hornady 124gr XTP, and 16 miscellaneous JHP rounds that I found lying around. The gun shoots well, no hiccups and tight groups at 7yds (didn't measure the spread but was satisfied that they grouped around the bullseye). Ejection patterns are scattered, anywhere from 4 o'clock to 6 o'clock. The 6 o'clock brass hit either on top of the bill of my baseball cap or in my chest, so I'm not concerned enough to try any after-market improvements. Overall I'm very satisfied with my purchase.


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## Ernest_T (Sep 30, 2012)

Sounds good. If I haven't shot my Glock in a while, I tend to shoot left, until I remind myself to alter my grip a little. The casings hitting you in the face may indicate that you are relaxing your grip a little. The Glock seems to be more grip sensitive than some of the other semi-autos I have for some reason.


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## joepeat (Jul 8, 2015)

Ernest_T said:


> ... The casings hitting you in the face may indicate that you are relaxing your grip a little. The Glock seems to be more grip sensitive than some of the other semi-autos I have for some reason.


I called Glock about this and they said it was probably the 115gr ammo and to try 124 or 147gr instead. I asked if they could send me another extractor and they said my gun had all the latest parts. The gun was made in Austria and assembled in the US in December 2015. Overall, it's not a huge problem for me but it is annoying. Has anyone else had experience with different weight ammo affecting ejection patterns? I'm not happy with the response I got from Glock.


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## rustygun (Apr 8, 2013)

The BTF (brass to the face) is an issue with some glocks. My gen 4 17 did that at first but after a few hundred rounds it quit. I really don't know why. I did have to replace my extractor after the original chipped after a few thousand rounds. I never had any trouble with BTF with the new extractor. I own several other glocks that have never had a BTF issue. Could be some crud built up around the extractor somewhere. I know there were complaints about the BTF issue when they switched to MIM extractors.


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

Glock is right about some of the ammo being weak nowadays. I chronographed (bullet speedometer) a new box of range/target 115 RN/FMJ last year, and some of those rounds didn't even go supersonic out of a Glock 17 (they were well under 1100 FPS, and the supersonic around here is about 1110 FPS, depending on the temperature). Many years ago, 115 grain 9mm bullets were loaded to 1150 FPS, or even faster (I used to have a box of old 115 gr JHP defensive loads that I clocked at almost 1200 FPS out of a G17, and this was not even a +P load).

Weakly loaded ammo will always cause (or contribute to) strange/erratic ejection, both in direction and distance of the ejected case. Once ammo manufacturers found that if they could save a grain or granule of gunpowder on every round they loaded, and they loaded a couple of million rounds per year, then they could save quite a bit of powder/money by cutting back to the minimum load that will still function in most pistols. I think they are still working to find the most reliable low-speed load they can find, and some of the target/range/practice loads seem to be going slower and slower.

Making sure your pistol is clean and lubricated properly will help it function briskly, even with loads of marginal power. Same with making sure you have a firm grip and a locked wrist, so the frame has good solid resistance to push against when it is cycling. But sometimes you have to switch loads to get the best results (for reliability OR accuracy).


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## Kennydale (Jun 10, 2013)

I seem to be having issues getting good defensive ammo at 124 gr or 124+P . I however got Speer Gold Dot in 115 Gr and love how well my G17 shoots it. I'm still trying to get some Federal HST or Speer GD in 124 standard or +P but happy with what I have.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Kennydale said:


> I seem to be having issues getting good defensive ammo at 124 gr or 124+P . I however got Speer Gold Dot in 115 Gr and love how well my G17 shoots it. I'm still trying to get some Federal HST or Speer GD in 124 standard or +P but happy with what I have.


I recommend the Federal HST or Speer Gold Dot JHP, both in their +P loadings. I tend to prefer the 124 grain loads as well. There are some other suppliers out there, you just have to look around. Also gun shows sometimes have these loadings so try them as well.

9mm Luger Ammo at SGAmmo
DEFENSIVE PISTOL AMMO - Federal Premium LE - Tactical Defense Solutions
9mm+P 124gr Bonded Defense® JHP 20rds
https://www.underwoodammo.com/9mm-luger-p-124-grain-bonded-jacket-hollow-point-1/


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