Gen5 Glock G17 vs Gen5 Glock G22

The Glock G17 is the one that started it all: Since its inception in the early 1980s, it has changed the landscape of the duty-handgun domain in the United States and abroad. Some detractors would refer to it as “tactical Tupperware”, however, there's no denying the pistol's popularity: It gave rise to follow-up versions of the same design in different calibers and sizes, including sub-compact, compact, standard and competition models. In the last few years, we have seen slimline examples specifically catered to the concealed carry community. Moreover, copies and spin-offs across the gun manufacturing world have surfaced and will continue to surface in the market.  

In my previous law enforcement career, I mostly carried various models of the Glock G22 in .40 S&W. During my last year on the job, I was issued a Glock G17M (G17 Gen5 for armed citizens) and I fell in love with it. I found that it had the best factory trigger on a Glock that I had experienced so far. The flared magazine well aided in rapid magazine changes and the grip fit my medium-sized hands perfectly without adding any of the back straps. Front slide serrations facilitated press checks during live and dry fire. The magazine release was unobtrusive but at the same time I could actuate it unfailingly and effortlessly to drop an empty mag every time. To complete the package, the new nDLC finish was smooth but extremely durable during the hard use that I put the pistol through that year.

I subsequently purchased two pistols, a G17 Gen5 and G22 Gen5, and I enhanced them with Heinie Straight Eight Slant Pro Night Sights, black rubber grip tape by Talon Grips, and a Vickers Tactical Carry Trigger. The trigger pull on the G17 and the G22 break consistently at just over 5 pounds; it feels very pleasant with the flat trigger shoe, with very little or no grittiness or mushiness. Now I can say that these modifications have raised the level of perfection on these pistols a notch, at least for me. I have shot about 700 rounds through the G22, and close to 1,000 rounds through the G17 with no malfunctions.

A few weeks ago, I attended Robert Vogel’s Real Speed Pistol class in Homestead, FL. When you see Vogel demonstrate and shoot the drills before the students, you say, “I want to shoot like him one day”. I shot over 500 rounds through my Glock G17 in two days of training. As the name suggests, the emphasis of the class was on speed. We shot many drills for two days and spent a lot of time working on and developing a vise-like grip high on the frame of the gun, both hands gainfully employed in the process, while at the same time mercilessly working that trigger in multiple surprise breaks that resulted in fast, accurate fire. Vogel explained at length the importance of having solid fundamentals and provided specific exercises to strengthen the forearm muscles. He doesn’t rely on the latest gadgets; only methodical preparation through constant dry fire and live fire drills to take those fundamentals to a higher level. All of this got me thinking, a lot of people have discounted the .40 S&W caliber (Vogel used a .40 S&W caliber Glock G35 for the class) in favor of the omnipresent 9mm. I don’t have a problem with either caliber, as long as I stick to my fundamentals and place my shots accordingly. So I decided to put both guns to the test and see how controllable the new G22 Gen5 is with its slightly wider slide as compared to the G17 Gen5. I have noticed so far that the heavier slide of the new 22Gen5 tames the muzzle flip a bit during recoil. Depending on the ammo used, it almost feels like a 9mm. We’ll see…

Testing A Glock G17 vs A G22

I first tested both guns for accuracy at 25 yards in an indoor range using a rest, shooting four groups of five rounds of FMJ first, followed by the same method with hollowpoint ammunition. The next day in an outdoor range, I ran 10 rounds of FMJ and 10 rounds of defensive ammunition through the chronograph for both pistols. Then I went for the fun stuff: fast shooting at 15 yards on a 12 X 22 inch steel plate from the low ready position, first without a light attached, and then with the light (Streamlight TLR-1). Six rounds at a time to see how many “dings” I could get in one string of fire. 

Accuracy Testing Results:

Glock G17 Gen5

Blazer 115-grain aluminum case FMJ 

• Largest group: 4 inches
• Smallest group 2.5 inches
• Average 3.35 inches.

Winchester 124-grain +P USA Ready Defense

• Largest group 4 inches
• Smallest group 3 inches
• Average: 3.5 inches.

Glock G22 Gen5

Lawman 180-grain TMJ

• Largest group 3.5 inches
• Smallest group 3.2 inches
• Average 3.35 inches

Winchester 155-grain Silvertip HP

• Largest group 5.1 inches
• Smallest group 3.4 inches
• Average 4.3 inches 

Velocity Results:

Glock 17 Gen5

Blazer 115-grain aluminum case FMJ

• High velocity 1,144 fps
• Low velocity 1,125 fps
• Average 1,134 fps
• Extreme spread 19.03
• Standard deviation 6.85

Winchester 124-grain +P USA Ready Defense

• High velocity 1,294 fps
• Low velocity 1,269 Average 1282 fps
• Extreme spread 25.39
• Standard deviation 7.74

Glock 22 Gen5

Lawman 180-grain TMJ

• High velocity 979.3 fps
• Low velocity 945.7 fps
• Average 966.9 fps Extreme spread 33.59
• Standard deviation 10.04

Winchester 155-grain Silvertip

• High velocity 1,220 fps
• Low velocity 1,113 fps
• Average 1,179 fps
• Extreme spread 106.3
• Standard deviation 33.46 

Steel

The good thing about shooting steel is that you always know whether you hit it or not. If you don’t get a “ding!”, you missed, simple as that. On the other hand, if you can hit it consistently, you get instant gratification at the repeated sounds of colliding metals. I first shot a few very fast strings pushing myself in the process but then I would get a couple of misses. So I had to slow down fractions of a second to get all my hits. Below listed are best times (in seconds) with all six hits on steel starting on the buzzer:  

I shot about 160 rounds in all the testing through each pistol with no malfunctions. As I had previously experienced, the new Glock G22 Gen5 had less felt recoil than my old Gen3. However, it was still a bit sharper than the recoil of the Glock G17 and, for practical purposes, I feel good with either of the two pistols. As I had previously experienced, the new Glock G22 Gen5 had less felt recoil than my old Gen3. However, it was still a bit sharper than the recoil of the Glock G17 and, for practical purposes, I feel good with either of the two pistols.

Conclusion

I trust either one of this polymer dynamic duo to get me back to my home, my wife and my dog at the end of the day. Having said that, if I suspect I’m likely to confront an attacker or attackers, I’ll take the bigger bullet every time, however small advantage it may be. Because both guns have identical grips, with only a slight difference in the heavier slide of the G22, I can segue from one pistol to the next. My only gripe with the new G22 is that it is not a popular gun for concealed carry and therefore I have yet to find a quality IWB leather holster for it. I know time will bring one, though. I carry the G17 more often than the G22 because I have a good leather holster for it. The thing that you need to do to save your skin with a handgun in a violent encounter is to be able to shoot fast and accurately – and good tactics. I can do it best with a full-size gun. My days of kicking doors are long gone now, but if I had to start again in that world, I’ll strap my Glock G22 Gen5 with a light, in a tactical holster.