Glock 20SF recoil is surprisingly harsh

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Steve_in_SEMich

New member
I bought the P220 10mm DA/SA back in May - love the gun, recoil with Sig 180gr fmj or jhp at 1250fps is stout, but comfortable. I usually shoot 50rds/week in that gun, along with a couple hundred rds in other platforms.

I just picked up the 20SF and shot it this afternoon. I knew the 44oz P220 would dampen the recoil more than the 30oz Glock, but never expected the difference would be so great. Wider grip frame, popularity, and not a ton of comments describing the recoil as $&#%+ on the Glock. God bless ya if you can shoot it well and like it.

The good news: I purchased the 20SF to have a Glock frame to attach to the MechTech Systems 10mm Carbine Conversion Unit upper being shipped next week. And after today's not so pleasant experience, I'll probably pick up the Lone Wolf .40s&w conversion barrel for the Glock.
 
As you stated Sig 10mm is not your run of the mill ammo. It seems to be on par with Winchester Super-X 10mm (which is hotter than most).

You might want to start with another round such as Federal American Eagle 180 grain FMJ. It's a bit hotter than 40 S&W.
 
:confused::confused::confused:
What ammo were you using? I want some!
After hearing all about the power of the 10, and not having a Glock, I decided to kill two birds as the saying goes. I bought a G20SF. With what ever major brand of ammo I could find, Hornady,Remington,and Winchester, I was really surprised at howmild this supposed beast really is.
If you know of some commonly available, reliable, name brand ammo that is safe to use, yet offers the power the 10 is supposed to have, let me know.:D


OOPS, didn't notice your reference to the Sig ammo in the post. Doesn't sound too far off the advertised ballistics for WW Silvertip, which is nothing wrist snapping in my G20.
 
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With what ever major brand of ammo I could find, Hornady,Remington,and Winchester, I was really surprised at howmild this supposed beast really is.
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If you have used the Super-X/Silvertip 10mm from Winchester, IIRC that is pretty much the hottest ammo you are probably going to find locally.

Time to upgrade to Underwood.

https://www.underwoodammo.com/10mm-auto/

I believe that all of their 10mm is safe for use in Glock. The Colt Delta Elite is the only 10mm I know that has a very poorly supported chamber.
 
I've had a G20 for years, always felt recoil was noticeably less than other guns. Even with DoubleTap 200 gr @ 1300fps it is more comfortable than my 1911 with standard pressure 45 ACP.
 
Is Underwood only available on-line? I don't have a problem ordering it, but I always try to save the S&H if possible.
Really want to try their 200 gr. XTP.
 
The one thing nobody talks about with recoil is how much Hand Strength comes into play...especially with 10mm.

An Eagle Catcher is a highly prized martial arts exercizer which helps a LOT...
http://www.awma.com/productdetail/1595-eagle-catcher.html

Not only does it help your finger strength, it gives you a handshake that'll leave some folks breathless ;)

The more strength you have, the easier it is to soak up recoil...
 
Big_Shrek said:
The more strength you have, the easier it is to soak up recoil...
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It's exactly the opposite of that for me: The more relaxed my grip, and the more relaxed and flexed my wrist, elbows, and shoulders, the LESS pounding my teeth, brain, eyes, and neck get, and the less annoying the recoil feels ... surprisingly, the recoil gets soaked up purely by the inertia (mass) of my arms. It's counter-intuitive, but it works.
 
Trigger45 - keeping the upper and getting the Lone Wolf 6" .40S&W conversion for the 20SF as Model12 suggested.

The Sig 180gr FMJ & JHP ammo is rated at 1250fps, slightly hotter than the 175gr Silvertip and a lot hotter than the Armscor, Hornady, and most others. Underwood and Buffalo Bore in most of their loads exceed the the Sig 180gr. I'd like to shoot some thru the P220, but I'm having trouble getting a co-signer for the financing. I have shot the Double-Tap 135gr 1600fps loads in the P220. Shoots low 5" and left about 3". I bought the Sig FMJ for less than $26/50.

jmr40 - for the hot loads like the 200gr @ 1300fps, did you change the recoil spring from the stock 17lb? I did order 20 & 22lb springs, along with the stainless guide rod. I would have thought the heavier 1911 10mm guns would be more comfortable to shoot - I'll try using an extra firm grip to see if there is any change.

BTW, I'm about 220lbs and wear an XL glove. I looked for a shrunken hand picture to put next to the 20SF and then ask for suggestions to reduce recoil. LOL.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.
 
Something I noticed with the Gen 3 SF

My experience was with the Gen 3 21SF. The 45 acp was good, but not great for me first time out.

I ended up trying the 21 Gen 4 and with the medium back strap and slightly rougher grip I was able to keep the gun in line with my forearm shot after shot with good accuracy and feeling.

I went back to the Gen 3 21SF, I put some bicycle intertube over the grip and tried it again. Suddenly it was staying put, and I was shooting it just as well and as comfortably as the Gen 4 with the medium backstrap.

Sometimes you might need a little help fitting the gun to your hand. Once you are comfortably lined up and feeling a confident grip on the gun you should be able to manage the recoil just fine... more or less.

Another thing to note is that Sigs have a bigger slide and higher bore axis than Glocks, so while the recoil may be exaggerated slightly shooting a SIG.... essentially because of leverage, it also FEELS more progressive because of that leverage and mass. The Glock on the other hand may feel more abrupt, and as a result might actually have an easier time breaking your grip on the gun if you don't have enough traction or the right geometry.

But because of the manner in which the Glock recoils, I believe it to be the more manageable gun provided the user can find a way to lock their hands into a secure, inline, and manageable firing grip.
 
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I have a Glock 20sf. It beats me up a little. I also have a Glock 29sf. It beats me up a little more :p

There's a big difference between 44oz and 30oz. You're feeling the difference - plain n simple.
 
The one thing nobody talks about with recoil is how much Hand Strength comes into play...especially with 10mm.
An Eagle Catcher is a highly prized martial arts exercizer which helps a LOT...
http://www.awma.com/productdetail/15...e-catcher.html
Not only does it help your finger strength, it gives you a handshake that'll leave some folks breathless * * *
Click to expand...

So, ... you have to be Steven Seagal to shoot real 10mm ammo thru a G20sf? :eek:

You're setting the bar way too high. I've watched 20-something gals shoot Glock 10mms (G20 & G29) with high-performance loads, and afterward they had no complaints about the recoil ... just a smile and a question:

"Can I shoot it again?"

Time to man-up, girls ...

 
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AGTMAN - I'm changing my TFL nametag while I man up practicing with the 20SF :-). I have the Talon grip coming this week to help my grip along with a better position. Spoiled by the P220 I guess.

MELLOW - the Gen 4 would have been the better choice (hindsight) for a 1st time Glock owner.

NICK - I'm going to patent a do-it yourself 'added weight' system for the Glock 10mms. All you'll need is a rivet gun and empty beer cans (crushed) and they can be attached on the light/laser rail. Step 1 - begin emptying cans.

As the 20SF was purchased to be a dedicated 'lower' on a MechTech 10mm carbine conversion unit, it won't be an issue going forward.

Thanks for the ideas and manhood reminder. Awesome .jpg of the 10mm.
 
I don't have an SF, but my Gen 2 20 has mild recoil. Even buffalo bore isn't too bad out of it. I honestly can almost get more accurate/quicker double taps with my 20 than my 17.
 
I don't know if this applies to the G20, the RSA (recoil spring assembly) changed from a single spring on the Gen3 to dual spring on the Gen4. Could that have effected felt recoil? This change did cause issues with G17 and G19.
 
Glad you guys mentioned the different recoil spring assembly on the Gen 4. I tried the 20SF with a 22lb recoil spring and was amazed that it no longer stung my hand. I also tried a 20lb (no issues) and then the original 17lb? spring and sure enough, smacked me again. I would have never thought that changing a recoil spring would lessen the felt recoil that much. I wonder if the Gen 4 double setup is even better?

I couldn't post a 25 yard target from last Sunday due to the 42" spread. Today's target was very acceptable and exceptionally good for me. Other than the 1 flyer left of the dot (not shown in the cropped photo), the remaining 4 came in at 3.25". Not sure which shot was the flyer, guessing the first due to anticipation of the smack.

image.jpeg

Also, while researching the 20SF, I came across a few videos of guys shooting .40S&W in the stock 10mm gun. So I tried it with each spring weight - ran smooth thru 10 rounds for each one. Other than a different brass landing distance for the 3 weights, each one worked well. I could also feel the recoil impact getting 'smacky' when I used the 17lb OEM. Maybe that spring is off a little?

Last thing for this long post - I bought the 20SF to use on a Mech Tech systems carbine. It is as much fun as shown on Hickok45's YouTube channel. Highly recommended.
 
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