Well, I don't like the way the Ruger's feel nor do I like all the safety advertisements on them. That said, they seem to be good reliable guns just not for me....
The 21SF is an absolute beast. I have over 4k rounds through mine and never an issue at all.
Here's the review I wrote of it on my site:
I was getting my range bag ready today and looked at the log for my Gen3 G21SF (1913 rail) and noticed the 4,000 round count was fast approaching and I hit it today (4,050 to be exact). This is my second G21 and I put a few thousand trouble free rounds through the first one so I decided to purchase the SF version since it seemed to fit my hand better. This gun has been every bit as good as the first and has become my go-to home defense handgun
(since changed this).
Gun overview: The gun has a 4.6'' barrel and weighs 26oz unloaded/39oz loaded so it's certainly not designed for concealed carry but many do carry it. This particular gun has been stippled by me (not the prettiest job but it really improves traction on the grip surface), has Trijicon night sights, a Vickers Tactical slide release, a TLR1s rail mounted light, a factory Glock "-" connector, a $0.25 'trigger job', and the barrel has been refinished in CPII (electroless nickel boron) by CCR refinishing. Other than that, it's stock
.
Accuracy: When I first got this gun I bench-rested it at 25m and was able to get 3.5'' groups with cheapo Federal FMJ ammo from Walmart and I'm no sharpshooter so the gun is plenty accurate for a defense pistol in my opinion.
Firing the gun: My first handgun was a Glock 22 that I was issued at the police academy so I learned to shoot on a Glock and like the grip/grip angle. That said, some people hate it and can't get past it. I find that the grip angle helps with recoil management, especially with the 45. This gun is a soft shooter for sure. In fact, I can get accurate follow up shots with this gun as quickly, if not more quickly, as a full steel 1911.
Durability: This gun came with the shiny finish that most Gen3 Glocks had. It has held up tremendously to holster wear and I barely see any after many, many practice and real presentations from the holster. I've used both leather and kydex holsters for this gun over the years. I have the original recoil spring in the gun and it feels like it is just as strong as it was when I bought the gun.
Reliability: This is where this gun really shines and what sets it apart from its' peers. I have never had any malfunction of any kind with this gun. No FTEs, FTFs, hang-ups, ect... It has gone bang every time. I've shot Federal HST +p, Ranger JHPs, Hornady TAP +p in 230 & 200gr, Federal practice FMJs, Aguila FMJ, Blazer brass cased, Blazer aluminum cased, Wolf steel cased, Herters steel cased, Speer Lawmen, ect... It feeds the cheap com-bloc ammo just as well as the good stuff.
Overall: If I could only have one HD handgun, I'd probably pick this one. It's always one of the options on my nightstand because I have as much, if not more, confidence in my ability to eliminate any threat with this gun as any other gun in my collection. It's been great through the first 4k and expect the same through the next 4k. I'll probably replace the recoil spring since Glock recommends that at 5k I believe and they're only about $10 so it's worth the piece of mind.
Here's my Gen4 22 review:
Just passed the 1100 round mark with my Gen4 Glock 22 and think I have enough experience with it to write up a full review. Here goes...
Overall Impressions: As with all Glocks, you're either going to love the way it feels in your hand or hate it mostly due to the grip angle. I happen to love it. One of the biggest reasons for the introduction of the Gen4 model Glocks was the very frequent complaint about the size of the grip for shooters with small hands. I have huge hands and go back and forth on which grip size (no insert or medium insert) I prefer. That said, every female shooter that has put any rounds through this gun prefers it with no backstraps FWIW. As always, each shooter is different and your mileage may vary.... I'm a big fan of the grip surface though; I can't see any need for grip tape or stippling on the Gen4 guns at all. I think Glock got it right there.
Reliability: I don't run torture tests on my guns since they're mine and I had to pay for them! I purchased the gun, polished all the internals ($0.25 trigger job), and gave it a good cleaning with CLP.
All range trips have been between 100-400 round sessions with cleaning/lubrication performed after shooting. This gun has run flawlessly, 0 malfunctions of any kind. I've run Blazer aluminum cased FMJ 180gr, Remington Nickel-Plated 165gr & 180gr FMJ, Federal 180gr FMJ, and Federal HST 165gr JHP rounds through this gun. All have positively ejected at the 3-4 o'clock position with no rounds to the face as some have experienced with the 9mm Gen4 Glocks. All 1100 rounds were fired with a Streamlight TRL2 attached to the gun. I did that to test whether or not Glock's Gen3 22 w/light issues were resolved and it seems they have been. Here's a video of me shooting it (not the best video but you can see the ejection pattern; using Blazer 180gr here...):
Shooting/Accuracy: I think the design of the Glock pistol really shines with the 40S&W round. The low bore axis combined with the grip angle make this famously 'snappy' round very manageable. Shooting relatively rapidly (similar speed to the video) I was able to keep all rounds in my 4'' target at 10 meters. That is good enough for me for my defensive handguns with practice loads. I rarely shoot slow, controlled groups at 25m to test accuracy as I don't consider it very relevant to defensive handgun shooting. That said, I'm sure this gun is capable of producing 2-3'' groups on a rest at 25 meters; that said I haven't confirmed this yet.
Durability: Well, Glocks are famous for their durability and I expect this gun to be no different. Glock claims one of the advantages of the Gen4 guns is the 'improved' recoil spring is that it is rated to last at least 5,000 rounds (as opposed to the 3,000 of the Gen3 guns). I've put about 7,000 rounds through one of my Gen3 17s and it is still running a factory spring with 0 malfunctions so I expect this gun to go beyond the 5K mark with no issues but time will tell.
My gun happens to have been produced (12/11) after Glock started using their new 'nitriting' process on the finish of their guns. So far, so good. I've carried this gun and done hundreds of holster presentations (perhaps more...) and the finish looks brand new.
Maintenance: Like all Glocks maintenance is a breeze. I did a detail strip of the gun yesterday just to see how dirty the gun was after going over the 1K mark. The gun was still very clean with only minor carbon deposits in the firing pin channel. No doubt in my mind that this gun could go a lot longer with very minimal cleaning and lubrication but I don't plan on testing that.
Cost: In most locations, the Gen4 guns are going for about $40-50 more than their Gen3 counterparts coming in around $550. For most shooters the biggest difference will be the grip size. If you like the smaller grip, the Gen4 is probably the way to go. If not, it's probably a toss up. The biggest cost consideration of this gun will probably be ammo but deals can be had on the 40S&W rounds if you keep a lookout on the internet; and reloading is the most economical way to go.
Final Thoughts: I love this gun. 0 malfunctions, accurate, durable, easy to clean... what's not to like? This gun has made it onto my nightstand as my primary home defense handgun. I wouldn't do that if I didn't have absolute confidence in the gun.
