Of the two magazines that came with the unit, I had no problem loading on one with all 14 rounds (both had +2 magazine basepads). The other magazine, however, would only load up to 12 rounds, and no more. I figured something could be wrong internally in the magazine, so I disassembled it. I couldn't find anything wrong with it, though, so I re-assembled it again.
After re-assembly, there was a slight improvement in that the magazine would now load 13 rounds, but I had trouble loading the last round. I decided to just let the magazine stay loaded with 13 rounds for a couple of days, allow the spring to soften up a little, and maybe I would be able to load all 14 rounds later.
After two days, I tried to load the 14th round, but it still wouldn't go in. I finally disassembled the magazine, then separated all the parts individually. Again, couldn't find anything wrong, so I re-assembled the magazine, then tried loading the magazine again. The 14th round finally was able to fit into the magazine, but only after a lot of pushing and handling.
Left it again for a couple of days, then removed the rounds, and put them back in again. I was able to load the 14th round, though still with a bit of difficulty. I don't know what happened with this particular magazine, probably some tolerance or fit issues as the other magazine was working fine.
'Disassembly and Trigger'
It turns out that all that was needed to be able to consistently and quickly disassemble the gun was a lot of practice. After disassembling/assembling the gun again and again, I can now do it on the first attempt. One thing good about disassembling/assembling the Glock, is that you do not have to take out/in any disassembly lever before you can slide out, like on the 1911 or my P250. Its so simple: Nothing to take out/in, no loose lever, just slide out, and then slide in. No doubt in my mind that this is the easiest gun to disassemble/assemble that I have tried out so far.
I tried dry-firing the gun frequently, hoping that it will soften or lighten the trigger somewhat, but after a couple of hundred times of dry-firing, it was still too stiff and heavy for my preference.
'First 100 Rounds'
I was finally able to get my Permit To Transport (PTT) for my Glock 23, and immediately headed to the range to try it out. I used new, Semi-Wad Cutter Full Metal Jacket (SWC-FMJ) rounds for the break in of the units, which costs P21.50 each. A bit pricey, but nevertheless was pretty excited to see how the unit will shoot. I forgot to ask them the bullet weight, so I am guessing it is the standard 180 grain round. As expected, I suffered NO failures whatsoever shooting these new, metal jacketed rounds.
The receipt also said they were "+P" rounds, so it seems I got "hot" rounds to break in my Glock with. The Range Officer (RO) claimed that the ammunition parts were from Armscor, but that it was assembled by them, presumably by their in-house ammunition loading facility. I used target boards, at a distance of around 13 meters, at least that's what the RO said.
Recoil was brisk, almost like that of a .45 cal. ammunition. "Almost", because you could actually feel the recoil in your hand, something that doesn't happen with the 9mms I have fired. But despite the fact that you can "feel" the recoil, even after 100 rounds I didn't feel any slight tingling or numbness in my hands, something I remember feeling with .45 cal. rounds fired on a steel frame. The .40 S & W truly is, an "intermediate" cartridge to the 9mm and .45 cal.
Muzzle flip was high, but it was brisk and fast, and surprisingly I was able to get the sight picture back quickly on the target. Probably due to the angle of grip, which allows quicker return on target. I used a "slow fire" method since it was my first time with the unit, squeezing off a shot every 3-5 seconds. As a result, though, it took me a relatively long time to empty a magazine, resulting in some fatigue on my biceps, so I frequently had to rest halfway thru the magazines by the time I finished my third or fourth mag.
'Shooting Impressions'
The biggest surprise for me was how well I shot the gun, despite all of my reservations about the trigger. Remember that prior to this, I have NEVER fired a Glock, or a pistol with striker-action, except thru dry fires. The gun shot straight on wherever I pointed it. Not high, or low, or left, or right, but straight on. Another surprise was how "flinch-proof" it is. I admit developing a slight flinch which I have to fight off after a dozen or so rounds, especially with .45 cal. ammo. But not with this gun. As long as I squeeze it and take minimal effort to control the flinch, it still shot straight on.
An even stranger phenomenon, was how well I shot it with my WEAKER hand, my left hand. I am a gun enthusiast, and try to shoot as many pistol types as I can. As far as I can remember, I have shot numerous 1911 configurations, a Bersa Thunder, Taurus PT-111, Taurus M85CH, SIG P250, other revolvers, some Browning Hi-Power variants, etc., and I cannot remember a time when I shot so much better with my left hand.
Why I shot better with my left hand I have no explanation whatsoever. As to why I shot well with the gun overall on my first time with it, I can only hazard some guesses. First is perhaps the striker-action of the gun allows for faster lock time, allowing the bullet to leave the muzzle as quickly as possible before any movement (i.e., flinches, etc.) could be made.
Another is perhaps the angle of the grip, and the shape of the grip, which allows for better leverage or position of the hands and fingers when squeezing the trigger. And even another is the trigger assembly itself. The Glock differs from my SIG P250 in that even the trigger itself is made of polymer, not aluminum or steel. Thus it has that slight, "squishy" feel to it when you squeeze the trigger. Perhaps that, too, contributes to sight alignment during the whole action. I do notice that when I dry fire my Glock, there is very little movement when the striker is released and hits the inside of the slide.
First 50 rounds, right hand
First 50 rounds, left hand
'Conclusions'
I witheld forming an opinion on which is better, the 1911 or the Glock, until I fired my Glock 23, and now that I have fired it, I have to say that I prefer the Glock. I feel that the Glocks ergonomics are newer and better, and allows for better shooting. The only time I shot as well as this Glock was with my late father's 1911, whose tuned trigger was so light, that the gun fires while you're still thinking of firing it ('pumuputok na nag iisip ka pa lang'). This is just my personal opinion, of course.
It definitely is among the better guns I have shot in terms of groupings out of the box. The only pistol I remember shooting a gun this well stock or unmodified are the Browning HP variants. Those Browning HPs have a reputation for accurate and tight groups out of the box, and I agree with that reputation after renting and shooting some. I shoot better with my Glock than any of the guns I have previously and currently own.
I plan to improve that trigger a bit. Right now, I can shoot well with it, but only when using a slow-fire method. I want to be able to shoot it quicker, with as much accuracy, and that might mean tinkering with the trigger. Perhaps a 3.5 lb. connector, with a New York 1 Trigger as experts say? And throw in a lighter striker spring, perhaps.
I am starting to see what all the fuss is about with these Glocks, and by the way it shot, it has reached my expectations of it. I love that I can shoot it well out of the box, and that if needed I could tweak it even more, because of easy to get accessories or improvements. Next stop: Customizations, and more shooting.
(End of Part Two)
--> My Glock 23 Review Part One
--> My Glock 23 Review Part Three
--> My Glock 23 Review Part Four
--> My Glock 23 Review Part Five
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