For those who are interested in large and reliable handguns, or for those simply looking for a good, well-rounded 10mm handgun, the Glock 20 Gen4 is worth looking into. There are many reasons for someone to pick up a handgun, whether for simple home protection, or maybe a nice handgun to take to the range, or perhaps even a gun good for concealed carry. We will be going over all of this in depth and deciding if the Glock 20 is the right gun for any of those cases. We will be going over the specs and how it stacks up against its closest competitors.
Introducing The Glock 20
The Glock 20 Gen4 10mm is a massively powerful handgun. For the components, GLOCK wanted to use their proprietary high-strength, nylon-based polymer, known as Polymer 2, to not only reduce felt recoil when shooting but also to reduce the weight of the gun in hand. Polymer 2 is basically a strong plastic that is more resilient than other carbon steel and other steel alloy handguns out on the market. With a not too shabby 550 ft/lbs muzzle energy distribution, and a capacity of 15 rounds, the Glock 20 Gen4 edition makes for a reliable companion for gun enthusiasts and even hunters.
Product Specs
It is a 10mm, semi-automatic handgun that is a large gun weighing in at just over 30 oz when unloaded. It is about 1.27 inches wide with a height of about 5.5 inches coming in at about 8 inches in length. It has a 5.5 lbs trigger pull with a 4.6-inch barrel. The handgun has a bulky grip allowing for a comfortable shooting experience; it also features an enlarged magazine like the previous generations of the Glock 20 (15 rounds+1) making it a very nice to shoot with on the range. It has three safeties and a constant double action mode.
The Glock 20, like the Glock 17, is large and similar in design and look. The look between the 10mm Model of the Glock 20 and the 9mm model of the Glock 17 is nearly identical in every way. However, when you're holding the gun in your hand, you see the difference nearly immediately. The Glock 20 is larger than its 9mm cousin, in both dimensional sizes and the grip's thickness.
All Glocks that we have tried have had stand out features, which many of their competitors simply do not have, and with the Glock 20, there is no exception. The slide, unlike its receivers (made from Polymer 2), is made from a CNC-milled tool steel; this is to allow for not only the stability of your shot but also durability in wear and tear of your usage.
Pricing
It retails for around $, but has a fluctuating price depending on the retailer you purchase from. You can pick one up at www.rainierarms.com, as well as the many accessories you can get to go with it. You can also find one at www.glockstore.com where they are selling it for around $ for both the 10RD and 15RD versions.
How it Compares
Glock 40
Colt Delta Elite
Sig P220
Glock 20
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Ease of Use
After seeing these specs, it's common to assume that this handgun would only be good for home protection, and with its weight and its carry capacity, it is, but it's also accomplished in other uses. Now, because of its bulky size, it is not very useful for concealed carry. No matter what type of shirt you have on, you will see an imprint, no getting around that, but with its bulky build, there is an upside. Because of the Polymer 2 material, it is capable of rough and touch use as an outdoorsman's gun. And with its full-sized frame, it can easily fit as primary or secondary hunting handgun for deer and hogs.
The grip panels that the gun comes with (2 of them) also makes for an adjustable comfort that makes shooting more specific for your particular needs. A small issue that we had was finding the perfect 10mm ammo to shoot with, mostly because there are not a lot of options. Some options we used were the Buffalo Bore with its 180 grain Barnes JHC,as well as the 220 grain Hard Cast. These are both "Heavy 10mm" ammo.
Lastly, when using it, we ran into no problems. There were no failures to feed or jams, and the simplicity of operation with the handgun was phenomenal. It was easy on the recoil, thanks to the grip and the Polymer 2 build material.
Weapon Specifications
In regards to the specifications, they are all very impressive, with its 15 round mag, of which you get three that come with the gun, as well asits adjustable grips and low kickback when firing, this gun is great for hunting, home defense, gun range shooting, and a whole litany of other activities.
Design Quality
Design wise, it is a pleasure to use. Not only does it have a classic Glock build, but it is large, making it not only intimidating to potential threats but with its lightweight and its molded polymer-plastic, it makes it great for home defense. The slightly larger safety is also helpful, especially if you are going to keep it in your house for home safety.
And continuing on with its weight, there is much to be said for it. For instance, the average full-sized semi-automatic pistols weigh anywhere from 35 to 40 ounces, but the Glock 20 is only 30.5.
Warranty
The warranty for it is a one-year limited warranty. This warranty will be void unless certain rules are followed such as:
- The instructions in the Instructions for Use manual are not followed;
- Your Glock pistol or any of its parts are altered or modified from their original state;
- Damage is caused by misuse, abuse or improper maintenance;
- Your GLOCK pistol is disassembled beyond the instruction in Chapter 9 of the Instructions for Use manual;
- Reloaded, re-manufactured, or hand-loaded ammunition, or ammunition of a different caliber than your Glock pistol is used.
PROS
CONS
Glock 40
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Features
The Glock 40 Gen4 is a 10mm long slide (a full 6-inch slide) allowing for a smooth shooting experience with little recoil. However with the long barrel, compared to the Glock 20, that means there is more weight, and the heavier gun defiantly changes the experience you have from shooting with a model 20 to shooting with a model 40. Unlike the Glock 20, which comes in at around 31lbs, the Glock 40 comes in at around five pounds heavier.
When it comes to both the model 20 and the model 40 Glocks, there are more similarities than differences, especially when considering the build of the two handguns. With the Glock 40, you get slightly more velocity with the 6-inch barrel making it slightly more satisfying when shooting at long distances. You have adjustable sights and the same high mag capacity as the 20, with 15 rounds, defiantly making this handgun a good contender.
Ease of Use
This Glock 40 was hands down an easy gun to switch to after shooting a Glock 20. The reason for this is that not only are they quite similar in design but also in handling. The Glock 40s kickback was less than the 20s kick back, which is a good thing, but your arm gets tired easier when it comes to duration, due to its heavier weight.
Weapon Specifications
The Glock 40 is a 10mm double action semi-automatic pistol that holds 15 rounds and has a 6-inch barrel. The overall length of the gun is 9.49 inches with a fixed 3 dot sight. With an empty mag, the gun measures in at just under 36 lbs and has a standard 5.5 lbs trigger pull weight which is not sticky or gritty.
Design Quality
The design of the Glock 40 is very similar to the Glock 20 other than its weight, which is greater, it's length, which is longer (6 inches) and other small details relating to some internal workings. It is so similar in fact, you can even use the Glock 20 slide on the Glock 40, (do not try this at home) and even though we do NOT recommend using the Glock 40 like this, we tried it, and it was fireable. This is only to show you exactly how similar the two guns really are to each other.
Warranty
The warranty for the Glock 40 Gen4 is also a one-year limited warranty, a warranty that applies to many of the Glock handguns. This warranty will be void unless certain rules are followed such as:
- The instructions in the Instructions for Use manual are not followed.
- Your Glock pistol or any of its parts are altered or modified from their original state.
- Damage is caused by misuse, abuse or improper maintenance.
- Your Glock pistol is disassembled beyond the instruction in Chapter 9 of the Instructions for Use manual.
- Reloaded, re-manufactured, or hand-loaded ammunition, or ammunition of a different caliber than your Glock pistol is used
PROS
CONS
Colt Delta Elite
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Features
The Colt Delta Elite is another 10mm handgun. This handgun is great for the outdoorsmen as well as a home defense gun for your protection. The Colt Delta Elite has a bit of a past. It was dropped from production in 1996 due to lackluster sales. However, in 2008, Colt Manufacturing brought it back and along with the traditional barrel arrangement making it a straight shooting gun, the Colt Delta Elite returned rightfully as a classic M1911 handgun.
Price
The price of these guns can run you up to $1300.00 and even $1500.00 if you are looking at the older 1980s models. However, the lowest price we have found for this gun was on www.budsgunshop.com at around $1100.00.
Ease of Use
This handgun was made for a good shooting experience, and if you like shooting 1911's, then you will like shooting this Colt Delta Elite. The difference between the Elite and any other 1911 is that this is a more powerful version of the 1911. The machined metal used to make the gun, although relatively light for such a gun at around 38.5 ounces, it is well put together. There was no struggling in putting the gun together or taking it apart, meaning that everything fits well as if it was meticulously designed over the past 30 years to be so.
Weapon Specifications
The Colt Delta Elite is a modified M1911 pistol chambered for the 10mm Auto. It is a semi-automatic, single action with a steel frame. The magazine carries up to 8+1 with a 5-inch barrel. The gun has an extended thumb safety with a Novak white dot sight.
Design Quality
The design of this gun has been manufactured for over 30 years, and it feels like it when you use it with both of the positive and negative side effects. The Colt Delta Elite has a powerful kick to it when you fire, making it less comfortable than that of either of the Glocks. Also, with many of the Colt models, you get a flatter mainspring housing with the long trigger, but with the Colt Delta Elite, you have a raised mainspring housing and this, along with the heavy ammo, makes the kickback slightly on the painful side after going through a few mags.
Warranty
From what we could find, the Colt Delta Elite has a full lifetime warranty, but only if you purchase a new one, if you get a used one, not only do some of them have the propensity of cracking, but they will not be covered under any sort of warranty.
PROS
CONS
Sig P220
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Features
The SIG P220 is a full sized 45 ACP Semi-Automatic handgun. It is a high-quality firearm that is more compact than any of the other guns in this list. It also is the only one on this list that has a decocker, which is a nice addition to the gun. The SIG P220 is made of stainless steel and has a nice large beaver tail, making shooting it very comfortable and easy for long stretches at a firing range. Because of its smaller size, it also has a reduced profile, making this the best gun in the list so far to be used as a concealed carry. It is still slightly bulky and makes a bit of a print, but the smaller size does reduce the printing.
Price
The SIG P220 is priced the highest out of all the guns on this list for around $1400.00, but with this gun, you get a lot. It really is the whole package, comfortable, not much recoil, and extremely accurate.
Ease of Use
This Handgun is easy to use; it has many safety features making it great for home defense. It also has, on the right side of the gun (pointing it away from you) a neat indicator for whether it is loaded. The extractor protrudes slightly when there is a round in the chamber, making for what is essentially a loaded chamber indicator like a Glock would have.
Weapon Specifications
The SIG P220 is a 45 caliber Semi Automatic Full Size Pistol. It is made of stainless steel and has a barrel made from Carbon steel. The barrel's length is 4.4 inches, with an overall length of 7.7 inches. The P220 has a meager weight of 30.4 ounces and is finished in a proprietary Legion gray coating with a max mag capacity of 8+1.
Warranty
The SIG P220 has a limited lifetime warranty which is void if there are any cosmetic changes, such as adding aftermarket grips, triggers or barrels, etc.
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Conclusion
After reviewing the SIG, the GLOCK 40, GLOCK 20, and the Colt Delta, choosing which one is best is not as easy of a choice as I initially thought it would be. All four handguns had great qualities. But in the end, between the GLOCK 40 and 20, with the build quality, the recoil, the mag capacity, the comfortable grip, the powerful shot (with the 10mm) and the good ergonomics, they are the most versatile handguns you can get. If you want to sacrifice the weight, then get the 40, if you want a lighter handgun with more kick, get the 20.
This is not to discount the SIG or the Colt, because both come in very closely, but with their price, and their old style (no beaver tail on the Colt) there was simply no other choice than to choose the Glocks.
Last update on 2022-12-30 at 06:47 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API