How does the new Ruger American pistol compare to Glock?

I don't own a Glock, and never found their full size pistols very comfortable to hold, but they sure have a reputation for great reliabiity. I'm not a big fan of the 40S&W round so I really don't feel satisfied with my Ruger sr40c. For home defense I decided I want a larger capacity 9mm than my carry gun, an LC9s has, and was thinking about the new Ruger in 9mm, or possibly a Glock 17. A large capacity 9mm combined with a light/laser on the rail sounds like a better home defense gun than my current 6-shot revolver as well. Just wondered about your thoughts on the new Ruger vs the Glock.

I have the Ruger American 9mm. I Like it very well.
I have small hands and with the small grip it fits me very well. I also have confidence in Ruger so I have no fear it will work as well as a Glock.
But that being said, only time will tell, and from Glock's reputation only a lot of time. Just like the M&P series took some time.

I'd look at a 19 rather than the 17.

REV

revhigh said:

I'd look at a 19 rather than the 17.

REV

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Given the choice of the G17 or G19, I'd also pick the 19 but neither of them have good grip ergonomics. To me, that is Glock's biggest failing.

I would prefer a Glock 19 over the Ruger American I handled. It might be different with a different grip module installed but it felt really heavy & bulky to me. I did not like the ergonomics of it. It might feel different in your hand than mine though.

Though I don't own either I like the G-19 & G-23.

Haven't held the Ruger but I have both a Glock 17 and 30 (.45 caliber). I acutally love both, great to shoot, extermely reliable. Ugly ducklings, I guess, but they work, and they fit very nicely in my hand...but I do have XL mitts.

I'm with the OP, I never liked how Blocks felt in my hand.

I have a RAP in 9mm and it's nice. I like it and my SR's just fine, but my favorite guns are still the full metal P-series...and my Jericho...I like that Jericho too.

The G19 fits my hand well and I would choose it again and again. It can use the G17 17rd. or even the 32 round mag if capacity is an issue.

Not a Glock fan but were I wanting a pistol I trusted 100% out of the box, a Glock would be near the top of the list.

What, in your opinion, makes the Glock 19 at better pick than the 17? Neither would replace my LC9s as a carry gun, but would serve as a home defense weapon. My plan would be to buy a Crimson Trace rail mounted laser/light device. Or maybe I should just buy that device for my sr40c and rely upon 15 rounds of 40S&W instead of spending the bucks for another gun. (I have to admit that for a long time I thought buying the sr40c was a mistake. I didn't like firing the 40S&W round at all. But the more I shoot it the more comfortable I am with this gun, and I also have to admit that the 40S&W seems to be a more impressive round than the 9mm.)

vito said:

What, in your opinion, makes the Glock 19 at better pick than the 17? Neither would replace my LC9s as a carry gun, but would serve as a home defense weapon. My plan would be to buy a Crimson Trace rail mounted laser/light device. Or maybe I should just buy that device for my sr40c and rely upon 15 rounds of 40S&W instead of spending the bucks for another gun. (I have to admit that for a long time I thought buying the sr40c was a mistake. I didn't like firing the 40S&W round at all. But the more I shoot it the more comfortable I am with this gun, and I also have to admit that the 40S&W seems to be a more impressive round than the 9mm.)

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The 19 is simply a compact version of the 17 with a few less rounds, less weight. If it were to double as a carry gun then its a no brainer, but if strickly home protection and range use I'd go with the 17, that's what I did.

Here is a link to an interesting article with police .40 vs 9mm
http://www.tactical-life.com/firearms/7-reasons-cops-choose-9mm-40/

vito said:

What, in your opinion, makes the Glock 19 at better pick than the 17? Neither would replace my LC9s as a carry gun, but would serve as a home defense weapon. My plan would be to buy a Crimson Trace rail mounted laser/light device. Or maybe I should just buy that device for my sr40c and rely upon 15 rounds of 40S&W instead of spending the bucks for another gun. (I have to admit that for a long time I thought buying the sr40c was a mistake. I didn't like firing the 40S&W round at all. But the more I shoot it the more comfortable I am with this gun, and I also have to admit that the 40S&W seems to be a more impressive round than the 9mm.)

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Not necessarily a better pick if ccw is already covered. The G19 and G17 have different finger groove spacing and of course the G17 is full size but that can be a benefit for a house gun. I carry a G19 but have a G17 with a Streamlight TLR1 mounted as my house gun, stowed with a couple extra 17rd. mags and one 33rd. The G19 is carried with a 15rd mag but all extra mags are the 17rd, both at home and on my belt, in my truck etc. I don't have to worry with what mag goes where that way.

For a house gun I would go with the G17, extra capacity, site radius, a pinch more velocity etc. as long as it fit my hand. I can shoot both models well and am completely satisfied with each in their assigned roles, but could swap them and still be fine with either as ccw or a house gun.

.40?

I've tried that round in several platforms and found it is not for me. I simply do not like the recoil impulse. I can shoot the .45, 9mm and even my GP100 .357 at length and enjoy it. The .40, no. I keep one around but it seldom sees the range.



A 9mm with the right bullet and or course the ever important shot placement is sufficient IMO.

I'd just try to shoot them both and decide which I liked better if you decide to go with a Glock.

I like how my Glock 19 doesnt have such a big hump on the back of the grip as the 17 does. I sanded down and textured the stupid finger bumps on it too.

Welder, I just wanted to share a barrel I've been running in my G26 Gen 4 that also works (and was actually designed for a G19 Gen 4) you might be interested in. Here it is. https://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=941&CAT=240.

While I've found it to be more accurate than the standard barrel it's not really because of the length of the barrel, it's more because of the tighter lockup. I find the added length more useful for the added weight up front which does help to reduce muzzle flip. You mentioned velocity, it extends the barrel to the same length as the Glock 34 long slide version, so you gain the velocities of the 34 it's still perfectly concealable providing you have a holster with an open muzzle end for the barrel to protrude. I've tried it myself in and it really doesn't affect concealability at all. Although you'd think it would, it doesn't in practice.

I don't want to oversell it, it still recoils of course. It is after all it's a non ported and non compensated barrel but the added ounces up front do count for something when firing it. The difference is slight but noticeable. I also run mine with a polished Lone Wolf recoil assembly at Glock stock weight. In short you are adding more mass up front, more velocity, with almost no downside to concealment in an IWB holster.

Thanks for the heads up Rei40c, I appreciate it. I have a G26 gen4 that would work well with that set up. I have a new unfired Lonewolf G17 barrel that I bought from a friend, but it is for the gen3 G17 that I had forgotten about having until post, gonna dig it out too. I gave my son my gen3 G26 and replaced it with the gen4 version but only use it as a ankle carry gun and hardly ever use it for even that.

Extra length in a Glock has never been a problem as I use the simple Glock Sport holster, positive retention and open ended, indestructible, plus and a whopping $12 new. That extra length barrel would be right at home in one and the extra weight would
be a good benefit,

Thanks for the heads up Rei40c, I appreciate it. I have a G26 gen4 that would work well with that set up. I have a new unfired Lonewolf G17 barrel that I bought from a friend, but it is for the gen3 G17 that I had forgotten about having until your post, gonna dig it out too. I gave my son my gen3 G26 and replaced it with the gen4 version but only use it as a ankle carry gun and hardly ever use it for even that.

Extra length in a Glock has never been a problem as I use the simple Glock Sport holster, positive retention and open ended, indestructible, plus and a whopping $12 new. That extra length barrel would be right at home in one and the extra weight would
be a good benefit.

Right on, it's just something I've gotten some enjoyment out of recently. P.S. after fooling around with the backstraps I ended up preferring the one with the medium grip which I'm told is much more like the Gen 3. I guess I thought I had to have the latest and greatest. So at the end of the day I probably would have been better off going with the Gen 3 at $75 less but I didn't know that at the time. Oh well.

Love the $12 on a holster. I've recently been simply cutting out a relief for my barrels.

My current set up, but I'm positive you could do better with just slightly more investment.

Oh Welder, I believe the 17 barrel is specific to that model. The 19 and 26 barrels are differently shaped at the chamber (I think). You may already know that but I'd feel terrible if something unsafe happened. Just throwing that out there.

I believe it is Rei40c, I had just forgotten about it until your post. I'm gonna dig it out of the safe and maybe offer it for sale. I bought it in a package deal from a friend who was going all Sig and no longer needed it, actually he never used it.

BTW, I like that set up in the pic. Been looking at the Alien gear since a friend got one. Good looking rig to me.

I've got a gen2 Glock 19 I bought in 1989. Never a hicup 100% reliable. I don't like the new Glock grip frames.