“Perfection” seems like an excellent marketing term. The problem arises when your patent runs out. If your product is perfect and the patent expires, along with your exclusive rights to the design, what do you do? Well, you admit that your product wasn’t quite perfect, that it could stand improvement, then proceed to demonstrate same by making a better version of that original product, acquiring new patents and staying a step ahead of the competition.
The above, of course, describes Glock. The Austrian pistol was the game-changer in the second half of the 20thcentury. Yes, the patents on the uber-popular Gen3 expired, but by then the market had already been introduced to the Gen4 and Gen5 (including MOS options). Glocks. OK, they are tacit admissions that the first Glocks were not perfect (shocker), but the Gen3 was damn close. And I doubt Glock takes any shame in introducing the Gen4 or Gen5, both of which are remarkably good pistols.
Mind The Generation Gap
The problem is, though while not perfect and not up to the standard of the new guns, old Glocks, Gen3s in particular, still have a ton of mileage left and a lot to offer. Moreover, once you’ve carried a gun for a number of years, you hopefully have more than mere skill at handling it; you also have an emotional attachment to it. Further, you may have performed modifications to it (or had them done), costs that you are loathe to write off. Also, as an investment in time, money and emotion, you may want to hang onto the pistol yourself or pass it down to your son or daughter—who will no doubt squawk about wanting the latest and greatest. No worries. You can bring a Gen3 into the 21st century with little effort and only a meager investment.
The DPM Systems Recoil Reducer is a direct swap-out of the Gen3’s single-spring recoil assembly. It works smoothly and reliably.
The Gen3 had a captive recoil spring on a single, straight guide rod. The Gen4s, though, upgraded to dual “nested” recoil springs (one spring inside the other). It made the guns shoot smoother and softer, especially the subcompacts. The design was pioneered by the Seecamp .32 ACP and is now commonplace in compact pistols throughout the industry. If you’d like a dual-recoil-spring arrangement in your Gen3 Glock, I recommend contacting DPM Systems. Its device is billed as a recoil reducer and actually has three springs.
Recoil Control
I’m not very recoil sensitive, or at least I wasn’t until I bought and started carrying a .40 S&W-caliber Glock G23 years ago. I installed a Hogue HANDall, only to have it slip halfway around the grip frame by the time I emptied a magazine. In addition to that HANDall, I sent the pistol to Mag-na-port International to have it Mag-na-ported. The EDM-cut, dual trapezoidal ports took care of much of the violent muzzle flip. The next thing I did was install the DPM Systems Recoil Reducer, which in addition to the two visible ones, has a third, internal spring. It worked as advertised, providing a host of benefits. The recoil was reduced, making follow-up shots faster, diminishing the distraction of a heavy kick, allowing me to maintain my concentration and thus accuracy. Just as significantly, it made the gun smoother and more enjoyable to shoot, which encouraged (and enabled) me to practice more. Lastly, it prevented frame battering and that old pistol’s frame remains like new. Made in Greece and imported to a handful of U.S. shops, the well-machined units are available to fit 38 brands of pistol. I can’t speak for all of them, but I’ve enjoyed the one in my G23 and have no intention of changing it.
There are no special angles or contours to Ghost connectors. The company claims it achieves the improvement in trigger pull purely from polishing.
Gen4 and Gen5 Glocks accept the Glock Performance Trigger. OK, but none of them come standard with it, so what’s the big deal? Well, if you’ve ever tried one, the difference is significant. Though they won’t fit a Gen3 without modification, there is a quick, simple and affordable way to improve the OEM Gen3 trigger: a Ghost connector. With many priced under $30, most models are drop-in units. They lighten and smooth the trigger pull and are offered in models intended for self-defense, duty and competition. I was so impressed with the drop-in unit that I subsequently ordered one of the company’s high-performance models that required filing and fitting—and I was able to do it. I have since ordered a third and a fourth connector, one for my G48 and one for my boss’ G43. An improved yet still-reliable trigger at this price that requires only a few minutes of installation (for the drop-in model)? Yeah, I’ll take that deal all day.
Outer Impact’s Adapter Mount contains the mount itself, the dovetail, alignment pins and an assortment of screws allowing it to work with a variety of red-dot sights.
Now we come to the seemingly insurmountable obstacle (insurmountable without a mountain of money). Gen3 Glocks didn’t have an MOS option; they weren’t cut for MRDS. Oh, you can have a gunsmith perform the work, but it’s pricey ($150-$250) and permanent. Well, of course it’s permanent. How else are you going to mount an MRDS? Well, how about using the cut that’s already there? Outer Impact makes its Red Dot Adapter work with the pistol’s rear sight dovetail. A mounting plate that extends over the top rear of the slide is anchored in the rear-sight dovetail with screws. The plate has a variety of pre-drilled holes and comes with alignment pins and multiple sets of screws, all allowing the unit to mount a great variety of popular MRDS. Just check the webpage for your brand, use the holes. pins and screws indicated, and you can sturdily mount your MRDS to your Gen3 at a savings of both cost and time.
Performance Testing
How does all this perform? Pretty well. The Ghost connector doesn’t result in the same feel as the Glock Performance Trigger. The latter is smooth and predictable, and produces a lower, better-defined wall than standard. The Ghost results in a shallower, more rounded speed bump or no bump at all. Both are good, the Ghost is just cheaper.
The G23 fired this group at 10 yards using Remington’s 180-grain Black Belt BJHP ammunition.
The DPM recoil reducer, as previously stated, does work as well as the OEM recoil spring on new Glocks. Moreover, the system is tunable, with different spring weights available for different ammunition.
As for the Outer Impact Adapter Mount, I have to admit it worked, something I had my doubts about. During installation of the piece that fits in the pistol’s dovetail (which Outer Impact also confusingly refers to as the dovetail), the part seemed loose and moved under finger pressure. However, customer service explained that this was not unusual and that the real tension was vertical, against the walls of the pistol’s dovetail. They assured me everything would tighten up during installation and it did. We put a Trijicon SRO on it and it fit perfectly and held snugly. The unit held zero for 150 test rounds of both practice and hot carry ammunition.
Was it as good as a mount in a machined slide? Nope. It sits disconcertingly high above the bore. This changes the balance of the gun, making it more prone to rotate right or left. Oh, you can easily control it; it just feels different. Also, if you look away from the sight and at the gun when the pistol is on target, the muzzle appears alarmingly low, even though it’s dead-on. Further, as it sits so high, I doubt if you’ll be able to find a front sight that’ll co-witness with it.
That said, it does what it’s supposed to do. It allows you to affordably, easily install a red-dot sight for whatever reason: To familiarize yourself with using optics before committing to them, to more easily and accurately target shoot, to try IDPA’s Carry Optics division, or just to bring your gun up to date. Of course, the high-mounted optic only feels a little strange if you are used to typical MRDS mounts. If you learn on this one, it may end up feeling natural to you and you may choose to concealed-carry with it. By the way, we put the G23/Outer Impact/SRO combo into a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 IWB holster and it fit, no problem.
The thing is, we bought an “old” gun into the 21st century for a relative pittance and can return it to its original, “classic” condition in minutes, whenever we want. Does this mean you shouldn’t buy a Gen5 (or some competitor’s Gen3-based pistol with an optic cut) when you have the scratch?
Of course not. Heaven forbid! NOT buy another gun? Well, that’s just crazy talk.
Ghost Angel 3.0 Gen. 1-5 & X MSRP: $29.95; ghostinc.com
Outer Impact Red Dot Mount M.R.A. MSRP: $59.95; outerimpact.com
DPM Systems: about $90; dpmsystems.com
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