Custom Glock G45 (and Why I Moved To The G45 Platform)

[TGO David]

Something that I discovered recently was that, surprisingly despite the smaller size of my hands, the Glock 19 platform that I had carried religiously for nearly 20 years really wasn't the best platform for me.  Shocker!

What I discovered was that the longer grip length of the Glock 17 not only put the grip's palm swell/hump in a location that fit my hand better, but I also benefited from using the the medium back strap as it gave me more surface area to get my support hand onto.  More support hand on the grip itself and not overlapping my dominant hand fingers means more actual contact with the gun and therefore better recoil management, less muzzle rise, and faster split times.

My world had basically been turned on its ear.

While I still wasn't a fan of the additional length of the 17 for IWB carry, especially with a compensator hanging off the end of it, the Glock model 45 suddenly made a heck of a lot more sense to me than it ever had previously.

Consequently, I've started to part ways with most of my Glock 19s and have picked up two G45s as their replacement.  The added bonus of course is that the G45's slide is the same length as the G19's, so all of my holsters work just fine with them.

 

This gun is my "pimped out" carry rig for when I'm feeling a little extra sassy and don't mind a little extra bulk on me.  I sent the slide off to DP Custom Works and had Doug mill it for an RMR and mill the front top of the slide with extra cocking serrations to make press-checks a little easier.  While he had the slide, he re-finished it in a tough black nitride, which looks fantastic and isn't as slick as the factory Gen 5 black nDLC.

I added a ZEV Gen 5 curved trigger with their tuned ZEV Pro connector, ZEV suppressor height sights, a Crux Ordnance oversized mag release, a Silencerco threaded barrel, a Parker Mountain Machine comp, and hung one of my 1,000 lumen Surefire X300-UB lights off of it.

The whole thing rides very easily in a Squared Away Customs "FOXTROT" outside the waistband holster or a Legacy Firearms Company light-bearing CRONUS inside the waistband holster.

 

As for how it shoots, I've got the dot set for a 10-yard zero and stacking rounds in a cloverleaf within a 1-inch circle at that distance isn't a difficult task for me.

** Edited to Add: These photos were taken with an Agency trigger installed, before I swapped it out for the Zev curved trigger to keep things consistent across all of my Glocks **

 

 

 

 

 

[Erich]

Very Nice!  I love the G45. Great way to utilize the OEM bits while taking to the next level.

[TGO David]

1 hour ago, Erich said:

Very Nice!  I love the G45. Great way to utilize the OEM bits while taking to the next level.

Thanks!  I'm a sucker for the G45 now.  The other one is set up with the same trigger and connector, but I left the rest of it alone other than adding a set of Frank Proctor's Mod1 "Y-Notch" sights and the Crux Ord extended mag release. 

[btq96r]

When I saw the G45, I thought to myself, "this would have been my carry gun if I didn't buy and get drilled with an H&K VP9".  It's really the best of both worlds as far as I can tell.

[Erich]

If you dont mind the question, have you run the pro connector on any previous Glocks, or is this your first run with them? And are you using the striker spring that came with their kit or do which striker spring you are running?

I am curious if have run into any issues with light primer strikes. I had used the race 4 connector for quite some time and started playing with the pro connector when they came out about 2 years ago. In 9mm I was seeing light strikes when my only change was from race 4 to pro on marginally hard primers with most euro ammo like S&B or MEN, but also occasionally with Winchester Nato. Not really an issue with the R4. At the time all my slides had the comp springs in them. I had to up the striker spring 1lb for the pro connector. All my uppers have the extended striker as well.

I like that added stiffness in the pro, but I cant see where its bleeding the striker energy. The geometry in the Gen 5 being different,curious what you run into.

[TGO David]

On 11/15/2019 at 3:33 PM, Erich said:

If you dont mind the question, have you run the pro connector on any previous Glocks, or is this your first run with them? And are you using the striker spring that came with their kit or do which striker spring you are running?

I've run the Pro Connector on my Gen 5 19 for about a year now with their curved trigger.  The kit that I installed in all of these was just the trigger, trigger bar, and connector.  No striker spring.  I'm not a fan of running lighter striker springs.

 

[hipower]

Very nice rig! Must admit I've not handled the G45 yet, but have seen many favorable, and a few not so favorable comments on it. In any event, I will have to take a look at it next trip to the "store".

I saw you mentioned divesting yourself of more G19s. Have you listed them yet? Might be able to pick up one to add to my Glock stable. Just in the interest of "spare parts". lol

[Mark A]

Is there a reason to have the slide milled opposed to buying the MOS version?

Thanks and nice blaster...

[Rebels010]

1 hour ago, Mark A said:

Is there a reason to have the slide milled opposed to buying the MOS version?

Thanks and nice blaster...

Puts the sight lower and less failure points as the MOS adds an extra attachment point. 
 

Most milled sights fit it tight as a glove too. 

[TGO David]

8 hours ago, Mark A said:

Is there a reason to have the slide milled opposed to buying the MOS version?

Thanks and nice blaster...

Thanks!  Pretty much what Rebels010 said, plus the MOS mounting system doesn't provided a whole lot of threaded metal (and consequently uses shorter mounting screws) for the optic's screws to thread into.

[deerslayer]

6 hours ago, Rebels010 said:

Puts the sight lower and less failure points as the MOS adds an extra attachment point. 
 

Most milled sights fit it tight as a glove too. 

On the other hand, a milled slide becomes a paperweight if the dot fails and that dot is no longer made or the manufacturer changes the footprint.  

[Rebels010]

3 hours ago, deerslayer said:

On the other hand, a milled slide becomes a paperweight if the dot fails and that dot is no longer made or the manufacturer changes the footprint.  

Negative. It just becomes a normal slide with sights.  Even have slide covers so you don’t have an open spot there. 

My guess is 95% of slides are milled for RMR’s, which other MFG’s are now making their red dots to that foot print. You have Holosun 407 and 507 and Trijicon RMR and SRO to name a few that I know of.  Chances of that foot print going away any time soon is slim.  But when it does, it will be replaced by something better and I will be happy for the years of use I got out of my gun and optic. 

Edited November 18, 2019 by Rebels010

[deerslayer]

6 minutes ago, Rebels010 said:

Negative. It just becomes a normal slide with sights.  Even have slide covers so you don’t have an open spot there. 

My guess is 95% of slides are milled for RMR’s, which other MFG’s are now making their red dots to that foot print. You have Holosun 407 and 507 and Trijicon RMR and SRO to name a few that I know of.  Chances of that foot print going away any time soon is slim.  But when it does, it will be replaced by something better and I will be happy for the years of use I got out of my gun and optic. 

Unless you mill out the dovetail.  Not everybody cares about co-witnessing sights.  Also, if everybody changes their footprint to match RMR (which ain't gonna happen), this is still bad news for those who milled their slides for whatever the previous footprint was unless their dot lasts forever.  

[TGO David]

I'm really not worried about any of that.  If Trijicon announces that they are discontinuing the RMR series for some reason, I'll buy a few more of them and put them away as spares.  And OEM Glock slides are cheap and easily sourced, and there are plenty of aftermarket options as well.

The RMR footprint has become something of a standard already like Rebels pointed out.  The only other footprint being treated somewhat the same is the Leupold Delta Point Pro, simply because of their MIL contract.

[deerslayer]

Why does a Glock MOS plate set include four different ones?

Edited November 18, 2019 by deerslayer

[Chucktshoes]

2 hours ago, deerslayer said:

Why does a Glock MOS plate set include four different ones?

I would say to appeal to the widest possible group of buyers? 

[Magiccarpetrides]

Sweet looking rig but whats shes tipping the scales at with all the tactical goodies?  Do you have a different plan for summer carry?

[deerslayer]

9 hours ago, Chucktshoes said:

I would say to appeal to the widest possible group of buyers? 

...which could indicate that Leupold and Trijicon are not the only kids on the block.

[Chucktshoes]

17 minutes ago, deerslayer said:

...which could indicate that Leupold and Trijicon are not the only kids on the block.

No, but they are the biggest. 

[deerslayer]

17 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

No, but they are the biggest. 

Agreed, but Burris, C-More, Docter, and Vortex are popular, too.  Delta Point Pro is supposedly different from Delta Point and different Vortex sights use different mounts.  

TGO David, not knocking your gun--it's a nice rig.  I'm tinkering with a gen5 17 with a Delta Point Pro myself, but it's strictly a competition gun.  I may carry a red dot someday, but don't feel the need right now.  From my experience, irons are faster under 10 or 12 yards.  Red dots fogging up make me nervous, too.  A red dot carry gun certainly has merit in an active shooter scenario, though.  Hell, there are those who claim sights are unnecessary/useless in a gunfight.  

[KyMo488]

Nice set up! I too came to a similar realization and switched to carrying a 17 over 19. I also run the Agency Arms triggers, I think they are excellent for a carry gun. (I don’t run lighter than 4 lbs for carry trigger pull) I’ve yet to get a G45 but I’m in the hunt for one for sure. Have you done any low light shooting with the comp? Any issues with flash? 
 

Edit: Picked up a G45 today with some Trijicon HD sights for a great deal. Slapped an X300 on it and hit the range. It was love at first trigger pull! 

Edited December 3, 2019 by KyMo488

[willis68]

David,

have you ever shot a 19x?

[TGO David]

On 11/18/2019 at 10:35 AM, Magiccarpetrides said:

Sweet looking rig but whats shes tipping the scales at with all the tactical goodies?  Do you have a different plan for summer carry?

I'll have to weigh it soon and write back.  At this point I really don't know that I will carry anything other than this or the ZEV'd G45 (Orion slide, RMR, no comp, TLR7).  I am not much on smaller guns.

I am EDC'ing this thing in a Henry Holsters SPARK holster made for the G34/35 and X300U light and it is proving to be very comfortable.

 

On 12/3/2019 at 11:35 AM, KyMo488 said:

 Have you done any low light shooting with the comp? Any issues with flash? 
 

Edit: Picked up a G45 today with some Trijicon HD sights for a great deal. Slapped an X300 on it and hit the range. It was love at first trigger pull! 

Congrats on the G45!

I have shot mine at near dusk, in the shade, with both the X300UB lit and unlit.  No real issue with flash from the comp, but I am carrying either Remington Black Belt +P 124gr JHP or Federal HST +P 124gr JHP and both seem to be using low-flash powder.

 

43 minutes ago, willis68 said:

David,

have you ever shot a 19x?

Nope.  I can't imagine it is much different at all from the G45 though.  Same basic gun, just different color and slightly different front-strap design.

[TGO David]

On 11/18/2019 at 10:35 AM, Magiccarpetrides said:

Sweet looking rig but whats shes tipping the scales at with all the tactical goodies?  Do you have a different plan for summer carry?

Here you go.  Fully loaded mag and everything.  2lbs 6oz.

[Magiccarpetrides]

38oz not too bad...definitely heavy but for winter i'd personally find that manageable....definitely not for summer don't see that comfortably fitting in any "inside the pants" holster lol.