Glock 17 vs Sig P320

A Detailed Comparison

Have you heard of the Glock 17 vs Sig P320 debate?

The current handgun market is really based around the polymer framed, striker-fired pistol, most often in 9mm.

Why?  Because of the mighty Glock 17. 

The Glock 17 has been kickin’ around for over 30 years and is still one of the preeminent duty and defensive handguns.

The SIG P320 is aiming to change the game by being the first truly modular handgun system.

The P320 is trying to take what Glock did right and push into an easily customized and converted system. Both guns have undoubtedly changed the landscape of the modern duty pistol.

The question ultimately comes down to, which is better?

When SIG Sauer introduced the P320 jaws dropped. SIG made their name of their P22X series of guns. These famous pistols were all metal frames and hammer-fired.

The P320 flipped all that on its head with a striker-fired, polymer-frame pistol. The P320 was based on the P250, a modular pistol system that was a hammer-fired DAO gun. The P320 was immediately successful, and the world quickly learned what a modular pistol could do.

Glock 17: The Legacy Begins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Glock 17 is the full-sized 9mm variant of the famous Glock pistol lines. The gun currently serves the FBI, and the Gen 4 variant is in service with the British Military.

The Glock 17 gains its name from being the 17th patent from the Glock company. Prior to handguns, they produced a variety of military training tools.

Gaston Glock gathered a variety of handgun experts to produce the Glock 17 to compete in Austrian handgun trials in 1982.

The Glock 17 won.

The Glock 17 beat out designs from HK, Beretta, and SIG Sauer. Glock came out of nowhere and their immediate success made the firearms industry take notice.

Glock went on to be adopted by Swedish and then Norwegian forces, and eventually gained their own NATO stock number.

In the United States, the Glock became a divisive gun. It was commonly called Tupperware, and combat plastic in a derogatory way. Some accusations even claimed the Glock would melt if you left in on your dash on a hot summer day.

Side note, who leaves their gun on the dash of their car? These tall tales were ultimately untrue.

Glock succeeded though, and their pistols quickly became the gun of choice for hundreds of state and local law enforcement entities as well as being the gun of choice by numerous Federal Agencies.

The merits of the polymer frame, striker-fired gun were apparent.

If you walked into SHOT Show and threw a stick…

I’d place money on you hitting a striker-fired, polymer frame pistol and it’s all because of Glock.

The Glock 17 is in its 5th Generation and there are numerous submodels available. This includes optic’s ready models and special edition guns designed by specific firearms instructors.

While the Glock 17 was the first pistol that legitimized the striker-fired polymer pistol, they are most certainly not in a niche market anymore.

Almost every handgun manufacturer makes these types of pistols now.

Let’s look at one of the latest success stories: the Sig P320.

Sig P320: The Warrior’s Pistol

The P320 has a much shorter history because it’s a much newer gun.

The P320 was introduced in 2014 but has quickly made a name for itself. A lot of new striker-fired polymer pistols premier and are labeled the ‘Glock-killer,’ but they never reach that same level of popularity.

The P320 may be the only gun to have a serious chance of being an actual Glock killer.

The P320 is a striker-fired, polymer frame gun that’s available in a variety of sizes and calibers. Glock and SIG designate their weapons in different ways.

A P320 can be in 9mm, 40 S&W, and 357 SIG.

Glock has guns in those calibers as well, but they get their own numerical designation. For this article, we are going to talk 9mm versus 9mm.

The P320 most famously won the Army’s XM17 Modular Handgun competition in 2017.

This made it the Army’s next service handgun and following the Army’s adoption the Navy, Marines, and Air Force all followed suit.he P320 is a modular pistol and the portion that is serialized and considered the firearm is a small fire control group.

This FCG is easily removed and allows the user to swap gun sizes, grip modules and more with ease. This includes the ability to swap calibers between 9mm, 40 S&W, and 357 SIG.

Let’s dive into some facts no one can argue, and that’s the specs of both weapons.

Glock 17 vs Sig P320: Specs

These specs are taken from the respective gun manufacturer’s websites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see these guns are very similar in both size and weight.

The same goes for capacity, width, barrel length and more.

This makes them hard to really contrast when they are so easy to compare.

Both guns are outfitted with an accessory rail for adding lights and lasers. Both are essentially duty sized designs, and perfect for home defense and law enforcement.

The Glock 17 and Sig P320 will even work for concealed carry if you’re willing to dress around these larger pistols.

While many CCW folks prefer carrying small to medium-sized pistols, others don’t want to give up the benefits of a duty sized pistol.

You can easily conceal these pistols… you just need the right Glock 17 holsters and Sig P320 Holsters.

At Clinger, we have three options for both guns, and this allows you to try a variety of different carry methods. My favorite is the No print Wonder V3 in case anyone cares.

The SIG comes with two magazines from the factory, and it does come with SIG Lite Night sights. The Glock Gen 4 and Gen 5 models do come with three magazines versus the SIG P320’s two magazines, but standard sights. It’s an odd trade-off but should be noted.

Glock 17 vs Sig P320: On the Range

In my experience, both guns are easy to shoot, feature low recoil, and are both very accurate.

My experience is limited to a Gen 4 Glock 17, and the new Gen 5 Glock’s do feature a higher-end Marksman’s barrel that may enhance accuracy.

My P320 experience is limited to renting one at the range, but I’ve recently purchased an FCG and plan to build my own as a side project. The P320 does feature a slightly better trigger pull in my opinion.

One of the best things about the Glock trigger is the audible and tactile click when the trigger resets. This is a feature many guns try to replicate, but rarely can.

SIG comes close but still doesn’t beat that Glock reset.

The SIG’s slide lock is very SIG like, which means a bit of a pain for guys with big hands like me. Using a thumb forward grip my thumb often rides on top of the slide lock and this prevents the slide from locking back after the last round is fired.

I don’t have this issue with the Glock.

Both guns are incredibly reliable, and function with every type of ammo I’ve ever run through them.
If you want an easy shooting, simple gun that just functions they both will get you there.

There is certainly some subjective factors like grip angle, sight style, etc that you’ll need to evaluate for yourself.

Glock 17 vs Sig P320: The Modularity Battle

One of the major factors in what makes a gun successful is its modularity.

How can you tune it to make it a better gun for you?

The SIG P320 immediately seems like the winner of this battle. You can easily swap frames, barrels, and slides to make completely different pistols.

The SIG P320 was made to be modular, but the Glock 17 became modular along the way.

Glock can be slow when it comes to adopting new technology and producing new designs.

The truth is…

They are victims of their own popularity.

The aftermarket has made Glock firearms very modular. Different slide designs and even frame designs make the Glock 17 a very modular gun.

You’ll have to jump through more hoops for sure, but you can make your Glock 17 into something that hardly resembles a Glock 17.

SIG does have some aftermarket support, especially when it comes to triggers, sights, and other small parts. Their aftermarket is growing, but it’s nowhere near the popularity of the Glock aftermarket.

SIG does have simplicity on its side when it comes to making adjustments and tuning the gun for you.

Kitchen gunsmiths with Dremels and checkering kits can absolutely ruin a P320 frame and for 50 bucks you can just buy a new one. So I will say the SIG has 1 point more to modularity than the Glock 17.

Glock 17 vs Sig P320: The Logistics War

We talked about the Glock aftermarket when it comes to gun parts like frames, but the aftermarket doesn’t end there.

Glock has a major edge in logistics when it comes to magazines, holsters, sights, and everything else.

Down to the smallest parts, like magazine base plates, Glock simply has more. Off the top of my head, I can count a half dozen different companies who produce magazines for the gun.

There are dozens of companies making sights for the gun. When it comes to holsters it’s the same thing.

The Glock 17’s popularity makes it a very easy gun to find parts, accessories, and holsters for. Since there is so much competition out there the prices for these accessories is quite affordable.

SIG is gaining a larger market share, but it’s still very small compared to Glock’s market dominance. Maybe over time, we’ll see this change, but it’s unlikely the P320 will ever top Glock.

The most Sig can aim for is being tied with Glock in terms of aftermarket support and logistics.

Why Should You Choose the SIG P320?

You should choose the P320 if you want a slightly more refined gun.

It’s also a good choice if you want a gun you can tinker with and change parts at will, and with ease.

With the P320 being the Army’s new gun of choice it certainly appeals to the military collector. SIG has released a clone of the XM17 and 18 series for those buyers.

The P320 allows you the ability to swap calibers with ease, so if this appeals to you it’s certainly the choice for you.

If you live in a state famous for gun control the P320 may be the right choice for you.

If it’s a hassle to buy a gun, buying a P320 will let you change between gun sizes for home defense, concealed carry, and even competition.

Why Should You Choose the Glock 17?

You should choose a Glock 17 if you want a gun that is well proven for over 30 years.

It’s a serviceable gun that will always have support. The Glock series of handguns have a lower overall cost of ownership over the years and you can find them anywhere.

The SIG P320 may be the go-to for the big army, but the Glock series has been used by Special Ops troops for years.

The Glock is an amazing go-to handgun and its a weapon with a rock-solid reputation. It’s easy to upgrade and can be upgraded in almost any way you can imagine.

Glock 17 vs Sig P320: At the End of the Day

Both Glock and SIG Sauer make outstanding weaponry.

Both the SIG P320 and Glock 17 are excellent firearms. It’s also true that over time both the P320 and Glock 17 have hit hitches in their design.

The Glock 17 Gen 4 release almost immediately needed a recall, and of course, the SIG P320 had a drop safe failure issue.

These days both guns are problem-free and proven in the hands of law enforcement, the military and thousands of concealed carriers. If you are finding it hard to choose one over the other, do the American thing and buy both!

Regardless of which model you choose between the Glock 17 vs Sig P320, Clinger Holsters has the best gun holsters. Don’t forget to carry a spare magazine, ( we have you covered with a spare mag pouch there as well!).