I know it’s a matter of considerable debate, but I think GLOCKs are ugly. A powerful tool shouldn’t look like a bar of bad hotel soap. Enter the Lone Wolf Distributors Compact 9mm on a Timberwolf Frame. The modded GLOCK’s Cerakoted sniper grey color and radically customized slide cuts transform a ditchwater dull handgun into the firearm you were handed when you joined Starfleet. Our snag-free T&E gun didn’t have a single number or letter on the slide. There wasn’t even a barrel caliber marking. But my God, did it have new parts. Our package contained every GLOCK part Lone Wolf could throw at it, in it or around it. This example includes . . .
GLOCK trigger and trigger bar fitting Gen3 G17, GLOCK locking block, Lone Wolf (LWD) connector (3.5lb), LWD, Ext Slide Lock Lever, LWD Extended Slide stop pin, Lone Wolf Trigger Spring (6lbs) LWD trigger pin, LWD trigger Housing Pin, LWD Locking Block pin, Compact Timberwolf Frame, LWD Gen4/Timberwolf 9mm trigger housing with ejector, LWD, mag catch spring, and LWD slide lock spring.
I’m not even sure what all of that means or does. But the Not-A-GLOCK feels terrific in the hand. No really. Like many, but not all shooters, I find it difficult to come to a natural point of aim with a standard GLOCK. What’s more, the grip angle puts my hand and wrist out of the line that gives me stability. The Compact Timberwolf’s grip is, for me, vastly improved. I can get a high hold on the gun and put all of my fingers on the handle. It boasts a fairly small diameter grip, with good holding surface. I can get a natural point-of-aim and a solid one-hand grip, right or left.
Unfortunately, the modded GLOCK’s trigger still sucks. The note on the invoice said the package included a LWD Ultimate Adjustable Trigger (UAT). It wasn’t in the gun. As is, the trigger feels exactly the same as a stock GLOCK trigger, which is far too long and squishy. That said, the Not-A-GLOCK’s trigger reset was very good; positive and short. If the UAT go-pedal feels like the Ghost Inc. trigger, it would totally transform Lone Wolf’s gun.
Another issue: the normally high thumb position I prefer repeatedly engaged the Not-A-GLOCK’s LWD Ext. Slide Lock lever. The slide locked back during strings. Not ideal. I much prefer the stock GLOCK slide lock. That said, if you’ve trained yourself to keep your thumb lower on the gun this won’t be an issue. You may find that the extended lock allows for the faster malfunction clearing.
The LWD custom built 19 GFP slide offers another exploration of Lone Wolf’s parts inventory. It includes a LWD S/S guide rod assembly, LWD slide in 9mm, LWD firing pin safety spring, LWD firing pin safety, LWD Extractor Depressor Plunger Spring, LWD spacer sleeve, LWD channel liner, LWD load bearing spring, LWD firing spring marine cups, LWD mid weight firing pin spring, GLOCK extractor, GLOCK Extractor depressor plunger, LWD stock length Barrel LWD threat protector, LWD lightweight firing pin, ultimate 3d slide custom cover plate, LWD custom machined slide, pattern #4, and a Trijicon HD night sight set.
About that sight set-up . . .
At the 25-yard line I couldn’t get a good grouping; the Lone Wolf handgun’s sight obliterated too much of the target. Eventually I used the sight’s top right corner to get groups off a bag. Obviously this wouldn’t do for faster fire. And because the frame is snag-free and the two dot rear sight is so small, one-handed malfunction clearing or racking the slide is, shall we say, problematic. This gun needs Heine Straight 8 night sights, making it easier to rack one-handed as well as providing a smaller tritium front sight for increased accuracy.
I fed the Not-A-GLOCK a total of 500 rounds: 400 Winchester White Box 115gr. FMJs, two magazines of Winchester PDX1 124gr. +P and Winchester Ranger 124gr. +Ps, and some PMC Bronze FMJ rounds. The PMC resulted in repeated failures to fire, with strong primer strikes on the rounds. I tried cartridges from this same box of ammo in an M&P 9mm as well as my WC92FS and had the exact same difficulty. Houston, we have an ammunition problem. So I’m happy to pronounce the Not-A-GLOCK’s reliability unimpeachable.
Thanks to the sights, accuracy was a bit of a challenge. At the 10-yard line, nailing 5 1/2″ plates in fast fire was completely doable. And I mean as fast as I could get the sights down. The Not-A-GLOCK is a light weight gunl; I had to drive it down a bit. But it’s very easy to control. Traversing horizontal targets was easy, and making the dueling tree bounce was the business. Recoil is minimal; I’d highly recommend Lone Wolf’s mega-mutant for a new or recoil sensitive shooter. Thanks to the low recoil, grip angle and the compact nature of the gun, shooting one-handed right or left was a doddle – although the long and squishy trigger was an obvious detriment.
My first several groups off a front bag at 25-yards (using the Winchester FMJ round) scored 5″ groups. Not good. The gun sits on the bag just fine, stays stable. In slow fire that long trigger I hate so much wasn’t that big of an concern. Once I started shooting just using the top right corner of the sight, I was getting regular 2″ three and five shot groups.
I generally consider GLOCKs fatally flawed. Specifically, many GLOCKs won’t cycle when they’re not held correctly. I’ve shot more than a few GLOCKs – mostly smaller-caliber guns – that fail to cycle when fired in positions I find reasonable if not common for self defense. I didn’t have that problem with [stock] 10mm GLOCKs, and I didn’t have that problem with Lone Wolf’s 9mm modded GLOCK. I laid down with the Lone Wolf in my right hand, cocked my wrist perpendicular to my forearm and mostly parallel to my body and fired several times. It cycled every time.
All in all, props to the Not-A-GLOCK GLOCK. I have no idea what the “Perfection” groupies think of these guns, but I’m a fan. It conceals well, draws and points well, and shoots reliably and accurately. With only a couple of changes, it would be an outstanding daily carry piece, and would do extremely well in competition.
SPECIFICATIONS: Lone Wolf Distributors Compact Timberwolf 9mm
Lengthy Custom Options listed above
MSRP: $800
Ratings (out of five stars):
Style * * * * *
Yup, I gave a polymer striker-fired pistol five stars for style. This gun looks like a tool, but like a tool you brought down with you from the mother ship. Great design well executed.
Reliability * * * * *
I”ll say it: perfection.
Accuracy * * * *
This is a hard one. The 2″ groups are great, but not considering how I had to use the sights to achieve it. Still, it shows the outstanding mechanical ability of the gun either on a bag or in the hand.
Overall * * * *
An outstanding gun. It might be a five star gun with the UAT or Ghost trigger and a different sight set up. As it is, I’d carry it any day and recommend it to anyone.
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