Ok, I admit that I thought (and still think) that the idea of a "Commemorative" version of the M17 was a bit silly. That said, when I find one available for individual officer pricing the temptation becomes pretty great. Great enough that it followed me home from my lunch break today.
Obviously I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet, but quick inspection gives me a positive impression. The safety is positive and gives audible and tactile feedback. The "coyote" PVD on the slide is more attractive to me at least than the FDE on my 320 compact. The PVD on the slide has a bit of a metallic bronze sheen to it. The trigger feels like what it is, a very nice example of a p320 trigger.
Comparing it side by side with the "commercial" 320 m17 revealed some minor differences. The color of the PVD on the slide is slightly different. The 320 m17 seems flatter and closer to the FDE finish than the commemorative gun. The controls are coated to match the slide. The optics plate is attached differently. The 320 m17 has two screw holes that go up through the inside of the slide into the rear sight. If you compare the guns side be side you'll note that the rear sight is slightly longer on the 320 m17 than the commemorative. This is to give the screws somewhere to thread into. I'm not entirely sure how the plate is held in place on the commemorative, but I've been told you remove the extractor to get it out. It's moot for me, I'm not really a fan of red dots on service handguns. Personal preference. The slide markings on the commemorative are much closer to the issue gun than those on the 320 m17.
Yes, I'm going to shoot the crap out of this gun. I could probably flip it (short term at least) for considerably more than I have in it, but I didn't buy it as an investment. Its a polymer service pistol, not a hand fitted piece of hand polished blued steel and figured walnut.
To remove the rear sight plate on a military M17, you need to remove the slide back plate and the striker. The military M17 uses one screw to hold the plate on.
Posts: 926 | Location: Ohio | Registered: May 11, 2008
I picked up the M/17 Comm the day they came out , I had two in my hand , I should have got both anf flipped one . I have shot maybe 450 rds no problem . I do seem to hit low compared to my 320 Carry L/E package gun . Also sometimes my Comm m17 will stay out of batt about 1/16 in , but not when firing , maybe its tight I do not know ????
The date on my box is like Aug 1st , When I do like a press check type thing with the slide sometimes its kind of tight its getting better with about 450 rd . Are any of yours like that ???????
Both of my 320s do that on press checks. No issues when firing the gun and I’ve never seen it happen from holstering the gun. It does seem to get less frequent as the guns wear in a bit.