The Roland Special

adam_s

Regular Member
Seeing the RMR ALG 6-Second mount has gotten me pondering making a Roland Special involving one of those cut to G19 size, and the KKM barrel. Yes, total range toy, as there is NO WAY I could hide this IWB...but could be fun all the same.
 

ptrlcop

Established
At least 10-15 in WI that I can think of in at least 3 counties. All but one on Glocks.
RMRd guns maybe, but full on comped Rolland's? I haven't seen one.

We have 4 RMRed G17s in my agency. My hands are not huge but I prefer the extra grip length.

BTW, I think I saw you at Ryan's funeral. Just couldn't make it through the crowd. Hard day.
 

weaver1032

Regular Member
Reading fail on my part. Those are RDS guns. Comps ate very rare in LE up here and I frankly don't know of anyone carrying a comped gun either after market or a factory option.
 
Some of you gentlemen have stated that the RS is a very flat shooter and that it was a very easy gun to use. Would you recommend this setup to a new shooter? Could this pistol be used to proficiently train a beginner with, or is it a step up only for the guys who have already been doing this for quite some time and have a lot of experience?
 

aadrian82

Amateur
Some of you gentlemen have stated that the RS is a very flat shooter and that it was a very easy gun to use. Would you recommend this setup to a new shooter? Could this pistol be used to proficiently train a beginner with, or is it a step up only for the guys who have already been doing this for quite some time and have a lot of experience?

While it certainly couldn't hurt, I think starting off with a stock gun and mastering that is the only way to go. You will figure out(with proper training) your grip, sight picture and necessary mechanics and how to deal with recoil. When you have that down, a transition to the RS will be much more appreciated and you will be that much more lethal. At least thats my opinion.
 

Slim

Jerk Ingredients Off
Staff member
Moderator
While it certainly couldn't hurt, I think starting off with a stock gun and mastering that is the only way to go. You will figure out(with proper training) your grip, sight picture and necessary mechanics and how to deal with recoil. When you have that down, a transition to the RS will be much more appreciated and you will be that much more lethal. At least thats my opinion.

I couldn't agree more there!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

Slim

Jerk Ingredients Off
Staff member
Moderator
Just got my slide back from ATEi this past Tuesday. Can't wait to finish it off with some texture and give this puppy a go


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Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
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nate89

Guest
I don't have the sample size, but I have shot two or three different glocks with atom slides, and They worked just as well as when the Glock slides were installed. My friend had one for an extended period on loan and all in all there has been about 1000 rounds or so through it if say. The front sight did come loose, but I wouldn't necessarily call that a failure of the slide. I will be buying a used demo Glock 19 atom slide, and I should have in pretty soon. I'll put down some thoughts as I get some rounds down range.
 
So is the Unity Tactical Atom a viable alternative to AETI modifications?
Myself and a teammate both sent our G22 slides to Atom/L&M Precision when they first started offering that service several years ago. Although it's not an Atom slide, the work they did for us was very good with a quick turnaround. (I'm pretty sure they were from the first batch that Atom made). We both have RMR 6s and comped KKM barrels with them as well. The only gripe that I have about the slide is that they have the original suppressor sights, which aren't visible through the RMR. They've since fixed that problem and issue taller suppressor sights.
I wouldn't hesitate on buying a whole Atom slide in the future.
 
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nate89

Guest
I just assembled an atom slide with the guts from my Glock 19. I have the 3.5 MOA adjustable RMR in it, and shot 50 rounds through it before work. The slide worked well, no problems, and accuracy was in par with the standard glock slide. No long-term data, but I'm looking forward to putting a few thousand rounds through it in the coming months.
 

adam_s

Regular Member
What are you guys using for OWB rigs for your blasters? SafariLand's model lineup is voodoo to me for normal guns, never mind something like this. I'm after an OWB setup with a gun with an X300U on it, which precludes using an Eidolon.

Is it just the 6354DO, or custom one off at the moment?
 

K Williams

Member
I've got a Griffon Industries OWB for a Glock 34 which retains it with or without the light. You can also get an OWB from Raven but I have no personal experience with it.

The 6354DO is the ticket if you need the retention, although you will have to remove some of the material on the locking mechanism with a dremel for your rear BUIS to fit.
 
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nate89

Guest
I have been shooting and carrying my version of the now ubiquitous Roland Special for about a month. I have put about 500 rounds through it pre-comp, and about 500 more through it complete as the picture shows. Frame is stock Glock 19 gen4 with an Agency Magwell. Slide is an Atom with all stock Glock internals. RMR is 3.5 MOA adjustable, and barrel is KKM with the carver comp.

As a TL;DR at the beginning, I like this gun a lot. The dot took some time to get used to, but I now am picking it up on every drawstroke, and any time difference for the first shot compared to irons has now disappeared. The dot also has made shooting at distance (ie. steel from 50-200 yards) much better. A-zone hits at 50 are easy. The forward serrations of the ATOM slide are very nice to have. I have shot guns with dots that had irons both in front of (like the ATOM), and in the rear of the dot. I have found, for my personally, that it really doesn't matter much. I have yet to have the dot go down, but I have turned it off and used the irons to practice, and having the rear sight in the front has caused no problems, and the timer says a time difference does not exist, so I don't worry about it.

The barrel is probably more accurate than factory, but I have not done enough slowfire to really see the difference. I do my best to stress accuracy, but a precision pistol shooter I am not. The comp is really the new piece for me. Before I got this comp, I had shot maybe 10 rounds though a .38 super open gun about 2-3 years ago, and a 50 round box through Matt's comped Glock 19. I am still waiting to borrow a 34 from a friend to see how big the difference is between the 19 and comp vs. just using a 34 and using the extra length for barrel and slide, but the comp does reduce muzzle rise, and I am faster on target. Rapid fire groups have tightened up, and when my grip is in order I have shot some 2-3 shot strings where I don't see the dot leave the glass.

Shooting at night: I have tried my HST 124s at night, and didn't find the muzzle flash to be serious enough to impact shooting, or sight. When watching from the side, there is noticeable flame coming from both the sides, and the top of the comp, but when behind the gun it hasn't been an issue, granted I have been shooting at static paper only. Those with more practical experience may have more to say about that. In talking with several guys shooting open guns in USPSA, the name of the game is gas volume to get the comp to work. I decided when I bought my stock of HSTs from SGAmmo last week, that I would buy a couple hundred rounds of the infamous 9BP-LE ammo from federal. The purpose of this was to see what the extra pressure of an +P+ round would do when shooting a comped gun. Theoretically, the extra pressure from the gas should work the comp better, and help keep the gun flatter. Me and a friend shot a mag side by side with some HSTs, and there was a bit of a difference. I did feel like the gun was flatter, along with a bit more concussion when shooting the +P+, but that could have been my own bias, as I knew what ammo I was shooting and expected a certain result. Next time we go shoot and have more time, we will load mags for each other so there is no bias, and will have some better, less biased, information.

Overall: This has been my primary carry gun for about a month. I very much enjoy shooting it, and carrying it has not been a problem. I am now completely sold on appendix carry as my default carry method. I still have my strong side holsters, as there are occasions where they are the best option (like when carrying with a suitcoat). I bought an appendix holster with an X300U for both the Glock 19, and a sig 229, and both carry very well. The holsters are top-notch, and I highly recommend them.
I work on the campus that I am a student, and I am regularly in front of a class, so having my gun easily spotted is obviously not a good thing. Even with as big of a gun as this seems to be, I am confident carrying like this, and keeping the gun completely concealed. The roland special has been of great value to me, and it deserves a serious look.
 
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nate89

Guest
Some of you gentlemen have stated that the RS is a very flat shooter and that it was a very easy gun to use. Would you recommend this setup to a new shooter? Could this pistol be used to proficiently train a beginner with, or is it a step up only for the guys who have already been doing this for quite some time and have a lot of experience?

I work at a range and see a lot of new shooters come in, and usually I am out giving instruction to ensure safety as well as hopefully establishing some good habits at the beginning. I also teach a very basic pistol safety and familiarization class a couple times a month. I am no high-level pro instructor, but I do get to see many new shooters. I have found that the noise is often more bothersome to new shooters than the recoil is. The comp is more concussive than a bare muzzle, and because of that I would hesitate to start someone with it, as a general rule. I would say the dot can be a big help for a new shooter. When starting out, there are so many things a new shooter is trying to process, and simplifying one of those things, in the beginning, seems logical to me. Working on keeping a good grip and stance, having a proper trigger press, and aligning a rear sight, front sight, and target can be an overload. It is easy to say 'put the dot on the target' and allow them to focus on a good trigger press as opposed to worrying about keeping sights aligned. I have had people who were struggling shoot a pistol with a dot, and all have commented afterward that it helped.
 

K Williams

Member
I echo what Nate said regarding new shooters and a RDS equipped pistol. My 19yo daughter was just home from college and had never fired a pistol before.
We did some dry fire work at home and then went to a local range. For her first 15 rounds at 7 yards, I coached her through each trigger press and the results were phenomenal.
 

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Tricks

Amateur
I think Nate said it right. I shot his Roland Special and liked it enough I'm pricing parts out. Has any one got to play with the Agency Arms NOC? I would like to run one next to a RS and see what its like. Also has anyone done a RS G17?
 
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