Range Report: GGP/Aero Precision Slide

Grey Ghost Precision and Aero Precision recently announced a partnership intended to produce "custom quality production slides and barrels" for the Glock pistol. The goal as described was to get high quality gun upgrades out to consumers quickly, leveraging in-house manufacturing capability to provide complete service OEM production (and the resultant improvement in QC).

Several reports on the new slides' performance have been made available, including the following.

Range Report: Grey Ghost Precision Slide Review

by Tyler Hutch

Alright ladies and gents, take a knee, face outboard and grab some water- it's time to talk Glock slides.

I was recently invited to take a hard look at Grey Ghost Precision's new Glock slides and barrels. Having known for some time of GGP's reputation for exceptional end-user centricism (and as might be expected of any gear guy) I was excited to oblige.

One blistering afternoon, I rolled up to The Farm and spotted a visual on a dust plume from a black SUV advancing on my location. Upon its arrival to my location, I connected with GGP CEO, Casey Ingels (a former 2/75 Ranger, and Vice President, GW Ayers (a retired Stryker SNCO). Like Santa Clause, they arrived with a truck full of brand new, precision GLOCK slides. I was handed a "Geoscale" GLOCK17 and instructed to run the gun as hard as I possibly could. Specifically, I was told to handle it "...like I normally would."

Happy to oblige.

Before proceeding, let me take a moment to introduce myself; my name is Tyler and I've been an armed professional for my entire adult life. I joined the Marine Corps when I was 18 years old. There I served with 2nd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment, Golf Company. I deployed to Afghanistan in '08 with TF 2/7 and worked my way into the Battalion's Scout/Sniper Platoon once I returned CONUS. After leaving the Corps, I entered the world of Law Enforcement and subsequently, law enforcement, where I currently maintain a career in SWAT.

First inspection of the pistol revealed a precision milled slide, cut to within only a few ten- thousandths of an inch, the increasingly coveted front and top cocking serrations, and a G10 GGP cover for the RMR cut. Sure, it's the hotness, but I've got Marine in my blood and I could probably break a bowling ball in a padded room (and if I couldn't, plenty of others could) so I require more than a pretty face.

I loaded mags full of Lightweight NAS3 Cased 9mm Fallout Ammunition and Winchester 9mm 115 grain NATO Ammunition, and got myself to the firing line. I drew the weapon and grabbed the rear of the slide for a slingshot to battery. Now, I personally carry a G17 every day. I know the feel of my lifeline weapon system better than I do the curves of my significant other, but there was something different here. The familiar slippery Tenifer finish is missing – but is replaced with a matte Cerakote, and it feels very nice indeed. I'd already been drawn to GGP's Geoscale mill design because of the CDI (Chicks Dig It) factor (though I resisted it!), but what really began my love affair was the observation of such tactile definition and resulting, positive control.

Beginning at 10 meters, I took my stance and found front sight picture. Slow, steady squeeze – and steel rings. I duplicated this 16 more times, repeatedly stacking impacts on steel one after another.

I know what you're thinking. "Dude, it's 10 meters. I can do that with my Hi Point."

Fair enough. Don’t worry though – after that little warm-up, I decided it was time to stretch the GGP out to 25 and then 50m. That's where the men are separated from the boys, and the GLOCKs from the Hi Points (and Lorcins - don't forget the poor, neglected Lorcins).

The affair started to turn into a real relationship at this point. Ranges of 25 meters and beyond weren't the chore that they so routinely are, and I quickly found myself comfortably engaging at distances the Marine Corps describes as, "...ineffective for pistol engagements."

I'm just going to oblige myself and quote Wyatt Earp.

"Fast is fine, but accuracy is final."

Running this blaster, I found it difficult to not be impressed by the ability to stack hit after hit right atop one another. Typically,  with an OEM GLOCK (at least in my experience), you'll get some variation. This is amplified by distance.

I'm not trashing the stockers – GLOCK builds one hell of a firearm, but GGP has taken your high school Chevy Nova and supercharged it. Variation is not something I observed with the Grey Ghost weapon. In fact, it actually made all my own shooter errors that much more noticeable.

From the exceptionally positive lock up, to making a ragged 3/4 in. hole at 25 meters, I was absolutely satisfied, even pleased.

Now, some clarification for the discerning reader. I'm not a goon getting paid to shovel nonsense. I'm a gun and gear aficionado who likes what works and scoffs at what does not. I've had plenty of time behind some high-end aftermarket blasters that cost thousands of dollars and keep a tight pattern. The fact that a shooter can now obtain that same sort of mechanical advantage, if not better, for a substantially lower price point is significant.

To continue... After literally and figuratively warming up in the desert sun, I wanted to test the articulation of the Geoscale slide under more adverse conditions. With the assistance of my Pic Pro (photographer, for the layman) man Matt, I poured the half-gallon of sweat from my dome piece into my hands, which were then given a healthy dose of dirt and gravel. Impromptu test conditions set:

Jam a mag home and went for the sling shot; no issue.

Dump the dry mag, jam the second and go for the sling shot; no issue.

It became painfully obvious that I needed this GGP as my own rig. I found marked improvement over standard cocking serrations and GLOCK’s god-awful Tenifer (which is to say, ferritic nitrocarburized).

As many modern day gunslingers do, I prefer to run a red dot on my blaster. Thus I do most of my slide manipulation forward of the chamber. The GGP Geoscale is front and top serrated and so recreating the test conditions, I ran from the front of the slide.

If the outcome isn’t already predictable; it was a non-issue.

At the end of the day, I almost felt bad that I had run through the entirety of the 1,500 rounds of 9mm supplied by Grey Ghost.

Almost.

Before packing away the new love-of-my-life (Geoscale), something different about the feel of it grabbed my attention. I marched back to my vehicle and grabbed my old, faithful G17 and put it side by side with the Grey Ghost Precision version and discovered - no wobble.

Anyone who has spent time slinging lead and hate in the desert knows that with temperatures around the 102 mark, plus the projection of hundreds and thousands of rounds, things tend to get wobbly, loose, melt or just fall apart. The GGP had zero slide wobble. Even my stock 17 which had been sitting forsaken in the shade held a notable lack of tolerance.

After the heartbreak of watching the Geoscale ride off into the sunset with those other men subsided, I considered how I might wrap this whole experience up. I'll just say this.

Peace-making lead farmers want precision and versatility. Hopefully this report tells you where you can find both.

Now I've got to break the news to my wife that I have to buy a new slide, and hope she isn't jealous of my affection for that Geoscale...     Tyler

About the Author: Tyler Hutch has been an armed professional the entirety of his adult life. He joined the Marine Corps at 18, serving with Golf Company, 2/7, deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 with TF 2/7, and later worked his way into the Battalion Scout/Sniper Platoon. After leaving the Marines, he entered the world of law enforcement. He currently serves in a LEO special operations billet.

GGP and Aero Precision advise,

"...slides are manufactured from 17-4 billet stainless steel to have tighter tolerances than a factory slide, providing increased accuracy and reliability you can count on.

Complete slides are ready to function out of the box. Available for G17 Gen3, G17 Gen4, G19 Gen3 and G19 Gen4, they feature a match grade barrel with threaded and non-threaded options and a RMR Cut with a custom G10 RMR Plate (sights not included).

The GGP V2 slide features Chevron Hex (Geo Scales) front and rear serrations for weight reduction and positive grip without being too aggressive. This custom engineered design is functional and eye catching, providing an aggressive look yet retaining a comfortable feel."

GLOCK 19 Complete Slide Features:

• Available for Gen3 and Gen4


• Machined to exacting specifications from 17-4 Billet Stainless Steel


• Black Nitride coated inside and out


• Comes assembled with all internal components


• Includes Match Grade Barrel (available threaded and non-threaded)


• Absolute Co-Witness RMR Cut


• Includes G10 GGP marked RMR Plate


• Grey Ghost Precision endplate with logo


• *Accepts standard Glock G19 and G17 sights (not included). Hand fitting may be required.

Barrel Features:

• 416R Gun Barrel Quality Stainless Steel


• Match Grade drop in barrel


• Tight tolerances for consistent accuracy


• Machined to SAAMI Chamber specifications


• Black Nitride Finish for durability without hindering performance