I bought a used Glock 17 at a gun show when I was barely old enough to purchase a handgun. This was Glock the original series before any Glock generations. I still have it and it runs great, but I wanted to experiment with a different grip angle and get light rails.
I am a Glock armorer, and I had an extra Glock 17 slide lying around looking for a project. Then, Lone Wolf R&D LLC introduced the long-awaited WolfPack™ Series Replacement Frame. Here is where they got me: “Your Price: $199.95”.
That was awhile back. The Timber Wolf frame comes in compact and fullsize now with grey as a new color option. They are still a great bargain.
The Glock is an impressive handgun. The Glock armorer class is very simple because it is elegantly designed. The ergonomics are less than perfection. The Aryans have some funny ideas about grip angle. The saber was held with a forward angle to get the point down. The Lugar and the Glock have a similar angle which I find annoying. If only I could have all the cool Glock features with a strong American 1911 grip angle.
The LoneWolf polymer replacement frame works with Gen3 Glock models: G/17, 17L, 22, 24, 31, 34, 35 and 37. It has custom features which make it very appealing: a choice of 2 quick change grips, rounded trigger guard, extended beaver tail, round mag catch, improved checkering, higher grip angle and improved rail system.
The slim grip on the TimberWolf frame is the smallest sculpted grip available. Timberwolf claims that no grip reduction can compete with this custom fit or feel. I haven’t tried the grip reductions so I can’t comment. There is also swelled grip I preferred. I really like the 1911esque feel. It takes less than a second to try them both.
The TimberWolf is intended as a direct replacement for your 3rd generation Glock frame or use it as the foundation to build your own custom Glock pistol. This sounds simple. I called my friendly neighborhood FFL and the adventure started. The Timberwolf frame includes the basic parts unique to it: round magazine catch, SF trigger housing and two grips. All remaining Gen3 Glock factory parts are standard “fit and function”. Drop them in, perform the basic safety function test and you are ready to go.
There were a few snags. It really is a bare frame and you have to know something about Glocks to put one together. All of the issues were identified on the Timberwolf website if I had taken a little more time to read it. I was a Glock armorer, how hard could this be? First, there is a specific 3 pin locking block, different that the one from my donor gun. That was a $35 fix at www.Brownells.com With the new locking block, my slide stop didn’t work. I was so excited about having the locking block that I test fired it without a slide stop. It ran great, but there was no slide stop. LoneWolf has a great extended slide stop for $13. For my own amusement, I decided to use a Dremel tool to fix my old one. I forgot how to replace the magazine catch spring, again the internet was my friend.
LoneWolf clearly tells you that you need to transfer the ejector to your new frame. My armorer course didn’t cover that. As a last desperate act, I read the instructions. There is a video link to a how to video and it is dead simple. There is nothing in this build you cannot learn on the internet if you are a little gun savvy and posses opposable thumbs.
The gun shoots great and functions flawlessly. I learned a lot about the Glock and its variants. I had fun. I have a cool new custom gun which draws a lot of attention at the range. It fits Glock holsters and uses regular G-17 magazines. Now I know what I am doing, I am thinking of building a long slide with a LoneWolf slide.
If you are not seeking the adventure of a build, LoneWolf sells complete assembled frames for the 9mm and .40 models.
They also offer custom finishes and complete slides.
Get your very own Timber Wolf at lonewolfdist.com
