REVIEW: Norlite USK-G - Glock Conversion Kit - Part 3

In our article series about the Norlite USK-G, we have so far looked at both the individual configuration of the conversion kit, as well as the technology and construction of this conversion system for Glock pistols. In this initially final part, we focus on the precision and reliability of the USK-G.

As mentioned in previous articles, the USK-G was provided by Norlite for testing and reporting purposes, and the texts and images come from Major Finding.

Who "needs" the USK-G?

Since the beginning of this article series, we have often read questions like these on various social media pages and we also want to address this finally.
Norlite clearly and primarily targets the USK-G at sports shooters who want to participate in PCC competitions and live in Germany or Austria - or countries with similar gun laws.

In Germany as well as in Austria, the USK-G is NOT considered as a separate weapon, but is registered as a conversion kit on the WBK (Weapon Possession Card), and therefore does not require its own space - additionally, in Germany there is no need to prove a "need."

Corresponding to the sporting character of the conversion system, it does not require (like a Glock pistol) any additional manual safety! In both static and dynamic competitions, the weapon is emptied after each run or unloaded after each stage and safety is ensured. There are also no shooting disciplines where it is necessary or allowed to carry a loaded weapon on the body using a strap and move around. So if the internal safety features such as trigger safety and drop safety of the USK-G seem inadequate, one should consider possibly avoiding handling firearms altogether.

In addition to sports shooters, there is a second target group of people for whom the USK is interesting: Those who have enough guns and enough free slots on the WBK, but simply want to own a piece of cool and extraordinary technology to expand their Glock-LEGO collection.

Reliability:

Each individual conversion kit is test-fired at Norlite before delivery. The conversion kit is tested with the same model of the grip frame that you specify when placing your order. According to the manufacturer, the delivered conversion kit does not have a breaking-in phase where the moving parts only wear in after a certain number of shots, but can be used immediately without restrictions.

In a German-language YouTube video, a reviewer even stated that he had fired 8,000 rounds with his model without experiencing a single malfunction.
However, we could not achieve this value with our model.

After successfully completing the first two competitions with the USK-G and firing a total of only 440 rounds, the first malfunctions occurred. The extractor no longer functioned and consequently the empty casings were not pulled out of the chamber. Like with other firearm projects, in case of any technical malfunctions, we turn to our trusted gunsmith from Waffenstube Guggi. He disassembled and inspected the USK-G and concluded that some dirt had accumulated behind the extractor, causing it to block. After cleaning and polishing the extractor, everything worked flawlessly again - at least with the ammunition we mainly use, the S&B 124 gr. FMJ

We also tested the USK-G with other types of ammunition and found that our model, for example, does not like hollow point bullets.

The 115 gr jacketed hollow point from Geco is practically not fed at all. The projectile remains stuck on the feed ramp in most cases and is often crushed into the casing.

But even the normal 124 gr FMJ from Geco is very difficult for our USK-G to digest. While a cartridge is fed, the empty casing often gets stuck between the bolt carrier and the housing.

Precision:

At least with the 124 gr FMJ from S&B, our USK-G works perfectly. Therefore, we mainly focused on this ammunition during the precision test and only tested the 115 gr FMJ - also from S&B.

For the test, we shot the USK-G from a shooting rest and equipped it with a correspondingly magnification-scope. This is the 4-24×56 MBR FFP from the Continental series of the company Vector Optics, with a 34 mm main tube.

In this configuration, 25 meters are at most a warm-up exercise, and the group size looks accordingly. The 124 gr FMJ from S&B punches a single hole with a diameter of 15 mm in the paper.

50 meters are also not a challenge, and with the 124 gr FMJ from S&B, we achieve a group size of 46 mm.

Even at a distance of 100 meters, our USK-G with a 10-inch barrel does not question whether we will hit the target, but only how small the group size is.

With the standard 124 gr FMJ from S&B, we achieved a group size of 59.9 mm at 100 meters. This can be considered an excellent result - both from the side of the USK-G and the quality of the 9 mm ammunition from Sellier & Bellot.

With the 115 gr FMJ from S&B, the group size of 75 mm was even worse than with the heavier projectiles, but it is still good for 9 mm ammunition.

Conclusion:

The USK-G actually turns your Glock into a full-fledged PCC, whose performance is on par with a "real" PCC. If you do your part as a shooter, you can confidently participate in any shooting competition with this conversion system and rely on the fact that the biggest factor that can affect accuracy is yourself.

Last year, we were able to secure two first place finishes in shooting competitions with the USK-G and will continue to compete with it in the future. If you want to stay up to date, you can follow Major Finding on Instagram and Facebook.

The big "but":

It would be unprofessional to evaluate a product entirely based on a single sample – this applies to both the positive and negative aspects.

The fact that our model is so picky with ammunition, and doesn't work with many types of ammunition, is naturally frustrating! Especially the fact that we couldn't properly test Geco ammunition poses a challenge. Geco is a very popular ammunition brand in the German-speaking region and is widely used in the sporting sector. Being so limited can certainly affect competitiveness in shooting competitions.

We have spoken with Norlite about the technical challenges with our model so far, and we were told that this is very unusual for the USK-G. However, since Glock pistols are known to have a relatively wide tolerance range in manufacturing, it is possible that there are difficulties with the frame we used.

We have been asked to send our model in for inspection by Norlite, so that it can be directly inspected and adjusted if necessary. This is of course in our best interest and we will do so accordingly.
Once we get our USK-G back, we will test it again with different types of ammunition and share the results in a follow-up article.

NORLITE online

All links to MAJOR FINDING

More NORLITE on SPARTANAT

– REVIEW: NORLITE USK-G – GLOCK CONVERSION SYSTEM Part 2

– REVIEW: NORLITE USK-G – GLOCK CONVERSION SYSTEM

– IWA 2022: USK-G CONVERSION SYSTEM BY NORLITE

– AUSTRIA ARMS: NORLITE IN REVIEW