[Josh Smith]

The Glock... created by Gaston Glock, to many the modern John Browning.

The Glock is popular and is becoming moreso everyday.

When I was voluntarily trained, I was given a G22 to use. I out shot the rest of the team and most of the Sheriff's Deputies.

I liked it - to a point. It functioned. It felt funky in my hand, top heavy, and torqued more than any pistol I've shot since.

The sights were good. I could get back on target quickly.

The one I used had a NY trigger. I loved it. I hate the mushy ones. But, it did leave an imprint on my finger.

The trigger also felt fat.

Just musing....

To me the Glock is only a tool. It's a pistol that I would treat like a hammer or screwdriver. If the finish wears, oh well (and on a sidenote, I got tired of touching up my Taurus. I've noticed since that the finish wear doesn't hurt it and adds character ).

Soooo.... big following on Glock. Why? What's the big deal?

This thread is intended to address any and all aspects of Gaston's design. Compare and contrast with other designs. The thread is also made to drift - just keep it civil.

Sooo... where to start? How about the one thing that really floored me on the particular model I shot... accuracy? Whatcha' think?

Josh <><

 

[erich]

I'm a Glock fan for the usual reasons - the pistols are fairly inexpensive, simple to operate, decently accurate, very reliable, small for their calibers and capacity, and shoot bullets fairly fast because of the polygonal rifling.

I don't like the usual things - they're fugly, I hate that "sproing" trigger feel (feels like a dart gun I had when I was 8

), and their gripframe feels odd in my hand.

I put the 3.5 # connector in mine, and feel it greatly enhances the trigger pull.

 

[Guest]

I like my Glock 20! It is my 5th 10mm Auto and one of the most useful!

Scott

 

[Guest]

The Glock is the first "revolver" that uses a magazine!!!

The transition for those who've never shot a semi before would be very easy. No complications of use and quick adjustment.

I currently have two, both 40's, #27 and #35. One is my carry and the other my nitestand backup. 100% reliable and nothing to fiddle with just pick it up, point and shoot.

The Glock is probably now the most copied design today. Every firearms maker has incorporated something from the Glock design into their polymer pistols. Trying to keep up with the "Glocks" has been challenging, and many now are becoming very innovative which may bypass Glock in technology and that's okay, but we all know who the first kid on the block is.

RC

 

[poppy]

I bought my first Glock at a gun show on impulse, a model 27 40 S&W. It was nice with night sights and 4 factory mags, but I could not control it, so I sold it at a loss. Again on impulse at another show I bought a model 30 in 45ACP, this time with standard sights but again with 4 factory mags. I got it for a low price so I figured I could get rid of it easily if needed (this was before the model 36 came out). I liked it much better than the 27 so I kept it. I continue to like Glocks, but for the utility, not the looks. I would probably buy a 26 and/or a 36 if I got a good deal. I have no big desire to collect them. For CCW if might be a hard choice for me between the 36 and the Kahr KP9. poppy

 

[Chris Stephens]

Hi there Josh,

I was a big 1911 shooter back in the 90's and if it had 1911A1 rollmarked on it, I bought it and then finally built two Caspian's, which I sold off to fellow competitive shooters. I also liked revolvers a great deal and was very fond of the S&W 686 with the 4" barrel and owned several of those as well.

After South Carolina passed the citizen defense act of 1994, I wanted to get my SC CWP. It was also an opportunity to buy something different, because at the time, the gun you qualified with was the gun you carried.

I had shot a couple of range rental Glocks was impressed by the trigger, ergonomics and handling at speed for me. I wanted something more powerful than the 9mm and in a smaller package than a .45 ACP and also wanted a pistol that first shot capable without a safety lever. So, this is what I picked, shot and qualified with:

I picked the G-23 because of its size, calibre and capacity for size. Although it is classified as a compact model, it does handle like a full size pistol. It was also the major pick in the larger full size for the City of NMB's public safety department and in the G-23 size for the detective division. Our state SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was also the first LEO department in the country to go to the G-23.

I like Glock's simplicity, toughness, reliability and ergonomics. They are not perfect for everyone, but suit my needs very well.

Chris

 

[erich]

I forgot to mention the ease of take-down and clean-up . . .

 

[Guest]

I ahve nothing against the Glock, as a weapon. I think it's probably one of the best handguns ever made.

However, I find their proliferation disturbing. People seem to ignore other guns that might be better for them, just because the Glock is easy and popular.

If a Glock is right for you, then more power to you, but don't just go out, buy a Glock, and never look at another brand as an option.

I know several people that won't begin to consider buying anything but more Glocks, and I can tell just by looking that there are probably other guns that are more ergonomically suited to their hand sizes.

I know a woman whose husband told her to go into a gun store, pick a Glock, and bring it home.

I know Cops that have the option of carrying any number of different firearms, and won't try anything else, but a Glock.

I'm not saying not to go with a Glock if you like it, but keep an open mind; Gaston's made a lot of money off of people who are entranced by an illusory "perfection."

 

[briand]

Good point chubbypigeon. By the same token, many LE agencies show interest in only Glocks as duty weapons. Yes, buying from the lowest bidder CAN be a good thing, but not all these departments are forced by fiscal constraints to buy the least expensive choice available, which I guess Glock is in many cases.

(Sometimes makes me wonder if Chiefs, Sheriffs, Safety Directors, Mayors, etc. aren't getting some kind of..ahem..consideration for choosing Glock, but that's perhaps best left for another thread.)

All this isn't a knock on the product's overall quality though; the ones I've owned were joyously trouble-free, and reliable as gravity. There are other guns I shoot better and enjoy more, but Glocks are impossible for me to dislike in any way.

 

[larry]

Own a G26 with 10 rounds mags and Pearce (non +) heels: compact, light and very shootable in quick drills. And I will part from it someday for the following reasons.

Smart design that assembled technologies already known as polymere (HK VP 70 and P9) and semi-cocked action (Steyr 1908). It doesn't make Glock the Browning of the end of the 20th.

For defense, I would feel uneasy with a Glock as it puts the shootability to a dangerous extreme versus safety. It is also boringly efficient, not perfectly reliable and ugly. All personal opinions and taste, of course.

Conclusion: "My life is to short to shoot Glocks".

L.

 

[Guest]

Good point chubbypigeon. By the same token, many LE agencies show interest in only Glocks as duty weapons. Yes, buying from the lowest bidder CAN be a good thing, but not all these departments are forced by fiscal constraints to buy the least expensive choice available, which I guess Glock is in many cases.

(Sometimes makes me wonder if Chiefs, Sheriffs, Safety Directors, Mayors, etc. aren't getting some kind of..ahem..consideration for choosing Glock, but that's perhaps best left for another thread.)

All this isn't a knock on the product's overall quality though; the ones I've owned were joyously trouble-free, and reliable as gravity. There are other guns I shoot better and enjoy more, but Glocks are impossible for me to dislike in any way.

A local department near me recently switched from SIG P220Rs to Glock 22s. The reasons? Their SIGs started having problems feeding, their frames were showing abnormal wear after a short time, and their slides were also showing above acceptable wear in many cases. They got sick of having to have weapons repaired and replaced constantly.

Glock offered them a low price, of course, and for the average officer Glock is probably a better choice. It is nearly as reliable, cop-proof and trouble-free as a hammer, compared with any other handgun.

In my zone of operations there is a mixture of Glocks and SIGs, with the odd H&K thrown in there. People have the choice, and right now it's about half-half. As more new people come in, the Glock seems to be the way to go.

As for me, I have the choice and I choose Glock. I am still waiting for my, ahem, consideration!

Glock will be considered one of the finest weapon designers in history, for the polymer design (completed before its use by H&K), for the Tenifer finish, for the striker design, for the use of polygonal barrels instead of rifling, and for many other things. Love them or hate them, Glocks are here to stay! At the very least respect them!

 

[larry]

Hi,

My reserves are by no ways disrespect to Glocks - and others opinions. Gaston Glock started a revolutionary trend in handguns that have much following and success. For that reason and others, he desserves respect. He is a clever businessman and by no way a mecanical genius like John M. Browning or Paul Mauser. All the attributes of the Glock 17 were already used in other handguns: semi-cocked action in Steyr 1907 (not 1908, as I spelled it before), polymere in HK VP70 and P9S (produced 10 years before), polygonal barrel in HK PSP (aka P7, 5 years anteriority). The Tenifer is an industrial process developped decades ago by the german Degussa concern. The genius of Gaston Glock was to call a small group of engineers and handguns specialists together to develop a new pistol from a blank page. The qualities of the product and Glock's connections in the Autrian Army brought the first contract for the Glock 17. Then Gaston Glock developped smartly the line in a modular way and success came with very good marketing.

Bye.

L.

 

[Chris Stephens]

Hi Larry,

Glocks for the most part are "boringly efficient". Also, they are not much to look at either.

Aesthetically, I like the look of Blued Steel and nice wood much better than the flat tennifer finish and textured plastic of the Glock.

In my opinion, Glocks are like .22 rifles, everyone who collects handguns should have a least one.

Chris

 

[poppy]

I agree with Chris. As a collector I will probably always have a Glock. I have bought and sold a G27 and a G19. I have also bought and sold an S&W Sigma (Glock like features) in 9mm, but got rid of it because Cincinnati, OH doesn't allow magazines with greater than 15 rounds. I still have a Sigma in 40 S&W simply because that was the first gun designed for the round and has truely hi cap mags.

For a long time here in the Cinci area gun shows there has been an almost cult following for Glocks. Many used 9mm models came on the market as some LE agencies switched to 40 S&W. Used Glocks were commanding NIB prices between private traders. The market has now softened for Glocks with the combination of the expiration of the 10 round max. and reduced prices on some competitive pistol models. The G30 with 4 factory mags and a mag pouch that I picked up for $425 OTD doesn't seem like a steal any more.

As an engineer I have always been impressed with the simplicity and efficiency of the Glock design. It is blocky however, but still packs in the max. number of rounds in their magazines. That's one of the things that also attracked me to the Sigma. poppy

 

[Guest]

Genius and innovation come in many forms.

If, as Larry said earlier in this thread, many Glock features came from other guns, that doesn't detract from Herr Glock's accomplishment.

He combined some of the best features of those others in a single pistol. The result, the G17, was a reliable, easy to manufacture, relatively inexpensive gun. It transformed the U.S. handgun market, although perhaps the impact was smaller in Europe and Asia.

In any event, the G17 clearly was innovative; it was the only gun that offered polygonal rifling, polymer, tenifer, tensioned striker,etc. in one package. As a result, the G17 had the biggest impact of any handgun introduced in the postwar era. Pretty good accomplishment for an ugly piece of plastic competing in a market that puts a premium on traditional notions of wood and steel craftsmanship.

Max

 

[poppy]

I need to correct a previous post. I neglected to note that it was actually Glock who came out with the first 40 S&W pistol. What I should have said was that I kept the Sigma 40 because the Sigma was first designed for the 40 S&W round before other chamberings. So I guess for history's sake, I have a first generation Sigma chambered for the first caliber it was designed for. I might some day obtain a Glock 17 for the same reason. poppy

 

[Chris Stephens]

Hi there poppy,

Several years ago, I obtained a Sigma chambered in .40 calibre S&W as well.

However, I didn't like as much as my G-23 and sold/traded it. Regretfully, I wish I still kept it because I sold it for "no darned good reason" except that I already had a .40 S&W handgun.

Interestly, one day I call a Smith and Wesson to ask them some technical questions about the Sigma. The customer service rep transfered me to tech who was on the assembly line actually putting together Sigmas as we spoke.

I thought that experience was pretty neat.

Chris