GLOCKS - are they THAT good ?

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I have been lurking this board since it was launched, and it is probably the most well done I've found on the web. As to the Glock perfection - nothings perfect, but for me, Glocks come the closest.

I have owned and shot handguns fron all the major manufacturers, Colt, Ruger, Berretta, Sig etc... And I (this just me, my opinion,we all know what they are like) have found that:

1. Glocks have been the most reliable. My G-23 has over 5,000 rnds with no malfuctions.

2. They are the simplest handguns to operate. Just point and squeeze the trigger. No safety to fumble (some would claim training was the key to preventing this, but I feel why risk it) and no DA/SA trigger. Don't like those - my own preference.

3. Glocks are smooth and snag free in comparison to many other designs. I carry concealed from time to time and I appreciate the Glocks being very carry freindly.

To me a handgun is a tool of last resort for survival in a close combat situation. The Glock series fits what I look for the best. Now for fun and pride of ownership I've been eyeballing the Kimber Custom Stainless .45....
 
I currently have a G22 with over 50,000 rounds through it. One failure to feed from a used mag I bought that had a weak spring and one from a wet weak hand only shot. I also had 2 G24s and have a G27 all of which combined had about 43,000 rounds with no failures. Not too bad. Also, several people are under the impression that Glocks digest nothing but full power loads, NOT TRUE! Just like 1911s, Glock can use an array of different spring weights fro differen power loads. I shoot loads from PF of 130 all the way up to 205 out of my G22. Just change the spring. Glocks may be the most misunderstood and most popular handgun there is. Glock, just like every other firearm manufacturer, says no reloads and it is a leagleze issue. Yes there are several companies that manufacture aftermarket barrels for the Glock that handle lead slugs just fine. BTW, 4 of the 6 catergories for autoloaders were won by shooters using Glocks at the American Handgunner this year. A tuned competition Glock is an extremely fast and accurate handgun. The beaty lies in the fact that accuracy and reliability work out of the box are unnecessary. But trick one out and WOW! As for HS, I think he has a bad taste in his mouth on Glocks and will continue to berate them til his dying day. Glocks, while not perfect, are that good HS! Good Shooting, MarkCO
 
Mark, I don't have any bias towards Glocks as such. Mine worked quite well considering the Hell I put it through...grin. It was the Clubs Glocks barrel lugs breaking (not mine) after approx. 150,000 Military Norinco rnds through each model. As a primary carry gun Glocks are GREAT. It's the "never fail to feed - limp wristing jams - best weapon of all time", ahem... "Perfection" mind numbing propaganda that gets up my nose. Not a flame against *G* owners, just my pet peeve...HS
 
Glocks...
lightweight
snag-free
high-cap (f***ing elitist meddlers!)
simple
rust-resistant
soft-recoiling
combat-accurate
high-value...
and THAT is why I feel so many love Glocks! Are they the perfect gun? For whom?

I do have a Glock 24 that would be the first sidearm I would want in my hand if I were unfortunate enough to need it, and handicapped with a handgun. Now I just "need" a Glock 18 and the Glock carbine?

[This message has been edited by Spectre (edited 10-28-98).]
 
I would agree that Glocks are certainly fine firearms. If I wasn't such a fan of the 1911, I would most likely carry a Glock. However...

I have worked as a range officer for the GSSF annual shoot in Conyers, GA for the last two years. While Glock pistols are famous for their reliability, the GSSF matches have Glock factory armorers (three of them!) onsight to handle problems with competitors pistols, and they are kept very busy. While in fairness, a percentage of these problems are attributable to novice shooters with poor technique and poor ammunition, this doesn't account for all of the problems. Compare this to a typical IPSC match (I know, I know, IPSC shooters have their share of gun problems too, but I have NEVER attended an IPSC match that even approached the gun malfunction/failure rate a GSSF match).

In its favor, the Glock does provide point and shoot readyness with no external safety to manipulate. However, proper training and practice should render this a non-issue for pistols with external safeties.

Just my $.02, for what its worth . . .
 
My fondness for the Glock comes from there quality right out of the box. I got my 35 on a Friday night, cleaned it, put some grip tape on it, and shot an IPSC match that Saturday without a problem. The sights were point of aim right from the factory.

Don't get me wrong. I will not say they are perfect. In fact, it wasn't until my wife bought herself a 24 that I took Glocks seriously. We now have four of them. Now if they could just improve the grip a little...
 
they did Dan, compare her 24 to the 35 , I think it is a great improvement. The only old style grip I have left is my 23, and that has grip tape on it.

(BTW- It costs $150 to get a new frame upgrade for an older pistol.)
 
The new frame fits my hand much better than the old frame but it still is not as comfortable as my Browning HP (40 s&w). But guess which gun(s) gets shot each week? The Glock(s). Form follows function. There is something about shooting a gun where all you have to worry about is putting the sights on target.
 
Dan,
I felt the same way about the grip on my older model G-23. When the new frames came out I ended up trading my G-22 for a new frame G-19, a definite improvement but... still not perfect. I shipped my beloved G-23 to Arizona Response Systems for thier Glock Grip Reduction. $95 and three weeks later I got it back and it is excellent. The grip seems to melt into my hand and the pointing characteristics seem to be slightly improved. When I first held it, I was slightly sceptical as to whether I had done the right thing, but after putting about 300 rnds thru it I'm hooked. Check 'em out at www.arizonaresponsesystems.com, I think you might be interested.
 
Valdez: I recall the Beretta 92 having one BIG problem - somehow, on some abused military models, the slide could come off the frame and strike the operator in the face! I can't remember what exactly caused it, and the newer guns don't have that problem. I've got (and love) a .380 Beretta, so please don't accuse me of slamming! Bar-Sto makes a barrel for the Glock that fully supports the case, minimizing the kaboom! problem and saving the brass for reloading.
 
Morgan, good info, but thats just the headlines...

Their have been some Beretta slide crack problems, the new slides are supposedly up to snuff. The Brigadier model is also reinforced. Rumor has it that these failures were after much abuse at the hands of Overpressure spec-ops rounds.

Meanwhile, only the Glock .40 calibers where the subject of the mostly unsupported unsupported case Kabooms.
 
I'm not trying to slam anyone but the Glock .40's are not the only .40's to have KBs. The Sig P-229 also has a more generous chamber dimension. In fact a good friend of mine who is a very experienced rifle reloader had his Sig 229 KB in his own hand with a very meticulously worked up handload. When he reported this to Sig they very blatantly told him he should never under any circumstances shoot reloads (standard answer) but the rep he was speaking with also went on to tell him that the .40's are usupported @ the 6:00 and that chamber dim's are more generous for reliable feeding. Sounds familiar.


My own personal view is that Glocks are more proliferate than other models and that they are used more in competition where power floors are enforced, than the other manufacturers pistols (other than the 1911). These factors combined with "the gossip factor" have led to the rampant stories of detonating Glocks. In fact, just how many Glock shooters have had one KB? Sure you hear plenty of hearsay type stories but I've never read or heard an account from anyone who it's actually happended to.

Again, I'm not slamming anyone at all (or start a brushwar). I just get on my soap box every now and again about this subject (if I knew how, I would inject one of those geeky smiley faces now). I'm also really interested in find out everyone elses take on this ethreal phenomenon.
 
Having fought this battle for a while now, I have to say that you have summed up my feelings pretty well Dan. The Glock is the "hot button" of the handgun world, everyone's got an opinion and everyone has "facts" to back it up.

Funny thing too: Glock is the most wildly successful firearm since the AR series. Certainly on of the biggest success stories in handgun history. In less than 15 years it has gone from nothing in this country to being the fastest growing and one of the few successful new handgun companies in the world. Glock has obviously infiltrated and basically taken over the LE market. I only know of one department in the last two years which has switched platforms and NOT chosen the Glock. I can't help but think that there are a few jealous entities, (perhaps in New England, especially?) that aren't exactly discouraging the rumor mill surrounding Glock.

That said, There is no denying the fine weapons put out by other companies, but you also cannot deny the success of Glock. When I fired my first one, a 19 with the Atlantic City SWAT team back in the mid 80's, I thought it was a nice novelty, high capacity was cool, that was about it. Boy, was I wrong! (but I was young and foolish then...)
 
The Kb issue is not all rumor. I have a friend who had one happen in his model 20. He is also well known for pushing the limits of good taste with his reloads.
 
The only perfect gun, is the gun you have with you when you need a gun. Beside that, there are no perfect guns.

I don't post a lot here or over on Shooters, but the few of you who may recognize me, know I am S&W revolver fan. I have always said if I could only have one gun, it would be a revolver. Well, I am in a situation where I can have only one gun. Hopefully this won't last long. I had to sell all of my guns. I have one gun. It is a G35. My first handgun was a G22, I loved the gun. I shot it a lot. I don't know how many rounds, but I never had any problems with the gun. A friend made me an offer for it I couldn't refuse. For some reason, I never owned another Glock. I went with revolvers. When I had to decide, I shot my revolvers and compared them to a G35. I went with the G35 I never thought I would say that.

Glocks fit my hand well. I can shoot them very well. Plus, I can change calibers on this frame from .40S&W to 9mm to .357SIG. There are other guns that can do the same thing, but for me, a Glock comes the closest to perfection.
 
Couple of things....

First the Beretta 9mm slide failure was tracked to out of spec metallurgy in a run of slides. Basically they were porous and weak, and therefore failed. Problem fixed.

Second, Glocks are a "hot button"...folks love 'em or hate 'em. Put me in the later camp. I dislike the trigger and safety period. Also, late last year my son and a friend were shooting when this guy's Glock blew up....cause was diagnosed as an ignition of the 9mm round with the gun just slightly out of being in full battery by 1/32". No, the brass was not found to be a cause and these were premium factory not reloads. (I figure a bunch of Glock fans are going to press on how it was determined that the gun wasn't in battery. A close examination and micrometer check of the remaining pieces with blast marks, metal impact markings, etc., by a certified 'smith, resulted in the conclusion. Examination of the brass reminants and the box it came from rules out the ammo. The firing pin was max tolerance and the chamber min spec tight. He was doing double tap drills when this happened.) I recognize any gun can have jams, etc., but there are damn few that can fire when not fully in battery unless they have overly long out of spec firing pins.

I'll stick with my standby's of over 30 years: 1911A1s and BHPs!

-=[Bob]=-

[This message has been edited by bald1 (edited 11-15-98).]
 
The only thing I can add is an observation.
Glocks are very well thought of by people who should know and that is enough for a lot of people.
 
There seem to be only two opinions about
Glocks, you either love'em or hate'm and
nothing in between. Me, I HATE'EM. I have heard too many horror stories from very
reliable sources[cops & rangemasters] about
accidental discharges and mechanical
failure to trust these things. I, myself,
witnessed a catastropic failure in a fairly
new one using factory ammo. You keep your
plastic toys, I'll keep my 1911.
 
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