This blog entry is dedicated to a specific handgun. One that I
like very much and have a tremendous amount of experience
with. Having been involved in competitive shooting, hunting
and other types of recreation with handguns since 1975,
owning a gun shop for 10 years and being a defensive firearms
trainer for almost 25 years, I feel that I am quite qualified to
share my opinion with you. This is not just another Ford/Chevy
argument. Its not like the constant, age-old 9mm vs. .45 ACP
controversy. To me, it's much more than just personal
preference. I am also a factory-trained Glock armorer and
designed my own "after-market"; Glock armorer class. During
the course of my gun shop tenure, we customized over 2600
Glocks in some manner or another. I'm a Glock guy. Hard core.
My mind is slammed shut like a steel trap on this subject, at
least for me and mine. Let me tell you why...
The Glock is exceedingly simple in both construction and
operation and it is virtually maintenance free. That doesn't
mean that you should never clean it and take care of it but it is
VERY forgiving in that regard. I have seen Glocks that have fired
thousands upon thousands of rounds without so much as a
quick wipe-down and still perform flawlessly. Glocks are so
ridiculously reliable that is hard for some people to grasp. I
have personally put some of my Glocks through some pretty
rigorous testing. I have shot them underwater. I have taken one
out of a 70 degree building, disassembled it, thrown the parts
down in the snow at 38 degrees below zero, retrieved the
parts, chipped the ice out of the slide, reassembled the gun and
flawlessly fired a full magazine of ammunition downrange. I
boiled a frame once, put it back together and shot it. I
disassembled one, threw the parts down in the dirt and kicked
them around for a bit, found all the parts, reassembled and
fired a full mag out of it. The first round didn't chamber
completely but after that, it dumped the remainder without a
hitch. All of the above is documented on my YouTube channel
at Desertscout1.
The Glock has approximately 36 parts altogether, depending on
model, including the sights and the disassembled magazine.
The 1911 for example, has over 80 parts. Most of the internal
parts of the Glock are interchangeable with other models,
particularly for all models of the same caliber except the G42
and G43. Many of the parts are interchangeable between all
calibers with the exception of the 42 and 43. The internal parts
are also inexpensive. If you have a serviceable frame, slide and
barrel, you can replace every part in the gun for around $150
and essentially have a brand new Glock.
The polymer grip is much more comfortable to handle in both
extreme cold and extreme hot weather. I have seen both
extremes where a metal framed gun is most assuredly not
comfortable to handle bare-handed. The Glock is highly
modifiable and there are a tremendous amount of after-market
parts for all models except the newer G42 and G43. The grip
can be reduced and customized, the trigger can be changed,
sights, controls, pretty much everything in the Glock can be
replaced or modified to suit you.
The Glock is middle of the road priced compared to many other
manufacturers. The polymer frame also makes the gun lighter
than most comparable sized guns and it flexes to some degree
under recoil, adding to the pleasure of shooting the Glock.
The axis of recoil is lower on the Glock than any other
manufacturer, model or caliber of handgun on the planet. That
means that the center-line of the bore is closer to the hand than
any other handgun. This gives the gun less mechanical
advantage over you during recoil upon firing. This enables
small framed women and children to be able to handle a full
sized gun comfortably.
The G42 (.380) and G43 (9mm) are great for deep concealment
but are not great as a fighting gun or for field use. Size wise,
they may be OK for children and smaller framed women but the
low capacity and diminutive size diminishes its usefulness as an
effective fighting gun, at least during extended engagements.
They are both still plenty good for most scenarios that the
average CCW holder might find themselves involved in. They
are also both as accurate and reliable as any other Glock. The
43 also has a little bit of a bite to it. The recoil sensitive people
may be able to put up with it for a few rounds but I'm afraid
they may be flinching and become distracted during a
prolonged shooting session.
The Glock 26 is what my wife carries as it is small, double stack
and equally well suited for concealment and field/recreational
use. It may not be ideal but if you are only able to have one
gun, the G26 will fill all roles adequately. It is small enough to
conceal yet big enough to handle in field situations. The 26 will
also accept the magazines from a Glock 19 or 17 which gives
you tremendous versatility. To me, interchangeability of
magazines is critical in a group or family long term survival
environment. All that being said, if you're looking for a 9mm,
the G19 is a better choice for most applications. 15 round
capacity, small enough to conceal easily but big enough for all
field use. The 19 will also take the higher capacity G17
magazine.
Is a Glock accurate enough? Well, yes. I have fired 5-shot, one-
hole groups at 7 yards that can be completely covered with a
dime. I have also fired a 21 group at 300 yards with my Glock
34. That boils down to 1.75 at 25 yards. I'm OK with that kind
of accuracy. Yes, it's on my YouTube channel.
Understand that there are many good, reliable handguns out
there but when you consider weight, capacity, durability,
reliability, accuracy and price, the Glock is the clear winner to
me. YMMV!