[stubby]

I just accepted a postion offer on the local sheriff's office patrol and will be given a full size 45 Glock ( G21 maybe?) for duty use. I have always disliked the non-traditional appearance of the Glock pistols and have avoided them for that reason. Now that I will be required to carry one daily, point out the virtues to me. Help me learn to love this gun.:what:

[Skunkabilly]

Affordable
Reliable
Magazines compatible with compact models. If you decide to get a Glock 30 for off-duty, your magazines will be compatible. I think.
Easy to use, no safeties to fumble with
Short trigger reset (reehaw!)
Not bad looking after hard chromed slide

[ChristopherG]

Go shoot it. Five or ten thousand times. Then see how you feel about it.;)
cg

PS-then clean it:D

[DeltaElite]

For me it has been a perfect performer. No jams on any of my Glocks, ever. That has been 12 years of shooting and carrying one, or more. ;)
I am a 10mm fanatic, Glock comes through there too.

I envy you, I am stuck with a 40sw Glock. I would love to have a 45acp Glock.
They are not pretty, but they are the most reliable weapon I have ever handled and I have owned a little of everything over the years.

Go get a Glock 30 as a back up. The Glock 21 mags can be used in it if you get into a bind.
If your dept deals straight with Glock, you should be able to get it for about $400. :D

[HSMITH]

They work every time ON TIME, is there anything else you want in a service gun? If it were me behind that badge I would have a Glock or a revolver, and that is no BS. Plenty accurate and RELIABLE. If your hand is big enough for the (huge) G21 then go with it, you will be converted to a Glock fan in no time.

Love the 1911, but would carry a Glock on the job.

[DonGlock26]

Glocks are simple(like a mouse-point&click), accurate,reliabile,durable,low maintainance,tons of accesories&holsters,long track history of Police use,and you can work on them yourself with a little research. Hey, you'll like it after a while if you have an open mind. The stealth fighter doesn't look traditional either;) .

Good Luck,

Don

[Sean Smith]

Pros:

Light weight.
Reliable out of the box.
Will feed almost anything.
High capacity.
Same short trigger pull every time
Very good corrosion resistance
Very durable
Mechanically simple
Typically good accuracy
Not alot of sharp edges or things to snag on

Cons:
Ugly
Ergonomics are just-OK
.45 & 10mm models have very blocky grip shape
You can't make the trigger much better than it is
Subjectively not very pleasing

[10-Ring]

Let's see, as an issue gun, IT's FREE!, 14 round LE mags (1 mag in the gun, 2 on the hip that's 42+1 of 45 acp), simple to operate, light to carry, acceptable accuracy.
Ugly is in the eye of the beholder...shoot some rounds through it, you'll learn to appreciate it :D

[jem375]

See what other options on handguns your dept. has.......sometimes there are other choices.....

[Handy]

Yada, yada.

[Longbow]

Stuby,
I had one then sold it, did this about 3 times, because of the same reason you stated (untraditional). But I kept on comming back to it.
Its the allure of the darkside I guess!

P.S.
Seriously..Its just the most reliable gun design I ever had, right out of the box without any mods.I'm keeping this one for good!

[M58]

Like many of us that went before...you carry what they give you...you get to keep the job.
Autos are tools.
Revolvers art beautiful.:neener:

[Wildalaska]

Plastic does not rust

WildsnideAlaska

[EJ]

What M58 said----

[WhoKnowsWho]

Hey! I actually think the Glock looks pretty good! I prefer a nice 1911, but I still like the functional and basic look of the Glock a lot.

[WonderNine]

Glocks? They sure ain't no Browning Hi-Power, but they work (I guess) :D

[New_comer]

Well, just about everything's been mentioned, 'cept:

Avoid getting a unit with the serial # in the E- series.

There's an "upgrade" required for this batch. ;)

[denfoote]

Feel the power of the Dark Side!!! :evil:
Strong the Dark side is!!! :what:
Resistance is futile!!
You will be assimilated!! :D

Seriously, the large frame Glocks are to big for my hand. The G29 is the biggest I can handle. Personally, I carry a Glock 36.

Pros:
Let's see.
Ankle, IWB, pocket, strong side, shoulder carry.
+P ammunition rated in a gun it's size is a plus.
Light weight.
Corrosion resistant.
Easy take down and re-assembly.
Trigger Jobs are as simple as a drop in part.
Easy complete disassembly with only one tool.

Cons:
Ugly, but so is my ex-wife!! Unlike her, the Glock grows on you!!
:D

[Kahr carrier]

Congrats on the new job.:) Glock21 is like a Timex watch ,keeps on ticking,reliable and durable ,plus its a 45 and free. Practice with it to excess.:D

[stubby]

I appreciate the input. I started out when the model 19 S&W was kinig (1977). I have carried S&W 28, 27, 57, 19, and 66 before moving to Browning High Power. Also carried model 59 S&W when the dept. started provding weapons. I have maintained a reserve deupty commission for the 16 years I have been a probation officer and have carried 1911s and several Berettas in that role. 99% of the full time officers love the Glock so there must be something to them that I am missing. I will give it a chance as suggested.:rolleyes:

[Baron Holbach]

Glocks are the best guns to have in a gunfight, for the following reasons, and not in any fixed order:

1) reliable;

2) accurate; and

3) achieve the fastest time from the moment of drawing from a holster to targeting and squeezing the trigger, assuming the shooter always carries one in the pipe. There is no delay from using a noisy decocker or the long and often inaccurate shot of the first double-action pull or the delay and oftentimes oversight of failing to release the external safety.

[Handy]

You can't argue that Glocks are any faster on target than any other light triggered gun. They are as fast, no faster.

[dairycreek]

I would assume that your sidearm's reliability is somewhere near the top of the list as a desireable characteristic. Well desireable sure describes my G21. Had it for a half dozen years now and put several thousand rounds through it. Never had a problem with it - never! What more can I say? Good shooting;)

[Edward429451]

Theres less muzzle rise with my G21 than with my 1911. Something to do with the low bore axis. The speed of the draw and first shot is comparable but repeated follow up shots are milli seconds faster with the Glock cause the less muzzle rise there is the faster you can pick up the front sight again. But the 1911 is no slouch though. I'd take either and be comfortable.

At least for me.

[jem375]

Remember PD's are run on budgets, most Glocks are bought just because of the price and the huge discounts they give PD's..they would all have Kimbers if they could afford them.....

[arinvolvo]

Please dont fool yourself into thinking that everyone is a kimber fan, or even a 1911 fan for that matter. There are plenty of people and LEO's that I know that prefer their glocks's or their sig saurs over ANY other handgun...And some of them downright HATE the 1911 frame.

I personally am not a fan of the 1911...It is a neat gun to shoot....but I wouldnt carry one, especially as a concealment weapon....Im not fond of the cocked-and-locked carry condition of the 1911s. I prefer a "real" safety, as in something that must be consiously disengaged. That is also where Glock falls short IMHO.

[Longbow]

Jem375,
I think the price is not the only thing Glock has going for. While they might be cheap, they are also more reliable than Kimbers out of the box, base on my experience ( I have both). I don't think PD's are dumb enough to stake their life on something just because they're cheap! There got to be more merit to having Glocks than just the price tag. Cheers!

[Bob Locke]

You're gonna get to carry my favorite firearm as your duty piece?!? I'm jealous! :D

The things I like best about my G21 are:

low bore axis (very little muzzle rise compared to many other .45 ACP platforms)
capacity (as an LEO you'll be able to readily -and cheaply- obtain 13-round mags where most .45's are limited to 7 or 8)
simplicity of use (draw, aim, fire)
easy to maintain (if you even bother maintaining it, which a LOT of Glock owners rarely do because they don't require much)
accurate (not a target gun, but I can get COM hits out to at least 50 yards with no problem, and I'd say that's better than good enough)
I also happen to really like the stock sight pattern. Just drop the dot into the box and BANG!

The thing just naturally points for me, but if you're accustomed to different firearms (1911's in particular), then the grip angle may require a little adjustment period. You'll tend to shoot high at first, in all likelihood.

Shoot it, LOVE IT! :D

[biere]

Glocks are great for duty folks in my opinion, they are dead simple to use or dismantle to clean. They handle bad weather and conditions very well.

I thought the non-neutered mags for the 21 were 13 rounds, guess I will go check that. On edit: I take so long to post that someone answered my question already.

Practice with it till you are used to the trigger, it is different from what most folks are used to. And the sights can annoy some until they get used to them.

[schild]

For self defense I'd take my Glock21 over any of my four 1911's. I have never had a jam or FTF of any kind with my Glock, can't say that about the 1911's.

[jem375]

Longbow.....watched the History channel last night.......they had an hour long show of....."the 10 guns that changed the world"...
You know what?.......the glock was not among them but the old Colt 1911 45 was #3 on the list........it's amazing that the world got along without glocks that long......Now, saying that I probably will buy a G20 one of these days, if I don't buy the Dan Wesson 10MM first.........and when the Springfield XD comes out with a decent caliber, might even buy one of those, I like that grip safety .....the glocks just don't fit my hand like the 1911's, but, might get to like them.........

[zorba]

I own a few Glocks and love them. Their price, quality and reliability are very good. They are not pretty but do the job they were intended to do and your not going to go around showing it to everyone anyway!

[Byron Quick]

I own a Glock 29. I carry 1911's:D However, I carry CCW with an IWB holster. I find the Glocks to be a little thick to carry IWB.

Reliability? Good. I have had Glocks have FTF and I don't think I was limp wristing it.

Accuracy. Good.

If I was a cop, I would have no problem carrying a Glock.

It WILL teach you to keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target, if you happen to have bad handling habits...don't have them with a Glock.

I prefer a "real" safety, as in something that must be consiously disengaged. That is also where Glock falls short IMHO.

1911's don't have real safeties that must be consciously disengaged? That's peculiar, neither of mine will fire unless you disengage the safety...should I send them to the factory to correct this defect?:what:

[arinvolvo]

Byron, I may be mistaken.....The only safety I was aware of was the palm web safety....I have shot 1911's a few times, and was never shown that there is a seperate manual safety. my apologies.

[Longbow]

Jem375,
I think the Glock just hasn't been around long enough to be considered a historical piece or something that changed the world. They(History Channel) did feature the Glock on another episode though, I think its called Guns of the future or something like that.
I still think the Glock is a better choice than 1911 for duty use. I think its wide use amongst most L.E. department speaks volume for it's reliability and suitability for duty use.

As for Safety,
I've been thought its between the ears!:D

[Byron Quick]

I still think the Glock is a better choice than 1911 for duty use. I think its wide use amongst most L.E. department speaks volume for it's reliability and suitability for duty use.

I think it speaks volumes for large discounts to police departments.

[jem375]

Longbow.....by the time the glock reaches 90+ years of service, and it won't, the future will already be guns of a different nature..lasers, etc...........by the way, glock was not the first polymer pistol, they were like the Japs and copied the design..

[HaveGun]

Baron Holbach said it all. Glocks are fast and simple.

[terlingua]

I hated Glocks. No manual safety. Ugly. Blocky.

Finally, I bought one real cheap (G19) from a guy in dire straits.

Shot it. Abused it (badly). Chunked in under the seat. Threw it in the bottom of a day pack. Wore it when I knew I was gonna get wet. Dropped it in the mud. I even had to hose it off a couple of times it was so dirty. Did everything to it you could think of (except shoot lead bullets). I considered it my "don't really care what happens to it pistol". It wouldn't quit. My attitude changed 180 about them.

I now find that I have several and they seem to go with me more in the field than any other. They shoot well. Consistent trigger pull. Have outstanding magazine capacity for their size. The trigger pull is not much different than that of my S&W642 that was my concealed carry gun and it doesn't have a manual safety either.

I like both vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Some like just one or the other. Thats why they make both. To each his own, but you won't know until you try it.

Love it or hate it - Gaston Glock changed the firearms world. Almost every maker now has a polymer framed pistol in their lineup because of Glock. Yes, there were plastic framed pistols before the Glock, but Gaston was the first to inject the polymer around the metal in such a way as to make it inseperable.

[DAL]

Glocks ugly?! Why I never...

At first I thought they were quite homely, but then I bought a 26 last month and I am beginning to see not only the inner beauty, but also the, dare I say it?, outer beauty. Yeah, they are plain, utilitarian tools, but they kind of grow on you, or at least they did me. But then, I have always liked English Bull Terriers (Spuds MacKenzie).
DAL

P.S. I have no experience with the Glock 21, but since they are all essentially the same gun, except for the caliber, it should work fine. BTW, I love my 1911; it's a fantastic design, ergonomic and accurate.

[WonderNine]

There are plenty of people and LEO's that I know that prefer their glocks's or their sig saurs over ANY other handgun...

LoL!!!!