If Glocks aren't the best, then what is the best?

Ruger. IMHO. They are simple, reliable and affordable. And can be pretty to boot.

I think you would have to break it down my price ranges. Really, you cannot compare a $200 gun to a $1500 gun when discussing the best.

If you just talking about the ability to put lead on a target when you pull the trigger, that's easier but so many folks consider aesthetics, ergonomics, materials, flexibility, capacity and customer service.

It is not a binary situation. There is no "best." If someone starts popping off that the HK45 is the best I'll dog that thread too. If someone starts claiming the 1911A1 is the best, I'll knock that too, though the pistol is one of my favorites.

Every service caliber handgun made by a reputable manufacturer brings something to the table, even those misshapen Glocks, but to contend that any of them are the one true sword based upon popularity or military service record is nonsensical.

The "best" pistol is rather generic. It's the one that the individual performs with the best. Extrapolating from there to the "best for everyone," or "best overall" is a fool's errand.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Shortdog22 said:

Ruger. IMHO. They are simple, reliable and affordable. And can be pretty to boot.

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I usually don't see "Ruger autoloader" and "pretty" in the same sentence. Although the newer P345 and SR9 are pretty sleek.

not the best but i like it a lot better than a glock...

That thread obviously proves that many people believe that Glocks aren't the best

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I think those people are wrong. I own guns of many different makes. Of them, Glocks are some of the least expensive, yet most reliable.

My Glock 21 is my bedside gun, not my Wilson semi customs.

Your premise is wrong. Just because someone thinks that glock does not make the best pistol (whatever "best" actually means), does not mean that they must believe some other make/model is best.

Before you can even select a best, you need to define what constitutes best. And I defie anyone to do that without a bucketload of purely subjective and opinionated criteria.

There is no best. If someone claims otherwise I suggest you use maximum skepticism to their claims. Best is very depended on what you are asking it to do and beyond that there is still a lot of room for subjective preferences. Even trying to be objective best will depend on what criteria you use and what weight you give it which again gets back to subjective preferences.

I agree with boats's post above.

What's best? A Glock with a LW barrel! Just joking ok? The best handgun you can have is the one that's in your hand when you really need it. Is there a "best"?

J.B.

Of them, Glocks are some of the least expensive, yet most reliable.

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And who says that constitutes best? What relevance does price have? It probably depends on who you ask. Gwnorth's post articulates the point well.

the best for what application??

it is like asking for one best in any category--it dont exist
is rolls-royce the best car;
.... if you want to tow a boat it aint.

the best is what works for you in the conditions you need it for.

jakemccoy said:

I'll have to disagree. If you say something is not "the best", then that means you believe in the concept of something being the best. As I state in the original post, what is that best? "I don't know" is a suitable answer to the question.

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Nope. If I say that Glock's are not the best, I may simple be saying that, since I believe there is NO best, it can no more be a Glock then any other make or model.

And personally, I do NOT believe that there is any way to define best in this context in anything even remotely approaching an objective criteria. It's like asking what's the best car, TV, cell phone, brand of toilet paper, whatever. There is no purely objective means of comparison, so there cannot be any one single "best".

Speaking purely from my own personal bias, I do not own, and have no desire to own, any striker fired pistol. All mine - Colt, SIG, CZ - are hammer fired pistols, either DA/SA or SAO with manual safety. So for me, Glock's aren't even up for consideration in any comparison. And just what does that mean - nothing, other then me expressing my preference. Which is all the "glock's are best" people are also doing.

If anyone tells you that a certain brand and model pistol is the best, then they have no idea what they are talking about. There is no "best" out there. And to think there is, is delusional. Pick any pistol in the world, no matter the price, and I can find someone whereby that pistol is NOT the best. Size, caliber, recoil, concealment, etc... Something about that gun will NOT be the best for either a particular person or a particular purpose. And most manufacturers of pistols are the "Best" pistol for someone; some place. And it really is that simple

And the only thing worse than our little debates, is when some WELL MEANING husband (Usually) or parent, says: "I'm going to buy "X" pistol for my wife, son, daughter, for .........". If a person wants to "PAY" for a gun for another person, that is admirable. We need more armed citizens and we need more shooter and gun enthusiasts. But the person who is going to be owning/shooting the gun, is the one who needs to pick it out. And if you let that person shoot numerous calibers of your gun so they can get a feel for it, and after shooting a bit, they "Prefer" a 32acp, or a 380, or a 9mm, or WHATEVER CALIBER", it is not your place to tell them that they shouldn't get that caliber. Now, if they really like a 380 in a CZ-83, but they are looking for themselves a 380 is the size of an LCP, Tomcat, AMT backup, or other micro-gun. You can let them know than the smaller size is going to feel a lot stronger than the larger CZ-83 in the same caliber. But you shouldn't lean them towards or away from any caliber. If they get a caliber they like and are comfortable with, then they will practice more and have more fun. I will put my elderly mom shooting the walther 32acp PPK up against many people 1/2 her age shooting their 40sw. I know for a fact, that my mom will hit the size of a grapefruit EVERY SINGLE SHOT with that 32acp. And if the time ever comes where she would have to defend herself with that pistol, I know she would be able to do it. Compared to the person with the bigger caliber that they don't react well with, don't practice as much with, and aren't orgasmic about shooting.

So no, there is no "best" gun. Don't look for it, because it doesn't exist. However, there IS a gun out there that is perfect for YOU and for your PURPOSE. And that gun could be a glock 19; or a springfield 1911A1; or an H&K; or a S&W Revolver; or an LCP; or YES, even a Hi-Point. I hope you find YOUR perfect gun. It's out there. My perfect pistols for "Most" situations have been a CZ-82 and a SigSauer P220. I can consistently hit my 3" circle quickly and reliably every time up to 30 feet. And that is the distance I train for. And neither gun recoils enough to be noticeable. And I'll take my guaranteed 7 shots from my P220 45acp or 12 shots of 9mm makarov over anyone's 15-18 round glock where they'll probably miss 1/2 or more of their shots.

There's no easy answer here, and no answer at all that everyone would agree with. The best gun for you isn't necessarily the best gun for me, or for anyone else. If there truly were a "best gun" out there someone, we'd all own one, no doubt -- and every other gun company would soon be out of business. I'm a Walther fan and would rank it high on the list of top-quality manufacturers. But I'd be hard-pressed to say that Walthers are the best guns out there, even though I'd buy one before I'd get just about anything else that's for sale these days.

As the wise man said, Beauty is in the eye of the gun-holder.

My definition of "best" does not include price.

"Best Value" I would put Glock in the running.

jakemccoy said:

Wow, I didn't realize the question was so hard. I'll take a crack at it. Let's see if I can do it.

The best brand of basketballs is Spalding because the feel is the best.

The best brand of running shoes is Adidas because they don't give me blisters and they fit my feet best.

The best brand of mayonnaise is Best Foods because it tastes the best and has the smoothest texture.

The best brand of handguns is Glock because, for my purposes, they have the most desirable combination features, reliability, durability, simplicity and customer service.

There, I did it. These are all my opinion of course, but it is possible to pick a best brand of anything.

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That's just silly. You have not in fact picked the best of anything. You've just listed the ones you like the most, which is a completely different thing then defining something as "best". Preference is fine, but it is hardly the point when you ask people to list THE best of something, when everyone cannot even agree on the basis for deciding the best.

It is possible to talk about the best. Overall, it is hard to say any manufacturer is better than SigSauer. A Wilson Combat 1911 is a nice gun. Glocks are good service pistols. Depending on the owner Glock might be the best choice even if it is not the "best" gun.

Whatever I own.



"I" being anyone who posts a response.

Sigs have really nice fit and finish and design. One way I would consider it is comparing the Glock to an AK47. You can get them dirty and they keep on ticking. Parts are not refined and tolerances are not exact but they just work. They are clunky and look funky. Now the Sig might be more like an H&K XM8. It is more refined, better machined and "tighter." But that does not mean the Sig or the H&K XM8 are "safe queens" - they can get out there and smoke a BG even with some dirt.