First Purchase - Smith vs. Glock?

[ku4hx]

You're talking a defensive piece here. Don't let a mere $80 decide how you protect your life. How much is your hide worth to you? Far more than $80 I hope.

Buy the one you feel suits you best as a gun ... not as an investment or sale item.

 

[19-3Ben]

You really need to pick both up and feel them. See which gun fits you better.

That being said, I much prefer the M&P. I have owned both guns, and the M&P has stayed while the Glock got traded off.

There's nothing wrong with the GLock as a gun. It's a very good gun. But the M&P points much more naturally for me, and is equally well made in every other respect. So ergos won the day for S&W in my book.
As someone else already mentioned, it certainly doesn't hurt that S&W is American made and owned but that is really just a bonus, not the deciding factor.

 

[Smith357]

I'm just going to parrot what everyone else has said in this thread. Get the one that fits your hand the best. I was just in the same boat. I was looking at getting my first plastic pistol, I was looking at the Glock 21 and the M&P45. I chose the one that fit in my hand better.

 

[wickedsprint]

M&P feels better but I shoot Glocks better. Trigger reset was vague on the M&P I owned. Glock for me.

 

[Rule3]

Just forget both of them and buy a SA XDm.

 

[ShadowForce]

I appreciate all the excellent advice/feedback.

One question I forgot to ask is whether or not either pistol can shoot +p 9mm without placing too much stress on the frame, etc.

Thanks - Bob

 

[David E]

the reputation Glock has with being easy to take down is way over rated. You have to hold the gun in an odd way, and the slide lock is almost impossible to 'pinch' with your index finger and thumb. Sigs have a much better take down, IMHO.

It takes a little practice, but it's not difficult. There is an extended aftermarket take down piece that might make it easier for you.

The Sig may field strip easier, but compare detail stripping any other gun to the Glock and then decide which is easier.

As I've said before, one tremendous attribute of the Glock is that you can replace any part while sitting on a flat rock using only a rusty nail as a tool.

 

[Rule3]

I appreciate all the excellent advice/feedback.

One question I forgot to ask is whether or not either pistol can shoot +p 9mm without placing too much stress on the frame, etc.

Thanks - Bob

Yes, but as the all say, not a steady diet of them.

 

[allaroundhunter]

I appreciate all the excellent advice/feedback.

One question I forgot to ask is whether or not either pistol can shoot +p 9mm without placing too much stress on the frame, etc.

Thanks - Bob

Yes, they can. But they will cause more wear and tear than your normal pressure loads, obviously. I function test with +P (about 125 rounds per year) and keep them for carry, but practice with standard loads.

ETA: I also practice with 9mm NATO FMJ rounds to get a more realistic practice of my carry rounds without burning my wallet. They are slightly warmer than standard pressure rounds but not quite as hot as some +P rounds (I believe).

 

[SouthernBoy]

I will say that I am a new born Glock-a-phile, but I have to say that the reputation Glock has with being easy to take down is way over rated. You have to hold the gun in an odd way, and the slide lock is almost impossible to 'pinch' with your index finger and thumb. Sigs have a much better take down, IMHO.

You don't use the slide lock when removing the slide from a Glock.

 

[meanmrmustard]

Shoot both before making a decision. Both are easy to strip, both shoot nice. But, until you have fired both, or done oodles of research, or at least held both and/or dry fired if possible. The Glock and Smith fanboys will peddle their ways to persuade you over to their side of the fence. Make a self informed decision, thus no buyers remorse.

 

[WinThePennant]

You don't use the slide lock when removing the slide from a Glock.

Please refer to part #21. Kindly tell me how you remove the slide from a Glock without using the "Slide Lock?" Perhaps you are thinking of the "Slide Stop Lever?"

 

[Skylerbone]

Pardon the interruption but are any among you so terribly challenged as to suggest the M&P is at all difficult to field strip? Remove magazine, verify empty chamber, engage slide lock, rotate takedown lever 90 degrees, disengage slide lock and pull trigger. Both models are simple and hardly a point of contention. I suppose if it were, for a full strip you'd need that rusty nail for a Glock while the Smith uses a long steel pin to capture the grip panel that could be pressed into service as a roll pin punch, with a built in handle I might add. Not a likely scenario but neither is finding a rusty nail in the desert.

Secondly, if the OP wishes to: add a match/ported/threaded/conversion barrel, compensator, sights, textured grip panels, fire control parts, extended magazines, variable spring weight uncaptured guide rods, holster of any style imaginable, they are available for the M&P. If his requirements extend beyond those items then apparently Glock aftermarket is the way to go. I cannot at the moment think of something not on that list that is unique to Glock save perhaps a new frame I recall being offered in alloy or steel.

They both work very well yet we rehash this same debate any number of times every month with the same arguments put forth. Find what you prefer and learn it are the basics. What is preferred may be OEM sights vs. additional cost of aftermarket, grip angle, country of origin (the most limiting to someone who appreciates firearms), availability (for seeing, touching, trying firsthand) and extractors which are more serviceable on Glocks but have not to my knowledge been problematic on M&Ps. The rest seems little more than fanboy fodder that seeks approval from others for one's personal choice.

My vote would be a Gen. 2 or Gen. 3 Glock or any current production M&P with a preference toward the Pro Series, barring any other caliber or manufacturer suggestions.

 

[coalman]

I'd go with the Glock. I've owned 5 Glock 19s over the years with >20k through them in Gen2 and Gen3, though never a Gen4. The M&P is a fine choice, too. But, I don't prefer modular grips and it pretty much comes down to that for me. Well, that, and that the Glock has (cheaper) extras, parts and accesories galore.

 

[helitack32f1]

OP, both your choices are excellent guns. The Glock will be somewhat better if you intend on concealed in the future. You will not be disappointed by either. I would suggest, as others have, that you go shoot both somehow. As well as others. Specifically, a Walther PPQ. I have had a lot of feedback from friends that own them and swear it is the best striker fired weapon they have tried.

One other suggestion is that you ignore those that have a holier-than-thou attitude toward those that, strangely, are fans of the guns they own. Especially those that claim that this is a stupid type of thread, yet come in and offer up their stunning thoughts and opinions anyway. They could more easily have just passed up this thread and left it alone to us lesser beings.

 

[ShadowForce]

My thanks to all who have offered feedback. For a novice like me, this is invaluable.

I'm headed to my local shop here this afternoon. I'm leaning towards the M&P at this point as I've shot both and the M&P is about $80 cheaper than the Gen-4 G19.

One thing I will checkout based on a close friends recommendation is the Walther PPQ. I noticed that helitack32f1 mentioned that as well.

Thanks!

 

[bluethunder1962]

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php Good place for research. If you do decide on 22 look at walther p22. I have one and a friend has it thinking about buying it. I hope he backs out.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Pardon the interruption but are any among you so terribly challenged as to suggest the M&P is at all difficult to field strip? Remove magazine, verify empty chamber, engage slide lock, rotate takedown lever 90 degrees, disengage slide lock and pull trigger.

Maybe not challenged, but likely confused if they follow the procedure you've listed

You don't need to pull the trigger on the M&P (unlike the Glock) to field strip it, however the Deactivation Lever needs to be pushed down before you disengage the Slide Stop...the slide lock is what you pull up on when you field strip a Glock

 

[ku4hx]

You don't use the slide lock when removing the slide from a Glock.

Yeah you do. You must be thinking of the "Slide Stop Lever".

 

[Mr.Blue]

If you try them both and find them equal for you, why not buy American?

 

[Zerodefect]

I prefer the Glock. Either pistol is a safe bet.

I hate the plastic Glock trigger shoe and the stupid drop safety put right smack in the middle of the trigger. I hate Glock trigger bite. I can shoot a 1911 all day, but I prefer to set my G23 down after 100 rounds. That's where the M&P shines IMO.

Get either one. Then get a 1911. Every collection needs a striker fired pistol and a 1911.

 

[helitack32f1]

My thanks to all who have offered feedback. For a novice like me, this is invaluable.

I'm headed to my local shop here this afternoon. I'm leaning towards the M&P at this point as I've shot both and the M&P is about $80 cheaper than the Gen-4 G19.

One thing I will checkout based on a close friends recommendation is the Walther PPQ. I noticed that helitack32f1 mentioned that as well.

Thanks!

Awesome! Let us know what you end up with!

 

[CountGlockulla]

Glock 19 conceals better yet still shoots like a full size

 

[tomrkba]

Taking the gun down is an administrative function and is not a time critical activity. It should not come up as a factor for a first purchase. We're really geeky if the discussion goes this way.

The problem is new shooters do not know what they need. They are typically given some very basic advice and told to go buy a gun ("Get yourself a 45!"). If they're lucky, they'll come here and get told to get an instructor and shoot a few rental guns. The actual problem is that running a gun for self-defense involves quite a few sub-skills. A gun that fits the hand in the store may not be quite right for rapid fire. Shooting skills also allow the shooter to overcome fit up to a point, with the limits being proper trigger finger placement and proper grip. The result is that a new shooter won't be able to properly evaluate a gun and just has to guess. Fortunately, most handguns made today have grips and lengths of pull that fit the majority of hands. The gun may not be optimal, but sufficient training will overcome such deficiencies.

Either the M&P or Glock will be fine for ShadowForce's first gun. He should focus upon trigger control, proper trigger finger placement, proper grip, sight alignment and recoil management. Get some formal instruction since it will shorten time to proficiency. ShadowForce will be able to sell either gun if it turns out to be inadequate in some way.

 

[ShadowForce]

Thank you tomrkba. I've taken 2 basic pistol courses and look forward to more advanced training later this year as funds allow. Are there any books that you or others can recommend for self study?

Thanks - Bob