Glock facts, please?

[VaughnT]

I'm trying to compile a fact sheet that compares the Glock to the 1911/1991 type weapon. The reason being that work allows one but not the other, now, and I'm curious to see how far apart they really are.

What is the stock length of trigger travel on a NIB Glock? On a Colt 1991?

What is the factory weight of trigger pull on an Glock (fullsize)? How hard is it to install a 3.5# disconnector? Does that make the trigger pull 3.5#?

The firing pin block on the glock is identical to the block on the 1991, but I don't see how they can say the glock has three safeties when it appears like it's only one safety that has three parts. With all three points operating off of the trigger's movement, is it safe to say that this is a three-part drop-safety-only safety system?

I'm gettin' curiouser and curiouser.

 

[mete]

This type of question has been asked before .Someone said his department required Glock because it was "safer" than the 1911. The fact is that the Glock only requires the trigger to be pulled to fire . The 1911 requires three things to fire 1-lower thumb safety, 2-depress grip safety, 3-pull trigger.Both have a feature to prevent firing when dropped. Forget the hype, the 1911 is safer though neither is "idiot" proof. Glocks are available with different trigger pull weights .

 

[VaughnT]

I agree, Mete, that the 1911 is at least as safe as the glock. But, I can't argue a point if I don't have the facts to bring up.

Looking at the Glock reference book and reading some articles on the platform, I'm amazed that the glock doesn't appear to be even as safe as a standard revolver. With, roughly, a five-pound trigger pull, and only about an eigth of an inch of trigger travel, it's a wonder that there aren't more unintentional discharges.

Still, I'd like to have some documentation on the matter before I present it to the upper echelon.

 

[Tag]

Glocks are almost totally drop safe, the passive safety systems work in conjunction with the trigger safety, the end result being the pistol will not fire unless the trigger is pulled.

I will not comment as to a Glock being safer than any other pistol, however the systems in place on the Glock platform are well thought out and in my opinion Glocks are among the safest pistols on the market.

Nothing is idiot proof, but given that the Glocks do not place an emphasis on an external safety, that crutch is not available and forces the user to practice good trigger habits.

 

[SDC]

With a 3.5 pound connector in a Glock, the actual MEASURED trigger-pull is going to be closer to 5.5 pounds; this is the set-up in my Production pistol, which has a minimum 5-pound pull, and it's measured at every Level III I shoot. HTH.

 

[Onmilo]

The three Glock safeties are the trigger mounted detent safety which must be depressed before the trigger can move rearward.
The drop safety which means the Glock action is never in a fully cocked position until the trigger is moved rearward which fully completes the cocking stage.
Because the striker is not held in a fully cocked position during carry it cannot inadvertantly release by dropping the pistol or delivering a hard impact to the pistol while it is carried or holstered.
The third safety is the passive firing pin block which prevents the firing pin from traveling forward until the trigger is pulled fully to the rear.
This safety is redundant to the drop safety but also insures the pistol will not fire should some foreign object press into the trigger guard area while the pistol is holstered.
Should the foreign object press the trigger back and then a hard impact be delivered to the still holstered pistol causing the now partially cocked striker to release, this firing pin safety captures the striker before it can potrude from the breechface and fire a chambered cartridge.

Civilian Glocks come with 5 pound triggers except for the target grade pistols, models 34-35-24 etc. which come stock with the 3.5 pound triggers.

Anybody with a year of high school shop class and a decent diassembly-reassembly manual can install a 3.5# trigger without any problems.

Colt 1911 type pistols come with a trigger that will measure anywhere from 4 to 8 pounds in pull weight and what you get is luck of the draw.

To really try and compare the two pistols on an equal basis you would need to shoot a stock government size 5" barrel 1991 with a measured 5 pound trigger pull weight and in .40 S&W caliber against a Glock model 35 .40 S&W caliber pistol and with a 5 pound trigger assembly installed.
The overall size would be just about identical, the caliber would be identical and with 9 shot magazines, cartridge capacity would be identical.

 

[Silent Bob]

Glocks are plenty unsafe, if you can't resist running around with your finger on the trigger. If that's the case, then you have no business around even a paintball gun, much less a 1911, a DA/SA gun, or a DAO gun.

 

[bountyhunter]

I'm amazed that the glock doesn't appear to be even as safe as a standard revolver.

BINGO! Glock has a lighter trigger pull than a revo (most revos are 12 -14# DA pull) and the Glock pull is much shorter.

The Glock trigger "safety" stands as the stupidest thing I have ever seen: put your finger on the trigger and it's gone. The whole point of a safety (like the 1911 thumb safety) is to make the gun safe if somebody does something stupid like accidentally touching the trigger. Glock makes their safety and then adds: of course, you have to keep your finger off the trigger for it to work. Great... a safety that only works if you don't ever need it.

 

[Grump]

This safety is redundant to the drop safety but also insures the pistol will not fire should some foreign object press into the trigger guard area while the pistol is holstered.

Sorry, but we have credible newspaper and Internet reports of Glocks AND M1911s doing just that when being holstered.

Problem for this theory is, the striker/trigger cruciform design prevents the striker from ever going forward when partially retracted, unless you can get the slide to lift off of the frame, or maybe you can get some shim stock in between the slide and frame to depress the cruciform... Methinks that such major breakage/unlikely intrusions into the mechanism-type malfunctions are beyond the scope of any declarations about how "safe" a design is.

I consider the two equally safe for chamber-ready carry, with the sole possible exception of users who just cannot keep their fingers off the trigger. Both can and have fired on holstering when sumthin' got in the trigger guard. The M1911 will do so when the safety is off (foreseeable user error) and the natural action of holstering depresses the grip safety. Lotta good it does then, eh?

So maybe the Glock is less safe with an unsafe holster or user who gives the holster the wrong finger at the wrong time....not a disqualifier for me, that's just beyond the realm of what should be. NOTE--it requires an unsafe holster _and_ a neglectful user (either using an unsafe holster or doing the finger thing), while the M1911 requires an unsafe holster _and_ a neglectful user.

Well, both will fire with an unsafe user holstering them--finger factor with a safe holster = all bets are off.