I'm a convert! Now I own a G19 & G26

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Checkman

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Approximately two years ago the powers that be at my police department decided to go with GLOCKS for general issue. The department is 103 years old and has never had a general issue. But the department is growing by leaps and bounds and the feeling was that it was time for a general issue.

Well we firearms instructors convinced the chief that instead of just going with the G21 we should issue the G19 to officers who aren't comfortable with the big old 45 GLOCK.The 40 S&W isn't very popular with either admin or individual officers in the department. Therefore no G23. The majority of our 58 officers have or will go with the G21, but not all of us.

Though I carry a Sig 220 I count myself among those who are not a fan of the G21. I told the lieutenant that I would take a G19 (with night sites).

We won't start issuing the GLOCKS until September so I decided to trade off a couple of my less popular revolvers and get a G19.Mainly because I was curious and as an instructor I will have to train those officers who aren't familiar with GLOCKS.Probably a good thing to be competent with the new handgun.

I picked up a 3rd generation G19 last Saturday. One of our reserve officers is a GLOCK armorer and dealer. He gave it a complete checkup and replaced the extended mag release. I'm a lefty and didn't like the longer release button. He told me that I had done good.

By Wednsday I had put 450 rounds through the G19 and I was impressed! So much so that yesterday I traded a couple more handguns for a slightly used G26. After all I have to have a backup don't I? Well my fellow officer gave the G26 a clean bill of health and I fed it 150 rounds. Once again I'm impressed.

I'm a convert. Sorry it took twenty-two years to realise what I've been missing. It is nice to own a couple of guns which everybody and his uncle make parts for. Now I need holsters,magazines,grip extensions......
 
For all the bad things one can hear about Glock, the fact is the pistols have way more good points than most people are willing to admit.
This may be why these pistols receive so much negative comment, they are in a league by themselves.
The only pistol design I have seen that comes close to the good qualities of the Glock is the H&K USP variations and they still can't compete with the Glocks overall compact design and fully loaded weight.

My four primary shooting pistols now are a Glock 34, two Glock 26 pistols and an H&K USP Elite in .45acp.
I have near set aside all my 1911 pistols in favor of the Elite and none of my other 9mms can compare to the Glock.

I am seriously considering a Model 19 to keep stashed in my truck but haven't convinced myself I need one that badly as yet.
 
A Glock isn't a work of art like a 1911; it doesn't point itself like a Hi-Power or have a trigger that inspires like a S&W revolver.
On the other hand, when you look at it like a tool (say, a hammer) you realize how good it is. Its accurate. Its reliable. Its indestructabile.
I bought a G19 on a whim, just to try one out. Its never had a FTF, and its one of the most accurate guns I've ever held. I'm a horrible pistol shot, but somehow I can put 'em where I want 'em with this gun. Really, the gun just performs and performs exceptionally well. Gaston Glock knew what he was doing when he designed these things.
-David
 
Well, I started 2006 never owning a Glock. I started with the G26, then G17, then G19, and now a G31. I got a G22 barrel for my G31 so I can shoot the best of both worlds.

I never thought I would get into them the way I have, but I really like them. So simple, reliable and easy to shoot. Plus....EVERY holster in the world is available for a Glock, so the options are endless.

Be safe and good luck to your dept with their switch.
 
Remember, most who cross over to the darkside wonder why they didn't do so earlier,,,,:evil:
 
I only own two Glocks, a G17 and a G26. I have no desire for any other Glocks, but these two might just be "perfection". I have never had a failure with either one of them, and I shoot the G26 as well, if not better, than the G17.

I love 1911s (heck, I love anything that fires a projectile), and own three of them. However, if I knew that I was going to be in a very bad place and that dependability had to be 100% if I was going to come home, I would carry these two Glocks.
 
I've owned many Glocks before I discovered the XD. I don't own any Glocks now.
Okay, maybe I'll own a G23 or G27 down the road. Just because I still have lots of mags for them. :)
 
I am fortunate to have a good friend that is a former weapons trainer in the Army, and has for many years since he left the Army stayed active in shooting sports, training, and writing about shooting. I was very interested in guns and shooting for many years when I was much younger, and even had my FFL for a few years. A career change and much travel pretty much caused me to lose interest until recently. When my friend got me to go the Tac Pro Shooting center with him for the first time, I took along my trusty Hi Power. He has a Glock 17, 17l, 19, and 26. He has won a number of matches with the 17L. So much for Glocks not being accurate. At any rate, this re-kindled my interest. Tom Givens was hosting a class in Combative Pistol at Tac Pro, so I signed up. In talking with my friend, it came up that my Hi Power was having an occasional misfeed problem. He loaned my his G19 to take the course with. 2 hard days and 1000 rounds later, I was totally hooked! For the first time in my life I had fired an auto loader pistol without malfunctions for an extended time. I bought a Glock 19. That was about a year ago. I have put about 6000 rounds through it. 2 misfeeds in that entire time (I shoot CCI blazer aluminum almost exclusively at the range,that may be the culprit). It had rained for a couple of days prior to the course, and the ground underfoot was a muddy mess. I mean about the consistancy of bearing grease. Tom teaches to drop spent magazines and re-load as quickly as possible. You got it. They dropped straight into the goo. We then had to retrieve them and reload at the line. End result, magazines and gun full of wet clay. Didn't matter at all. Functioned flawlessly.

My attitude prior to the course was "Plastic gun???? Can't possibly be worth a crap". Now..."If there is something better, somebody will have to prove it to me".:p
 
Everyone has their favorites Checkman, some for valid reasons, some based on superstition and "gun shop stories."

Having owned many, many fine sidearms and trained at schools with several of them, I have narrowed life down to Sig and Glock 9mm and 45acp models. I have been through probably 100,000 rounds of ammo in the past 24 months, and these four variants are the only that have not let me down.

If something goes bump in the night, and I really fear for my family's safety, I'm grabbing the G21 or the P220 first (on the way to my Colt 6920). The G19 goes with me wherever I may roam, except the office.

FWIW -- and it's not much --

Rich
 
I'm a big S&W .357 magnum fan. I own many N-frames and L-frames. All in .357 magnum. I have no intention of getting rid of Sig and I'll always be a fan of the 45 acp. But I just don't have alot of confidence in my ability to grab onto that big old G21 grip in a real world situation. You know they say that 90% of shooting is between the ears. If the confidence isn't there......
Well I like to have a good grip. That's my superstition if you like. I won't mess with it.With the G19 I can get a good grip.

So in exchange for letting go of the 45 I'll make do with 72 rounds of 9mm. I always carry an extra magazine and I'm counting the eleven rounds that the G26 has. My department issues Federal's 9mm +P+ HP and I also have a Remington 870 with slugs and OO buckshot. Many of my fellow officers have purchased AR-15's and many of them also carry the G21. There is no lack of firepower on my department.

I'm impressed with the GLOCK's handling ability. I never had any doubt in it's quality. It just never grabbed me until now.

I'm think that a G34 would look real good in my safe now. :D
 
I know exactly how you feel, Checkman.

I started law enforcement back in the early 80s and everone save a few carried .357 Magnum revolvers. A very few carried 1911s. Although I dearly love to shoot revolvers and shoot them better than most, I moved up to the 1911 after six months.

After several years of law enforcement, I entered the Regular Army at age 27. There were no plastic/polymer weapons there. When I left active duty in 1993 I reverted back to Smith&Wesson revolvers and the 1911. I never felt tempted to own a Glock. Not ever.

Sure, I shot lots of them with my buddies at the range. I shot them well and was impressed by them. But I never considered buying one. Hell, I even resisted buying stainless steel and stayed with blued steel and wood until last year!

Now here I am, 48-1/2 years old and I am becoming more open-minded as life goes on. Instead of becoming more and more of a traditionalist I've become convinced that there are good "new design" handguns out there.

So during one amazing weekend last month I acquired my first two polymer-framed pistols: a Glock 29 10mm and a Springfield XD-45.

To say that I am immensely pleased with them both would be an understatement. I now wish I had bought a Glock 19 long ago. (I still like the 9mm immensely.)

I would not feel underarmed against human assailants with a 9mm and todays performance ammo.

Good luck to you and stay safe!

Dave (nitesite)
 
Eight Months Later

Well I was issued a brand new G19 with night sights in September as promised. It shoots like a champ. Of course there have been several of my fellow officers tease me about me switching to "those tiny little 9mm", but I just grin and move on.

The first thing I noticed after my first shift with the Glock on my hip (we work 12 hr shifts) was that I didn't spend nearly as much time adjusting my gunbelt and I didn't feel as tired at the end of the night. You wouldn't think just a few ounces would make such a difference, but it does.

What's real amusing now is that I've had a few officers quietly ask to look at my 19. They're starting to find the bigger 21 to be more gun than they want to carry around. I've also had some new hires ask if they could have a 19 when inprocessing.

But the lieutenant in charge of firearms training has made it a part of policy that only those officers who were already working for the department at the time we started issuing the GLocks can have a G19. All new officers will carry a G21 period. Now those officers who have been with us for more than a year can switch to the G19 (though they'll hear about it from the Lt.), but they will not be allowed to switch again. The same is true for the G19 officers who decide that they want to go with the G21 after all.

The second thing I've noticed as a firearms instructor is that it's much easier to work with folks on the range. Everyone is using the same design of handgun. Makes it easier to troubleshoot those problem children.

Anyway that's the latest for those who are curious.
 
I own a Glock 23 and i know why they weren't well accepted.
The Glock 23(i have no clue about the 22) really doesn't like the 40cal. Very snappy, rapid fire is nill to none in the accuracy department.
The best thing about Glocks is their simplicity and versatility.

Added tactical bonus seeing as how your back up can use the same magazine as your main firearm.

Good luck.
 
Your right about the 40. The regional Glock rep has told me how the G22's and 23's don't have as long of a service life as the other Glocks. The 40 is a hot round and can be pretty rough on a handgun. That's isn't to say that they'll apart after only a few thousand rounds, but they do require tune-ups sooner than say the 9mm Glocks.

As far as magazines go I've purchased G17 mags for my reloads. Sure it's only four more rounds than if I carried two G19 mags, and in most police or citizen involved shootings the average round count is two or three rounds, but it makes me feel better.
 
Glock is the best thing to happen to handguns. The 9mm models are exceptional.
 
Checkman I am glad your still happy with your Glocks. I have three of them and at least one of them goes to the range with me everytime. They are very dependable and I am pleased with them no matter what negative stuff people say about them.
 
Some one on one of the boards I frequent once said..." You show your friends your pretty guns and you show your enemies your Glock!" I have to agree 100% with this statement.
J:D
 
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