Why do I feel the need to own a Glock?

[ny32182]

I was once exactly where you are, shooting Sigs, "didn't like Glocks", but wanting something cheap and ugly to leave in the car most of the time, so I bought a G19.

It took me all of 5 minutes to figure out that compared to the Sig, the Glock was:

Lighter (makes a big difference when carrying all day)
Higher capacity
More durable finish
Trigger system is better for practical shooting
Far more resistant to the elements
Cheaper
Monkey can detail strip it and replace any part in under 5 minutes, with a small flathead screwdriver beeing the only tool required

I probably have shot less than 300 rounds combined through the 4 Sigs I owned since the day I bought my G19 in 2006.

 

[faceyournation]

Personally when it came time to choose my first gun, I choose a glock 19 gen3. Some people love them, some people don't. I find it to be everything I need, and am happy with my decision to go with a glock.

 

[Skylerbone]

Slogans aside, there are a wealth of polymer frame pistols out there to explore. Many are as accurate and dependable as a Glock with updated looks, different grip angles and colors. I cannot say my brand choice will outlast a Glock or outperform one, only that it is what I felt comfortable with and I trust it.

As you already trust Sig, consider the SP2022 with night sights (about $450 retail) as an excellent contender for a smooth transition.

 

[PabloJ]

Glock is good tool like some others. If you have P225 you do not need G19.

 

[Teachu2]

I was raised (worked for a gunsmith in the early '80s) with the certainty that Glocks were junk. Colt and S&W were the cat's meow, Ruger was OK. On the rare occasions I shot Glocks, I knew they'd be lousy - so they were.
Jump ahead 30 years, and Glock is still going strong and has so corrupted the souls of American shooters that other companies have followed suit. I decided to rent a few poly-framed 9mm pistols, and tried offerings from Glock, S&W, and XD. Still shot poorly with the Glock.
Then my wife got interested in shooting, and fondled a Ruger LC9 just enough to want one. Ordered it, picked it up, went to the range and fired three shots - and she was done. The LC9 was brutal to her hand, making contact in the wrong spots. I shot it, and was surprised with it's excellent accuracy. I went to the rental counter and got her the same assortment I'd shot, and found the M&P 9C was the most comfortable for her. I decided as long as we were experimenting, I'd try a G30. To my surprise, I shot it well - very well, enough so that I stopped at the sales counter on the way out and bought one, along with ordering the M&P 9C for the wife.
That returned me to my search for a 9mm range gun, and the upcoming GSSF events at the local range convinced me to order in a G34. California's stupid 1-in-30 rules stacked them up on me, so I actually picked up the G34 and left the G30 there - they have a rental G30, but not a G34....
Got the G34 last week, and I think it's going to be a winner. It's unlike everything I am used to, but I'm learning to shoot it. The skills I develop on the 34 will mostly transfer to the 30. The 30 is just a hoot! Recoil is not bad at all, and it has far better accuracy than expected. It will be replacing my 1911 carry gun.
The bad thing about shooting multiple platforms is that you have to practice more to be proficient with all. The good thing about shooting multiple platforms is you get to practice more...

 

[HGUNHNTR]

I really enjoy my Glock 34. I definitley wouldn't say it's a tool. I have just as much love (aww cute right?) for it as I do the wood and blued guns in the safe. I enjoy shooting it, it shoots point of aim, and has yet to malfunction. A big selling point for me is having Glock just up the road from me. They will service a gun brought it to them off the street, clean it up, replace springs,a nd send ya out tha door with a couple new mags to boot.

 

[hentown]

I own some Glocks and have put a lot of rounds through them. I don't own any of them just because I felt like I needed a Glock. I just don't think like that.

 

[LTR shooter]

I would also like your reasoning that I should or shouldn't get a G19 to add to my little arsenal

I've never shot a glock

I think you answered that one yourself. I would sure try to shoot some version before buying.

After firing a G17 back in the late 80s I found it to be quite an undesirable pistol - did not point well , grip did not fit me , trigger was the worst of any handgun I had fired.

A few years ago I had the chance to shoot another Glock , this one in 40 S&W. Once again I don't see what all the hype on the trigger is about , simply one of the worst I've experienced and this one even pinched my trigger finger with every shot. Again the grip ergonomics were at best -atrocious.

As to the Glock being the only reliable firearm in existence My P239 has been totally reliable for the past 15 years , I can live with that.

 

[GLOOB]

Some early Gen4s had teething problems. Something about the new double recoil spring. I believe they are all resolved, but since I own four 19s now, I am not really in the market for one of the Gen4s...yet.

Resolved? Yes and no. Even with the most recent spring, my friend's Gen4 G19 is simply sprung a tad on the heavy side for standard pressure American ammo.

Good grip, no problem. But I would simply not trust a Gen4 to shoot regular pressure ammo one-handed. That's when I start getting weird ejection and occasional stovepipes. As a reloader, it's no big deal to me. I make the ammo to suit the gun. But if you don't reload and have a gen4, you might want to make sure you're stoked with +P for defensive purposes. Obviously do your own testing on your own gun.

OP: that's how I feel about revolvers. I feel like I need them, but I hardly ever shoot them. I'm interested in picking up a Pitbull, which I probably wouldn't shoot much, either.

 

[clang]

Nobody needs a Glock, but everyone should have a good reliable gun. Most Glocks happen to fall in that category.

I'm more a metal gun guy (and revolvers too), but I have a G19 and G17. My first centerfire autos were the G19 and a Browning Hi Power. Still have both of them.

A "Wonder 9" is an excellent addition to anyone's safe, especially if you do not reload. They make great range guns and handle the whole self defence thing pretty well too. As already said - there are several good reliable guns in this category (both polymer & metal framed guns).

 

[B!ngo]

I'm not a Glock lover. But I do have great respect for 'em. I've considered buying one numerous times, but I don't believe in trying to be proficient in many designs with different manual of arms.
So I think I'm sticking with my P7M8 and M13. Incredibly rugged, seemingly as dependable as a Glock. Maybe more but that might be mathematically impossible. Safer for sure and fully ambi, which I require though a Glock is as well.
But I'm convinced enough about a constant trigger pull that I'm switching my USP V2 to light LEM. I'm done with DA/SA. Makes no sense to me.
B

 

[Warp]

I literally laughed out loud when the statement about having a handgun for every niche in life was following by listing TWO handguns. Give it time. Every conceivable niche will end up being, oh, maybe 50 handguns.

Glocks are great defensive pistols. The G19 is the most popular of them all.

Get a 3rd Gen if you pick one up.

 

[thedriver101]

I'm a Glock hater. I love my 1911's very much. No matter how much I try, I can't group very well on the Glock, they're blocky, ugly, only OK in the hand, etc.

And yet, I ended up with a G19 Gen4. I find that even if we have all the other usual niches filled with other guns, the Glock is still good to keep around as like a backup backup to everything. It's disposable if it gets confiscated in an incident, you can neglect it if you want, you can loan them away without worry, and in general abuse them without any ill effect. THAT is the hidden niche I've found with my Glock.

 

[hentown]

I think you answered that one yourself. I would sure try to shoot some version before buying.

After firing a G17 back in the late 80s I found it to be quite an undesirable pistol - did not point well , grip did not fit me , trigger was the worst of any handgun I had fired.

A few years ago I had the chance to shoot another Glock , this one in 40 S&W. Once again I don't see what all the hype on the trigger is about , simply one of the worst I've experienced and this one even pinched my trigger finger with every shot. Again the grip ergonomics were at best -atrocious.

As to the Glock being the only reliable firearm in existence My P239 has been totally reliable for the past 15 years , I can live with that.
LTR shooter is offline Report Post Quick reply to this message

Owning both 1911s and Glocks for years, and having run tens of thousands of rounds through both, I'm convinced that a lot of the "ergonomics" complaints are psychosomatic!

My Glocks' triggers pull from 2 3/8# to just under 4#. I have no problem hitting relatively small targets with any of my Glocks, out to 100 yds. I'd probably recommend a G19 to the OP.

 

[IdahoSkies]

I was a Glock hater. Until I tried one. I own a 29 (10mm) and in the future will probably get a 19. They are the ARs of the pistol world. (well actually Aks in durability, but not to hijack the thread). They are plastic, but the really work. They are very much a tool and not art. But they do what they were designed to do and do it very well. (including making a profit).

 

[Smith357]

I do not them Sam I am, I do not like them in a box, I will not shoot them at a fox.

I was in that school for 25 years then got the hankering for a full sized .45, unfortunately the Glock was just too darn big for my sissy little grippers so I got another plastic wonder pistol. That's a pretty darn big leap for a revolver guy who swore he would never own any gun with plastic parts.

 

[MachIVshooter]

They have their place. I do not like them, but own a G20. Why? Because I wanted a fullsize 10mm for carry in the woods and while hunting. Why not a Witness? Well, I already own two, one is a compact and the other is a Limited that I don't care to beat up in the field. Same for my Kimber and S&W 1006. Don't care if I damage the G20; It's just a current production $500 gun. It is not as comfortable or accurate as the others, and less reliable than the S&W (one failure vs. zero), but it works well enough and I don't feel the need to carefully manuver around boulders and such to avoid scratching it.

 

[jfrey]

+1 on exactly what LeonCarr said. I bought a G19 for the best reason I can think of. I wanted one and didn't have one. I had a Kahr CW9 that just didn't excite me as much as I thought it would when I got it. I traded it on a G19 to match the G36 I have had for years. I have other higher end 1911's and such but my G19 is my everyday - go any place gun.

 

[Triplec]

Thanks again for responses. I'm gonna find somebody's glock to shoot and see if I can verify some of these opinions. I agree with warp in laughing at myself thinking my two guns are all I need. I'm just looking for excuses to justify getting a new gun. It just seems like I can't be an experienced, knowledgable handgunner without owning a glock.

 

[Warp]

Excuses? NOTHING is perfect. Everything can break. Given enough time and use, everything WILL break.

"Two is one, one is none". Even if you are so completely and totally set on the two you have that you don't want something else, double up!

 

[wrs840]

If I carried consistently in a duty holster, gun-on to gun-back-in-safe-storage as a daily routine, I'd love to carry a Glock. Fact is, I'm a civilian, so my paved-world CC has to be handled too much, disarming to enter a prohibited building etc. I don't trust a Glock in a computer-bag, glove compartment, center console, etc. The good ones have triggers that are too nice for that kind of over-handling.

Yes, I'm serious...

 

[tarosean]

The good news is youll get most of your money back if you buy one and dont like it...

 

[Warp]

If I carried consistently in a duty holster, gun-on to gun-back-in-safe-storage as a daily routine, I'd love to carry a Glock. Fact is, I'm a civilian, so my paved-world CC has to be handled too much, disarming to enter a prohibited building etc. I don't trust a Glock in a computer-bag, glove compartment, center console, etc. The good ones have triggers that are too nice for that kind of over-handling.

Yes, I'm serious...

This is what holsters, and rule #3, are for.

Does NC have that many places off limits? I know your gun laws aren't terribly great, but I didn't think they were terribly bad either.

 

[LTR shooter]

My Glocks' triggers pull from 2 3/8# to just under 4#. I have no problem hitting relatively small targets with any of my Glocks, out to 100 yds. I'd probably recommend a G19 to the OP.

Really? What kind of small targets are we talking about?

 

[Girodin]

Owning both 1911s and Glocks for years, and having run tens of thousands of rounds through both, I'm convinced that a lot of the "ergonomics" complaints are psychosomatic!

+1

Years ago I decided there were some 9x19 handguns I wanted to own just to own one. G17, Hi Power, Berretta 92, etc. I don't think there is anything wrong with adding a gun just to own one. I like having lots of different handguns and being able to compare and contrast them. I of course have my go to gun and my favorites but nothing wrong with owning a variety. I have six or seven different makes of 9mm pistols. Within them I have full size to sub compacts, different designs: striker fired, DOA, DA/SA, metal and polymer. I like having a variety. Its also led to be being pretty amused when people act like one brand or model is head and shoulders better than everything else.

In sum, if you want the glock, get it.