why everyone loves glock handguns so much?

[FourTeeFive]

Quote:
Let me put it this way. A Glock is like... A Hummer or a Range Rover. It will likely never let you down,

Wow... the person who said that probably never owned a Range Rover!

Back on the Glock topic, I have never held one that didn't feel uncomfortable in my hand. Even the "slim" 36. That said, I would be interested in a single-stack 9mm Glock if they ever made one.

I love the feel of a Beretta 92; it points very naturally for me.

 

[1557]

We own several Glocks and they are without a doubt reliable in the extreme,esp the 9mm models. I'm not getting rid of them because they serve a valid purpose,but I can't appreciate them as much as nice 1911 or the smooth double action of a well set up revolver.
For fighting ,they probably can't be beat.

 

[Sniper X]

If I had enough money to buy and just leave one in my vehicles, secured of course, I'd probably buy a Glock in 9mm. But, I would not usually take it out and shoot it, just leave it in the truck, car, rover, whatever for a back up peice for the motorvehicle. They would be perfect for that in my opinion!

 

[Birukun]

Beretta 92FS - metal frame, better recoil, maybe slightly more accurate (negligible)
Glock - polymer, snappier recoil, accuracy OK

The big benefit behind the Glock is that you can *run* that gun in all situations. I took a handgun course with a Beretta Cougar, and watched all the Glock owners (80% of the class) run through the drills with ease - the Glock is a simple system, and clearing malfunctions, etc. were easy to learn and perform.

I had issues with my decocker/safety lever, then the added fun of dealing with the first shot in DA mode. It was rough. Even took some skin off of my finger clearing a malfunction. (pinched on decocker)

I would have gotten a Glock, but the grip just bothers me. So I tried the M&P and ended up with one. Same theory of operation - simple, with no extra stuff hanging off the slide to work/get in the way.

Did I mention all the parts/mods you can do to the Glocks as well? Not possible with my Cougar, although I am sure the 92FS has more possibilities, but not as many as the Glock.

Bill in SD

 

[mljdeckard]

Without reading the whole thread,

My new-issued army Beretta (I personally picked it up from the warehouse new in packaging, and stripped the cosmoline off it it, along with 86 others that went in my arms room in 1992,) was good for 3-4" at 25 yards. Now this is really nitpicking, most (all I can think of) autopistols are as accurate as most shooters can handle. Mil-spec in 1992 may not have neen as tight at it is now. But what you find in the military, is the vast majority of servicemen who say they like the Beretta are people who have NEVER FIRED ANY OTHER PISTOL.

I carried a Glock for years. I don't anymore, I switched back to a 1911, BUT:

Every problem autopistols have generated in the last 100 years, Glock has solved them. (Or done at least as good a job solving them as anyone else.)

You can pay a lot more than the price of a Glock for a service pistol, but you will have to work really hard to see what you get for the extra money.

As long as we pretend to follow the Hague Accords, which we never signed, and use fmj 9mm, we should use the most rugged, simple, EASY TO TRAIN pistol. (Glock.)

Recoil is about the same as a Beretta. The trigger is gooey, takes some getting used to.

 

[10-Ring]

I have my OD green G19 & 2 Italian 92's --one FS & one Centurion. I would give the edge to my Berettas if I had to pick. My Glock tho is just a reliable performer & is one that I really don't care if it gets alittle dinged up.

 

[sm]

Jim Watson,
Excellent Post!


One thing we see more and more today, is the simple fact many folks are just not raised with firearms as folks were back in my day.

I am grateful I was raised when I was, with the firearms being part of how kids were raised.
My personal firearm choices were made back then, and continue to be my choices, recommendations and influences.

We did not have Glocks, .40 cal and all the choices folks get wrapped around the axles over - thank goodness!!

Truth is, all we ever needed for a quality defensive firearm was made by 1955 with the introductions of the Model 19 and the .357 magnum.

The years following are just Marketing, Business and Something to argue about.
IMO

 

[Dobe]

Now, I thought this was an auto thread, or I'd have thrown in a Mod 19 also. It is my favorite revolver. I still enjoy DA shooting.

 

[Hunter0924]

Looks like I am in the minority on this subject. I loathe Glocks. Why? Poor ergonomics is the main reason. Glocks do jam I promise. I shoot a few IDPA matches and the majority of the pistols there are Glocks, I am not saying they jam often but I have seen a FTRTB and excessive stem bind on occasion. Nothing man made is perfect.
To me the trigger is horrible and what is with the "safety"?
They do have case head support issues especially with higher pressure rounds such as the .40 S&W cartridge that caused catastrophic failures. I am not saying they are bad pistols but they are not perfect.
In my mind there is no better pistol than the Colt Government Model.

 

[Matt King]

One word: Reliability

 

[9x19]

Glocks work....right out of the box, and just keep right on working.

You can have your choice of calibers (even a .22 with a conversion kit), they are easy to modify (no big '$mith ju-ju needed) easy to maintain, easy to shoot fast and well, and easy to carry all day without fatigue.

Simple as that.

 

[TomN]

I like a lot of guns. My favorites would be, in no particular order, 1911, Sig, CZ, and Glock. I carry a Glock 17. Why? Well for ME the grip fits my hand perfectly. Plus it's reliable, simple to work on, light, and has a large magazine capacity. And I don't feel bad if I beat the heck out of it since it's so ugly anyway! I used to carry a 1911 but it got too heavy, plus I found myself babying it a bit too much. Am I a fanatic? Nah not really. They're not perfect, however, they're pretty close to being the best for me at the moment.

 

[marksman13]

I carry a Glock at work, but I don't believe I will ever own another one. I just can't warm up to them like I have with other models. They have no personality, no soul. Does that affect the way they work? No, but it does affect the way I feel about them. My personal favorite auto pistol right now is a CZ 75B. They have character, and they are just as reliable as a Glock.
The bottom line with a Glock is that they work. They do the job, and if that is all a person expects out of his pistol they are a great choice. I have also found that many, but certainly not all of those who brag about their Glocks have no experience with any other firearms. They talk about what they know and they talk loudly. There are several brands of pistols that are just as reliable as a Glock, and had one of those companies come up with the "torture tests" first and made all the LEO deals, then we wouldn't be talking about Glocks right now. We would be talking about XDs, or Sig, or CZs, or Smiths. Glock invented a very good pistol and did a damn fine job of marketing it. Gaston's marketing strategy has made him an icon. His engineering is what has kept his status.

 

[opd743]

I personally love my Glock 21. I am only 5'9" and the grip is not to big for me, just takes getting used to. I have also owned a Sig 220 and a Glock 19. The 220 was by far the best gun I have ever had in my hands, I have shot everything except the M&P, including a Bretta 92, and I kick myself everyday for getting rid of the Sig. I just did not like the small magazine capacity. That's why I got the 19 and I found that I just don't care for a 9mm. So I settled on the 21. It's got high mag capacity and it's a .45. It's not perfect by any means, I don't think any gun is or ever will be. If Sig made a high-cap .45 I would buy one in a heart beat. Like I said, Glocks are not perfect, they are just what some people prefer. As for the people that think they are the only gun worth owning, they are probably the only gun they have ever had.

 

[valor1]

Glocks are cheap and reliable. They bang all the time. If parts break, the replacement part is cheap. Most of the time, Glock will replace it. They are easy to field strip and clean. There is practically no maintenance as long as you don't use lead on your reloads. It doesn't easily rust. It is ugly but it works. That's why it is so popular.

 

[LeonCarr]

I know the thread is titled, "Why everyone loves Glocks so much", but the same reasons that I love Glocks are the same reasons why some folks hate them .

The reasons people hate Glocks (Nomex flame suit on)

1. People hate it when a gun that costs $500 brand new is more reliable than their $3000 custom built 1911, and runs out of the box on any kind of ammo without having to have anything tuned or adjusted.

2. People hate it when a Glock is tortured tested by every means possible, including dropping from a helicopter and being thrown up against a cinder block wall repeatedly with a spring loaded skeet thrower, and it still runs.

3. Gunsmiths hate the Glock because they won't make any money off of it, because the average person can do most if not all of the trigger and sight work at his kitchen table with a minimum of tools and labor.

4. People hate the Glock because they can never practice live fire malfunction drills like they do on a regular basis with the 1911.

5. Range officers hate the Glock because it gives them no job security, because when a department is equipped with the Glock they get to leave early because everybody qualified with no malfunctions. They also hate the Glock because you can give the average rookie a Glock and about five minutes of instruction and they will shoot a passing score.

I will always own at least one Glock, one AK and one Remington 870, because they are all virtually 100% reliable. A gun you trust your life to has to run, period.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[nemoaz]

I have one Glock currently. I love the reliability and the fact that Glocks last forever and always ace the pistol torture tests.

I formerly carried a Beretta 40 Centurion (and several military M9s). The Beretta is a serviceable pistol for sure, although I did have a catastrophic failure with it (trigger bar and spring) and saw several others with a similar problem. However, these were all on used pistols with far more rounds through them (LEO academy pistols that had been rebuilt) than 99.5% of pistols will ever see. The Beretta is very accurate... in part because of the long site radius. I never liked the long, heavy trigger pull. Ours were DAO so I got that on every pull. Also, in .40, it only carried 11 rounds. It also seemed odd to be carrying that large of a weapon only to have less rounds than most compact or subcompact 40s. But nevertheless it served well and I wouldn't hesitate to carry another. If you like yours, then don't worry about what we glockophiles (or 45niks or HKheads) think.

 

[1911 guy]

They are as good as anything else on the market.

From a purely objective standpoint, they are fine. Accurate enough for all but serious target work (just like any other unmodified handgun) pretty well made (just like most other modern handguns) and simple to operate (like most other firearms).

Personally, I despise them. The grip angle is something abhorrent to natural movement and motion, they are unnecessarily wide, the trigger just blows, they're topheavy, the factory sights are lousy. Last but not least, they are overhyped. If someone likes Glock pistols because of the pistol itself, no argument from me. Most fanboys (and girls), however, are simply on the bandwagon and have no clue about anything else out there.

In short, try a Glock and base your judgement on the merits of the pistol alone. It is no better or worse made than any other good quality handgun available today.

 

[glocktoberfest]

A gun you trust your life to has to run, period.

I agree with this statement . Trust is why I carry a Glock .

 

[CZ52GUY]

glock questions:
accuracy compared to a beretta?


I would find no inherent advantage or disadvantage to the Glock that couldn't be matched by the Beretta.

recoil compared to a beretta?(btw im talking about the large glock 9mm) The Glock 17 or 34 I'm assuming you refer to is lighter weight. I'd expect felt recoil with identical load to be slightly less with the Beretta.

how many rounds would you shoot through a large glock 9mm before changing parts?

I keep a few parts (and Glocks) around. I inspect during routine cleanings and change parts when they show signs of excessive wear. I put about 10K (combined) through 3 Glocks last season without replacing any parts. We had a late Spring this year but still no parts changes.


glock weakness if any? Their reputation can sometimes give folks a sense of misplaced confidence that it can be unnecessarily abused. Detailed stripping needs to be done with some care, as does re-assembly or you can end up with a single-shot Glock.

and hows trigger pull? I've put 3.5# connectors in all of mine, and competition springs in most. There's a good Glock "doctor" who did polish jobs on several of mine. Break is about 3-3.5#, and it's not as clean and crisp as a well tuned 1911. It's a different animal.

The strengths of the Glock:
1) Simplicity of operation - lets you concentrate on the shooting instead of releasing a manual safety or maintaining grip to avoid grip safety issues as with 1911.
2) They're comparatively cheap compared to a SIG, HK, and Berettas
3) They're lightweight, which makes them useful for carry
4) They stand up to a lot of use
5) They're "combat accurate". With the right loads and shooter, they can be even better than that.
6) They are built with loose enough tolerances to allow for very reliable feeding (BUT, it can have a downside depending on how you feel about adequate preventive measures to avoid KB).

I think the 9mm's are best. I enjoy my .40's, but am still searching for the right load. I like my .45, but again...not sure I've found THE LOAD for it.

In the end, they're terrific little guns. They aren't the "finger of Thor", it's a hand-gun. A very good little gun, and a very capable one in the hands of a competent shooter.

Keep Safe,

CZ52'

 

[wrangler5]

I love the idea of Glock but do not like shooting them enough to own one. Simple, cheap (relatively), dead nuts reliable, - what's not to like? Even the trigger is something I could get used to and it's good for its intended purpose (which is NOT popping cans @ 50 yards, even though that can be done.) Except that I REALLY don't like the grip. Both size and angle are wrong for me. I've tried 'em at ranges for years and just can't come to like holding 'em. If it were the only gun I used I might adapt, but I have too many others for the Glock to feel comfortable. To me. In my hands. YMMV.

Our range had a "manufacturers' day" a few weekends ago, where most of the company pistol reps brought their sample cases for people to try out. I tried the G17, 19 & 26, as well as 9mm offerings from Springfield, S&W, Walther, Beretta, CZ and HK (SIG was strangely absent - they were there last year.) Glock was at the bottom of my personal preference list based on side-by-side shooting experience. (Like PX15, my favorite was the P99 with the Springfield XDs next. I felt the same last year after the same event.)

I think that a lot of the Glock passion is based on the ownership experience (simple, cheap, dead nuts reliable) rather than the shooting experience. Those are just different perspectives. Which perspective any individual chooses to apply is a purely personal choice - much as I'd choose blued steel over stainless, given a choice.