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New Glock .357 makes cops day
New Glock .357 makes cops day
New Glock .357 makes cops' day
By CHRIS WHIPPLE
Friday, August 12, 2005
Elizabeth City police officers were at the city firing range this week getting acquainted with the department's new standard-issue firearm, the Glock .357.
The department is upgrading from Sig Sauer handguns to the new Glock because the latter weapon reportedly is safer for users. It also packs a bigger punch while increasing accuracy.
Sgt. Mike Boone and Lt. Steve Terrill were at the firing range preparing officers to qualifications on the weapons this week.
Although much smaller, the .357 is marketed by Glock as the equal to the Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum, made famous by Clint Eastwood in the movie "Dirty Harry." The .357 Magnum was at one time the largest caliber police weapon available.
The added firepower of the Glock .357 made Officer April Manlangit's day.
"It makes a bigger hole," Manlangit joked, when asked why she likes the new firearm.
Manlangit is a 2004 graduate of the College of The Albemarle's Basic Law Enforcement Training program.
Firearms preferences are largely subjective, Manlangit added, but, to her, the new guns are more user-friendly. After hammering the core of a paper target five times in a row, Manlangit said she is impressed by the accuracy of the new handgun, as well.
Boone said the Glock .357 helps improve accuracy by fitting more completely inside the hand – instead of riding up high above the webbing of the thumb. This lowered axis is what allows the handgun to be both more powerful and more accurate.
"It's not top-heavy," Boone said. "That helps tremendously with follow-up accuracy."
The primary safety feature of the weapon is contained in the trigger. There is a smaller, initiating trigger that runs along the finger groove of the actual trigger. This "trigger-trigger" must be pulled back before the actual trigger can move. Design features like that help prevent accidental discharge, Boone said.
Unlike most handguns sold commercially, the Glock .357 does not have a conventional safety switch. Neither did the Sauers. Police weapons come out of the holster ready to fire, Boone said.
Aside from the "trigger-trigger," the Glock .357 is actually one of the simplest guns currently manufactured, Boone said. There are only 37 different parts, and including the ammunition magazine.
To help mitigate the gun's powerful recoil, the polymer frame of the Glock .357 is designed to flex slightly. But it still jumps a lot. And there is no mistaking the sound of the new guns for fireworks. They are a lot louder and a lot more percussive than the old Sauers.
The department received the weapons in July, but training on the new firearms was held up by a shipping delay on the new holsters. Officers must be trained and tested before they can use any new firearm and the qualification process involves drawing the weapon from a holster and firing at a target.
To qualify on the new weapons, officers will be required to draw the weapon and fire from standing, kneeling and prone positions, with their weak as well as their strong hand, from distances of three to 25 yards. About 20 officers had qualified by Thursday afternoon, with another 30 or so either still practicing or waiting to be tested Boone said.
