I have considered purchasing a Glock, not specific as yet as to model, does anyone have experience with goods/bads of the Glock system?

I have a G-17 and it works flawlessly, is easy to maintain, will function even when dirty and easy to learn how to shoot.
One thing is there no cocked and locked type of safety.
Go check out their website.
I chose 9mm but many will recommend other calibers and of course start the usual argument over the best caliber.
I say get one.
Bill

I have owned dozens of pistols and revolvers over the years including Glocks. I can say two things about them. They are very well made pistols, and you can either shoot them well or you can't.
I had a Glock 23 and a friend of mine had a 19, I could not shoot either as well as I can other pistols and revolvers. I tend to favor revolvers when it comes to accuracy myself. So my advice is Shoot the model you indend to buy, make sure you have a feel for it.

Glocks are fine handguns. The first question your should ask yourself though, is "What do I want the pistol for?"

Self defense? Target shooting? Just want one? For example, if you're considering self defense, plan to get a CCW permit, and use inside-the-pocket-carry, then even the smallest Glock will be too big for that. They'd be fine in a belt holster or inside-waistband holster however.

If you're only asking about the functionality and reliability of Glocks, with no specific purpose in mind, then I doubt many would vote against one. Glocks are good guns. If you're "just wanting one" or wanting something for target use, I'd go for the 9mm. Simply because that's the cheapest and most prevalent ammunition. I even works well for self defense, although others may argue for a different caliber. IMHO, differences between things like 9mm, .40s&w, 357sig, .45, etc. are fairly minor in the overall scheme of self defense. They can all get the job done normally. One may be better for this, another better for that, but overall the differences are relatively slight.

I am a fan of Glock pistols, I've settled in on the Glock 19 - 9mm - as my preferred sidearm.

Good: They are durable, they are reliable, they are very simple to maintain. They are accurate enough at ranges where I'm accurate with any handgun. I'm no long-distance handgun shooter, so for me, it's all about 20-40 yards anyway.

Bad: They are a semi-auto, which takes some practice to deal with a failed round or a stovepipe (spent casing stuck in the slide) - this is true of almost any Semi-Auto, but I've noticed that with the Glock I get a slightly larger number of stovepipes in a rapid fire drill than I do with the Sig 229 or HK P7.

Neutral: They are not a terribly attractive gun, I mean, compared to some of the revolvers out there, it's downright dowdy. Some people put the lack of a safety in the Good category, some put it in the Bad, all I know is that I treat all guns as "ready to fire" anyway, and I don't like having an external safety, so that's why I prefer the Glock.

I can probably answer your questions comlpro.....what do you need/want to know?
By the way Izzy, your friend is mistaken regarding the .45GAP round, it is about as powerful as .45acp, but the case is shorter thereby reducing the frame. It is "small hands friendly". The glock 21, in .45 caliber is a large frame pistol. The glock 39 is a medium frame.
Also you can swap barrels/calibers with a couple of things to remember....
1)medium frames to medium frames
2)always buy the largest calibre in that frame, then buy your smaller conversion barrel...if you don't the barrel may not fit into the hole in the front of the slide for the barrel. You in essence are getting a bull barrel in the smaller caliber.
I have done this for my glock 22....
Have a conversion barrel for .357sig, which is a .40 calibre bullet necked down to .357.
Both can/do use the clip for .40
I also have a 9mm barrel for it. When using the 9mm barrel you MUST use 9mm clips, kinda makes sense huh
Like I said any questions I'll do my best to help ya.

-Bill Liptak
Rocking the combat tupperware

Glock system?

Glock makes folding shovels and fixed blade knives as well as semi-auto handguns.

It would be a stretch to call these things a system :-)

Good pistols though I prefer the more upright grip angle of a 1911 myself....

It is true, a LOT of people who like shooting or grew up shooting daddy's 1911 dont like the grip angle of the glocks. like with anything else....practice makes perfect.
BigDaddyTX, you are mistaken... The .40S&W is a wussy 10mm :p
(Says the .40S&W fan lol)in seriousness though, the .45GAP is as powerfull as .45ACP, just a shorter, stronger case to handle higher pressures required to get the same ballistics....

-Bill Liptak

I carry a Glock 27 (.40 S&W Subcompact) concealed. The two modifications that I have made (and would recommend to anyone) are tritium (self-illuminating) night sights and an extended magazine release.



Without the night sights, your weapon is essentially worthless after dark, as it is virtually impossible to locate the front sight against your target in low level lighting. I haven't priced sights lately (since they last +/- 10 years or more) although I believe the last time I had them installed they were around $100.

I installed the extended mag release simply because the OE one needed to be pressed so far into the grip that it was recessed before the magazine would drop. While this may be the safest way of doing things, it simply will not allow one to perform a tactical reload (maintaining the front sight on the target during reloading) since I needed to rotate the weapon slightly in my hand in order to position the tip of my thumb properly over the release.

The extended release that I have is a Glock replacement part, and is approximately 1/4" longer than OE - just enough that the magazine will drop without the release having to be recessed below the surface of the grip. The cost of the part was less than two bucks, and is not so "extended" that it interferes with holstering, or anything else. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Glock has transitioned to the revised mag release on current production models.

The only potential downside that I feel a subcompact pistol has is the limited amount of grip available. If you do not have a secure hold on the weapon when firing, the weapon can rotate upward during recoil. The extra (lost) energy that is used to rotate the weapon within your hand can prevent the spent round from fully ejecting clear of the slide, resulting in a stoppage (stove piping).

Finally, at the risk of starting a heated debate regarding caliber choices, I personally have never felt comfortable relying on anything smaller than a .40 S&W for personal defense, so I would recommend that or the .45 ACP. I would also strongly suggest that you go to your local range and test fire anything that you plan on buying, just to make sure that you're comfortable with it.

Jim

Hey Big Daddy,

There are 3 secrets to firing a semi-automatic pistol (applies to revolvers also):

1) Use a 2 handed grip with both thumbs either crossed or placed side by side. The best way to do this is by holding the pistol in 1 hand(R) and setting it down into the palm of the other hand(L). Bring the fingers of the Left hand up and have the 2 thumbs cross or lay side by side just below the slide.

2) Lower the weapon towards the target and LOCK your elbows. When you fire the weapon, the recoil should force it straight up, in an arc that ends at or over your head,,depending on the power of the round vs. the size of your wrists and arms.

3) Use only the very tip of your index finger on the trigger. The more of your finger that protrudes past the trigger, the more pull to the side that you will exert as you squeeze the trigger inward.

Other notes:
1) Always fire in "double tap" mode - Fire once and then immediately aim again at the center mass of the target and squeeze off a 2nd round, as quickly as you can,,,,accurately.

2) If you fire, using these 3 rules AND avoid jerking the trigger, you can easily achieve a "Sharpshooter" qualification.

3) If you are "jerking" the trigger, find someone who knows how to run you through a "ball and blank drill",,,This will break you from "jerking" and will make the firing of the weapon more of a "surprise" when it goes off.

4) The Golden Rules: Never pull a weapon unless you ARE going to use it; Always "double tap" when you fire; Don't worry about a "fast draw", worry about deploying the weapon smoothly with a proper grip upon the weapon and making the first shot count, because you may never get another shot off otherwise.

5) Don't take my opinion on these points alone, ask a Gunner's Mate or a Range Officer, or a Police Officer about this and see what they tell you. Ask Old Bald Guy and see what he thinks.