Why I Like Glock Firearms

Of all of the handguns I have owned, my favorites have all been GLOCKs. I have carried the GLOCK 17 and 21 when uniformed, the GLOCK 30 when undercover or off-duty, and have used various other GLOCKs in other situations.

GLOCK firearms in my opinion are best defined as "simple elegance". The lines are very clean, yet the gun is very "utilitarian". The slide is heavily square - with some rounding of the corners for comfort. They have almost no protrusions from the sides of the firearm. The leaves less to snag on a holster, your clothing, or on any other object. In combat they have been proven reliable, and they are easy to operate when you are in the crap.

Top-down view of the GLOCK 21 - shown with Trijicon Night Sights

Top-down view of the GLOCK 30 - shown with original factory sights - note the beveled edges on the slide

The first GLOCK I purchased was a Model 17 [9mm luger]. I really just bought it for fun. One of the guys I worked with was buying a GLOCK 22 for duty carry and asked me if I would come along. This particular store had all of their GLOCKs for $100 off, and I had been interested for a while. I wanted to get a GLOCK 21 [.45 ACP], but they were out and it was the last day of the sale. My buddy bought the last GLOCK 22 [.40 S&W] the dealer had, and I had been considering a 9mm for fun since the ammo is less expensive. I went ahead and plunked down the cash for a GLOCK 17.

We went to the shooting range the next Saturday. Being chambered in 9mm, the GLOCK 17 was very easy to handle. Even running the target out to maximum extent, it was easy to hit center-mass every time. Recoil was more than manageable - partially because the GLOCK sits so low in the hand. It makes the recoil more of a straight-back force than a muzzle-flipping force. It's far better than a 1911-style handgun. I also found the factory sights to be right on.

My buddy felt he was having problems and asked me to fire his Glock 22 and let him know if I felt the sights were off. I picked it up and placed 2 shots center-mass - right where I was aiming. Again, I was impressed with the recoil and the feel of the firearm in my hand. Even in .40 S&W, the low-sitting GLOCK was better than the 1911-type 40s I have fired in the past. The GLOCK 22 proved to be a very fine firearm.

Since it was obvious that the problem was not the sights, so I told him to fire three shots slowly while I watched from both sides and from behind.

It was soon obvious what the problem was. He was anticipating the recoil and flinching at the last second. I have seen that problem a lot and showed him what was up. I also had him practice a few dry-fire exercises, and he was soon placing some very decent shots at more extended range.

My GLOCK 17 became a favorite, and I soon added a GLOCK 30 [.45 ACP] for concealed carry. This has been an excellent firearm for concealed carry. It features a shorter grip and slide, more beveled edges on the slide, and stits low in the hand - just like all of the other GLOCKs.

The only drawback to the .45 GLOCKs - with the exception of the GLOCK 36 - is that they have a much wider grip. Many people don't have the hands for it because the magazines are designed to hold 10 rounds in a double-stack configuration. I am fortunate that I do. I am not a fan of 9mm in terms of stopping power. I feel that anyone carrying should be able to handle at least a .40.

I'm one of those people who believes in the doctrine of imparting a massive amount of energy to the nervous system of the target to drop them fast, rather than waiting for them to loose consciousness from blood loss. If you are in a position where you are forced to use lethal force against another individual - you need to make them stop doing whatever it was they were doing which caused you to have to shoot them. You need them to stop fast.

Even .40 S&W can't match good .45 ACP ammunition - such as Cor-Bon 185Gr. +P hollowpoint [lighter/smaller bullet, faster velocity, stops faster in the target, hits with - when it comes to imparting energy to the nervous system of the target. Of course, shot placement is critical to this type of shooting.

When it came time to start uniformed duty, I opted for a GLOCK 21 [.45 ACP] for uniformed work. With a 4.5" barrel and full-sized grip, it is a full-sized handful. I qualified with it, and I have shot it on the firing range about every two weeks, as well as many times recreationally. I have never even had to draw it on duty - and that's the way I like it.

I will make a quick side note here. One day while working on an assignment, I was asked by a subject what kind of GLOCK I was carrying. I told him it was a 21 - but I didn't mention the caliber. "I thought that was a .45 man, the grips too big. You ain't jokin around. Most officers around here got 9's and 40's. You must know your s**t". I noted several things here...

I just found the whole situation and his reaction very interesting. I made me even more aware of some issues in that area of town.

The GLOCK 21 included Trijicon Night Sights added at the factory, and I really recommend this as an addition. I can see quite well in the dark, but if it actually becomes a gunfight, I will take anything which will give me an advantage over an opponent.

I also recommend LaserMax Internal Targeting Lasers. While I do NOT recommend them as your PRIMARY sight method, I do believe in having every advantage in a gunfight. When the adrenalin is pumping through your system, you tend to get tunnel vision and the other effects those of us with real training have been briefed about. In this situation, having a laser will help you get your firearm on target fast - UNTIL YOU CAN DEVELOP A PROPER SIGHT PICTURE. That saved second or two may save your life. In addition, seeing the laser on his chest may make the perp consider giving up.

I enjoy teaching others. I am actively involved in officer training - including tactical training. GLOCKs are excellent tactical weapons. All of the full-sized GLOCKs [17, 21, 22, 31, etc.] have integrated rails built-in. These are designed to accept tactical illuminators such as the M3 or the M6. This is an excellent configuration, it eliminates the need for a separate handheld flashlight and the generally awkward grips that have to be used to hold both flashlight and firearm.

Combine this with Trijicon Night Sights and a LaserMax Laser, and you have one heck of a nice system.

GLOCK 21 with an M3 Tactical Illuminator

All of the GLOCK firearms are very easy to clean and maintain. Taking them apart for a good user cleaning takes all of about 5 seconds...

You can then do a good cleaning on the firearm. Assembly is basically reversed. Note that the recoil spring in this GLOCK 30 is actually a LaserMax Laser!

Keep in mind that the GLOCK does not need a lot of lubrication. If you have ever seen their advertisements, you will understand this. Just give it a good cleaning, and apply a drop of oil to each of the sections listed in the owners manual.

The slide, barrel, and a few other parts are finished with a Tennifer process. This makes them VERY durable, hard but not brittle [as hard a diamond at least], and corrosion resistant. I have seen GLOCKs that have visible holster wear - meaning that the black finish has rubbed off. But the Tennifer process permeates the slide - and all of the hardness and protection are still there. My GLOCK 30 has been in and out of a variety of holsters for years, and still looks ALMOST brand new. It still works like it to.

The only problem I have ever encountered with a GLOCK item was one magazine for the GLOCK 21. When that one magazine was brand new, the spring was very stiff. I had a couple of smokestacks with it. I loaded it up and let it sit in the GLOCK for a few days, and the problem was solved.

I also love to know how and why things work, and the GLOCK mechanism really intrigued me. As soon as the opportunity permitted, I became a Certified GLOCK Armorer. The hardest part I found about the process of becoming a certified armorer was getting into an Armorer's Course. They are offered around the country, but they tend to fill up quickly. You can find more information about these classes by following the link at the end of the article. They are open to vendors and those in the Law Enforcement community.

In the Armorer's Course, you take a GLOCK 17 totally apart [there is only one piece of metal left in the receiver - and that can't be removed without cutting it out] and put it back together again a few dozen times over the course of a day. They teach you the correct functional parameters of each part, and how to put them all back in correctly. They even cover the magazines and some accessories. They cover the alternative trigger springs and other modifications. It really gives you an appreciation for the system.

One of the systems I appreciate even more now are the combination of safety mechanisms in every GLOCK pistol. There are three of them which work together to make it one of the safest firearms on the market - while allowing it to be easily employed should the need arise.

The first one is the trigger safety - a little lever in the center of the trigger. It will not let the trigger travel to the rear unless your finger is on it. In the relaxed position, a counterpiece is down below where the trigger enters the grip. This keeps the trigger from moving back unless something is actually pressing on the trigger. If the firearm is dropped backwards, this mechanism keeps the trigger from moving to the rear - preventing it from firing. It also protects against off-center forces or impacts moving the trigger.

GLOCK pistols are essentially half-cocked when the slide has been pulled back and a round is in the chamber. However, there are two additional safeties which render the pistol inoperative until the trigger is pulled all the way to the back.

The firing pin safety is a mechanism which physically prevents the firing pin from moving forward until the trigger is pulled back a certain distance. The firing pin will not move forward until this action has taken place.

The last part of the safety mechanism is called the drop safety - which actually has nothing to do with dropping the firearm - the last two mechanisms took care of that. When you pull the trigger back, it begins to carry the firing pin back - finishing the cocking process.

The rear of the trigger bar is held engaged with the rear of the firing pin while you pull the trigger back. It pushes the firing pin back, completing the cocking process - but totally prevents the firing pin from moving freely forward. If you let go of the trigger at any time in this process, all of the safeties are re-engaged.

Eventually, the rear of the trigger bar runs along a ramp at the top of the connector. This ramp begins to pull the rear of the trigger bar away from the firing pin, until it is clear. At the point where the rear of the trigger bar drops completely away from the firing pin - hence the term drop safety - the firing pin is allowed to move freely forward, impacting the primer on the bullet and firing the round.

When I hear officers in practice telling a subject to drop their gun, I worry unless the firearm is a GLOCK. Many other firearms - especially those with exposed hammers and external safety levers - can fire if they are dropped, or if an object gets in under a half-cocked or fully-cocked hammer and hits the firing pin.

Since the GLOCK has no external safety levers you need to operate, the only thing you worry about is getting the front sight on target, and pulling the trigger. In the heat of combat - simple is best.

The last part of the GLOCK safety systems is the user - YOU. While the GLOCK is an inherently safe firearm, if still depends on the user following the basic rules of firearm safety. When these rules are followed correctly, there are no accidents. No one get's shot in the head at a gun show by a person handling a loaded firearm. No one get's shot in the leg while cleaning their obviously loaded firearm, and no unattended, unobserved child gets access to a firearm.

Every GLOCK ships with a list of basic firearm safety rules. FOLLOW THEM!

I really like the way Gaston Glock designed these pistols. I enjoy shooting them recreationally, and I feel very comfortable knowing that I have a GLOCK at my side when I am on duty. I hope that I never have to employ it in that capacity, but I know that if I do it will be ready and able to do the job.

-- James Bell Jr. - Law Enforcement/Security Section Editor

TCTR