Posted: 8/26/2008 9:43:32 PM EDT
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I'm new to hanguns... and was wondering why glocks were so popular. I've also heard that the US military won't use them for some reason. Anyone know why? Oh... and what seems to be the most popular model/caliber? Thanks. (I'm debating on a FiveSeven or a USP Tactical .45 as a first handgun... but considering a glock as well) |
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Here ya go. We just talked about this the other day. Read. www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&f=13&t=62489 Probably the 9mm, .40, and .45ACP are the most popular calibers. |
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here is another thread: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&f=4&t=61589 FWIW: i'm a glock fan b/c they are very affordable, reliable, tough, simple, easy to find mags/parts, easy to work on yourself, and there are lots of backing for em as to calibers, the most popular ones imo are: ALL of em....10mm has its fans w/ glcoks; 9mm and .40sw tend to be the more readily available and prevalant ones, but the .45acp is also out there .45gap and .357sig tend to be the lesser ones, but its mostly based on ammo availabilty and cost |
The "Big Army" (who is the main proponent for small arms) usually requires a manual safety lever/switch, which Glock doesn't offer.
The 9mm and 40-cal Glocks are probably the most popular. I would recommend that you stay away from a specialty cartridge like the 5.7mm for a first handgun (and from 45ACP as well). Honestly, you would be best served by purchasing a 22LR target pistol like the Ruger Mk III or Browning Buckmark (or a S&W 41 if you can afford it). Get a 22, shoot it, become good with it. Then, step up to a defensive caliber. If you want your first gun to be in a defensive caliber, then I strongly recommend a 9mm. The cost to shoot (and thus practice and learn) is cheaper than any other "real" cartridge out there. A Glock 17 would be an excellent choice, if it fits your hand. Other good choices would be the SA XD-9 or the S&W M&P-9. In any event, your second gun should then be the aforementioned 22 target pistol. HTH. |
Ok, why? |
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I prefer the ballistic properties of the 5.7 to the 9mm. Supposedly less recoil, and I plan on handloading/shooting something akin to SuperRaptor rounds someday. But I see y'alls point about glocks. I think I may get a .40 Glock soon... still going to do some more research and try to hold one at a gun store to check out the grip. You said the Glock has no manual safety lever... what safety does it use? |
www.glock.com/english/pistols_adv01.htm I thought that the 5.7 round was shown to be a poor penetrator??? |
What?! The best penetration round for the 5.7 is the LE ONLY SS190 rounds. You can get a few preban ones off Gunbroker at about 5 bucks a shot... or you can make your own. SuperRaptor rounds are basically rounds that go well over 2200 fps. Tests have shown that they penetrate really well, but they're still pricey at about 75 cents a shot. One can load their own rounds for about half that price. ANYWAYS... I'm curious about one thing. I know the Beretta M9 edged out the Sig P226 in the military qualifications run due to better reliability and cheaper cost. (Both Sig and Beretta passed the high requirements for reliability tho) How does the Glock 9mm stack up against these two handguns? |
http://www.enemyforces.com/firearms/glock17.htm If you can see in the picture there is a trigger safety. There is a lip in the middle that has to be pressed and sit flush with the trigger to complete a pull. This would prevent the firearm from discharging for example if the trigger was hit accidentally. The glock has a fairly heavy trigger pull. I'm not sure what exactly it pounds out to but this isn't to be considered a safety in my opinion. The trigger is 2 stage. Here is a definition I found for you. The first stage of the two-stage trigger is usually just the resistance offered by the trigger return spring, though there are target guns that allow some of the trigger's total pull weight to be loaded into the first stage, as well. When the trigger stops moving, you've come to the second stage, which is the one that releases the sear. An adjustable trigger can be set to have a light first stage, then a VERY light second stage. Yet, it is safer than a heavier single-stage trigger because of the feel when the second stage is reached. As for single action or double action, the glock is closer to double, however its referred to as "safe action". The glock is a hammerless gun, but for the sake of visualization imagine the glock to have a hammer. Being double action the hammer would not be cocked. The trigger pull would require the hammer to cock and release. This makes for a stronger trigger pull. As apposed to a single action gun, in which the hammer can be cocked and or fires from the cocked position. (lighter pull) I hope that helps. If you already knew these things, disregard it. If I left anything out someone please chime in. |
How is it that you know all of this ^^^^^^^^ yet you are so ignorant of this vvvvvvvvvvvv ??????
Where have you been over the last 20 years? |
Hahaha. I think you misunderstood my question. I meant how do the Glock 9mm pistols in terms of cost. Oops. I know all 3 are super reliable. I can't really use Gunbroker to check because all the Sig P226 seem to be "elites", "blackwater", or used. Plus... there's all these collector versions of the M9 on gunbroker, it's hard for me to tell what a normal one costs. And I wasn't alive 20 years ago. O_o (My dad's going to get me a handgun or two... and hold on to them until I turn 21 for me.) 
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Yeah, I have seen tests where SS197 failed to penetrate gelatine 10". I am not saying the gun is worthless, just interesting that you are considering a "Glock .40" an Hk .45 and an FN 5.7 all at once. Very different rounds and guns to be choosing from IMO. |
avg glock 9mm: ~$400+ for used, $500 for NIB, 3rd gen; +/-~$100 for the G34s/G24/17L, etc Beretta 92s/M9s: ~ the same...h/w, i have seen used, LEO trade ins for ~$350 used Sigs: also, about the same used (if found anymore), BUT, newer sigs are running ~$600+ |
It's because I do intend to collect some handguns... and I don't see any reason to get handguns that'll fire the same type of ammunition. I like guns of all calibers/types; I guess I'm almost a collector of sorts. lol... Thank you AlphaGhost! That helps a lot! |
Our young Padawan needs a little more guidance and experience here . . . I was in his shoes more than a decade ago (I wanted a Springfield 1911 and a Desert Eagle 44 Mag, and I've never acquired either).
Domonlord, you seem well-intentioned and eager, and possibly very well supported by your parents (all good things). Honestly, since you are under 21 (and under 20), I again reiterate my recommendation to seek out a quality 22LR target pistol. My recommendations for you to consider are (in no particular order): Ruger Mk III Competition (or any of the 5"+ barreled variants with adjustable sights):  Browning Buckmark Bullseye (or 5"+ barreled variants with adjustable sights):  Smith & Wesson Model 41 (5.5" or 7" variant):  As for the service-type 9mm pistols you've mentioned, good prices (for reference or for purchase) can be found at www.summitgunbroker.com/. This fellow has a great rep, and seems to carry a quality selection of very lightly used firearms. My first pistol was a used SIG-Sauer P226 9mm, and it was in almost new condition when my then-fiancée gave it to me. Finally, I encourage you to seek out a local Bullseye Pistol league. With a 22LR target pistol and a few bricks of ammo, those old gents will get you well on the road to improving your accuracy skills with a handgun. Competition forces you to continue improving through identification and correction of errors. Then, I would encourage you to find a local IPSC or IDPA league to begin your introduction to defensive pistol handling skills. If you can afford it, take an NRA Pistol class or any of the fine tactical/defensive pistol courses around the country. |
Unless you're independently wealthy and/or are absolutely in love with reloading different calibers, there are excellent logistical reasons for standardizing your firearms on as few calibers as you can possibly live with (if you desire to ever shoot them with any frequency). I only reload for 9mm, 10mm, 45, and 5.56mm. I certainly have firearms in other centerfire calibers, but those guns in other calibers do not get shot with anything near the frequency of the ones I reload for (the others are mostly hunting guns). Calibers like 5.7mm might seem neat, and the guns look cool on Battlestar Galactica, but in the real world, they are expensive solutions in search of problems which only require inexpensive solutions. |
| I was planning on getting an HK45c for my first handgun. At the time I was ready to purchase the HK45c it was not available so I bought a Glock 23 to hold me over. At this point I still have the Glock and never bought the HK (got a 1911 though) I like everything about the Glock. No external safety, consistent 5.5lb trigger, easy to field strip/clean, reliable. I know that some say you should start with a .22LR, but I'm glad I started with a .40S&W. |
I am betting that will change. Not saying I don't have different calibers but IMO it is good to have multiple guns of the same caliber. 2 is 1 and all that. |
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I am a glock man I and I love my G21 but if money is not an issue, I would most likely go for the USP .45. That was my first choice but good lord are they a bit out of my price range. About the 5.7 round, I would not recommend it. The five seven round was my first choice back a few years ago until I read the only really effective round was restricted to law enforcement. I chose the .45 because the bullet itself is really heavy, and simple physics states that when something heavy (.45) is moving, it takes a lot more energy to stop it. When something as light weight as the 5.7 round is shot, it doesn't take a whole lot to stop it. Think of it this way, the size caliber of the 5.7 is .22 and the caliber of the .45 is well.....45. And with extended mags availible for glocks and usp's you can easily carry 13 .45, if not more, in one mag. |
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About 15 years ago, I had a mess of handguns. I thought they were all OK. I didn't like the Glocks at all, seemed plastic and a bunch of marketing BS. I didn't like the safety system at all. I didn't like the "double action only" no hammer idea much either. I was at the range and a friend had a Glock and I thought heck, I'll try it and see what kind of garbage it really is... BIG MISTAKE! It outshot everything I had ever shot, trigger be damned. No, it wasn't some high end worked job, it was the rental from the range. Probably had about 20,000 rounds through it. So I bought a model 27, and it outshot everything I had. The model 27 is 11 years old, and it's my CCW everyday. My G-19's are for when TSHTF... These days I'm just buying G-19's and mags. I can a see a time coming when the music stops and I have to live the rest of my life with only what I have at the time... Maybe soon. You are lucky your Dad's hooking you up. For the times that are coming, I'd reccomend a G19, about 10 mags, and then add stuff later if you are still able to. |
+1 to that and I'd make sure to get the 17 round G17 mags for more versatility and I'd get a lot of ammo as well |
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I actually owned a G17 as one of my first handguns. Got rid of it, it bored me. Then I got into 1911's and had a bunch of issues with my kimber. Went back to glock, a gen 2 G19 and had a few issues with it.  I said F it and decided to spend the $30-$40 and replaces all the springs and a few parts. Now it works 100%. During that time I realized why glocks are the best, it's by far the most basic design and it's the easiest gun to take 100% apart. If you know how to take apart one glock model, you know how to take the other models apart as well. Plus, most of the parts are interchangeable between all the models. Add in lightweight, good reliability, good customer service if you ever need it and a cheap price, you got one of the best handguns designs ever made. |
 I thought that too... until I had so many calibers I didn't know what ammo I had available and what I was short with. Got it down to about 10 cals now... still way too high. |
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Precisely. If you want excitement, get a 1911 race gun and feed it Wolf ammo... Seriously. Glocks have remarkably consistent quality (that means, not quirky, don't need work out of the box), are plenty accurate, and are durable in spite of poor maintenance. If you manage to break it, they'll take care of you. |
I beg to differ. Ugly, bad ergonomics, sloppy when used a lot, and reliable: Ruger P series. Glocks are on a level of their own, because while they look plain, they're not ugly, bulky, or sloppy in fit. The only think AK-like is that they don't rust much and they keep running even if they have not been cleaned in a couple of years. An AK of handguns, "improved" might be better ;) |
It works, it's very cheap, it's decently accurate, it's forgiving of monkey maintenance, and parts are cheap and plentiful. There are other pistols that are as reliable- but are more accurate and fit the hand better, but they don't sell as well, because they cost more. - But as SIG has apparently been "LOL WUT" in the QC department recently, that list is now smaller. But, the glock has a reputation like the .45auto round. It works. |