In Glock we trust?

[Evo]

OK, what's the big deal with Glocks? More than any other manufacturer Glock seems to engender an almost religious following. I get that they're reliable, lightweight, accurate and affordable, but so are a lot of other guns. The only other pistol that has such a following is the 1911 but there are many manufactures making those. For my first pistol I chose an HK USP Compact, mostly because I wanted a compact, modern auto pistol with the feel and safety of a 1911. I shot many pistols in the three most popular calibers (9mm, .40S&W and .45 Auto) and the Glock G17 & 19 did not stand out to me the way the Sig 226 and HK USP did. It was accurate, but a bit sharp in recoil, and well, plasticy (despite being a polymer frame the HK didn't).

Still, I can't help but think a little G26 baby Glock may be a perfect bug out/back up pistol to my HK. I'm also worried about not having any external safeties, not so much because I think It'll go off on it's own but I've become accustomed to having so many options on the HK (DA, C&L even DA locked).
Do any of you who carry (legally of course) your Glocks with a round in the chamber worry about accidentally discharging when pulling it from the holster? And is not having an external safety a real selling point for you?
Let the Glock love fest commence...

[Once A Marine]

The Glocks will not discharge without the trigger being pulled. The "safe action" of the Glock - the function of the gun itself provides all the saftey a gun can afford, less the lack of safety provided by the user of said gun, of course.

I'm interested in how you think a Glock might fire when pulling from the holster. Unless you are pulling the trigger while doing so, it just cannot happen.

[Turo]

I'm interested in how you think a Glock might fire when pulling from the holster. Unless you are pulling the trigger while doing so, it just cannot happen.

I think that's what the OP was talking about. With a gun that has a "Safety" lever on safe, it is possible to accidentally pull the trigger whilst unholstering the gun. With a GLOCK, you potentially run the risk of pulling the trigger when you remove it from the holster.

[luckystrike]

I think that's what the OP was talking about. With a gun that has a "Safety" lever on safe, it is possible to accidentally pull the trigger whilst unholstering the gun. With a GLOCK, you potentially run the risk of pulling the trigger when you remove it from the holster.

thats why alot of competitions have banned serpa type holsters

[Once A Marine]

I think that's what the OP was talking about. With a gun that has a "Safety" lever on safe, it is possible to accidentally pull the trigger whilst unholstering the gun. With a GLOCK, you potentially run the risk of pulling the trigger when you remove it from the holster.

Fault of the operator, not the gun.

Why don't people understand the most basic of safety rules?

[Evo]

Of course I am talking about operator error. I'll be honest, I'm a klutz. I practice often with my HK but I would only carry it loaded in the DA configuration because it's very hard to accidentally discharge that way, but I can still fire it without thinking of the safety. I'm not in the military or any other organization that uses firearms on a daily basis or requires them in the course of business. However I am often in possession of and transport equipment that is worth in excess of $100K, sometimes in the middle of downtown LA and other less becoming parts of So Cal. I haven't decided if I want to go through with a CCW app but even if I don't in a disaster/SHTF situation I don't want the rest of the masses to know I'm armed until it's necessary. This is what interests me about the G26, a small concealable 9mm.

[Turo]

Fault of the operator, not the gun.

Why don't people understand the most basic of safety rules?

I don't think it is usually a misunderstanding of safety rules. I think it is the potential for something to snag on a trigger and discharging vs snagging and not discharging because of a safety.

[RT13]

I was once a Glock hater. The very first gun I ever held was a Colt 1911 when I was age 6. First handgun I ever fired was a Glock 21 rented at a range. I hated it as the damn thing jammed constantly and I couldn't hit the target very well. So naive and new to guns as I was, I started hating Glocks. I ended up owning up to 14 Sigs, the P220 being my first handgun. It was then followed by a few HK's. Like you, I never understood the Glock following or love for them either. Then, I guess as I matured in the world of guns and became a bit more open minded towards the Glock and actually fired a G17, G19 and G22. I loved everything about it except the trigger. And of course coming from a Sig, that was expected. But I began to realize that the Glock is basically built around one key thing, simplicity and pricing. It is as plain as a semiauto can get and ugly to some, but it's very reliable, simple and affordable. The safety feature is common sense and simple. The finger off the trigger is your only safety as it should be. No need for knobs or other things on the gun. It shoots everything and anything you feed it. Field stripping is simple and quick. Cleaning and lubrication if any, is the simplest. Very low maintenance, priced for the working man, and reliable. What else could anyone ask for. Sure it isn't as pretty as a Sig or 1911 but it's a work horse of a gun that has been battle proven for both military and police and there are lots of things that back that up. I can own two Glocks for the price of a Sig or HK nowadays. Glocks have respectedly maintained a lower priced unlike other brands which have sky rocketed in price. Everybody wants a nice car, gun, watch, etc but you also want one as a workhorse. Glocks would be like the good ol reliable Toyota pick up truck for everyday use you can trust, the Casio G shock watch for work. It's not your weekend car or Rolex for those special occasions. It's what you put, rely and trust your life with that you know you can bang around and still depend on it to work every single time.

[Once A Marine]

Of course I am talking about operator error. I'll be honest, I'm a klutz. I practice often with my HK but I would only carry it loaded in the DA configuration because it's very hard to accidentally discharge that way, but I can still fire it without thinking of the safety. I'm not in the military or any other organization that uses firearms on a daily basis or requires them in the course of business. However I am often in possession of and transport equipment that is worth in excess of $100K, sometimes in the middle of downtown LA and other less becoming parts of So Cal. I haven't decided if I want to go through with a CCW app but even if I don't in a disaster/SHTF situation I don't want the rest of the masses to know I'm armed until it's necessary.

It's not hard to work on it. Just because one is military or LE doesn't mean they actually do the stuff often either.

To your point about the Glock, it's action and internal safeties require the trigger to be pulled all the way back to fire - snagging or dropping the pistol won't cause a discharge. It's quite like a DA.

SA is inherently unsafe - even the military and LE would carry those without a round in the pipe. That was a lot of training in presentation from the holster.

[Ultimate]

OK, what's the big deal with Glocks? More than any other manufacturer Glock seems to engender an almost religious following. I get that they're reliable, lightweight, accurate and affordable, ........

I think you pretty much answered your own question. When I got my glock 23 the nearest competitor in my mind was the Usp compact. I ended up with the glock because the price was ridiculously cheaper while arguably mantaining a track record that is unmatched by any other gun in the market. I wish my glock had the looks of the usp and the awesome hk mag release but after owning my 23 for a while now, I would not give my glock up for any other gun. Yet, i would own others in addition to.

[Evo]

To your point about the Glock, it's action and internal safeties require the trigger to be pulled all the way back to fire - snagging or dropping the pistol won't cause a discharge. It's quite like a DA.

That makes me feel a little more comfortable.

SA is inherently unsafe - even the military and LE would carry those without a round in the pipe. That was a lot of training in presentation from the holster.

Really? I find it hard to believe that LEO's that use Glocks need to rack the slide when they draw. I really do believe the mechanism is a safe and reliable one, (the track record bears that out) it's my own motor skills that worry me

[Once A Marine]

That makes me feel a little more comfortable.



Really? I find it hard to believe that LEO's that use Glocks need to rack the slide when they draw. I really do believe the mechanism is a safe and reliable one, (the track record bears that out) it's my own motor skills that worry me

Ooops. I used SA to mean "single action" and basically a 1911, not the Glock "safe action". Glocks are very safe with one in the pipe, as are double actions.

If you are really that nervous about it, I'd recommend something other than concealed carry. The counterpoint to an accidental discharge, and the more likely scenario would be you drawing the pistol and not shooting because the safety was still enaged.

If you feel it's something you must do, then by all means, select your pistol and holster, and practice, practice, practice.

[Evo]

Ahh, I see. But the Glocks are single action, even if it's a very safe one, no?
The "Safe Action" is Glock's marketing lingo for a single action mechanism with many redundant safeties that are deactivated on the trigger. What worries me (slightly) is not really snagging the trigger or dropping the gun, but inadvertently depressing the trigger while drawing or holstering the weapon.
Of course discipline and technique need to be applied and become natural but for some reason I still feel hesitant. I'm not sure I'll get comfortable with the idea until I actually own the gun and handle it enough to trust it.

[Evo]

If you are really that nervous about it, I'd recommend something other than concealed carry. The counterpoint to an accidental discharge, and the more likely scenario would be you drawing the pistol and not shooting because the safety was still engaged.

My current pistol is the DA/SA HK USP compact so I would primarily carry that with one in the chamber but de-cocked, safety off. Also I'm not really nervous about the carry or the conflict, but more about my finger placement in a tense situation. Even if I did do CCW I would rarely carry unless I was knowingly going into a bad area.

[Once A Marine]

No, safe action is more like (but not quite) double action in operation, and double action only in feel. It is nothing like single action.

The Glocks use a pre-tensioned striker and firing pin, instead of a hammer/firing pin as is common in most semiauto handguns. When the Glock cycles it's operation, it ends up with the slide closed, and round in the chamber, and the striker pre-tensioned, but blocked from making any contact with the firing pin. Even without the block, the tension on the striker isn't enough to cause the weapon to fire if somehow tension was released (and the firing pin safety wasn't in place). There is no hammer that needs to be cocked or decocked.

At this point, the Glock has a round in the chamber, a pre-tensioned striker, and all safeties activated.

When you pull the trigger all the way back in a Glock, you are basically commanding the action to "Unsafe and fire", which is does in rapid succession once the trigger is fully back. The trigger saftey is fully depressed, the striker "cocks" to full tension, the firing pin safety is lifted, and the drop safety is bypassed. The striker then hits the firing pin, cycling the weapon.