Glock 35 - Duty Use?

[DriftinG Z32]

Contemplating ditching my current .40 cal duty gun for a Glock 35. Any input from any members using this gun would be greatly appreciated.

[5968]

What is your current duty weapon?

[bountyhunter]

Contemplating ditching my current .40 cal duty gun for a Glock 35. Any input from any members using this gun would be greatly appreciated.

I would not use a G35 for service (although I sport shoot with a G35). It's because the Glock's safeties are inferior. It lacks the most important safety in guns: a blocking firing pin safety that resets when the slide cycles out of battery. Beretta, Sig and SA incorporate it, and the Browning HP added it about 20 years back. The Colt 1911 added the feature in their series 80.

Bottom line, when a Glock fires it cycles and returns to battery fully cocked (because your finger can not release the trigger before the slide cycles) and the trigger bar is still to the rear. if there is any problem with the trigger bar or the striker, that gun can go full auto.

If you want a better Glock style gun, check out the Springfield XD-40 tactical. I have one of those too and I like the design a lot better.

[5968]

Of the major gun makers, Glock would be my second to last choice for a duty weapon. I don't know what you are allowed to carry, but I would stick with a Sig or H&K.

[Corbin Dallas]

I would not use a G35 for service (although I sport shoot with a G35). It's because the Glock's safeties are inferior. It lacks the most important safety in guns: a blocking firing pin safety that resets when the slide cycles out of battery. Beretta, Sig and SA incorporate it, and the Browning HP added it about 20 years back. The Colt 1911 added the feature in their series 80.

Bottom line, when a Glock fires it cycles and returns to battery fully cocked (because your finger can not release the trigger before the slide cycles) and the trigger bar is still to the rear. if there is any problem with the trigger bar or the striker, that gun can go full auto.

If you want a better Glock style gun, check out the Springfield XD-40 tactical. I have one of those too and I like the design a lot better.

Inferior safety huh?



Rule #1 - The weapon is always loaded... AKA keep your finger off the trigger.

My safety is at the end of my finger and between my ears. Where's yours?

[jmancini]

I own a Glock 35 and like it a lot, it balances very well and is a smooth shooter. Depending on your dept, you may have to replace the stock 3.5# connector with a standard 5#.

Yes, a Glock can go full auto. So can many guns. A friend's brand-new Kimber Ultra CDP II 1911 did it a few weeks ago. But it's pretty rare on Glocks. Since more police carry Glocks than any other weapon, clearly it's not common or I think they'd have given them up by now.

The XD series seem nice, but if you manipulate the slide wrong, you can cause the gun to lock up and have to be sent to the factory to be drilled apart. It's a design flaw in the grip safety, as I understand it. And XD's are *always* cocked, as they pre-load the striker 100% (effectively making them single-action).. So I don't see how they're a big upgrade over the glock in safety.

However, if you're used to a gun with a manual safety, you might want to stick with that to maintain familiarity. What do you currently carry?

[bountyhunter]

The XD series seem nice, but if you manipulate the slide wrong, you can cause the gun to lock up and have to be sent to the factory to be drilled apart. It's a design flaw in the grip safety, as I understand it.

I hadn't heard that one before, and I have been hanging out at the XD forum for about a year now. I suspect SA must have fixed it if they ever did that. I'm not sure how the grip safety could do that, it's just a piece of plastic held in by one pin. I could knock that pin out and drag it out the back door if need be.

Yes, a Glock can go full auto. So can many guns.

True, but not any that have a resetting firing pin safety like SIG, SA, or Beretta. When the gun fires and the slide cycles out of battery, the pivoting lever releases the firing pin block and when the slide returns to battery there is nothing there to lift the block up out of the way of the FP until you fully release the trigger and repull it. It's as close to impossible as you can get for multiuple fire events.

A friend's brand-new Kimber Ultra CDP II 1911 did it a few weeks ago.

Series 70 1911's are notorious for multiple fire. My buddy bought a very expensive name brand one and it showed up brand new and started doubling and tripling in the second magazine. If the disconnector is not right, they can certainly do that.

And XD's are *always* cocked, as they pre-load the striker 100% (effectively making them single-action).. So I don't see how they're a big upgrade over the glock in safety.

It's personal preference, but I prefer having the "safety net" of a firing pin block that makes it impossible foir the gun to double up. It also blocks the firing pin when carried, so the cocked striker will not fire the gun unless th trigger is pulled.

I like my G35, but I would make another choice for a defense pistol.

[bountyhunter]

Inferior safety huh?



Rule #1 - The weapon is always loaded... AKA keep your finger off the trigger.

My safety is at the end of my finger and between my ears. Where's yours?

Yes, the Glock's safeties are inferior to the one on the SIG, SA, HP, and BERETTA designs for the reasons I already stated..

And believe me when I tell you I know how cokmpletely pointless it is to argue when the other person is claiming that the safeties are fine as long as the person is following perfect gun handling practices....

since, if everybody did that, no safeties of any kind would ever be needed and no gun would fire when it was not supposed to.

I define a safety as something that makes a gun safer when somebdoy DOES something wrong or a failure causes something in the gun to go wrong.

For example: the "trigger safety" on the Glock (and XD) works only so long as nobody or no object touches the trigger..... OK, if nothing or nobody touches the trigger, what would you need the safety for?

Engage the thumb safety on a 1911: now the gun will not fire if somebody or something DOES try to pull the trigger.

See the difference between an ACTUAL safety and a BS safety?

[jmancini]

I hadn't heard that one before, and I have been hanging out at the XD forum for about a year now. I suspect SA must have fixed it if they ever did that. I'm not sure how the grip safety could do that, it's just a piece of plastic held in by one pin. I could knock that pin out and drag it out the back door if need be.

It's not fixed. Springfield knows about it but has kept it quiet because it's a complete redesign to fix it. Play with yours for a bit and you might recreate it. Since the last time it went public, lots of people got angry and broke their guns trying to prove it couldn't happen, I'm not going to post the exact details, but suffice it to say I'd never carry an XD as a defense pistol. In their defense, Springfield does a great job repairing and replacing them when it does happen. Of course, in a gunfight, that might take a little too long. I also dislike the inability to get spare parts, but that's my preference for DIY.

I like my G35, but I would make another choice for a defense pistol.

You're free to do so, of course. My only point was that there are over a million glocks in service with law enforcement, so it's a safe bet that they are a decent, reliable choice as a duty gun. Lots of people prefer something different.

[Corbin Dallas]

Yes, the Glock's safeties are inferior to the one on the SIG, SA, HP, and BERETTA designs for the reasons I already stated..

And believe me when I tell you I know how cokmpletely pointless it is to argue when the other person is claiming that the safeties are fine as long as the person is following perfect gun handling practices....

since, if everybody did that, no safeties of any kind would ever be needed and no gun would fire when it was not supposed to.

I define a safety as something that makes a gun safer when somebdoy DOES something wrong or a failure causes something in the gun to go wrong.

For example: the "trigger safety" on the Glock (and XD) works only so long as nobody or no object touches the trigger..... OK, if nothing or nobody touches the trigger, what would you need the safety for?

Engage the thumb safety on a 1911: now the gun will not fire if somebody or something DOES try to pull the trigger.

See the difference between an ACTUAL safety and a BS safety?

Keep telling yourself you need a mechanical safety to be safe. Forget about your lowest level of training and rely on a lever to be safe. I'll rememeber to keep my finger off the trigger until I am ready.

So is this a BS safety in your book?

[odesskiy]

I would not use a G35 for service (although I sport shoot with a G35). It's because the Glock's safeties are inferior. It lacks the most important safety in guns: a blocking firing pin safety that resets when the slide cycles out of battery. Beretta, Sig and SA incorporate it, and the Browning HP added it about 20 years back. The Colt 1911 added the feature in their series 80.

Bottom line, when a Glock fires it cycles and returns to battery fully cocked (because your finger can not release the trigger before the slide cycles) and the trigger bar is still to the rear. if there is any problem with the trigger bar or the striker, that gun can go full auto.

If you want a better Glock style gun, check out the Springfield XD-40 tactical. I have one of those too and I like the design a lot better.

Dude, I don't know what your statements are based on, but there are millions of Glocks in service with federal state and local law enforcement agencies. Glocks are the simplest, the most reliable, the easiest to maintain pistols in existence. I've put thousands and thousands rounds of every flavor of ammunition through my Glocks with a single malfunction of any kind. Not one. Not ever. I would love for you to provide links to documented cases of Glock pistols going "full-auto" (unless of course they are Glock 18's ). Speculating about the propensity of a Glock to malfunction in such manner without any proof or evidence is quite ludicrous. I don't understand how anyone can consider XD's over Glocks. You are buying a Croatian-made "Glock-style" knock-off with an unnecessary external safety (one more thing to go wrong) and you are paying a large premium because Springfield put their name on it. They did not design and they do not manufacture XD series of pistols. There are no parts available to easily service the guns and they have to be returned to Springfiled for every little problem as opposed to Glocks that can be detail stripped and fixed in 30 minutes by a trained monkey. I own several brands/styles of handguns, but it's my Glocks that I rely on every day to protect me, my loved ones and my property.

P.S.
Ask any shooting range employee which rental guns stay in service the longest.

[yf19ex]

Well given that I have carried one for 5 years and all my co-workers have as well. It is an excellent weapon. Its service with LEOs around the world are enough of a reputation to stake ones life on it. It goes bang each and every time and has always been reliable. Only cause of malfunctions for my gun EVER is the type of ammo used. We once used Ranger frangible for qualify and practice which would cause jamming all the time. When we finally switched to using our Gold Dots for use in qualify, then the problem went away.

I have never heard of a Glock going full auto. Not in our agency or others. And if it did, it is obviously an EXTREMELY rare occurance if ever.

[DriftinG Z32]

Thanks for the swift reply people. My current duty weapon is a worn down issued Sig P226 (Non-Rail Version). My P226 operates flawlessly, but lacks a smooth trigger pull, and the grip feel is just a tad big in my hand when shooting. I feel as though I'm about 80% comfortable when shooting my p226, when compared to a 100% feeling when shooting several of my 1911's.

My department just recently banned cocked / locked SA only guns for duty use (Off-duty use still allowed). So everything except the above is acceptable for duty use, so long as I can qualify with it.

Right now I'm leaning toward the Glock 35, 22C, or 23C. I was just at the range last week and I was able to put about 100 rounds down range through all three, which belonged to my co-worker (Huge Glock nut). I really favored the 35, because of its 1911 type of feel in hand. I initially thought it was going to feel unbalanced due to its extended metal slide and plastic frame. However, I was surprised to discover that it felt really balanced / good in my hands while loaded. It also out shot the 22C and 23C.

If my weekend is clear, I will be able to go to back to the range with some friends from another department. This time around I'll be shooting several H&Ks (USP .40 & P2000 .40).

[5968]

It has been my experience that people who are used to (have muscle memory) shooting Sigs tend to shoot a little high when shooting a Glock. You won't notice it so much during slow fire, but if you start shooting for time, don't be surprised if you shoot a little higher than normal.

[Paul Pechner]

Contemplating ditching my current .40 cal duty gun for a Glock 35. Any input from any members using this gun would be greatly appreciated.

The G35 is the issue pistol for Escondido P.D. and National City P.D., both in San Diego County. Perhaps you can contact them.