Glocks are the pistols of choice for all kinds of well-heeled shooters, professionals and plain civilians alike. Now, we here in the far flung future year of 2019 do not want for choices when it comes to rockin’ plastic striker guns, and some of them are even as good as the Glock overall, but Glock remains the once and, it seems, future king of the striker-fired fracas.
Curiously, the past few years of observation have shed some light on an interesting phenomenon, that being a sort of backlash against owning or using a Glock. Call it hipsterism, palette saturation, boredom or even the desire to be special with a capital ‘S’, but plenty of folks don’t want a Glock just because it’s a Glock, not for any valid or practical reason.
You have the luxury of getting away with equally good pistols from all kinds of manufacturers nowadays, but if you are a prepper and are disqualifying Glocks out of some bias or purely personal preference, you may want to rethink that: Glock is the standard for a host of good reasons. I’ll get into those below.
Reason #1. – They Flat Out Work
The lion’s share of Glock’s success can be attributed to the fact it is a hard-running and tough-as-nails-gun before it is anything else. It does not care if it is barely cared for. It does not care if it is mistreated, abused or neglected.
Covered in ice, caked in mud, sopping wet or tomb dry, you can bet dimes to dollars a Glock will fire when you press the trigger. Sure, a few particular versions may exhibit more quirks than others (go run a search on .40 cal Glocks malfunctioning with WMLs attached if you don’t believe) but if you stick with compact or fullsize models you’ll rarely encounter a problem from any of them.
This legendary toughness extends to the finish, even. While tennifer, their trade name for nitrocarburizing, was not new when they debuted it, Glock sure did a fine job in applying their finish and the resulting hard skin made Glock slides virtually corrosion and abrasion proof. Beat up and worked over, a Glock will still beat the elements on all corners of the globe, to include the corrosive emissions of your own sweat.
They sure aren’t pretty, but as a no-fuss, no-frills tool for kicking tail and surviving, a Glock remains the premier pistol for hard-use when lives are on the line.
Reason #2 – They Are Easy to Shoot and Easy to Teach
There is no pistol easier to learn fundamentals on (or teach someone on) than a striker gun. Streamlined striker-fired pistols are the standard of our era, but when Glock was better known for being that ugly Austrian import that people won’t shut up about, it was fairly radical compared to its contemporaries: no hammer, no safety and no decocker. In fact, the only visible “safety” was built into the face of the trigger!
While it seems like an accident waiting to happen, and plenty of blame has been laid at the Glock’s proverbial feet regarding negligent discharges, the reality is that, in the hands of a shooter who has internalized safe gun handling skills, the Glock is no less safe in normal circumstances than other pistols and as a class is much easier to learn to shoot well.
This is because fewer operations need to be remembered and ingrained for success and also because its trigger, when stock, is just about right for practical use: not too light, not too heavy- just right!
I have taught plenty of complete beginners on Glocks and have always been gratified to see them gain skill, competence and confidence faster compared to a pistol that uses a decocker with two different trigger pulls or has a manual safety they must remember to switch on or off.
All of those mentioned operations become far trickier when speed and pressure are increased, necessitating a greater degree of fluency and ingrained procedural memory compared to the sweet simplicity of the Glock.
If you want to shoot, pull the trigger. If you don’t- KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE FRICKING TRIGGER. So easy even a caveman can remember it!
Reason #3 – Glocks are Really, Really Easy to Maintain and Repair
This is potentially the most important thing preppers, serious preppers, would do well to remember about Glocks. Whatever else you love or hate about them, whatever your preferences and feelings are, there is no denying that Glocks are very nearly the standard pistol of much of the world, and certainly the bulk of the U.S.
As with any machine that is both common and abundant, you can expect to find it anywhere. And not just complete guns for purchase, but parts, expertise, upgrades, support gear and more. You can walk into nearly any gunshop in America and nab Glock magazines and parts.
Oh, and grab a holster while you are there, too. I will guarantee that, assuming you have contact with the rest of humanity, you are only two or three degrees away from knowing someone in your social network who is a Glock armorer.
What’s that? You are the rugged individualist type? Fair enough, you’ll be able to get all the info you need to perform basic repair and upgrades of your Glock with a one-day class, and barring that a few books and some careful study and practice will make you more than passable.
No, guns should never be worked on or modified without knowing precisely what you are doing, but I’ll tell you this much: the humble Glock is among the most forgiving and easiest to build those skills on.
So if you plan on being your own gunsmith, or the armorer for your survival group, you’d do well to make Glocks your sidearms of choice.
Reason #4 – Any Glock is Only a Starting Point
This sort of ties in with #3 above. Glocks are so popular and have been in use for so long there is an entire universe of specialty performance enhancing parts and services just for them. Anything you can imagine, from triggers to frame texturing, match-grade barrels to optics mounts, there is a solution for every conceivable need or desire.
You can take your Glock into an arena of performance the original designers never dreamed of or just tailor your gun to suit your anatomy and needs.
The sky is the limit if you use a Glock.
Conclusion
Don’t be a tactical hipster. Unless you have clearly defined objectives for choosing a different gun, you should be padding your personal survival armory with Glock pistols.
Aside from being fine shooting irons, the ease with which you can maintain and source parts for them literally anywhere you go means you’ll be light years ahead in a SHTF situation. Glock is the choice of millions for good reason!
As a 20 plus year LE firearms instructor, I was a late comer to the Glock. I’ve carried wheel guns, Colt 1911s, and Sigs over the years. I now only carry Glock platforms, but I do still miss my Colt 1911 Series 70SS.
To the comment about NDs by one of the previous posters. I have yet to ever see a ND that wasn’t directly related to a violation of firearm’s safety rules. In every ND a safety rule was violated bottom line. Just like in every Mass Shooting it’s not the firearm’s fault, it’s the operators.
Gray Man,
That was probably me, and in nearly 30 years as an instructor and 25 as a training counselor I would agree with the ND’s always being disregard for the safety rules; however, the Glock seems to be involved in more of these ND’s since they are much less forgiving of inattention and have that one feature / flaw.
ND’s BTW do not always result in injuries, since when following all the rules and letting a stray piece of leather or twig inside the trigger guard when holstering, I’ve seen guns go bang while still technically following the rules; but, inattentive to the one feature and flaw in that platform.
I’ve shot them many times and I’m about to actually purchase my first one in the upcoming weeks.
You show me someone injuried by an ND and I will should you at least two safety rules violated!!
Gray Man,
Didn’t I just agree with you on that point?
My additional point is that I’ve seen the majority of ND’s usually involving Glocks.
I LOVE my Glocks. A 23 is my primary EDC. When I worked as a bodyguard/driver for a conservative Senate candidate, I spent a lot of time at the range practicing head shots from a draw. That gun was perfect.
The 17 I just bought is great but I’ll have to spend some time at the range before I trust it completely. I’m debating whether its companion carbine will be a KelTec SUB 2000 or the Ruger PC. This will be for the GHB. Also considering similar pistols/carbines for Mrs. Overwatch and oldest boy. Logistics will be everything in a post SHTF situation.
Overwatch,
I’m not sure of the model; but, a good friend has a 40 cal Glock with a suppressor, and it’s one of the sweetest, most accurate CQB handguns I’ve ever used.
I have a CZ Scorpion EVO 3; but, really wanted the SUB 2000 which at the time I could not find anywhere. I don’t know about the Ruger; but, the Keltec is a sweet rifle.
I agree with you about the KelTec. My LGS has several as well as the PC carbines from Ruger. My theory is that the KelTec will fit in my M1936 musette bag but the PC is too big for that even disassembled. Still, the PC is a more solid weapon. As I said, it may be that I get the KelTec and the wife and son get the Rugers for ease of use. I’d get 19’s for them too. The M-1 carbines for them aren’t the best choice in light of these.
I love my Glocks. A modified G17 2nd gen and a government G22…..3rd gen…… Just ask Ted Nugent about his 10mm….Kiss my Glock……
Some people like steel and wood . They may be good guns and all ,but it is the ford and chevy debate .
Some folks don`t like poly guns.
While I own numerous firearms, I don’t currently own a Glock; but, there will be one in my immediate future as perhaps one of the last firearms I will purchase.
My biggest complaint about them has nothing to do with anything you mentioned; but, as a firearms instructor for almost 30 years, nearly all of the ND’s I know of occurred with Glocks, sometimes with new inexperienced shooters; but, all too often with experienced shooters who get complacent or simply disregard the rules.
As for your other points:
Reason #1. – They Flat Out Work
This may be true; but, I can say the same thing about the 10 handguns I own from at least 5 different vendors.
Reason #2 – They Are Easy to Shoot and Easy to Teach
I’ll give you that; but, unless the student is going to own and shoot only that one firearm, it’s good that they learn how to operate other slightly more complex handguns and are aware of the various controls on different versions.
I have guns with only a decocker, a decocker safety, magazine disconnects, hammers, strikers, and bolts, so knowing how to use these might be beneficial in a crunch situation when your Glock is unavailable; but, another firearm is ready at hand.
The problem is that often new shooters take a while to internalize those skills and make them habitual.
I’ve also see ND’s when holstering, simply because something as benign as a piece of leather or a twig got inside the trigger guard and pushed the trigger when seating the gun
I have trained hundreds of new students and instructors and learning to switch off the safety, or manipulate other controls is no different a task than teaching and practicing the indexing of the trigger finger. It simply takes serious concentration and practice.
Reason #3 – Glocks are Really, Really Easy to Maintain and Repair
I find that to be pretty much the same for most handguns, with the exception of the ”Ruger Mark” series like My Mark II that takes a real dance to reassemble.
Reason #4 – Any Glock is Only a Starting Point
True of any firearm; but, the following steps should not be firearms; but, more training and lots of practice.
Before I purchased my first gun, I went to a ladies only gun class. We shot a bunch of different pistols. The Glock 19 just felt right. I spoke with some people who knew a lot more than me and they said that the G-19 was a good choice. Reliability was a key factor for me. The rest is history.
I love my Glocks, and the G19 is my favorite.
s&w sd9, quality glock knockoff, about the same, 1/3 the price…
Good points but you forgot ONE thing… Glock magazines.
Glock magazines are everywhere, AR9s, 9mm carbines (Ruger PC9), and KelTec sub 2000 and if you want to rock a pistol/carbine with the same magazine then Glock is IT! Different magazine capacities are more readily available with Glock or Glock format magazines. Prices are very reasonable because of supply and demand for these magazines. OHhhh – and they work.
Paladin,
That’s one good reason I hadn’t thought of.
I looked at the Sub2000 a few years ago; but, they were almost impossible to find.
I ended up with a CZ Scorpion, so I kept the common cartridge but, needed different magazines.