Is the Glock the best combat handgun of all time?

[MTMilitiaman]

Someone's been drinking the Kool-Aide.

On a serious note, though, it's hyperbole such as that which have most of the rest of us shaking our heads, and are the reason that the fanboys became so widely mocked.

Funny thing about being at the top, is you don't care who below you is mocking you...

 

[amd6547]

I was primarily a Browning HiPower guy for decades, but also dabbled in the 1911, the Beretta 92, and various S&W’s...until I tried a Glock 17 about ten years ago. Switched to the G17 and G26 and never looked back. I did add a police surplus G22 Gen 4 at an absurdly low price (pre-plandemic), and find the .40 works great for me.
Just speaking for myself, of course. One thing I really appreciate about the Glock system is the ease of largely tool-less detail stripping, which is really only equaled by the 1911.

 

[The Happy Kaboomer]

The best IS ONLY in the eyes of the beholder. We all have opinions.

 

[Hartkopf]

When the zombie apocalypse comes, you can find a half loaded Glock magazine in 2 out of 3 trashed Corollas.

(seriously, Glock mags are everywhere)

 

[Riomouse911]

I carry a Glock 34 on duty every day... but a MAN I was shooting my full sized SA Loaded 1911 .45 well today!

230 WWB FMJ @10 yds, two hand at a sub-1 second per shot cadence..closer to 3/4 sec. between shots. 15 shots on the left target, 21 on the right.



I don’t know if I could put all my shots in the 8 ring that fast at 10 with the 34, the grip just doesn’t sit as well rapid fire for me than the 1911 does.

But I won’t carry a 1911 on duty, not enough shots on tap for my line of work in the area I work in.

Stay safe..

 

[toivo]

nd I will correct you, that is not a P320. It’s a M17/P320.

OK, ya got me ...

I also have the M18, but I do plan to pick up a P320 Carry as soon as all this panic buying is over.

The Carry is a good configuration. I have one. I would also suggest you look at an X-Compact. You can do the "poor man's" version by getting a Subcompact and putting it in an X-Compact grip frame. You'd be missing the straight trigger and the red-dot cutout on the slide. This is what it looks like when all is said and done:

The Subcompact is being discontintued, though, so the window is closing on this option.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I am one of the 6 or 7 pistoleros who does not care for the Glock. And it seems when we think of the truly great combat shots of the 20th, it's Sergeant York with an M1911, the rest-Charlie Askins, Bill Jordan, Jim Cirillo come to mind-used DA revolvers.

 

[Buckeye63]

Im a revolver guy .. but I’ve owned this
Gen 2 Glock 19 for a long time ... it has been a fantastic pistol

 

[Daveboone]

The US military could arguably put to test through thier trials, actual combat and field use, that the best and longest lived and proven combat handgun is the 1911. It was replaced by the Beretta. To this day to my knowledge, the tinkertoy guns never even ranked.

 

[Speedo66]

In the 1911 vs. Glock thing, I look at it this way: people spend thousands at a custom gunsmith, changing triggers, ports, ramps, magazines, etc. to make a 1911 reliable.

On a Glock, you can spend a few dollars on a trigger spring to make the trigger lighter, the reliability is already built in.

Which is best is in the mind of the beholder. I carried a Glock as a mandated duty gun, now retired I can carry anything I want. I still carry a Glock, I guess you could say I'm a believer.

 

[Spats McGee]

So I've been watching this thread for a couple of days. The OP starts with a ~3 year old article that doesn't really line up with the thread title. And the thread has really kind of boiled down to a discussion of the title topic: Whether the Glock is the best combat handgun of all time. All of that is fine, and I guess my vote has to be "No."

That said, it was a really tough call. From my perspective (never been in combat; I'm a pencil-pusher with some minimal knowledge of both guns and government stuff), there's an awful lot to be said for Glocks. They're relatively inexpensive, simple, ubiquitous, and reliable. Training large numbers of soldiers in their use, basic maintenance, etc., and finding spare parts to keep them running shouldn't be that hard. To be honest, though, the same could be said for many of the modern polymer pistols, in varying degrees. There are so many good pistols out there that I can't definitively say Glock is 'the best combat pistol of all time.'

 

[JDeere]

Oh another thread to stir the pot. You can argue and make comparisons till the cows come home but it's all opinion. Carry what you like and like what you carry...Carry On...

 

[Trunk Monkey]

In the 1911 vs. Glock thing, I look at it this way: people spend thousands at a custom gunsmith, changing triggers, ports, ramps, magazines, etc. to make a 1911 reliable.

First let me say that I am a Glock guy and I don't think I've owned a 1911 for at least 10 years.

Now to the comment . I hear this all the time and I don't understand it.

The last 1911 I owned was a Rock Island Armory M1911 A1. It was their entry level model. This was not a high-end gun.

It ran like a top. I don't think I ever had a single malfunction with it. Maybe one stove pipe. The only issue that I ever had with that gun was it had the tendency to rust I guess because of the parkerized finish.

 

[Old Dog]

Just out of curiosity, can you point to one gun that actually takes Glocks place in that comment?

I could, but I'm not gonna perpetuate any battles of the fanboys.

The hyperbole I referred to was Glock being "the most influential and dominant handgun on the market." Yes, it's reliable, durable, a top seller and beautifully marketed. Gained a huge share of the LE market by giving free pistols to departments worldwide in return for their clapped-out trade-ins. Some of us are aware of how Glock achieved its vast market share.

Most influential? Arguable. Was it the vanguard of polymer-framed pistols? Sure, for its day. Now there are plastic pistol options as good and better.

Dominant? Has sold a lot of guns. If that's one's concept of "dominant," you can score that a win for your team.

It's a durable, reliable, acceptably accurate pistol possessed of sub-optimal ergonomics, a mediocre trigger, barely adequate factory sights that does not excel at any one thing with the exception of continuing to launch bullets reliably, which is its most impressive trait.

Funny thing about being at the top, is you don't care who below you is mocking you...

Ah, consumer self-expression!. Self-congruence and brand identity in action.

No offense intended to anyone, but hasn't anybody else read some of the published psychological and consumer studies exploring the theory of how people confuse brand identify with their own, and view criticisms of their favorite brand as a threat to their own self esteem?

By the way, I own Glocks. They're okay. I trust them. But, not gonna buy that Glock is the best combat handgun of all time (the question the OP asked). And I've taken handguns into combat.

 

[AK103K]

I still think a lot of this silliness of which is best would go away, if people would just broaden their horizons, and learn as much as they can about as many different guns as they can.

And an even more important benefit to doing that is, they will be shooting more across the board in learning, and would also be improving their skills, which in reality, is actually more important than what the gun in the hand might be.

 

[Old Dog]

I still think a lot of this silliness of which is best would go away, if people would just broaden their horizons, and learn as much as they can about as many different guns as they can.

Well stated. I own many different brands, type, platforms (uh oh, can I still use that term?) and find things to appreciate about each one. Celebrate diversity, eh?

I just feel compelled to hoist the B.S. flag when anyone, anywhere, attempts to proclaim a single brand (or model) as The Best Ever. Uh uh, oh no.

 

[Old Dog]

And an even more important benefit to doing that is, they will be shooting more across the board in learning, and would also be improving their skills, which in reality, is actually more important than what the gun in the hand might be.

Agree 100%.

 

[defjon]

I've owned various glocks, and I like the 26 model. Very accurate.

Lots of range time and woods walking. The full size 17 was universally less accurate in 5 or 6 shooters hands than a 92fs, 1911, and a p226. This was a gen 3 and could be from the odd, wide finger grooves.

With the gen 4s I hear fitment is better, but this was also when some cost saving design measures took place (mim extractors etc) and some police depts had issues with firing pins peening.

I voted no just because to me "best" would mean across the board easiest to pick up, be accurate with, be safe with. That isn't a glock, just in my opinion.

I have a few ideas of models that lean more closely to that title, but that isn't really what this is about (and it would still just be opinion).

It's best to try out a lot of models, really try and put in the time. You'll find what works best for you.

God bless choices and options, and the second amendment (as long as we can keep it!).

 

[crestoncowboy]

I have the sig 226/9/0. The USP. The Beretta. A few 1911. The 320....I carry Glock and would and do choose it over the others. The 320 would be my second choice and I'd say its every bit as good as the Glock at this point. I'd be just fine with all the others except the 1911 for "combat". Id chose the 1911 for some things. I hunt with a Delta and a Kimber. Ive never seen a 1911 with a trigger half as bad as the best polymer gun trigger (which I'd say is the 320) I'd take capacity over the single stack in "modern combat" even though I personally don't carry a 9mm. Dont even shoot a 9mm. I have a few but do not use 9mm. If I were going into "combat" I'd take a Glock 20. 15 rounds of a pretty good round when it comes to a handgun. And in 10mm the Glock is the one that has stood the 10mm since its introduction with no issues. From the black talons to the norma rounds (and through the dark ages of 1000 fps 200 grain rounds we would rather forget) When I got into 10mm there was Glock, Kimber and if you could find one Tanfoglio. I didn't actually see a 10mm Tanfoglio until the internet came along. To me thats a bigger testament to the glocks design than 100k rounds of 9mm. A lifetime of 10mm since the 80s.

Is Glock the best? I didn't vote. I think it's tied with a few for best. Arguments could be made that it is though. I won't say anything is "better" from a purely "combat" perspective.

 

[crestoncowboy]

The full size 17 was universally less accurate in 5 or 6 shooters hands than a 92fs, 1911, and a p226. This was a gen 3 and could be from the odd, wide finger grooves.

I shoot my glocks routinely at 100 yards. 12x24 steel silhouette. If I miss its rare and my fault. Having said that if I hand a Glock and my 22x/Beretta/1911 to 100 people who don't shoot Glock I'd bet that you are correct in every case. Only if you let them shoot in SA with the Sig/Beretta. I think the mechanical accuracy is just as good in the Glock as the typical 22x/Beretta 92/96 and cheap 1911. I know that the custom sig and a Tuned 1911 are far better. I dont own a 1911 less than a gold cup but ive shot some pretty bad ones. The trigger is worse in a Great Glock than the sorriest SA Beretta/HK/Sig/Cz/1911 etc etc so the others will have better shootability to an untrained Glock shooter IMO. Throw in that first Da shot though....my two neighboring departments as well as our troopers carried DA/SA (USP/229/and the Beretta) and you could always tell the DA shots on their targets

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

Is Glock the best ever?
Not IMO

Serviceable and does it's job?
Absolutely. 100%

I shoot Glocks just fine they just aren't my preference.

 

[Armybrat]

 

[Kleanbore]

I agree with the corporal from Northern Cal.

 

[AK103K]

For me, that pic is a big worry, as we have three Rotties, and they have done worse damage to things made of metal. Our one pup got ahold of a M1 Carbine pouch with two empty mags in it and promptly destroyed the pouch and both mags. Something like a Glock would be a nothing.

They may not give a steel 1911 much trouble, although you wont likely have any grips left, I wouldnt put money on the aluminum-framed guns surviving, and that goes for any of them, not just the 1911's.

That same pup that chewed up the mags, has already wrecked one SS dinner bowl, and has already cracked the second now.

One advantage to that Glock, theres a good chance it could be salvaged with a chop job, and even if it werent, its a fairly cheap fix with a new frame from Glock, that will pop right on, with no needed work other than a take down and some part swapping.

 

[Ernie Bass]

As one poster said, it is wise to get out and shoot as many guns as possible. I am fortunate to belong to a club where we share guns and get trigger time on many. But I do not get to shooting thousands of rounds out of all of them. Shooting my own 9mm's about 1-2 thousand rounds a month gets expensive, not to mention other calibers. There are some guys that do get to hit it really hard.
So not putting down the Glock in anyway, here are some other guns to consider.