LEO use of Glocks

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Bravo11

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I usually try to identify the type of handgun a LEO is carrying whenever I see one in public. I more often see them carrying Glocks. I spoke to a policeman the other day and ask him about what they carried and he said Glocks. Detectives being issued one model and uniformed officers issued a another model(I forgot which models they were, 17's and something).
Do departments issue Glocks because they get good deals on them or because they have good reputations in the LEO community or what?
 
Good deals only come after the department has evaluated the pistol along with a host of others and submit proposals to buy. The manufacturer/supplier more or less dictate the final terms based on # of guns to be purchased.
The reason departments are going to Glocks is that they are simpler to teach than other handguns, less maintenance intensive, are cop/trooper/deputy/agent proof, and they go BANG everytime the trigger is pressed.
 
I was part of the testing. We tested 15 different makes and models over a period of about 18 months. SIG came out #1, S&W #2, and Glock #3. We then put out bid requests for 2500+ guns. Glock came back a bit over $250,000. S&W was about double Glock's bid and SIG was about double S&W's bid.
Guess which gun we went with.
 
They are reliable. They're easy to use and easy to teach people how to use. They go bang every time. There's a mess of models and calibers that all mostly fit the same holsters.

They don't cost as much as Sigs (as someone noted). So 60% or more of cops in the US now use Glocks. Including the FBI, Customs and others.
 
Yup... between low cost and easy manual of arms... they are an easy choice.

Here in Indiana, almost every officer I see has a Glock on his hip. Indianapolis PD and Marion County Sheriff carry Glocks and State Police carry Berettas.
 
As I noted in one of my own threads my department is going to Glocks. Regarding LEO's Glocks are now at the same place that S&W revolvers were at thirty years ago. Back then Smiths were affordable, reliable and SMith had a very agressive law enforcement program. Some departments carried Colts and a few had Rugers, but S&W dominanted. Now it's Glocks. I imagine thirty years from now it will be another make and model. Can't imagine what form it will be in.
 
If you carry your gun you know the value of light. Enough bullets. Not cheap.
 
Seattle Police Dept uses Glocks, but I've noticed that the King County Sherriff's Office gets a choice- seen some with Berretta M92s, some with S&W, some with Glock...

The fact that the Steyr M40 and M9 come in police models which use a standard handcuff key for the built in lock means they were obviously trying to aim for that market share, but I don't think many departments have gone that direction, to my knowledge.
 
Glock practically gives them away - buys the old guns and recoups losses selling them elsewhere. My Dept carries the G19, and I recently submitted a proposal to switch to the CZ PO1. Better gun, IMHO. Flame suit on.
 
The P01 is a good weapon but parts are much harder to come by and their reputation isn't quite there yet. CZ's are the best kept secret if you ask me , and i would rather keep it that way.
 
We then put out bid requests for 2500+ guns. Glock came back a bit over $250,000.
Click to expand...
:what: Yikes! That's $100 per gun. Basically only slightly more than a, gulp, Jennings or Bryco. How in the world do they make any money that way?
 
"Yikes! That's $100 per gun. Basically only slightly more than a, gulp, Jennings or Bryco. How in the world do they make any money that way?"

Take the old S&W autos and sell them. That price also included new holsters and 750 rds for each officer for transition training.
There's also another way. S&W did it, Glock does now. Chevy did it with the 1991 Caprice. When a large LEA buys their product the non-LE market buys their guns. It's marketing. Prior to 1968 the S&W 39 was just hanging around out there, no real market, and consideration being given to drop it. The ISP picked it up as the issued gun and the public began buying them.
 
Well, I agree with that isp. Far too many new shooters trend towards the issue guns of big LEA, especially at the state and fed level. Glock's big coup in the late 80's was capturing the LE market that was not really dominated by any individual company. It was pure Bill Gates. However, that was fifteen years ago. Glocks are pretty much ubiquitous now. I can only think Gaston is trying to hold onto that market, lest it slip through his fingers. He sure does't need further public awareness of his product.
 
Training officers with Glocks is easy. Just like double action revolvers. Draw, point, press the trigger. No idiotic buttons, levers or other "thingamajigs' to manipulate. (Remember, most LEOs are not firearms enthusiasts. They carry a weapon because it's part of the job) Glocks are reliable, accurate, high capacity and low maintenance. :)

Basically, the Glock is a firearms instructor's dream. I say that from 15 years experience as a Police firearms instructor.
 
Do departments issue Glocks because they get good deals on them
Click to expand...

The local PD doesn't issue Glocks(Beretta 9X pattern, I never got around to asking which one) but individual officers can get them for a song and dance(less then $400). That is for individual LEOs. The department level deals must be two C notes and a hip wiggle.
 
Glock and it's distributors are very aggressive....

isp2605 called it. When my old dept. looked at new weapons in 2000 (we needed to replace the night sights on our S&W 5906s) The distributor traded Glock 21s for our 5906s and the same cash per weapon S&W was going to charge to replace the nightsights (just over $100 IIRC). This was a small dept and totalled 25 weapons. There were other costs incurred, leather, ammuntion, training, but still it was a steal. Individual officers could buy their old 5906 from the distributor for $300.

That's the big reason you see Glocks on the hips of so many police officers.

Jeff
 
carpettbaggerr said:
Yup. That's why so many cops carry Hi-Points. Wait a second......
Click to expand...
If Hi-Point submitted a bid, Glock would under bid them! :neener:
 
The real reason so many cops carry Glocks is because Glocks used to be one of the only reliable semi-autos that had handling and firing characteristics exactly like the double-action revolvers that cops carried for almost 100 years.

The safety is on the trigger, meaning that you can carry it safely with one in the chamber, just like a DA revolver.

The drill to shoot it under stress is to pull it from the holster and pull the trigger, just like a DA revolver......No safeties to think about or fumble with......just point and pull, like a DA revolver.

With Glocks, you could take a cop who had trained with and carried a DA revolver for 10 years and instantly convert over to a semi without much retraining at all.

hillbilly
 
Hmmm...$100/gun for LEO's. That should be a big indicator to all of us about how much it really costs to make them.

Of course, when you consider how much of the Glock is made by pouring a type of plastic into a mold, it really shouldn't surprise anyone that production costs are low.
 
Shane333 said:
Of course, when you consider how much of the Glock is made by pouring a type of plastic into a mold, it really shouldn't surprise anyone that production costs are low.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but initial costs are high. Those molds aren't cheap, and they don't last forever.
 
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