Advice for first time Glock owner?

[replicant]

If you must have a Glock (I've been there too) I recommend that you don't change anything until you've shot 500 rds through it, that will let you get a feel for what you like / don't like. The Glock trigger is terrible. After I started shooting Sigs and 1911's I couldn't live with the Glock trigger anymore. The 3.5 LB Ghost trigger does help.

For a holster I liked the Galco King Tuk for my 19

 

[Classic]

Because Sigs never blow up.

View attachment 72853

So I took your advice and googled Sig Kaboom and then I googled Glock Kaboom... 12 pages on the glock and 3 on the sig...
I personally have seen a glock seconds after it went kaboom yet I have never seen that happen to a sig.

 

[NWGlockgal]

So I took your advice and googled Sig Kaboom and then I googled Glock Kaboom... 12 pages on the glock and 3 on the sig...
I personally have seen a glock seconds after it went kaboom yet I have never seen that happen to a sig.

I witnessed a Glock kaboom, from someone using reloads from a source not known to him. From what I have read, if a Glock goes kaboom it's from
reloads and in .40 caliber. Personally I think someone would have to be nuts to use reloads unless you know who did the reloading and you trust that
person explicitly. Even then I don't think I would use them unless I did them myself, and probably not even then since I have the attention span
of a gnat

 

[jwelch308]

Steel sights, whether you choose night sights or not, but absolutely put metal sights on it. Other than that, maybe an extended slide stop/ release

 

[addiction]

So I took your advice and googled Sig Kaboom and then I googled Glock Kaboom... 12 pages on the glock and 3 on the sig...
I personally have seen a glock seconds after it went kaboom yet I have never seen that happen to a sig.

that is probably about the ratio of the number of guns in the public's hands.....no data to back that up, just empirical from what I see when shooting. There just are not that many Sigs out there getting shot

 

[NWGlockgal]

that is probably about the ratio of the number of guns in the public's hands.....no data to back that up, just empirical from what I see when shooting. There just are not that many Sigs out there getting shot

good point!

 

[Straight Shooter]

One thing about a Glock and part of the reason they are the darling of law enforcement is the gun just runs. If dirty it will actually shoot itself clean. A Sig or any other metal semi auto will stop up with dirt and needs stripped and cleaned to return to action. All metal guns need regular cleaning and lubrication. A Glock doesn't require any oil to run. Carry it next to your body in a saltwater environment for years with no care and not only will it run it won't rust. A pistols life expectancy and this was a big one for me. Metal framed guns have about a 5000 round life expectancy before overhaul or flat out replaced. Glock is expected to go 1 MILLION! Then for just a few bucks you can fully rebuild it yourself.

 

[NWGlockgal]

Maybe you'll change your mind if you are injured and weakened, have to shoot with your offhand, or if you were weak/elderly/female.

Excuse me? Not all females are weaklings ya know....although I may be elderly, I am anything but weak.
Neither are any of the other women I know that shoot/carry.

 

[BlindedByScience]

Another point is that if the gun is for carry, I personally would not install the 'light' 3.5 lb connector / 'Ghost' trigger / etc. If I had to use the weapon in defense, the last thing I want is some slimeball lawyer telling the jury "...he modified his gun with a HAIR TRIGGER! He installed the lightest trigger he could find....". My guns run Glock 5 lb triggers for that reason. Some may disagree with me, but that's my reasoning.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I witnessed a Glock kaboom, from someone using reloads from a source not known to him. From what I have read, if a Glock goes kaboom it's from
reloads and in .40 caliber. Personally I think someone would have to be nuts to use reloads unless you know who did the reloading and you trust that
person explicitly. Even then I don't think I would use them unless I did them myself, and probably not even then since I have the attention span
of a gnat

Dead on target

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Another point is that if the gun is for carry, I personally would not install the 'light' 3.5 lb connector / 'Ghost' trigger / etc. If I had to use the weapon in defense, the last thing I want is some slimeball lawyer telling the jury "...he modified his gun with a HAIR TRIGGER! He installed the lightest trigger he could find....". My guns run Glock 5 lb triggers for that reason. Some may disagree with me, but that's my reasoning.

Lots of cops carry 3.5 lb triggers. The answer is you wanted to shoot more accurately at a threat and reduce the danger to innocent bystanders. This is an argument shot down long ago.. pun intended

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Excuse me? Not all females are weaklings ya know....although I may be elderly, I am anything but weak.
Neither are any of the other women I know that shoot/carry.

Play nice now, I don't need a wild pack of glock packing women hunting me

 

[RedneckRampage]

Spend a few dollars more and get a Sig. Not poly and the ammo is fully supported in the barrel. I've seen Glocks come apart instead of blowing the mag out the bottom... 1st thing I did after seeing that was sell my glock. I'm not into poly frames

And when did you see these "Glocks" (plural) come apart?

 

[Straight Shooter]

I have loaded my Glock 23 up to 1350fps with 155XTP's before I saw smileys. The slide velocity was so high it was not reliable due to the slide moving faster than the mag could feed them up. You have to do something really wrong to blow up a Glock. Guaranteed the same circumstance to blow a Glock will take a Sig apart. The wood or plastic grip panels are held on by two little screws. Once loose they become unrestrained projectiles. At least a Glock is integral semi elastic material so it actually absorbs quite a lot of the energy of a k-boom. The user gets a good scare and maybe a couple little nicks. 1911 barrels to run reliable are just as unsupported as a Glock. You start putting warm loads to the Sig or get a couple thousand through it and a Sig will start spitting up parts. The take down lever will come loose, extractors wear and fail to extract. Forget to grease it and it won't run. A bit of grit and it won't run. Sigs are cool for the occasional shooter but thy need a lot of attention to keep running long term. You won't see many Sigs on the range rental shelf.

Same for tuned up 1911's. Look hoew many people accidentally shoot them selves with 1911's from thinking the "safety" was engaged coupled with a tuned up 2 pound trigger. Can't happen on a Glock. You have to make a long deliberate pull to set one off. Just like a double action revolver.

You want a scare, you out to see a revolver come apart or a bolt action rifle when the stock shatters and the scope is blown to bits, This is stupid. Glocks are no more prone to blowing up than any other auto pistol. Like saying a Chevy is the most blown up hot rod engine. Not really. They just out number all the rest so the odds are high that if some dipstick does something stupid it will be a Chevy. Same reason you don't see Desert Eagles or AMT Auto mags blown up. Hardly anyone has one.

Berretta Model 92's are what the US military settled on. Why not one of those. Oh, here it is, They wear out and the external safety lever is too slow.

UK military picks Glock as replacement pistol for armed forces | Fox News

 

[mkwerx]

First thing I replace on a Glock is the front sight, or just put a complete set on. Either way, you need steel sights not plastic. I like AmeriGlo's thin .125" tritium front sight. It is the same height as the factory Glock front sight, and works fine if you can't afford to buy complete sight set, or if you just like the "bucket" type rear factory sight. I prefer the .125" wide sight over the .140" inch sight, because I like seeing more around my front sight. I also tend to prefer a wide notch rear sight over a target type sight. Something like the 10-8 performance serrated rear sight with the .158" notch.

I also prefer the Glock factory OEM extended slide stop lever. I don't use it to drop the side, but the standard flat slide stop is frankly a pain in the *** to engage for me, and the little nubbin on the extended makes locking the slide back easier for me. It's a $5 upgrade that makes my life with that pistol easier. YMMV.

The factory Glock extended magazine release is nice, but not necessary. If you're buying 4th gen, I find that mag release a lot better than the earlier generation guns - but that's the only thing I like about the 4th gens over the 3rd gen guns.

I don't mess with the factory trigger or springs, but if I did I'd stick with factory parts. An NY1 trigger spring with the factory "minus" trigger connector makes for a nice trigger with a 6lb pull - nicer than the standard 5.5lb even though it's a tad heavier. Either setup works for me.

I prefer a stippled frame anymore, over standard "slick" frames - but this is personal preference. A piece of bike innertube works to give you a grippier grip also, if you don't like the idea of altering the frame. I'm not thrilled with the factory frame texture on the 4th gen either -even tho it's an improvement over earlier iterations traction-wise.

Lots of trigger time, lots of dry practice and you'll get the hang of it. 9mm Glocks are great guns. Only guns I like better in full size and sub compacts are the Smith & Wesson M&P's. THey don't make a G19 size M&P, or to me, that'd be the perfect carry gun.

 

[Boats]

One thing about a Glock and part of the reason they are the darling of law enforcement is the gun just runs. If dirty it will actually shoot itself clean. A Sig or any other metal semi auto will stop up with dirt and needs stripped and cleaned to return to action. All metal guns need regular cleaning and lubrication. A Glock doesn't require any oil to run. Carry it next to your body in a saltwater environment for years with no care and not only will it run it won't rust. A pistols life expectancy and this was a big one for me. Metal framed guns have about a 5000 round life expectancy before overhaul or flat out replaced. Glock is expected to go 1 MILLION! Then for just a few bucks you can fully rebuild it yourself.

Be happy that he's joining your cult, but quit the one man flood of BS.

 

[Classic]

And when did you see these "Glocks" (plural) come apart?

2 in a 3 week period at West Coast Armory in Bellevue. One was a 19 (9mm) and one was a 23 (.40)
I'm a lifetime Gold member there so I'm there twice a week. The 9mm came apart with factory ammo because the jacket came off the bullet in the barrel and the next round down didn't make it out. The 40 was a private person so I don't know what he was shooting (factory vs reloads).
I've owned a Glock and I've owned a Sig. The glock 30SF lasted about 3 months before I sold it with no regrets. It felt like a lump in my hand. The Sig 226 Elite lasted 3 years and at least 25K rounds but I traded it straight across for a Colt CCO Talo which is now my edc but I still miss the Sig! It felt like an extension on my arm not a lump in my hand. Now a days, I'm all 1911s - Talo, Gold Cup and Thunder Ranch. I also have my Cowboy guns - Pietta 45 LC and winchester. I don't miss the glock at all...
Will the glock do the job? Yes. Is it the cheapest reliable gun on the market? Most likely. Will I ever own another? Pigs will fly 1st

 

[RicInOR]

I forgot one thing. Don't buy a Glock. Rather goto a GSSF match. You could Win a Glock. You don't have to shoot either, the volunteers & SO can get in the drawing.

Although, the winners tend to be people who already own a Glock.

 

[addiction]

Lots of cops carry 3.5 lb triggers. The answer is you wanted to shoot more accurately at a threat and reduce the danger to innocent bystanders. This is an argument shot down long ago.. pun intended

I am not sure I would use the fact that cops may use 3.5 lb triggers as a reason to do so, most cops are not great gun handlers. Plus I don't subscribe to the idea that lighter triggers make you a better shot, they don't they just make your gun easier to shoot. Subtle difference, but an important one. My guns are all stock, but I would suggest that if you do lighten your trigger you do so to all of your guns. I bought a Glock that had a 3.5 lb trigger in it, when I first shot it, I sure knew it, I popped a round of while "taking up the slack in the trigger", needless to say it now has a stock 5.5 lb trigger now. Under stress there is no way you will be able to accommodate a different trigger weight on your carry gun, especially if it is lighter. If you feel compelled to change it, make if heavier, and do it to all of them.

 

[Netspirit]

Glock owners are often OK. There is a special kind of Glock owners that I have a problem with - the folks who started with Glocks and never tried anything but Glocks.

It is not that their Glocks do not punch holes in paper reliably - they do. It is the fact those people absolutely lack any imagination or desire to experiment. They are as boring as their pistols. They are truly mainstream, purely Main street, plain, square, standard, mass-produced. They lack any distinctive features. They are not sexy; I would not bang a woman who carries a Glock because I know what the whole process would look like - very reliable, predictable, same thing every time

You meet that Glock robot with a Toyota Camry, have a chat, say "good bye", and cannot remember anything they said. "What's your name again?"