On Glocks

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Wed Feb 04, 2015 11:44 pm

Not to hijack another thread but I just wanted to say that I find the Glocks amazing. The most recent Glock magazine that made it's way to mi casa says that 90% of the Law Enforcement officers in Fla use Glocks. My first encounter with one was when Jr. bought a G21 in .45 ACP. Being a S&W revolver guy all my life I just couldn't understand Glocks, couldn't get my mind around the concept. I fired a mag full into a target the first time I handled it and put the whole thing into the 10 ring. I couldn't explain it I just squeezed the trigger and the holes appeared. It felt strange. The G21 grip seemed to big and blocky to me to be comfortable but it did shoot. Since then Jr. sold the G21 and bought a G23 in .40 S&W. I shot it some too, and still didn't get it.
Since then I did something I never thought I'd do. I bought my own G19 9mm. Yep a Glock and in 9mm of all things. It shoots like a match pistol.
The thing I find fascinating about them is their utter reliability.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 1:13 am

I think you would be surprised how many people here walk around with a Glock 17 or 19 on their belt. I know a few besides myself, but I'm not going to out my friends like that.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 1:26 am

I've been told that even though Tampa PD issues a S&W, officers are allowed to purchase and carry their own Glock if they care to. About half of them have.

1894c · Post by **1894c** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 2:06 am

My LE Agency allows Glock 26/19/17 & 27/23/22...I personally own G/26/19 and the M&P Shield in 9mm...Glocks are accurate, reliable, and tough... :)

MrMurphy · Post by **MrMurphy** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 6:05 am

They're not as utterly reliable as Glock would like you to think (NYPD's long running issues with the G19 being a case in point).

This being said I've carried a Glock as my primary pistol since 1999, shot them since 1992 regularly, and carry a G21 on duty every day.

Glock dominates LE because they're reliable, nearly idiotproof, and Glock sells them to cops cheap, including doing complete agency replacements (swapping one model for another) for basically nothing. Glock does understand people buy what cops do in a lot of cases (the Beretta sold well for many years due to this) and what gets used in movies (remember the Model 29).

The S&W M&P was deliberately designed to fix the issues Glock wouldn't till the Gen 4, and it's taken a healthy bite out of the LE market, enough Glock got worried and HAD to release the Gen 4.

I'd be fine with either as a duty gun, but I prefer the M&P given the choice these days. Most people though, given a Glock 17 and sufficient training, get the job done. Which is why the British army (and police) finally adopted it.

octagon · Post by **octagon** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 7:01 am

Rusty I follow what your saying. Been a revolver guy (S&W) and Colt, and a Colt 1911 guy forever, always looking sideways at Glocks and thinking people were crazy for liking something so ugly. Then guys whose opinion I trust started using em and I took a closer look. A friend who is LEO (a very BIG one) wanted some help with his pistol skills, and I shot his Glock in .40. His was a small backup gun, and I too noticed the accuracy. It was the capacity that finally got me to buy one and try it. Now I have two 10s and one 9. Then a Sig AR. I guess I have been plasticized.

bmtshooter · Post by **bmtshooter** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 8:25 am

My wife and I have both shot Glock 9mms for many years. For me, they point much more naturally in the vertical dimension than 1911s. I have to put an arched mainspring housing on my 1911s to keep them from pointing low. My older Glocks point naturally to the right elevation. The trade-off however is that they are too fat for my stubby fingers to reach the trigger comfortably. I have to concentrate a little too hard on achieving the appropriate grip (for me) in order to keep from shooting slightly left. No question about their reliability being nothing short of wonderful. That is why my old Model 26 is with me a lot.

vancelw · Post by **vancelw** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 10:04 am

MrMurphy wrote: I'd be fine with either as a duty gun, but I prefer the M&P given the choice these days. Most people though, given a Glock 17 and sufficient training, get the job done. Which is why the British army (and police) finally adopted it.

To me, if the S&W M&P pistols had a trigger more like Glocks, they would be perfect. I've had several of each, but finally migrated to Glocks only for consistency. But I really liked my M&P 40s and 45.

I currently have a 17, 26, 21, and 42. May get a 36 or 30s someday. And I love my Just Right Carbine that takes Glock 9mm magazines.

walks with gun · Post by **walks with gun** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 10:05 am

I like blue steel, a 1911 and revolver guy, but lately I've been shooting a lot of Glocks in various calibers, and really like them, if I had the extra dough right now I'd have a Glock in .357sig or a 10mm for a foul weather trail gun.

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 10:12 am

I've had Glocks in 380, 9mm, 40 and 45. Really like every one of them. They are not however like most of my other guns that I enjoy their look, feel, polish or a nice figure in the walnut. I see them as a tool, and use them as such. And at that they do exceptionally well.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 10:19 am

MrMurphy wrote:They're not as utterly reliable as Glock would like you to think (NYPD's long running issues with the G19 being a case in point).

The S&W M&P was deliberately designed to fix the issues Glock wouldn't till the Gen 4, and it's taken a healthy bite out of the LE market, enough Glock got worried and HAD to release the Gen 4.

Hey Murph, care to elaborate on this a bit? I gave my daughter a 19 and I'd like to know what issues it might have. I think hers is a Gen4 but I'll have to look, I've never really paid attention to the Gen thing and couldn't tell you which Gen my 17 and 20 are

. So far it's been every bit as reliable as my G17, has not hiccuped once putting rapid fire strings through it with mag changes etc.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 1:51 pm

I used to have a G36 (that I wish I had back). If I used the aluminum Blazer, it would stovepipe every hundred rounds or so. Never a hiccup with brass. It was as accurate as I was, and for two years it went deer hunting and shot grouse with the 230 fmj...One clean hole. (There was this one time that I forgot and left the 230 HydraShok in, and centered a grouse...the feathers are still falling someplace in the world

)

I currently have a G30s....I don't do much besides slaying the odd pop can, or evil white rock, but it's been 100% with 230fmj. Point and Hit.... Ya gotta love it.

octagon · Post by **octagon** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 2:23 pm

Blaine I never saw a pistol that didn't balk With Blaser.

tman · Post by **tman** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 2:47 pm

I bought a Glock 27 when they first came out. Haven't found anything to surpass it in the combination of accuracy, reliability, concealment and price. Never a jam, but don't shoot lead in it. It makes ALOT of other auto loading pistols obsolete.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 2:49 pm

octagon wrote:Blaine I never saw a pistol that didn't balk With Blaser.

Yup...whatever I have left will be put in moonclips and shot through the 625......

OldWin · Post by **OldWin** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 4:43 pm

For years I never owned a Glock or cared to. I wound up buying a 21SF in new condition from a guy at work to resell. When I brought it home the kids wanted to try it so we took it out and tried it.

That was five years ago and I still have it. It's too big and fat to carry but it sits on the nightstand with a TLR-1 on the rail.

I like how Glocks shoot and function, but being a 1911 guy I find them too thick to carry comfortably.
I still use a LW Commander for carry.

MrMurphy · Post by **MrMurphy** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 9:39 pm

NYPD has had issues with their G19s, between the Gen 2 and Gen 3 guns. Considering how MANY NYPD cops there are, and how non-gun-guy most of them are, not exactly shocked. These were above and beyond the 'it's limpwristing" or "bad ammo" typical issues.

I'll have to look around a bit, I know i've seen a reliable (from inside NYPD) writeup on it I just don't have it at hand.

The 19 is among the absolute most reliable 9mm's in the world, and I recommend it highly. But if you make enough of them, sooner or later, you will find a few bad ones. NYPD's got enough of just that model they've found a bunch.

Thus why the 9mm magazine followers are on something like their 10th or 11th generation.

vancelw · Post by **vancelw** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 10:18 pm

MrMurphy wrote:NYPD has had issues with their G19s, between the Gen 2 and Gen 3 guns. Considering how MANY NYPD cops there are, and how non-gun-guy most of them are, not exactly shocked. These were above and beyond the 'it's limpwristing" or "bad ammo" typical issues.

I'll have to look around a bit, I know i've seen a reliable (from inside NYPD) writeup on it I just don't have it at hand.

The 19 is among the absolute most reliable 9mm's in the world, and I recommend it highly. But if you make enough of them, sooner or later, you will find a few bad ones. NYPD's got enough of just that model they've found a bunch.

Thus why the 9mm magazine followers are on something like their 10th or 11th generation.

This is the first I recall hearing about troubles with a 19. I knew some departments had problems with early G23s if a light was mounted on the rail due to flex, but supposedly Glock addressed it.

My G26 is more accurate than my G19 was or my G17 is. Strange. Just a little too thick for comfy concealed carry.

1894c · Post by **1894c** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:56 am

Here's a couple of links to NYPD's Phase-3 Malfunction with G-19's and other stuff (1996/2007)... :O
http://thegunzone.com/glock/phase3.html
http://thegunzone.com/glock/problems.html
http://thegunzone.com/glock/ppb.html
http://thegunzone.com/glock/hhnj.html

magyars4 · Post by **magyars4** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:42 am

I bought my first Glock last year, a model 17. I have to admit I like it a lot! I have been a 1911 shooter for over 30 years, but I find myself shooting the #17 more and more.
My wife and I were shooting it some time last fall and she kept having failures...same gun, same ammo.
I did a little research and discovered some people limp wrist it due to the grip size.

vancelw · Post by **vancelw** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:44 am

1892 wrote:Here's a couple of links to NYPD's Phase-3 Malfunction with G-19's and other stuff (1996/2007)... :O
http://thegunzone.com/glock/phase3.html
http://thegunzone.com/glock/problems.html
http://thegunzone.com/glock/ppb.html
http://thegunzone.com/glock/hhnj.html

Thanks for the links. I had not read the first two for sure. They are very old articles and issues, so hopefully its been resolved. I've yet to have any malfunctions from any of my Glocks. Of course, I keep them cleaned

I was talking to a man at the CTD store yesterday. He was wondering about a Sig 380 and a Glock 42 for CCW. I told him not to be wary of the fact that the Glock 42 cost about 60-70% of the Sig. Mine is plenty reliable and accurate. After much conversation, he revealed it was primarily for his elderly wife, who had arthritis.....I told him to go buy a J-frame Airweight in .38 +P. KISS

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:06 pm

I have two Glocks. My G22 .40 Glock was my father's Duty Pistol and prob. has around 10,000 rounds through it with no problems. I usually practice with the .40cal barrel in it and when im done and ready for carry I put in the .357sig barrel.

I really want another G19 also.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:22 pm

The beauty of the Glock doesn't lie within it's appearance because they are butt ugly from the outside, I think we can all agree on that. The beauty is in the function. It's a Germanic engineering thing.

Kind of like when someone complained to the developer of the ME 109. They told him it was a good plane but hard to taxi. His response was, I didn't make it to taxi, I made it to fly.

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 5:05 pm

Love my G19 &G26!!

I've shot 5-6K rounds through my 19 with 2-4 FTE due to Blazer aluminum ammo and rapid fire shooting.
The G26 has had zero failures with about 1500 rounds fired.

I grew up shooting Colt 1911s and Match target revolvers, but still love my Glocks!!!

jb

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 8:04 pm

vancelw wrote:
MrMurphy wrote:NYPD has had issues with their G19s, between the Gen 2 and Gen 3 guns. Considering how MANY NYPD cops there are, and how non-gun-guy most of them are, not exactly shocked. These were above and beyond the 'it's limpwristing" or "bad ammo" typical issues.

I'll have to look around a bit, I know i've seen a reliable (from inside NYPD) writeup on it I just don't have it at hand.

The 19 is among the absolute most reliable 9mm's in the world, and I recommend it highly. But if you make enough of them, sooner or later, you will find a few bad ones. NYPD's got enough of just that model they've found a bunch.

Thus why the 9mm magazine followers are on something like their 10th or 11th generation.
This is the first I recall hearing about troubles with a 19. I knew some departments had problems with early G23s if a light was mounted on the rail due to flex, but supposedly Glock addressed it.

My G26 is more accurate than my G19 was or my G17 is. Strange. Just a little too thick for comfy concealed carry.

I shoot my G29 better than my G20 also -- go figure -- my newish little g42 is an amazingly accurate little gun too for a fightin' pistol

I bought my Glocks originally to cash in on the 10mm mystique- i like 'em well enough, but i dont shoot nearly enough to be handy with a 10mm anymore-- last go round with the 20 and i was shooting shotgun patterns
I replaced it with a Sig 229 in 40 Short &Weak and am shooting it better-- The Sig trigger pull agrees with me better i think , plus although ther is also no external safety on the Sig, the DA/SA trigger gives me a perceived higher margin of safety.
Its a chubby little gun too though, like the Glocks, so for me is primarilly a "truck gun" - but the G42 gets carried a lot,

firefuzz · Post by **firefuzz** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 6:39 am

I've got three G17's, one is a Gen 2 the others Gen 3, two G19's, one each Gen 2 and 3, and a Gen 3 G17 frame I bought to mount my .22 conversion kit on. That's not counting the one's I've given my kids. And if I find other G17 and G19's, either 2nd or 3rd Gen for under $350 I'll probably have more, they're out there if you watch the action sights.

I used to carry 1911's, Hi-Powers, and Sigs, and was one of the biggest opponents of "combat Tupperware" you ever heard spout off. Until a buddy of mine that shot competition with Glocks handed me a brand new G19, a holster, 3 mags and a case of ammo and said for me to shut my mouth until I'd fired the case of ammo thru it and did my best to learn the pistol. He never got the gun back. That was my first G19 and it's on my daughter's nightstand right now. If it's in my safe and an auto-loading pistol it says Glock on it. Same as my DA revolvers say S&W. I've shoot and will shoot other to try them out, but they'd have to really impress me to change, and I'm hard to impress anymore.

IMHO you'd have to go a long way to beat a Glock as a self-defense/LEO/combat pistol. They're durable, easy to shoot and train with, easy to maintain, and priced reasonably as far as this type of firearm goes. I'm waiting for the single-stack versions of the 9mm to hit this country and then I'll have to have a few more.

Rob

rodeo kid · Post by **rodeo kid** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 2:59 pm

I still don't like Glocks. I have shot them but they never felt right in my hand. And I am so old I am a blue steel and wood man. I will admit that I have sinned,

a few months ago I bought a Springfield XDs in .45, so I do have one plastic pistol. It is actually not to bad to shoot as long as I use the 7rd mag(big hands). For some reason that little pistol in .45 intrigued me, and I like it okay but it is probably my last plastic pistol. God Bless.

piller · Post by **piller** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 3:22 pm

octagon wrote:Blaine I never saw a pistol that didn't balk With Blaser.

My old P85 has never balked even with Blazer aluminum case rounds. The only pistol that I have never had a jam with or any other issue is my old Ruger P85. My Glock 22 has had one single jam ever. Based on about 700 rounds through it and one jam, I would call it reliable. My Glock 22 is not as accurate as my Smith and Wesson m99 that is made by Walther, even though they are both in .40 caliber. The Smith and Wesson is a compact version and the Glock is full size. The Glock is the easiest to take down to clean of the three. I have had limited experience with Glocks, but I am willing to trust the Glock Gen 2 Model 22 that I have. At least, that is, as long as I don't feed it aluminum case ammunition (even if it is made by CCI).

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 3:29 pm

I just heard last night from someone that went to the SHOT show the the Pmag people will be making a magazine for the Glock 17 this year.

piller · Post by **piller** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 3:59 pm

Good. Good magazines are helpful for any semiauto.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 6:39 pm

Yea a buddy told me about the Pmag and another one thats translucent, unfortunately my experience with any magazine that doesn't have Glock stamped on it is less than stellar, example the KCI's. Now if they made 25 round 10mm mag put me down for 10.

jazman · Post by **jazman** » Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:25 pm

I've had my gen 2 G19 since I bought it new a lot of years back. Only auto besides a little .32 Tomcat in my safe. I have put thousands of rounds through the 19 without a single failure, zero. I consider it as reliable as my wheel guns. Still amazed how easy it is to take apart to clean, incredible design.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:12 pm

Normally I wouldn't try anything other than a factory Glock Magazine, but since it's made by Magpul and they have a great tradition of reliability I would give them a try.

Catshooter · Post by **Catshooter** » Tue Feb 10, 2015 8:28 pm

I agree Rusty. MagPul mags? I bet they work great.

Cat

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Sat Feb 14, 2015 1:00 pm

sore shoulder wrote:I think you would be surprised how many people here walk around with a Glock 17 or 19 on their belt. I know a few besides myself, but I'm not going to out my friends like that.

Well, I'll admit I often walk around with a Glock on my hip. But it's a 30. I like to make as big a hole going in as possible. Than way, no matter what else happens it won't get any smaller.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sat Feb 14, 2015 3:10 pm

I just found found out yesterday our local S.O. will be switching from their G22's in .40 S&W and they'll be returning to 9mms. I wonder what's up with that?

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Sat Feb 14, 2015 4:28 pm

Rusty wrote:I just found found out yesterday our local S.O. will be switching from their G22's in .40 S&W and they'll be returning to 9mms. I wonder what's up with that?

Two possible reasons. First some of the officers (I won't make this observation gender based) may not be comfortable with the 40 S&W. It's louder and has a sharper recoil than the 9mm. Or it could be the cost of ammo.

tman · Post by **tman** » Sat Feb 14, 2015 4:43 pm

Glock has made all other semi auto pistols, {they also come in full auto} for serious combat, self defense work obsolete. Glock needs to build pistols similar to the keltec 32 & PF9 to dominate the market. Glock doesn't have anything out like them. They don't have anything like a Coonan Arm's .357. At that, unless the Coonan can function with Buffalo Bore's 180gr hardcast,????, it wouldn't matter to me anyway.

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:10 am

tman wrote:Glock has made all other semi auto pistols, {they also come in full auto} for serious combat, self defense work obsolete. Glock needs to build pistols similar to the keltec 32 & PF9 to dominate the market. Glock doesn't have anything out like them. They don't have anything like a Coonan Arm's .357. At that, unless the Coonan can function with Buffalo Bore's 180gr hardcast,????, it wouldn't matter to me anyway.

Glock makes the model 42 - it is a little bigger than the kel tecs , but its a great pistol with big gun accuracy -- i suspect there will be a full 9mm model in that size range soon enough

Regarding the Coonan, Glock makes the model 20 in 10mm with a 15+1 capacity that can generate similar power with more capacity and none of the potential feeding issues of stacking rimmed revolver cartridges on top of each other in a stick magazine

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:39 am

Streetstar wrote:Regarding the Coonan, Glock makes the model 20 in 10mm with a 15+1 capacity that can generate similar power with more capacity and none of the potential feeding issues of stacking rimmed revolver cartridges on top of each other in a stick magazine

Yep.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:10 am

Rusty wrote:I just found found out yesterday our local S.O. will be switching from their G22's in .40 S&W and they'll be returning to 9mms. I wonder what's up with that?

.40 barely has any better "performance" on paper than a 9mm and in real life it doesn't do anything a 9mm won't do, and the 9mm does it with a lot less pressure and you get 2 more rounds in the same size gun. Also .40 seems prone to failures to penetrate. I for one am glad to hear this trend as I have a deep and abiding dislike for the .40 short and weak.

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 2:12 pm

Streetstar wrote:
tman wrote:Glock has made all other semi auto pistols, {they also come in full auto} for serious combat, self defense work obsolete. Glock needs to build pistols similar to the keltec 32 & PF9 to dominate the market. Glock doesn't have anything out like them. They don't have anything like a Coonan Arm's .357. At that, unless the Coonan can function with Buffalo Bore's 180gr hardcast,????, it wouldn't matter to me anyway.
Glock makes the model 42 - it is a little bigger than the kel tecs , but its a great pistol with big gun accuracy -- i suspect there will be a full 9mm model in that size range soon enough

Regarding the Coonan, Glock makes the model 20 in 10mm with a 15+1 capacity that can generate similar power with more capacity and none of the potential feeding issues of stacking rimmed revolver cartridges on top of each other in a stick magazine

+1 on the 42. I've rung mine out and it good to go as a CCW. Now I just have to get it on my permit. That's just a paperwork thing, but getting to the Sheriff's office is a bit difficult with the hours I work.

Poohgyrr · Post by **Poohgyrr** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 2:55 pm

I keep some older, proven designs in my carry rotation, because they still do well. And each platform has its' own good points.

But the evil black plastic Glocks also put rounds on target for me, and are my only rail equipped pistols. With barrels in 357Sig, 40S&W, and 9X19, it is difficult to argue against these the standard frame Glocks. The large frame 45s & 10mms do well too, and the 45s are really accurate, soft shooting, machines.

tman · Post by **tman** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 4:54 pm

Streetstar wrote:
tman wrote:Glock has made all other semi auto pistols, {they also come in full auto} for serious combat, self defense work obsolete. Glock needs to build pistols similar to the keltec 32 & PF9 to dominate the market. Glock doesn't have anything out like them. They don't have anything like a Coonan Arm's .357. At that, unless the Coonan can function with Buffalo Bore's 180gr hardcast,????, it wouldn't matter to me anyway.
Glock makes the model 42 - it is a little bigger than the kel tecs , but its a great pistol with big gun accuracy -- i suspect there will be a full 9mm model in that size range soon enough

Regarding the Coonan, Glock makes the model 20 in 10mm with a 15+1 capacity that can generate similar power with more capacity and none of the potential feeding issues of stacking rimmed revolver cartridges on top of each other in a stick magazine

Thanks.How fast can the 10mm push a 180 grn bullet?

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:01 pm

1350 fps from a Glock 20

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:10 pm

jeepnik wrote:
Rusty wrote:I just found found out yesterday our local S.O. will be switching from their G22's in .40 S&W and they'll be returning to 9mms. I wonder what's up with that?
Two possible reasons. First some of the officers (I won't make this observation gender based) may not be comfortable with the 40 S&W. It's louder and has a sharper recoil than the 9mm. Or it could be the cost of ammo.

It's likely both of those things, and it isnt necessarily just weak females or rookies that dont shoot as well with the 40's, many very experienced shooters find they shoot the 9's better and faster than 40's. The constant improvement in ammo has steadily made the 9's into more reliable performers also. I've seen a number of guys mention "the juice just isnt worth the squeeze" when comparing 40's to 9's.

Another aspect that comes up in discussions, the 40 round wears guns faster. Some departments have had to up their PM schedules and replaced more parts in 40's.

The ammo cost is another issue, with departments and individuals.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 8:25 pm

One of the things my Dad taught me at a fairly young age, and it's been borne out thru my experience, is that when someone is trying to convince someone else of, it falls into one of two categories; either they've found themselves knee-deep in cow patties and want company or, they're trying to convince themselves they're right!

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 8:45 pm

Malamute wrote:
jeepnik wrote:
Rusty wrote:I just found found out yesterday our local S.O. will be switching from their G22's in .40 S&W and they'll be returning to 9mms. I wonder what's up with that?
Two possible reasons. First some of the officers (I won't make this observation gender based) may not be comfortable with the 40 S&W. It's louder and has a sharper recoil than the 9mm. Or it could be the cost of ammo.
It's likely both of those things, and it isnt necessarily just weak females or rookies that dont shoot as well with the 40's, many very experienced shooters find they shoot the 9's better and faster than 40's. The constant improvement in ammo has steadily made the 9's into more reliable performers also. I've seen a number of guys mention "the juice just isnt worth the squeeze" when comparing 40's to 9's.

Another aspect that comes up in discussions, the 40 round wears guns faster. Some departments have had to up their PM schedules and replaced more parts in 40's.

The ammo cost is another issue, with departments and individuals.

Funny, all of these problems could have been solved way back when if they had just gone to the .45 acp instead of the .40 S&W. Most folks I've spoken with, regardless of sex, think the .45 acp is easier to handle in recoil than the .40 S&W. And obviously, being a slower and lower pressure round it's easier on guns.

MrMurphy · Post by **MrMurphy** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:38 am

Getting a .45 (non 1911) into a gun any average moron can handle isn't quite as easy. Especially if it's a double-stack modern gun.

I carry a G21 on duty, and we have quite a few females that can shoot it. All of them would be better shots (and have a better grip on the gun) with a G17, as would about 1/3 of our guys on the department.

I've been shooting .45 for going on 25 years, carrying one daily for 15, in a Glock (the 30) and "I" would be a better shot, and have a better grip, with the 17. I began my switch over to 9mm quite a while back, but since when I got hired we used .45s.....i wasn't complaining. Odds are, we're going back to 9mm within a few years (at one point both 9mm and .40 were in use, a chief a while back dictated the change).

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 1:06 pm

A M21 .45 ACP was the first Glock I ever shot and I didn't care for the grip. It was too big for me. Even the 21SF seems to big for me. If Glock wants to sell me a .45 it would have to be a single stack. If they would come out with a single stack 9mm along the lines of the M42 and a full sized single stack in .45 I think they would both sell. I'm not at all interested in the .45 GAP.