Glocks are good guns. BUT, there is a part on the rear of the slide that tends to break. Yes, I said break. This happened to me and a buddy of mine who just finnished a training course (& several others). If it's just for home defense you can't go wrong. It's a bit unconventional but once you fire a few thousad rounds out of it under the guidence of a pro, you'll be good to go. For home defense I'd definately go with a .45. It's a slower and bigger bullet. This equals less penetration. Over penetration is bad, especially when you have neighbors. If you miss your target (at night, under stress, in the dark) you don't want the bullet zipping through your house, the house next door and into your neighbors daughter.

I've used both Glocks and HK's. I like the HK better. It fits my hands better, and the recoil is very tame (It's got dual springs). Plus I never broke my HK and I've beaten the holy hell out of it. Can't say the same for the Glock. I really like the ultra simple operation of the Glock though. Plus it makes a better concealed carry weapon.

A lot of people are a concerned about the lack of a safty switch on the Glocks. But it really isn't an issue. Discipline is key. The gun will only fire if you pull the trigger. Accidents happen to people who lack real training.

Be safe!

 

Couldn't have put it better myself.

 

I have a few Glocks in various calibers and 2 HK USPs (9mm fullsize/.40compact) and 1 HK P2000. I prefer the Glocks to the USP in 9mm. But in .40cal HK's are better in every way to a Glock. The USP was designed around a the .40S&W. Glocks were designed around the 9mm. In .45 it'd be a toss up. I love the Glock 30 as well as the USP .45 in fullsize or compact. Choose what you shoot best.

 

It's also the most known to blow up as well. I'd rather have a G17 than a G22.

 

Yeah, the only glock I wouldn't get would be one chambered in .40. The frames for the .40s were made from the 9mm frames... Stick with either 9mm, 45, or 10mm if you're doing full size.

The 10mm and .45ACP full size frame are solid as hell (20 and 21) and can be relied on for whatever purpose you might need.

 

Chris,

I would suggest to try out the perspective guns first before you go out and buy one. Renting the top choices or go with someone with these pistols to the range would help.

I have trained alot with some of these pistols (part of my job) and here are some of my observations:

1. Glock pistols : To me these pistols are like Bic pens. They are fairly plain looking, but they sure work. I bought my G-17 back in 1988 (outside Ft. Benning) and still have that gun till this day. At this present time it has approx: 267,098 rounds through it, and can still hit center mass humanoid sized targets at 100 meters! On my .40 cal Glocks, I changed out the stock barrels with Bar-Sto match barrels. This serves two points: 1. More accuracy, 2. Supported chambers (less chance for unsupported case ruptures). Also, balancing the springs with the loads does help too. So far, I have no problems with durability on the Glocks that I own. I have heard of some problems, but anything man made can break. That's why...buy 2 guns...just in case!


2. HK USP and HK Mk23 : These are great guns. I have put approx: 17,311 rounds through my USP 40, 28,228 rounds through my USP 45, and 19,766 through my Mk 23. The things that broke on mine have been the firing pin and the stamped steel trigger bar (for the USP, not the Mk23). Easy fixes, but some what costly when you can find the parts. Dealing with HK is a hit or miss thing. I would suggest to find someone who is an HK armorer and be his friend.....so you can have access to spare parts.

3. Springfield Armory XD : Great guns for the price! They do have a good rep for their product support. If you like the grip angle of the 1911 / Browning High Power...then the XD will feel right in you hand. The grip safety is a nice feature. One thing that I found out, if you have a 9mm XD...you can use the 10 rd .40 cal mags in it...and it will hold 15 rounds in it! It works reliably! So far, my XD Tactical (in .357 Sig) has about 8,944 through it....with ZERO problems!

4. 1911 : Trained alot with this pistol...properly set up....it's awesome...but also needs some TLC for proper functioning in the sand box. Knowing how to lube it properly helps. Spare parts are easy to come by...just get a Brownells catalog. One of my 1911s actually had about 67,000 rounds through.....had to replace the springs every 5000 rounds.....and also the magazine releases tend to wear out........it still shoots 1.5 inches at 25 meters!

5. Sig 226 and 220 : Had my 226 (9mm) for several months back in 1989....but had to send it back to the factory. The frame rail above the dust cover and the roll pin that holds the breach block in place sheared off. Sig gave me a new gun instead of trying to fix it. The rounds we were training with were the NATO 124 gr FMJ and the Federal Hydra-Shok 124 +P+. I guess it was too much for the weapon.

As far as calibers.....it doesn't matter...the key is SHOT PLACEMENT! I am comfortable with a .22 LR for self defense, but for a centerfire "modern" semi - auto.....the minimum would be a 9mm. The new designs for the handgun bullets make all the combat calibers better self defense tools.

For the following:

9mm - +P or +P+ loads are the best. 115 - 147 gr JHP.

.40 Cal - +P or the full power 135 - 165 gr JHP, 180 Gr JHP sub-sonic (standard police issue) work quite well.

.45 ACP and .45 GAP - +P 185 - 230 gr JHP.

.357 SIG - 115 - 125 JHP. This is my favorite round for defensive use now. Light recoil (if the gun is set up properly), very accurate, and feeds reliably in the various weapons that I tried it in.

Hope this helps.

 

Great post Ray, and I agree with everything you said.

One question... Do you really keep track of how many rounds have been fired through your pistols!?

 

How much are you willing to spend? Our unit just got H&K USP Tactical .45s and they're basically a 1911 on steroids. It's one of the best pistols I have shot to date. The Mk23 is awesome but to damn big. The Glock 29 is awesome (10mm) and small enough for daily carry but God forbid you have to use it. Someone's going to die for sure.

 

.38 supers are pretty nice, i've shot one on many occasions, and yes they are really smooth, but i'm still a huge fan of the .45 1911<------pretty smooth for the caliber size.

As far as this guy's question goes, the Sigs aren't that expensive, around $700.....and the HK is about $8-900, I would go with HK, just a smoother and all around better gun than the Sig or the Glock.

Imo, the Glock is crap, but thats just my 2cents.

 

What makes it crap? Is it the part where it's one of the most reliable pistols on the market? Is it because they are accurate? Is it because they don't cost as much as HK?

hehe... just raggin on you. Just because you don't like the glock personally doesn't mean its crap.

 

^^hence, IMO.......... i dunno, i just don't like glocks, the way they feel, shoot, etc......and no, it doesn't mean the Glock is crap, i'm sure its a great gun, fires when you need it to etc...I just love the HK, always have and always will.

 

Thanks for all the input guys, and great post Ray. Since I'm not planning on making the purchase until mid Dec. I think I'm just goingto go rent an HK USP, a Glock 22 or 23, and an XD and see which one I like best. My budget is about $600 before ammo and add ons so the HK is a little out of the budget. But, it doesn't hurt to try all three, and I have been known to ignore budgets when I feel something is worth it. I'm heavily leaning towards the Glock, but we'll see.

-Chris

 

I just bought a Glock 23 at lunch today. I pick it up later this week. Stay tuned for pics. I think I'm going to get the Benelli tactical shotgun they had there too. So nice.

 

Do you mind if I ask how much the 23 was going for?

-Chris

 

Yes ! It's a habit I picked up when I was in the U.S. Army. It helps me keep my scheduled PMIs current.

It's like changing oil or maintaining our cars.