I am a big fan of Glock's, but they are not the only good reliable pistol on the market. Your defense of them and attack on the choices others have made on a pistol purchase are honestly a bit disturbing. The 3 most common polymer pistols Glock, Springfield XD's, and S&W M&P's, are all fine choices for a role as a service pistol, and personal protection. One might make an argument that Glock's are more reliable than the others, and they may be right but regardless the playing field is very even amongst them.
I was actually just reading this thread for entertainment but what ultimately made me comment was your false statements about the "facts".
1. Glock is actually used in 65% of LE departments across the U.S. not 90%. This claim is based on a 2013 study. Even with that, 65% is impressive, however a big factor in that number is the cost. My opinion is that the percentage will actually get a bit lower in the coming years with more LE departments switching to M&P pistols.
2. Out of 52 countries I found 9 that currently use a Glock as their military sidearm. Even 9 is impressive, but much of this is due to costs and political factors, not just performance.
3. Yes, Glock's have been proven for 30 years. However, A well made 1911 has been proven for 100 years and is still being used today by some U.S. military units as their sidearm of choice, and by certain LE units. So by your logic that should make a 1911 better than a Glock right?
4. Your statement about taking a dirt farmer and teaching them to shoot a glock in a day or two, should hold true for teaching them how to shoot an XD or M&P then too, if not I don't understand why.
Glock's are great pistols, but they are not for everyone. Some people just simply find other pistols to be more of a natural pointer for them and more ergonomic which allows them to shoot better. Not to mention some people just prefer other trigger systems to a Glock's. As a Glock owner and fan I will admit that they are not as ergonomic as M&P pistols. Also, I have yet to see failures as a common issue in the other popular polymer pistols I mentioned, and I see them on a regular basis in use as I am am a pistol instructor and a student myself who enjoys attending courses.
This reply is simply stating my honest unbiased opinion on the matter at hand, and clearing up some of the inaccurate points you made. This is really no different than Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge. I respect many brands and types of firearms, and own many brands and types of firearms. It baffles me when someone is so biased towards something that they get tunnel vision and look past the actual facts and not just what their biased perception is.
Disagree. The M&P is flawed out of the box and STILL has engineering deficiencies that result in firing out of battery and a shitty barrel lockup that doesn't lend well to accuracy. Lets not even get to rust out of the box and the abomination of a trigger/sear group that requires a $200 replacement to become serviceable. With that being said, its still a vasty superior pistol to the XD. That is pretty telling....
Please tell me what other pistols are use by other military s, that are superior to glocks. The Most ELITE units in the world, all shoot glocks and HK's. Delta, Rangers, SEALS, SF, GSG-9, SAS, ect.... All shoot either HK or Glocks. Yea there are some other shit sprinkled in there and plenty of non gun guys or followers who just use whatever they are issued, but the fact remains.... The BEST combat shooters in the world almost all shoot glocks. Is this some sort of coincidence? Do they get some kind of super special glocks with fairy dust? Most countries shoot domestic guns if they can, or shoot what is provided via FMS. Those that are hindered by neither, and know what the fuck is up, usually chose HK's or Glocks.
You are cherry picking information. One of the BEST 1911 builders in the world, and the former pistol instructor & one of the founders of IDPA is Larry Vickers. He will be the first to tell you, the 1911 has seen its day. Just because a few special snowflakes want to ignore reason, does not make it a good idea. You have no fathomable idea how much money and maintenance it takes to keep a 1911 running durring heaving firing schedules. There is a reason most operators were issued 3 guns. At any given time, 1 or 2 were down for maintenance.
No one is saying glocks are perfect. They are just ONE of the right solutions to certain problems. Natural pointer and all this bullshit is just that, bullshit. Pistol shooting is fucking hard. There is no other way to put it. Its magnitudes harder to not only train to proficency, but to maintance proficency with a pistol then with a rifle/carbine. Most people can't shoot for dick. Training fixes this. What you think you know about pistol shooting (and I admit I am not a great shot with one, hence why I train) and reality are not the same. Too many guns&ammo and internet bullshity urban legend shit.... just like most of this thread, prove most people don't know dick.
How many rounds do you see down range a week? Because the top instructors in the world do not sugar coat this shit. They know what works and what doesn't work. Low round count, low sample size bullshit is just that. If you aren't putting 500-1200rnds through the gun each training day, you aren't doing anything. Feel free to search out their opinions. Ask any of the most respected guys in the industry (some lurk here) what they think about XD's.
Its not a Ford vs chevy, its more like Toyota vs some shitty Chinese brand that costs less but leaves you stranded on the side of the road in the middle of a snowstorm.
Like I said glock is not perfect, but compared to those mentioned, its not even close.
