The Glock is exceedingly simple in both construction and operation and it is
virtually maintenance free. That doesn't mean that you should never clean it and
take care of it but it is VERY forgiving in that regard. I have seen Glocks that have fired thousands upon thousands of rounds without so much as a quick wipe-down and still perform flawlessly. Glocks are so ridiculously reliable that is hard for some people to grasp. I have personally put some of my Glocks through some pretty rigorous testing. I have shot them underwater. I have taken one out of a 70 degree building, disassembled it, thrown the parts down in the snow at 38 degrees below zero, retrieved the parts, chipped the ice out of the slide, reassembled the gun and flawlessly fired a full magazine of ammunition downrange. I boiled a frame once, put it back together and shot it. I disassembled one, threw the parts down in the dirt and kicked them around for a bit, found all the parts, reassembled and fired a full mag out of it. The first round didn't chamber completely but after that, it dumped the remainder without a hitch. All of the above is documented on my YouTube channel at Desertscout1.
The Glock has
approximately 36 parts altogether, depending on model, including the sights and the disassembled magazine. The
1911 for example, has over 80 parts.
Most of the internal parts of the Glock are interchangeable with other models,
particularly for all models of the same caliber except the G42 and G43. Many of
the parts are interchangeable between all calibers with the exception of the 42
and 43. The internal parts are also inexpensive. If you have a serviceable frame, slide and barrel, you can replace every part in the gun for around $150 and essentially have a brand new Glock.
The polymer grip is much more comfortable to handle in both extreme cold and
extreme hot weather. I have seen both extremes where a metal framed gun is most assuredly not
comfortable to handle bare-handed. The Glock is highly modifiable and there are
a tremendous amount of after-market parts for all models except the newer G42 and G43.
The grip can be reduced and customized, the trigger can be changed, sights, controls, pretty
much everything in the Glock can be replaced or modified to suit you.
The Glock is middle
of the road priced compared to many other manufacturers.The polymer frame also makes the gun lighter than most comparable sized guns and it flexes to some degree under recoil, adding to the pleasure of shooting the Glock.
The axis of recoil is lower on the Glock than
any other manufacturer, model or caliber of handgun on the planet. That means that the centerline of the
bore is closer to the hand than any other handgun. This gives the gun less
mechanical advantage over you during recoil upon firing.
This enables small framed women and children to be able to handle a full
sized gun comfortably.
The G42 (.380) and G43 (9mm) are
great for deep concealment but are not great as a fighting gun or for field
use. Size wise, they may be OK for children and smaller framed women but
the low capacity and diminutive size diminishes its usefulness as an effective fighting gun, at least during
extended engagements. They are both still plenty good for most scenarios that the average CCW holder might find themselves involved in. They are also both as accurate and reliable as any other Glock. The 43 also has a
little bit of a bite to it. The recoil sensitive people may be able to put up
with it for a few rounds but I'm afraid they may be flinching and become
distracted during a prolonged shooting session.
The Glock 26 is what my wife carried as it small, double stack and equally suitable for
concealment and field/recreational use. It may not be ideal but if you are only
able to have one gun, the G26 will fill all roles adequately. It is small
enough to conceal yet big enough to handle in field situations. The 26 will
also accept the magazines from a Glock 19 or 17 which gives you tremendous
versatility. To me, interchangeability of magazines is critical in a group or
family long term survival environment. All that being said, if you're looking for a 9mm, the G19 is a better
choice for most applications. 15 round capacity, small enough to conceal easily but big enough for all field use. The 19 will also take the higher capacity G17 magazine.
Is a Glock accurate enough? Well, yes. I have fired 5-shot, one-hole groups at 7 yards that can be completely covered with a dime. I have also fired a 21" group at 300 yards with my Glock 34. That boils down to 1.75" at 25 yards. I'm OK with that kind of accuracy. Yes, it's on my YouTube channel.
Understand that there are many good, reliable handguns out there but when you consider weight, capacity, durability, reliability, accuracy and price, the Glock is the clear winner to me.
In Liberty, Cope Reynolds (Desertscout)
Southwest Shooting Authority of Arizona
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