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Rockrz wrote:I know on revolvers it's best to have an empty
chamber up top. Then, it rolls one over when you
cock it and then it's ready to fire.

On a Glock, couldn't you just not throw one
in the chamber?

No, no, no. That was only needed for SA revolvers w/o a transfer bar. It serves no purpose on modern SA's like Ruger's or any DA revolver.

As to GLOCK, load it full. Don't pull the trigger. Pretty simple. You wouldn't want to chance having a mis-feed while you are attempting to cycle the slide while the BG is running at you with a big knife.

Rockrz wrote:I know on revolvers it's best to have an empty
chamber up top. Then, it rolls one over when you
cock it and then it's ready to fire.

That's an old solution to a problem that was fixed a long time ago. Revolvers have transfer bars these days and should not fire if the hammer is struck while over a live round.

Rockrz wrote:On a Glock, couldn't you just not throw one
in the chamber?

Makes firing one much more complicated. A Glock basically works like a revolver. Pull trigger = Bang! Simple and reliable. Leaving the chamber empty would be like leaving the second chamber empty on a revolver so you would have to pull the trigger 2x in order to fire. Doesn't make a lot of sense.

gmckinl wrote:grab the sides of the trigger. Pull it w/o depressing the little lever. It won't budge. There is a demonstration of the manual trigger blocking safety in action. Try that same thing w/ a DA revolver, it drops the hammer.

I'm not going to get into the worth/goodness of that. But it IS a manual safety, a very convenient one.

To be honest I can't understand how that little lever thingy will ever prevent an errant piece of clothing or holster retention flap from pulling the trigger and causing Glock leg. I'm not slamming the Glock, but I believe it is foolhardy to own and pack such a gun without understanding the inherent risks with such a gun. It seems that everyone says that these types of accidents can't happen to them until they shoot themself or someone else.

i own three handguns and none of them have a manual safety. I have a Glock 19, a Glock 22, and a Smith & Wesson 642. On all three pistols, I just pull the trigger and the gun goes "bang." I would get flamed by some for saying this, but I do not keep a round chambered in either Glock -- the 19 is my "car gun," and the 22 is my "nightstand gun." I'd have to rack the slide to chamber a round before firing in an emergency situation. The S&W has a stiff enough trigger that I don't think keeping an empty chamber is necessary.

ecd1211 wrote:i own three handguns and none of them have a manual safety. I have a Glock 19, a Glock 22, and a Smith & Wesson 642. On all three pistols, I just pull the trigger and the gun goes "bang." I would get flamed by some for saying this, but I do not keep a round chambered in either Glock -- the 19 is my "car gun," and the 22 is my "nightstand gun." I'd have to rack the slide to chamber a round before firing in an emergency situation. The S&W has a stiff enough trigger that I don't think keeping an empty chamber is necessary.

No flame.....but why not become comfortable with the gun before carrying it? Just use a good holster that covers the trigger and you have nothing to worry about.

Liberty wrote:[ I'm not slamming the Glock, but I believe it is foolhardy to own and pack such a gun without understanding the inherent risks with such a gun. It seems that everyone says that these types of accidents can't happen to them until they shoot themself or someone else.

Oh come on........yeah you are slamming Glock! I have purposely observed you state this NUMEROUS times about this particular brand of handgun. I am still waiting on this same argument to be presented for the many other handguns without a manual safety. If you can point to one of your posts that says the same about a S&W M&P I will shut up and apologize.

G'night.

Jason

Like another poster said, a Glock has 3 mechanical safeties and at least 2 more common sense ones. To carry a defensive weapon on your person without a live round in the chamber is foolish at best IMO.

If you are not comfortable with the factory trigger, then put a NY trigger in it which will raise it to about a 8# trigger, similar to a DA revolver.

jbirds1210 wrote:

Liberty wrote:[ I'm not slamming the Glock, but I believe it is foolhardy to own and pack such a gun without understanding the inherent risks with such a gun. It seems that everyone says that these types of accidents can't happen to them until they shoot themself or someone else.

Oh come on........yeah you are slamming Glock! I have purposely observed you state this NUMEROUS times about this particular brand of handgun. I am still waiting on this same argument to be presented for the many other handguns without a manual safety. If you can point to one of your posts that says the same about a S&W M&P I will shut up and apologize.

You are right and I believe that every other every other DA has the same issues. (except for pulling the trigger to disassemble) But this particular thread the OP was asking about Glock's I brought it up only because every one that followed up was responding with how safe the Glocks are, and no one addressed the safety issues.

It iss fine to post about how wonderful a gun is, but it is only fair when a poster asks about a guns safety features that we not overlook the tendancy of some people to shoot themselves with it. My intention isn't to talk anyone out of buying a particular gun but bring about an awareness of the issues if they do happen to purchase it. I think we can both agree that carrying a glock or any other gun without a chambered round is not a wise move either.

I have not only picked on Glocks, I'm not particulary fond of 1911s either, and I understand the shortcommings of the guns that I own.

The magic of a GLOCK is that it always fires when you pull the trigger. "Magicglock" ha ha I am a Glock convert. The first gun I owned was a a S&W 3906 with a manual safety. I upgraded to a Beretta 92FS with a manual safety. Sold all my guns when I got married. Purchased a Beretta Cougar 8040 with a manual safety as the first gun in the house as a couple. I would not have dreamed about owning a gun without a safety and I loved to hate Glocks because I listened to everyone tell me how evil they were.

All of that changed after I shot my first G19 and figured out why so many people love these guns. I honestly think that people who bash the Glock for lack of a manual safety simply lack the ability to make an educated argument or resort to restating what others have told them. If your only reason not to look at Glock is the safety issue, you have ruled out a large number of weapons on the market including but not limited to revolvers, S&W M&Ps, the Ruger LCP, Kahrs, Kel-Tec, and some SIGs to name a few.

As with any firearm, you better know what you have and how it operates. A good holster is a critical accessory for a Glock and your safety. IMHO if you do not carry with a round chambered, you probably should reconsider why you carry. I think Glock has gotten a bad rap with the whole "Glock leg" ramblings on the internet. Any manufacturer with the number of weapons in circulation and popularity of Glock is bound to have someone dig up a few instances to support why a gun is unsafe. My LCP operates the same way and I have never heard of Ruger leg.

So Glock bashing aside, my advice on why to consider or not consider a Glock is simple. Glocks are Fat! Some people have a harder time concealing these or do not think they are as comfortable to conceal because of the thickness of the slide. This has not been an issue for me. I regularly carry a G19 and a G23 with no problem. The other issue is the grip angle. The grip angle is different than a 1911 style grip and can be difficult for some to adjust. If you just can't get over the manual safety, there is an option called Sliderlock. This is a replacement trigger with a manual safety that locks the trigger safety in place. I don't agree with the concept or recommend this option but it's worth a mention. Lastly, it is hard to beat the price! If money was no issue, I might very well be a 1911 snob. (I'm not implying that 1911 owners are snobs, just saying that I have an appreciation for the 1911 and would own/carry if price were not a factor) No sense arguing the difference between a tuned BMW vs the Honda. The Honda is functional and reliable.

My point is....don't make your decision from the internet. Rent, make friends and shoot shoot shoot as many guns as you can put your hands on before you buy.

The trigger pull on a Glock is considerably different than the trigger pull on a DA revolver, Sig, Ruger p series, or Kel tec. I have or had all of these guns. The trigger pull on my Glock 26 is actually very similar to the trigger pull on my Hi Powers with the exception that the Hi powers have a longer trigger pull and it is not that different than the trigger pull on the 1911s I have had. Frankly it amuses me when people are uncomfortable carrying a 1911 or Hi Power cocked and locked so they go to a Glock. That is like carrying a 1911 or Hi Power with the safety thumb safety off.

Having said that your primary safety with any handgun is your brain. Don't put your finger on the trigger and make sure that nothing gets in the way of the trigger when holstering and you will be fine.

Don't forget to look at HK, http://www.hk-usa.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and http://www.fnhusa.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; My HK USP 9 and FNP40 have been flawless.

The same idiots who have negligent discharges with Glocks are the same idiots who have negligent discharges with any other gun; it isn't the Glock's fault, it's the idiot's fault.

I really don't understand the nerotic fear of some "errant bit of clothing" getting stuck inside the guard and pulling on the trigger. Has it ever happened?

I also don't understand the nerotic fear of having to pull the trigger on the Glock prior to disassembly. You are going to have to pull the trigger on any gun you have in order to function check it after you reassemble it anyway.

I own 2 Glocks. A G22 that I use on duty, and a G19 that stays in my truck. Both always have a round in the chamber. I am not concerned about shooting myself in the leg with either of them. If you follow the 4 rules you will not shoot yourself or anyone else by accident. If you fail to follow the rules, you may have a ND, and it may hit you or someone else. I do agree that it would be nice not to have to pull the trigger to dissassemble it. I always point mine in a safe direction prior to doing that.

I do not agree that carrying a Glock is equvalent to carrying a 1911 cocked without the safety on. I would agree that it is equivalent to carrying a DA semi auto like a Berreta 92 with the hammer down and the safety off, which I would do with no reservation. I would not carry an SA cocked with the safety off.

I understand how folks think of the Glock as a single action. You don't have a visible hammer that moves back as you squeeze the trigger. It also takes allot less effort to squeeze a shot off with a Glock than you need for a typical double action. This causes folks to visualize all kinds of crazy stuff firing the gun such as ghosts, belly button lint, loose threads, keys....etc. Yep....you pull the trigger and she will fire. If it makes you uncomfortable, you should go with some other design. Keeping an empty chamber is going to get you killed...IMHO. If you have time to pull the weapon and rack a round into it without getting shot, you have time to run away instead....again....just MHO.

it is only fair when a poster asks about a guns safety features that we not overlook the tendancy of some people to shoot themselves with it

The majority of such incidents I have read about have been cops, professional gun toters.

I much prefer a semi auto with a decocker and a heavy DA trigger pull with a lighter SA pull on subsequent shots. You rarely hear of AD's and ND's with these guns.

The rumor mills has it Glock now puts manual safeties on it's guns sold outside the U.S., but is afraid of litigation here if it does so now. A great rumor, but absolutely no confirmation of it yet.

My impression is Glock is a great open carry gun for the pro despite the AD rate, but horrible to draw from concealment by non-pro carriers on account of that itchy trigger.