I Do Not Like Glocks. I Just Carry One Every Day.

I do not like Glocks. I think I have made that clear. I grew up shooting a Remington Rand 1911, which had a good single-action trigger, a natural point of aim, and a certain beauty that just isn’t in modern polymer guns. The 1911 possesses a beauty that just isn’t seen anywhere in the Glock ecosystem, where the guns look like someone did the minimum amount of milling necessary to stick a piece of bar stock on a frame and cram a barrel into it.

My bias is earned as well. The very first duty pistol issued to me by the police department was a Gen 3 Glock 17. I carried that gun almost every day for ten years. By the time I turned it in, I had thousands of rounds through it. I mention this to say that this isn’t the opinion of someone who rented one at the range or dry-fired one a little in the gun shop. I am intimately familiar with the system as someone who lived with it daily for a decade.

What Glock Gets Wrong

The Trigger

There are a lot of things that I believe Glock gets wrong. First and foremost is the trigger. All the other modern striker-fired guns have a crisp, clean trigger break. The standard is set by the Walther PDP, but the M&P 2.0 has an amazing trigger as well. With the Glock, you take the slack out of the trigger all the way to the wall, then you squeeze a little more, then a little more, and just when you think you are there, you creep a little more than that until it finally fires. It’s uninspiring, and I honestly think the Gen 6 trigger is worse than the Gen 3 I was originally issued.

The Optic Mount

The MOS mounting system was atrocious. However, the new mounting system is much better. It comes with a gasket that helps most optics direct-mount to the gun. Unfortunately, some of the testing done shows that it doesn’t hold up to much abuse. See Sage Dynamics’ review of the platform for more information on that. So, if you are running a Gen 6 Glock, you may want to investigate getting a better plate to mount your optic with.

The Grip Angle

Finally, the grip angle. It feels like it was made for some sort of alien with deformed wrists. It doesn’t point naturally for anyone except those who have been shooting it for years. The top competitors who use them all get tendinitis from the god-awful way you have to contort your hand around it. And somehow, against all reason, this anatomical hate crime actually helps you get down on the pistol and shoot it faster. Apparently, good ergonomics were just holding us back.

What Do I Carry?

Given my critiques, you may ask yourself what my concealed carry gun is. Well, it’s a Glock 19, of course. Why would such an avid critic carry this gun, you might ask? Sometimes the “best gun” is not the same as the “best choice.” A wise man once told me there are no solutions, only compromises. Despite its faults, the Glock 19 is one of the best compromises you can make for a carry gun.

Sometimes the “best gun” is not the same as the “best choice.”

Why the Glock 19 Works

The Safe Action Trigger

First, the Safe Action trigger keeps the striker only partially cocked. Actuating the trigger finishes cocking the striker and moves the firing pin block out of the way. This may explain the mushy, creepy trigger, and if it does, it’s worth it. Let’s be honest: you can get good with any trigger. Double-action guns have 12-pound triggers. You cannot carry an unsafe gun.

I’ve recently moved to appendix carry, and you know what? It’s kind of scary, especially if your carry gun is one of the some SIGs that use a fully cocked striker. If you are going to store a gun with it pointed at your femoral artery or your genitals, it’s kind of nice to know that it isn’t fully cocked and that there are three internal safeties keeping you and your future progeny safe.

Magazines

Second, magazines are cheap, reliable, and everywhere. I especially like the Mec-Gar magazines and will do a review on those later. For now, what you need to know is that Glock mags will run, and even if one doesn’t, it’s easy to replace.

Mechanical Simplicity

Third, the gun is mechanically simple, and parts are everywhere. Seriously, if you were ever impressed by someone claiming to be a Glock Armorer, you shouldn’t be. It takes around twenty-five minutes to figure out how that gun works. This isn’t a bad thing. Being mechanically simple means it’s easy to fix.

Aftermarket Support

Whatever accessories you want—your chosen holster, optic, light, compensator, or whatever—they make them for Glock. Everybody makes their Glock version first because the guns are everywhere, and it’s a smart business decision. So, if you like to tinker, this is a great platform for you.

Reliability

The gun is reliable. This firearm runs under the most adverse conditions and rarely stops. If it breaks, as I said before, it’s easy to fix.

Accuracy

The gun is accurate. The mechanical accuracy of these guns is astounding. I like to zero my optics at 25 yards, and the groups I was shooting from a bench rest typically fit under a quarter. Practical accuracy is a different matter. The ergonomics and trigger do make it difficult to take advantage of this platform’s accuracy.

The Difference Between the Best Gun and the Best Choice

The Glock 19 is not the best-looking pistol on the market. It looks okay in a utilitarian sort of way. It definitely isn’t the gun I enjoy shooting most. All of that doesn’t matter. I’m not trying to win any beauty contests, and the benefits of this platform make up for its shortcomings.

A carry gun has to be safe, reliable, accurate, and repairable, with robust support for magazines, holsters, and accessories. The Glock 19 does all of those things well enough that its faults become tolerable. That may sound like faint praise, but this is a tool meant to save your life. That sort of practical competence matters.

That may sound like faint praise, but this is a tool meant to save your life. That sort of practical competence matters.

That is what is so irritating about the Glock 19. I don’t love it. I don’t love shooting it. It’s just too useful to replace.

So no, I do not like Glocks.

I just carry one every day.