Why I Recommend GLOCK Pistols to Beginners

Because I’m biased, of course! But why am I biased? Several reasons come to mind. Let’s review them and see if you come to the same conclusion.

{Full disclosure, I am a Certified Advanced GLOCK Armorer and a Certified Classic Series SIG SAUER Armorer. I am not discussing the most accurate side arms, or the best recommendation to a seasoned handgun shooter.}

For examples in this review we will use the GLOCK 17/19 and put them up against the SIG 226/229. Both are battle tested, full or compact, 9mm semiautomatic handguns.

1. Field Stripping. Both the GLOCK and SIG disassemble very easily. For the GLOCK, move the slide slightly out of battery, pull the slide lock down and the slide comes off. For the SIG, lock the slide to the rear and turn the takedown lever down. Press the slide catch lever and the slide comes right off. For a beginner, both field strip easily and without much training. Getting the slide lock to pull down nicely takes some practice with the GLOCK, but I’ve seen seasoned shooters launch their SIG slide into the air by forgetting about that recoil spring tension.

1. General Cleaning. I appreciate the GLOCK a bit more than the SIG in this regard. The GLOCK pistol comes with a nylon brush for cleaning the barrel. No brass bristles required. The SIG suggests the brass brush and perhaps stainless steel. Let’s face it, SIGs need regular cleaning, while GLOCKs don’t require it. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t clean it, but the GLOCK pistol is very forgiving.

1. Lubrication. Once again, I think this point goes to GLOCK. Just as the saying goes, GLOCKs run better dry, while SIGs run better wet. To quote the SIG Armorer’s Manual, “Visual evidence of lubricant is necessary.”

1. Manual of Arms. This is GLOCK’s strength. There are no extra levers or buttons to learn. To fire the GLOCK just pull the trigger. The three safeties disengage in order through the length of the trigger pull. The SA SIG has the thumb safety with which to deal, and the DA/SA SIG has the takedown lever, the decocking lever and the slide catch lever! It may not be complicated, but it certainly looks that way to beginners.

So it seems to me that GLOCK has three out four in favor.

I had a shooter tell me some time ago that he would never recommend a GLOCK to a woman. He said a pistol with no safety fumbling around among keys and lipstick at the bottom of a purse was an accident waiting to happen. Besides bordering on misogyny (look it up), we should recognize that no handgun is safe unless it’s in a bag or safe, or in a holster which covers the trigger guard. A pistol should never be carried in a pocket, a purse or a man bag without being secured in a holster of some type. Period.

Many shooters immediately recommend a revolver to new shooters, especially women. There reasoning normally comes down to a simpler “manual of arms” and avoiding slide manipulation. I think this is a mistake. Simple leverage techniques can assist even an arthritic shooter to rack the slide on most modern semiautomatics, albeit some easier than others. Once the first round is chambered the gun can be stowed in a bag or holster, ready for defensive use. If one were to argue about misfeeds or jams, I’d remind them of GLOCK’s reliability. Most snub nose revolvers only hold 5 or 6 rounds, equal to the GLOCK 43, while the GLOCK 26 holds 10 rounds. Reloading is far easier with a semiautomatic than a revolver too. Yet another reason to recommend a GLOCK.

So, without being dubbed (again) a GLOCK fanboy, there really are reasons to recommend GLOCK “Perfection” to new shooters. 🙂  Your mileage may vary, and that’s OK. Just keep in mind, we’re trying to help new shooters step into a world in which they are foreigners and the liberal media vilifies. Surely we can make a good recommendation as they begin.

JoeGLOCK