Things we love about the Glock: Huge aftermarket industry support (nearly every part is available from custom/aftermarket manufacturers), tons of options for holsters and accessories, nearly 100% reliability, surprising accuracy, parts interchangeability, low cost, ease of disassembly, and tolerance for “iffy” maintenance. If you don’t mess with them, Glocks just plain work.Īs far as a specific model, the Glock 19 is probably the absolute favorite and most popular in America, but the nature of Glocks and the similarities between all models mean that if you can shoot one Glock model well, you most likely can shoot them all acceptably well. Well, since when does Hollywood get anything right as far as guns go? Regardless, anyone who has familiarized themselves with the Glock, particularly those who have taken one apart and put it back together, can’t help but be impressed with the pistol’s ingenious design with its interchangeable parts, and extremely durable construction, and gold-standard level of reliability. This was cemented in popular culture by John McClain in Die Hard II, who spouts some ridiculous dialogue claiming that the “Glock 7” is a rare “porcelain” pistol made in Germany that cannot be picked up on airport metal detectors and “costs more than he makes in a month.” This “plastic” construction led to idiotic (and incorrect) claims that Glock pistols wouldn’t show up on airport X-ray monitors or set off metal detectors. The first couple generations of Glock pistols were shipped in plastic containers that were affectionately known as “Tupperware,” and the name was apropos since both pistol and packaging prominently featured the use of high-tech polymers. But after government agencies and police forces began to report reliability testing results, and as American shooters learned the benefits of the Glock 17’s simplicity, light weight, accuracy, parts interchangeability, and durability, the scoffers started becoming die-hard, fanatical converts to the Glock cult. In America, traditionalists initially scoffed at the goofy-looking, blocky design, the “cheap-feeling,” “fragile” (and not terribly ergonomic) polymer grip frame and magazines, and the spongy, weird-feeling “safe-action” trigger break. Militaries and police agencies around the world began to take note, and over the past 40 years, the Glock became the standard sidearm for the majority of these organizations around the world. In 1984, the Glock 17 passed the rigorous NATO durability test with flying colors and was adopted by the Norwegian Army as their standard sidearm. In 1983, it was accepted by the Austrian Army as their new service pistol. Gaston Glock turned the handgun world on its head in 1982 with the introduction of his “Plastic Fantastic” Glock 17. Prices range from several hundred to many thousands of dollars, and you can spend CRAZY money on a full-custom 1911 from the big names-if you have a few years to wait.īut with a growing fan base among hipsters, newer shooters, historical firearm buffs, and just plain enthusiasts, it looks like John Moses’ handgun masterpiece will be going strong for another hundred years at least. Many 1911s don’t have provision for mounting lights and lasers, and the 1911 can be pretty expensive. Compared to a Glock, the 1911 is quite heavy and its ammunition capacity is relatively low. You need to know what you’re doing to keep a 1911 running safely and reliably, and fitting every replacement part with stones, mills, jigs, and/or files is par for the course. Things people may complain about: “Drop-in” parts is not really a thing in the 1911 world.

The trigger slides straight to the rear on a moving stirrup or bow, rather than pivoting on a hinge like the vast majority of triggers, which means the 1911 provides trigger feel and feedback like nothing else.

Since it’s an SAO (Single-Action Only) design and backed up by both grip and thumb safeties, a good gunsmith can make it reliably safe with a “glass rod” break of down to 2 pounds or even less.

Simply nothing else compares to a great 1911 trigger. Things we love about the 1911: The looks, the way it fits just about every hand, the history, the satisfying weight and pride of ownership that goes along with an all-metal sidearm, and the potential for truly stellar accuracy, but primarily, the trigger.

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