There is already tons of content online about Glock pistols and why they’re the best, or the worse. And stories of people who went from hating them to loving them — it turns out that’s what happened to me, and I’m going to explain the reasons.

In this post, I’m going to give you 9 facts about why Glock pistols will meet the vast majority of people’s needs, for a fraction of the cost of other pistols on the market. In other words, why you can’t beat a Glock.

Pros of a Glock #

Regardless of the Glock model you choose, all models share these qualities (although newer generations tend to be better with more features).

Reliability #

Probably the most praised quality of Glock pistols: they’re very reliable.

• No feeding or extraction issues, it will eat all cartridges you’ll give it.
• It can endure a lot of abuse (sand, water, slime, you name it) and still function.
• Suppressed shooting will work reliably with the majority of suppressors.

This is probably the most important virtue of a gun, because whether you’re shooting for competition, in a self-defense context or just for fun, there is nothing worse than a malfunctioning firearm. With a Glock, you can trust that when you pull the trigger, the gun will fire and chamber the next round.

Durability #

Despite their plastic look, Glocks are sturdy (check some torture tests), with maybe the exception of the factory plastic sights, but you can replace that easily for a few extra bucks, so no big deal.

More importantly, I don’t know what treatment they use on the slide, but it is very corrosion-resistant: when I moved in a new flat in the past, I had to put my gun safe close to the bathroom because of lack of space. The air was very humid and all my guns started to rust, except for one: my Glock 17. I was impressed by Glock!

Availability and spare parts #

Glock is the most popular handgun brand in the US, and arguably in the world. This means that you can find the guns easily, but also the spare parts if anything breaks. This is a huge advantage, especially in countries outside the US (such as France where I live), where finding spare parts can be really hard or impossible depending on the gun model. With a Glock, you will always be able to fix your gun or buy a new one if need be.

Accuracy and precision (see the difference) #

Glocks are not the most accurate and precise pistols (they were not designed to) but still, they will probably exceed your own accuracy most the time (unless you shoot very slowly for accuracy), so it won’t be your limiting factor.

I usually shoot 10cm (4") groups at 25m (27 yards), which is what is expected from a proficient Glock user shooting without support. Several sources online report the inner precision of Glock pistols (without human error) is about 2"-2.5" at 25 yards.

Weight #

Depending on the context, weight can be an advantage (because it makes it easier to control recoil or be stable in some cases) or a disadvantage (in case of prolonged carry/duty). Because they have a polymer frame, Glocks are pretty lightweight: 945g/33 oz for a full-size, loaded pistol (Glock 17). Although it is true lighter pistols can be harder to control, practice will greatly make up for that.

Customization #

Glock pistols are without a doubt the most customizable (and customized) pistols on planet earth. Even from factory you can choose options such as optic-ready (MOS), threaded barrel, front serrations. And then, the after-market parts offering is endless. Triggers, connectors, barrels, frames, sights, magazines… you can find customized/enhanced versions of literally every part of a Glock.

Versatility #

Glock is probably the brand of pistols which has the widest offering: whether you’re looking for a sub-compact concealed carry pistol, a full-size duty pistol, or long slide competition pistol… there is a model for you. Same for the caliber, they offer pistols in 8 calibers from .22 LR to 10mm Auto including some exotic calibers such as .357 SIG.

Takedown #

The takedown is tool-less, easy and takes less than 10 seconds when you know the trick. Same for reassembly, it’s even quicker: just rack the slide back and it’s reassembled.

Cost #

A Glock is already pretty cheap generally speaking (around $500 in the US, around €700 in France for a Glock 17 Gen 5), but when you take into account all the qualities discussed here, it’s very hard to beat it.

Cons of a Glock #

Trigger #

Probably the most sensitive topic about Glock pistols is… the trigger! It is clearly not a great trigger, and compared to other modern pistols, it is indeniably worse. However… once you get used to it (you’ve heard that a lot I’m sure) it’s also not that bad, it doesn’t hurt accuracy that much, and again, it works well for it’s intended purpose, that is: fire reliably with acceptable accuracy.

You can get a cheap trigger job by your local gunsmith if you want to improve the trigger, or as discussed above, buy an enhanced after-market trigger if the stock one really bothers you.

Sights #

That’s the other common complain of Glock users… the sights. There’s not much to say about it, it’s true that it’s bad: it’s not adjustable, it’s not very visible, it’s not suppressor ready, it’s fragile… the only reason it’s there is probably because it’s super cheap and still works good enough to aim at a human-sized target.

Hopefully, you can (and you probably should) get an after-market enhanced version for a few dozens dollars.

Ergonomics #

While a Glock usually feels ok in the hand, the controls are not good:

• The magazine release button is pretty small and hard to push
• The magazine often won’t fall by itself
• The slide catch/release is also pretty small and hard to catch

Again, as for the other parts, you can get after-market ones for pretty cheap.

Safety #

Although Glock claims to have a safety (their website even reads “three safeties”), it’s not a safety lever that you can engage and lock. Meaning, if the trigger is accidently pulled in a “normal” way (that is, not only pushed on one side, but rather straight from the center of the trigger), it will fire, and there is no way around it.

Depending on what you plan to use the gun for and how comfortable you are with your firearm, it can be an issue, or not.

Conclusion #

Unless you are a very good shooter shooting for high accuracy/precision, and if you’re only looking at practical, measurable characteristics, chances are a Glock will serve you better than any other pistol, and for a fraction of their price. That’s why it’s so popular: it gets the job done.

Now, if you want a shiny pistol with a crisp trigger and good ergonomics… well, you need something else in addition to a Glock!