jnaut
Observer
For me, carrying results in a sort of zen calm, a reduced level of aggression (no need to posture) and a oneness with my fellow man.
carry gun
- Thread starter 98dango
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For me, carrying results in a sort of zen calm, a reduced level of aggression (no need to posture) and a oneness with my fellow man.
xcmountain80
Expedition Leader
True the 40 carries a punch and for that matter so does the 10mm the 45 as we know is an oldie but does get the job done. I look at it a couple ways I leave my Glock 19 home for my wife's home defense figure 16 rounds all HSC hollow points she bound to hit something in a panic. For me the .45 as a daily carry with only 9 rounds 1 being in the chamber seems a good match as I'm a good shot and more focused in the heat of the moment. I'm looking into the 40 and and considering the 10mm but the ammo for the 40 seems more readily available.
Aaron
maximumrob
Adventurer
I'm guessing you're a novice shooter (I am, too), so it might not be wise to pick up a Glock yet. Though it's a popular pistol, there is no one gun that has a greater record of accidental discharges as those with a trigger safety.
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I totally disagree.
If you learn the rules, know the rules, follow the rules, nobody has an accidental/negligent discharge.
A Glock is a great first pistol.
xcmountain80
Expedition Leader
Yeah I've had mine since I was 18, so well over 10 years and no one has accidentaly got shot. While I don't represent the population as a whole I do think Glock is a fine 1st.
Aaron
Aaron
Mercedesrover
Explorer
You're right. Don't pull the trigger, the gun won't go off.
But, perhaps a bit more care needs to be taken holstering a Glock than somthing in a DA/SA with a stronger DA pull. (if we're talking auto pistols)
Glocks are great and I have a Glock 19 but I don't think it's the ideal "first gun". I think something like a Sig 225 would be a better choice for a first-timer.
john w. fosnaught
New member
glock
maximumrob.....no disrespect intended but just where did you get your info on the glocks ?? This gun is used by Police-military-security forces all over the world. It really is a no brainer...keep your finger off the trigger when holstering it. just my .02
maximumrob.....no disrespect intended but just where did you get your info on the glocks ?? This gun is used by Police-military-security forces all over the world. It really is a no brainer...keep your finger off the trigger when holstering it. just my .02
KG6BWS
Explorer
the key word in his post was "novice". i agree with him. for someone who is completely unfamiliar with carrying, it might not be the best choice FOR CARRY. otherwise theyre good guns. i personally would recommend a revolver for personal protection for the simple fact you pull the trigger and it fires...but with the heavy da trigger of most wheel guns, itd be pretty damn hard to get a, accidental discharge. even my buddies berretta had a fairly light trigger pull on it on the first da round.
xcmountain80
Expedition Leader
I Know I'll catch flak for this but even as a novice.
Rule #1
Don't put your finger on the trigger unless you intend on pulling it. Plain and simple this will keep all the accidents to a minimum and you won';t shoot your man business off holstering it. God that would hurt.
Aaron
Rule #1
Don't put your finger on the trigger unless you intend on pulling it. Plain and simple this will keep all the accidents to a minimum and you won';t shoot your man business off holstering it. God that would hurt.
Aaron
762X39
Explorer
Can't see why you should catch flak for stating a simple truth.I do not believe in accidental discharges from modern firearms that are well maintained. It was loaded, pointed and the trigger pulled.Even a 5 year old playing cowboys knows what happens when you pull the trigger (sorry for the rant but I don't believe in accidental shootings, I feel they are criminal or at least negligent acts).
If I could carry legally, I would probably carry an HK USP although I am quite fond of my King Cobra.
Mercedesrover
Explorer
I do believe there is a bit of truth to a Glock being more likely to have an AD than another DA/SA auto with a harder DA first trigger pull. Hey, just look at Plaxico Burris! Seriously though, the likely hood of a piece of loose clothing getting hung up and discharging the weapon during holstering is a bit more likely with a clock than say a Sig. The City of New York realized this and requires an 8-pound trigger instead of the normal 5-pound.
That said, I still believe there is no excuse for it and carelessness and lack of training will override any safety features and the strongest trigger spring out there. Whatever weapon you choose, train with it and get to know it before you carry it.
That said, I still believe there is no excuse for it and carelessness and lack of training will override any safety features and the strongest trigger spring out there. Whatever weapon you choose, train with it and get to know it before you carry it.
maximumrob
Adventurer
WOW, what a response to the Glock thing!
I hate to disappoint those whose panties bunched up, but I don't have a website I can point you to for the statistic, and firmly agree the # of AD's is skewed by the fact that there are so many Glocks out there...kind of like the way most dog bite injuries come from Labradors.
Many instructors, as well as gun salesmen (off the record) will tell you Glocks shouldn't be handled or carried by novices. It's not as simple as "keep your finger off the trigger." Accidents happen, thus the term "accidental discharge."
To prove that accidents happen, a gunwriter for a recent article in a nat'l magazine wrote how a bullet's primer was hit by a flying brass fired out of his semi-auto at the range. The bullet on the bench fired! A one-in-a-bazillion accident, but it can happen.
I'm willing to accept the data if somebody can disprove the experts I've talked to.
.
I hate to disappoint those whose panties bunched up, but I don't have a website I can point you to for the statistic, and firmly agree the # of AD's is skewed by the fact that there are so many Glocks out there...kind of like the way most dog bite injuries come from Labradors.
Many instructors, as well as gun salesmen (off the record) will tell you Glocks shouldn't be handled or carried by novices. It's not as simple as "keep your finger off the trigger." Accidents happen, thus the term "accidental discharge."
To prove that accidents happen, a gunwriter for a recent article in a nat'l magazine wrote how a bullet's primer was hit by a flying brass fired out of his semi-auto at the range. The bullet on the bench fired! A one-in-a-bazillion accident, but it can happen.
I'm willing to accept the data if somebody can disprove the experts I've talked to.
.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
Since Glock is the most popular single maker of law enforcement semi-autos, and since law enforcement officers are the people who most commonly carry weapons on a daily basis, it would make sense that there are more ADs with Glocks than any other, just because there are more opportunities for an AD.
30 years ago most ADs were with Smith and Wesson revolvers - not because S&W revolvers are unsafe, but because that was the weapon carried by the vast majority of LEOs.
Having said that, personally I wouldn't recommend a semi auto to any novice especially for self defense. IMO a revolver is a much better weapon for self defense, especially if the person has little desire to spend a lot of time training with the weapon. A revolver is a simple "point and shoot" weapon whereas even the most reliable auto in the world requires a bit of training and practice to handle and shoot safely.
Back in the late 80's when police departments started switching from the revolvers they'd carried for a century to semi-autos, many civilian shooters started assuming that autos were "better" (after all, the police only want the best, so why not use what they use?) But I think this is not always the case.
I'll admit to a lot of revolver bigotry. It probably comes from my dad. When he was sent to Vietnam in 1966 he was encouraged (or at least allowed) to bring his own sidearm. He got a Smith and Wesson Model 15 in .38 special because he had been on the range with other shooters using .45's and noticed how many times they had "alibis" when shooting at the range. Well, dad knew that in combat there were no "alibis" so he wanted something that would go "bang" every time he pulled the trigger.
He even broke regulations to carry it - apparently when he was there the rule was that nobody was allowed to take weapons into Saigon. Well, dad just put his pistol in his holster, taped it to his lower leg with 100mph tape (military duct tape) and bloused his pants over it so he wouldn't be unarmed!
As a kid growing up, whenever we'd go camping or on a long car trip, that .38 was always in its holster under the drivers seat. He still has it and it still shoots great!
As for me, I bought a Smith and Wesson M-19 revolver in 1985 for about $250 and I still have it - it's one of my favorite guns and one I'll never give up.
A revolver has a number of advantages for an "emergency" or "fire extinguisher" type of weapon (that is, a weapon that, like a fire extinguisher, you don't really think about until you need it.) You can keep a DA revolver fully loaded and all of the springs will be at rest (unlike an auto which has a compressed magazine spring and a compressed striker spring or hammer spring if it's a single-action.) You can pick up a revolver and tell instantly whether it's loaded by the presence of the cartridge rims visible behind the cylinder. You can load and unload a revolver very easily and in the case of a DA revolver, it's pretty difficult to have an accidental/negligent discharge with a revolver unless you're doing something pretty stupid.
Autos do have some advantages - they are faster to load, carry more ammo and are easier to conceal. But for most casual users, the first two advantages aren't really that meaningful since most of us aren't anticipating engaging in protracted firefights.
30 years ago most ADs were with Smith and Wesson revolvers - not because S&W revolvers are unsafe, but because that was the weapon carried by the vast majority of LEOs.
Having said that, personally I wouldn't recommend a semi auto to any novice especially for self defense. IMO a revolver is a much better weapon for self defense, especially if the person has little desire to spend a lot of time training with the weapon. A revolver is a simple "point and shoot" weapon whereas even the most reliable auto in the world requires a bit of training and practice to handle and shoot safely.
Back in the late 80's when police departments started switching from the revolvers they'd carried for a century to semi-autos, many civilian shooters started assuming that autos were "better" (after all, the police only want the best, so why not use what they use?) But I think this is not always the case.
I'll admit to a lot of revolver bigotry. It probably comes from my dad. When he was sent to Vietnam in 1966 he was encouraged (or at least allowed) to bring his own sidearm. He got a Smith and Wesson Model 15 in .38 special because he had been on the range with other shooters using .45's and noticed how many times they had "alibis" when shooting at the range. Well, dad knew that in combat there were no "alibis" so he wanted something that would go "bang" every time he pulled the trigger.
He even broke regulations to carry it - apparently when he was there the rule was that nobody was allowed to take weapons into Saigon. Well, dad just put his pistol in his holster, taped it to his lower leg with 100mph tape (military duct tape) and bloused his pants over it so he wouldn't be unarmed!
As a kid growing up, whenever we'd go camping or on a long car trip, that .38 was always in its holster under the drivers seat. He still has it and it still shoots great!
As for me, I bought a Smith and Wesson M-19 revolver in 1985 for about $250 and I still have it - it's one of my favorite guns and one I'll never give up.
A revolver has a number of advantages for an "emergency" or "fire extinguisher" type of weapon (that is, a weapon that, like a fire extinguisher, you don't really think about until you need it.) You can keep a DA revolver fully loaded and all of the springs will be at rest (unlike an auto which has a compressed magazine spring and a compressed striker spring or hammer spring if it's a single-action.) You can pick up a revolver and tell instantly whether it's loaded by the presence of the cartridge rims visible behind the cylinder. You can load and unload a revolver very easily and in the case of a DA revolver, it's pretty difficult to have an accidental/negligent discharge with a revolver unless you're doing something pretty stupid.
Autos do have some advantages - they are faster to load, carry more ammo and are easier to conceal. But for most casual users, the first two advantages aren't really that meaningful since most of us aren't anticipating engaging in protracted firefights.
jnaut
Observer
Except if there is one... ONE group on the planet who should know the rules, it would be your local law enforcement officer. So if a fully trained gun-carrying individual can't keep the thing from accidentally discharging, expecting the occasional carrier to do the same is, well, a pipe dream.
The logic follows: glocks are safe, popular weapons. more (highly trained) LEO's carry glocks, therefore, glocks suffer more AD's than any other weapon.
We might want to be more careful where we take our logic. I have nothing against glocks and find them fine weapons. But accidents happen as I have discovered that the world is not a perfect place.
Imagine using a glock in a field combat situation, Hand on weapon, finger OFF trigger, but pushing through brush or ground cover when a twig... not your finger snags the trigger. Things happen. Stuff goes wrong. The U.S. military demanded a grip safety for it's 1911 .45 for this very reason. Sometimes external stuff gets in the trigger guard. Murphy's law abides.
glock, great weapon for clean, urban carrying situations. The jury's out for when things get dicier.
No, most police officers are NOT highly trained with firearms, and many treat their firearms as a minor part of their jobs, like a flashlight or a ticket book. They may often become complacent with safety.
The person that chooses to carry a firearm in self defense does so because they WANT to, they are the type of person that takes firearms very seriously and they are going to be more proficient than the average officer.
As far as the field combat situation, I am not a law enforcement officer, I am not in the military, but I do shoot every 3-gun match, every IDPA, and every IPSC match that I can get away with (from my wife), I have seen many more NDs with 1911s (with a grip safety) than all other types of firearms combined.
The person that chooses to carry a firearm in self defense does so because they WANT to, they are the type of person that takes firearms very seriously and they are going to be more proficient than the average officer.
As far as the field combat situation, I am not a law enforcement officer, I am not in the military, but I do shoot every 3-gun match, every IDPA, and every IPSC match that I can get away with (from my wife), I have seen many more NDs with 1911s (with a grip safety) than all other types of firearms combined.
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