[Fuelburns2]

A friend of mine wants to buy a glock for his first gun. He isn't currently a gun owner and has never shot a gun before, he's waiting for me to take him. It's main use would be home defense and possibly concealed carry, we are planning on taking the class together in a few months.

My question is whether a Glock is an intelligent choice for a first gun? I can help him learn to use almost any SA, DAO or SA/DA type semiauto with "standard" features as well as any revolver but my understanding is that Glocks have unique safety features like the safety in the trigger. I know nothing about Glocks except that the gunsmith at Gander Mountain doesn't recommend them as a first gun, that's why I'm asking.

 

[TheRedScare]

I dont think it matters what type of gun it is. Just be sure that is a good choice for him/her. If the person never shot one how do they know they want one? What are they comparing it to?

 

[Fuelburns2]

He wants one because he saw it in several movies. :roll: Like I said, he's not experienced with guns at all to this point.

 

[uglydog]

Shooting a Glock isn't much different than shooting any other polymer auto or revolver. The trigger "safety" works much like the grip safety on a 1911 and helps prevent accidental discharges. I would suggest strongly to your friend to try different brands of polymer framed guns as they all feel different and changing the grip angle can range from difficult to impractical. One can increase the width easy enough but slimming them down is tough too. I don't think Glock is a "bad" choice, just that another might be better.

 

[Rev.]

I personally would not discourage the person getting a Glock. They are a DAO pistol, safety in the trigger, firing pin block so the trigger has to be fully pulled for the gun to fire. To me they are as safe as a S&W revolver.

 

[Fuelburns2]

I haven't discouraged him yet because I didn't know if it would be a good gun to learn with or not. The main thing is that he wants to get into pistol shooting and I don't want to stop him for any reason. Is a Glock easy to dismantle and clean? Which model would all of you recommend for a 9mm, .40, and .45? He hasn't really given any thought to caliber and I'm trying to do some research for him so I can give good advice. He likely won't do any research himself. Remember, this is the guy who wants a Glock because Tommy Lee Jones said they would fire underwater in US Marshals.

 

[uglydog]

A Glock is pretty simple all the way around, it was designed by a person with little to no formal gunmaking training therefore seems to have little in the way of extra parts. I've owned a couple of Glocks and other than their not fitting my hand very well, they were reliable and easy to care or. I would suggest one of the 9mm models over any of the other models. Ammo is cheap so one will practice more, the cartridge is easy to control due to low recoil, and he will be able to shoot quite a while on one magazine, just like any TV/movie hero. I wouldn't reproach your friend on his reasoning for the gun he chooses, I'd just make sure to remember it and hold it against him in the future when he gains enough experience to realize how silly the base for his reasoning. At least he chose a decent gun and not some goofball gun like an Uzi, Tec-9, or Desert Eagle.

 

[Fuelburns2]

I don't disagree with his reasoning, I just posted it to show how "green" he is. I have him convinced that a fully automatic gun is out of the question (they are) but if he saw a desert eagle then he may want one of those. That's when I explain why his reasoning is not sound. :wink:

I would also lean towards the 9mm for the reasons you stated, is the Glock 17 the most common of the Glocks? I certainly see the most of them (locally) and I was wondering why.

 

[uglydog]

The 17 has been out the longest (nearly 30 years) and was very common until the rise of the .40 S&W when many 9mm pistols were traded in and found their way to civilians. The compact and sub-compact guns have not been around nearly as long and were not as common as a police issue weapon. A used, fully loaded Glock 19 with 2-3 hicap mags, tritium sights, and a holster can easily be found for $350 and likely closer to $300. Compare that to over $500 for a similar new one in any caliber.

 

[Rev.]

I personally haven’t gone the way of the .40 or the 357Sig. I guess I am a traditionalist, I prefer the 9mm or the .45ACP. In your case I would recommend the 9mm. If this were going to be a carry gun I would recommend the 19. The 17 is bigger and not that easy to conceal and the 26 is too small and harder to handle.
Normally I carry the 19 for the above mentioned reasons.

 

[Pistolero]

The Glock is a great first handgun. The gunsmith at GanderMountain should stick to working on guns, not giving advise about shooting them.

 

[Fuelburns2]

The Glock is a great first handgun. The gunsmith at GanderMountain should stick to working on guns, not giving advise about shooting them.

I wrongly assumed that he had good reason to offer such advice because he should be familiar with the weapons. He certainly did a great job with my shotgun, but I digress. I figured that Glocks had a learning curve because all guns are fairly easy to get familiar with and learn to use properly. If it is a bad gun to learn with then there must be something special to complicate its use, right? I'm glad this is not the case.

 

[uglydog]

Gunsmiths are like anyother person, they have their personal likes and dislikes. Some don't even care for handguns if you can imagine that. Without knowing how or what you asked and what his answer was nor his reasoning, it is a bit hard to know why he thought a Glock a poor choice for a beginners handgun. For all anyone knows, he may think a Glock is a great gun but thinks a .22 would be better for all the obvious reasons as all that was asked was if a Glock would be a good beginners/starter gun. the question asked and how it was taken often determines the answer.

 

[Rangeman]

As a firearms instructor , by trade and when asked, I always tell my students to buy a Glock Model 19 period...!! New or used, it does not matter. The Glock system is at the bottom of the order of complexity. It is the simplest weapon system to learn on., especially for a beginning student. It is essentially a "point and shoot" weapon. The weapon, in trained hands is extremely accurate, reliable and trouble free. It is simple to dissaemble and maintain. For CCW, it is very light and concealable. Then once the new gunowner has attained his/her "Comfort of Skill at Arms", he can test, shoot and buy a more complex weapons system such as Sig, HK or S&W.... Look, any new gun owner is going to possibly purchase a weapon that he or she may not find to their liking. For any of a dozen reasons. Be it feel, caliber, size or recoil. They can always put it the safe, sell it or retire it and buy a diiferent one. Just like buying a new car, in time you may end up owning several, until you find the one that "scratchs the bulk of your itchs"...!!!

 

[Greathounder]

Hi, I guess I have to agree! The Glock is a very simple gun to shoot. I have read several reports by instructors, recommending the Glock. And yes, I do like my Glock 19 and 36. From what I've read, the Glock is like teaching a revolver. That is a big plus, when teaching a new shooter. And that is saying a lot for a semi auto. I taught my wife, not a shooter, to shoot a Glock for home defense. She is not into gun as I am. But she did well!!!

 

[{TEX}Hawaii 5-0]

The Glock is the way to go. However, to learn pistol marksmanship, I would suggest a .22 to get through the basics and then progress to the higher calibers. A .22 will also be cheaper on ammo. My first Pistol was the Glock 23. Although I learned to shoot on a Ruger .22 as a kid.

 

[Roadkill Bill]

Like a revolver, it's point and shoot. What could be easier than that?

If this is his first handgun, then he will learn to shoot what he has. This is not a problem. My first centerfire was a Glock. That was about 30 guns ago, and I don't think it has warped me in any way. (Nothing major anyhow!)

As for the underwater junk, just tell his wife not to let him take it into the bathroom with him! The tub or the toilet will both suffer if he tries it!

 

[Clayslayer]

In my opinion the Glock is probably one of the BEST choices you can make for a first gun. My first (and only) pistol was and is a Glock 19. I've shot a gazillion other pistols and am no stranger to them but all in all I think the Glock is the way to go.

It's been dubbed by many of my friends as the "swiss army knife" of the pistol world. I'm not sure why that is but the darn thing is just stupid reliable and super easy to maintain and shoot.

Pros: Reliability is second to none. These darn things just WORK. Each time, every time, without complaint. They're darn near indestructable and awful accurate right out of the box. They're very easy to disassemble and clean. Last but not least, there's no 'garbage' on them. They're all business with no unneeded bells or whistles that can be difficult to learn and ultimately fail when you need them the most.

Cons: Some don't like the style or looks of them. That's because they're morons. That's about it.

The only significant difference between the numerous Glock models is frame size and caliber. Other than that they're all just about identical which is a good thing because mechanically they're about as close to perfect as they can get. (yeah the 380 is different as is the full auto model 18) You can pick your frame size and caliber and there will be a model to suit you. Frames range from small (pocket rocket), medium (a.k.a. Colt commander size), and standard/large, calibers from 380 auto up to 45acp with 9mm, .40cal, and .45acp being the most popular and available.

If your friends intended use is personal defense with some concealed carry I'd recommend the "medium" frame size in either 9mm or .40 S&W. It's small enough to hide and large enough to handle. The baby Glocks are absolutely tiny but not really intelligent for a first timer. The full sized models are a bit large for my taste.

I hope my blabbering has been somewhat helpful to you, let me know if it is. BTW this is my first post on pistolworld, I've been a long time SGW member though (HI REV! )

 

[Dave375hh]

The Glocks are a great SECOND gun. As you stated he has not owned a handgun before. Start him out with a .22 LR semi auto. It'll give him a chance to learn the basics with out the recoil factoring into the mix. I really like my Glock 32 in .357SIG, but it was far from my first handgun. Start him with a .22, they're easy to sell when he's ready to move up. I agree with the mod 19 as a carry gun, that's what the 32 size is but on steroids.

 

[Clayslayer]

Getting a .22 as a first pistol is not a bad idea when considering the recoil standpoint but the 9mm caliber is not exactly a wrist breaker.

If one simply cannot handle the mild bounce of a 9mm properly then they ought not own a handgun in the first place.

Rather than shell out 200-300 clams on a .22 for "training" purposes I think this first timer would be a LOT better off spending that money on a sensible gun that he intends to own for the long term and have a knowledgable person instruct him the first few times out. Could be a hunter safety course, a course in pistol shooting, or what most folks do: Get help at the local range!

I've never taught the pistol to others formally but I've instructed dozens of newbies in the art of shotgunning at the local range where I used to live. I cant imagine that the local pistol range would be a whole lot different.

It doesn't take too long to become familiar with a pistol and how it operates if one simply has some valid instruction and is at least halfway intelligent.