# Why do cops prefer a glcok over any other gun?



## TheLAGuy

Anyone? Is it because its the best gun for that price range? Would you guys say that the glock is the most superior gun out there?


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## chessail77

Glock has for years made very favorable deals with the departments to get their business, and that does not make their guns superior in any way...


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## TheLAGuy

So what is superior? Would you say a S&W or Beretta are a finer crafted fire arm?


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## Steve M1911A1

Your exact question was: "Why do cops prefer a Glock over any other gun?"

The most accurate answer is: "They don't."

Cops carry Glocks because their departments issue Glocks, not out of personal preference.



chessail77 said:


> Glock has for years made very favorable deals with the departments to get their business, and that does not make their guns superior in any way...


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## TheLAGuy

They can't carry their personal preference? 

If this is true, why do all cop departments choose glocks? Because they're the best out there?


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## niadhf

TheLAGuy said:


> They can't carry their personal preference?
> 
> If this is true, why do all cop departments choose glocks? Because they're the best out there?


Because. Glock. Has. Often. Made. Very. Favorable. Deals. To. Police. Departments. 
Smith and Sig and HK are also doing such. It usually comes down to cost of the firearms, both purchase and maintenance costs


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## niadhf

Also ALL departments do not choose Glock. But Glock is very prevelant


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## jakeleinen1

Light weight is probably one reason. Clip exchangability. Simplicity. Ease of use (no safties). Cheap. Reliable. High capacity.

Honestly its a wonder why more departments don't use the glock. It was estimated that 2/3 of departments use them. Thats a ton! The most prominant and recognizable LEOs are glock users - FBI, Marshalls, NYPD, etc...

However I think the story is changing (sadly IMO). Here in Iowa the LEOs are changing over to Smith and Wessons. I have nothing against M&Ps but the reason for the switch in my opinion is simply to cut costs. Unfortunately in America we love our 1911s, and I think alot of LEO boys have trouble converting to the grip angle of a glock. 

To be fair I think the only real thing the glock has over the M&P tho is Polygonal Rifling and Track Record. Most polymer pistols are up to par with glock in todays market (NOT all though)

When I become in law enforcement I hope the weapon of choice is Glock. Fantastic weapons IMO


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## chessail77

First a Glock does not have a clip, it is a magazine. The most prominent and recognizable federal agencies where cost is not an overriding factor almost always make choices other than Glock. US Secret Service (who can have any handgun in the world) chose the Sig P229 in .357, US Navy Seals the Sig P226, US Coast Guard the Sig Sauer, Air Marshall Service has Sig Sauer. The S&W M&P is replacing Glocks with local police depts in increasing numbers not just because of cost but depts are finding it is an improvement as well. So your statement that police prefer Glocks is flawed because they Don't


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## mcLovin029

Glocks are cheap and readily availible. It all comes down to the almighty dollar. 
Glock makes a good product, but in no way is it "superior" to all the other firearms in use by LEO's.


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## rex

Yes,cops don't prefer them but are stuck with dept issue.Some dept's have an issue gun and a roster of approved guns they can use if they buy it.

In the beginning Glock's marketing stategy of "perfection" and simplicity impressed the dept's pencil pushers that often dictate equipment they will use.Glock also damn near gave them away to LE and bought up their present issued guns at a pretty fair penny to resell and make back some of the profit they lost on the contract.Alot of depts jumped on it of course,they'd be an idiot not to.In the last decade or so alot of depts went away from the Glock,the smarter ones first.The problem was they were tire of a serious increase of NDs,and if they didn't revert back to previous guns they shopped for new contracts.Not all depts operate the same though,even in the same area of the state.City and county don't even think alike.Glocks are still widely used but they've been slowly losing market share,and have to rely more on the private sector now to keep up volume.It's working,Glock has always had very aggressive marketing,better than Kimber.


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## jdw68

I do know that I am not qualified to answer this question. I don't have any expertise in how departments make decisions on what guns they will carry. I do know that the Glock is a gun that brings out strong emotions in gun owners. Some people love the gun while others hate the gun. I think Glocks are great guns, but not any better than other quality gun maker. They do provide a simple, reliable gun that is easy to shoot accurately. They also come at a good price.


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## TheLAGuy

I love it


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## hideit

steve is right - first glock had to prove themselves and THEY DID
then to sell more glocks they gave police departments a great cost savings deal - then people bought what the police had - sales sales sales
also - after 3 years the police could trade their old glock in and get $300 towards a new glock 

my LGS had several used police glocks and they went quick - that was several years ago


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## TheLAGuy

That sounds like a pretty danky deal if you ask me


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## Nanuk

I chose a Glock for several reasons:

Lighter
Higher capacity
Robust aftermarket
Value

I have carried 1911's, Sig's, H&K's and Smith and Wesson's. I prefer the Glock, I shoot it better, besides if I trash it I can get another just like it for a good price.


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## TheLAGuy

Nanuk said:


> I chose a Glock for several reasons:
> 
> Lighter
> Higher capacity
> Robust aftermarket
> Value
> 
> I have carried 1911's, Sig's, H&K's and Smith and Wesson's. I prefer the Glock, I shoot it better, besides if I trash it I can get another just like it for a good price.


Which glock do you have? Which do you prefer?


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## shamrock62

TheLAGuy said:


> They can't carry their personal preference?
> 
> If this is true, why do all cop departments choose glocks? Because they're the best out there?


It's as simple as entrepreneurship by the gun manufacturers! It's about selling a product, design or a good! Cost effectiveness obviously makes a difference, but like in any industry it's about the marketing, relationships, lobbying and so forth. They happen to have a large group of end users, Sig had a huge chunk of the market for a very long time. However, S&W is making a huge LE push and revitalization. A true example is in MA. MA State Police had sigs for years. Until recently. S&W offered to buy the department's Sigs from them, put that cash towards the purchases of outfitting the entire department with the new weapon. At the end of the day it's market penetration and recurring purchases!!!

AND...Glocks are NOT the best out there in IMHO...


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## JeffWard

Incorrect. The departments are going over to M&Ps heavily due to the ergonomics. The interchangeable back-straps allow everyone from a 5'1" female officer to a 6'5" male officer to be comfortable with the same platform. The newest Gen 4 Glocks have attempted this, but not as well, and their having MAJOR issues.

That, and the S&W guns are American made with better customer service.

JW


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## Nanuk

TheLAGuy said:


> Which glock do you have? Which do you prefer?


I have a 27, 23 and 31C.

I prefer the 27 for carry (357 Sig barrel, G23 mags with grip enhancer)
I carry the 31C for work. The 23 was my first Glock (Gen 4).


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## rex

JeffWard said:


> Incorrect. The departments are going over to M&Ps heavily due to the ergonomics. The interchangeable back-straps allow everyone from a 5'1" female officer to a 6'5" male officer to be comfortable with the same platform. The newest Gen 4 Glocks have attempted this, but not as well, and their having MAJOR issues.
> 
> That, and the S&W guns are American made with better customer service.
> 
> JW


I don't see how incorrect fits in here.Some departments may be going to Smiths,but you really can't make a blanket statement about them all.It all comes down to what department heads decide what criteria they prefer in a gun's design and economics of a contract.Some departments have alot of political BS and issue a certain gun,some have a couple approved guns to pick from,and some will have a list of what they will accept if you don't want an issue sidearm and you can buy your own.1911s are generally shunned in LE,but some departments are run by people that can think for themselves and still allow 1911 carry.


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## berettabone

All the LE's up by me carry Sig or HK..............


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## Packard

I think police departments choose Glock for the same reason I chose Glock. It is a good weapon with a long history of reliable function and durability. There are other guns that have longer histories but don't meet the design parameters regarding action, weight, round count, etc.

Clearly a Government 1911 has the history, but it is heavy, single action only, and carries far fewer rounds.

The Beretta has a long history too, but it is heavy.

Locally they all use the S & W, which is a really nice weapon, but when I was shopping, it was fairly new and the compact version was not available.

The military and police departments all like proven designs. New designs are admired, but most departments seem to want to wait until there is some significant history on the guns.

The exception seems to be the proliferation of backup guns. And there have been several miscues on that front.


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## TheLAGuy

I shot a beretta yesterday and liked it quite a bit. Does the M&P have an extra safety on it?


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## hud35500

My department purchased a large quantity of Glock 22's at $220 ea. Can Sig or HK match that price ? Probably not. Maintenance costs on Glocks are also very small also. Armorers course is a 4 hour class.


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## TheLAGuy

Damn thats cheap. Can you get me a bro deal?


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## VAMarine

TheLAGuy said:


> I shot a beretta yesterday and liked it quite a bit. Does the M&P have an extra safety on it?


Some do, some don't.


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## TheLAGuy

This one : Product: Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm


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## VAMarine

TheLAGuy said:


> This one : Product: Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm


That particular gun referenced does not have one, but that style of gun does exist with a thumb safety...they have different SKU numbers.


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## Steve M1911A1

TheLAGuy said:


> ...Does the M&P have an extra safety on it?


That "extra safety" you're asking for does not need to be on the gun.
It needs to be "between your ears."
_The very most important safety device is your own brain._

If your brain is not engaged and thinking clearly, none of the safeties on your gun will protect you-or someone else-from a negligent discharge (that is, an "accidental" shot).
Some pistols have no mechanical safety device at all. (Most Kel-Tec pistols are good examples.) Nevertheless, they are perfectly safe to carry and use, if the carrier/user keeps his brain engaged.


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## jakeleinen1

Steve M1911A1 said:


> That "extra safety" you're asking for does not need to be on the gun.
> It needs to be "between your ears."
> _The very most important safety device is your own brain._


Everytime I quote this and see this line, I think of a post on here I saw way back. Some guy had shot himself in the groin (crotch whatever) with a taurus pistol despite the saftey being engaged. I think it was even a pink one...

Say it with me, you are the saftey! lol


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## TheLAGuy

But wouldnt you agree that having a few safety interlocks isnt a bad thing?


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## VAMarine

TheLAGuy said:


> But wouldnt you agree that having a few safety interlocks isnt a bad thing?


Well, do keep in mind that Jake tends to prefer his firearms to be unloaded to start with....that's almost (IMHO "IS") too good a safety.

Personally, I like a thumb safety. I'm not keen on the grip safety of the Springfield XD pistols as it also prevents slide travel, I don't care for slide mounted safeties like that of the Beretta 92FS and would have it converted to being de-cocker only. Reason being that when manipulating the slide by hand you can inadvertently engage the safety when you don't want to.

The grip safety of the 1911 pattern pistol is OK in my book...as are the thumb safeties of the HK pistols, M&P pistols and some others such as CZ. I don't like the thumb safety of Ruger's current SR9/40 and LC9 pistols as I think they are too small to encourage positive engagement/disengagement. This is good for Ruger as it means that they don't have to market different guns like S&W and the M&P line for guns with and without thumb safeties. The Rugers mentioned have safeties small enough not to bother those that don't want them, which in my mind makes them too small for those that would want such a feature.

One safety feature that I do not like, is the magazine disconnect, that prevents the gun from being fired without the magazine in place. Be very careful when shopping for guns in CA as many pistols on the DOJ approved list have this feature.

I am of the opinion that I want my gun to go bang even if the magazine somehow manages to come unseated during my day.


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## TheLAGuy

duel post:

I ended up getting the Beretta PX4 storm 9mm, i liked the extra safety considering its my first firearm, I was on the fence between the glock g17 and the Beretta. I figure its a good start and get some more weaponry within the next year.

Thanks again for all the advice! You guys helped me out.


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