This is a rant, and I’m going to take heat for it.
Gun people are some serious fanboys at times. I’m focusing my rant here on Glock because they’re low hanging fruit. Well, that and their well-known tagline: “Perfection.”
Anyone who’s been into this for a while knows that this tagline is far from the truth. If it was, then why does every Glock enthusiast factor the price of replacing the junk plastic sights into the cost of any model they purchase?
If it was perfection, why are there so many discussions about shooting low and left, brass to the forehead, awkward grip angles, shallow magazine releases, uncomfortable finger grooves, and other issues?
The answer is good marketing and groupthink.
When Perception is Not Reality
Honestly, I don’t have anything against Glock, per se. They’re fine pistols for serving their intended purpose. If Glock is your preference, then bully for you and carry on. There are a lot of trainers and shooters I respect out there recommending Glocks because of their relative simplicity and the large selection of inexpensive accessories. They’ve practically become the AR-15 of the pistol world.
However, I have trouble with people who confuse marketing materials as cold hard truth.
I pick on Glock because they are a great case study in smart firearms marketing and the cultural effects thereof.
The Way Back machine
Back n 2014 or so, a good friend and fellow officer lent me a book by Paul M. Barrett titled Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun.
Of course, the title alone triggered my skepticism immediately. First, how could Glock be America’s gun if it’s Austrian? Second, that moniker clearly belongs to the AR-15 or 1911.
But I digress.
The book is an entertaining read that details Glock’s inception, heavy-handed sales and marketing tactics, and eventual acceptance into popular culture.
Key Points
Rather than go into detail, since you might want to read the book, I’ll get to the point.
Glock was in the right place at the right time. They came to the US right as police departments were reeling from the 1986 Miami shootout. Police were questioning their long-beloved revolvers and looking for something with a bit more capacity.
Beretta had recently won the military M9 competition and was focusing on large government contracts. Sig was busy pouting over its loss to Beretta.
At least, as a Beretta fan, I’d like so.
Glock’s polymer wonder was both lighter and had half the number of parts to maintain compared to all-metal classics. It was fresh of winning the Austrian Army contract and was just…different.
The key thing here was cost, though. Since they are mostly polymer, and the metal parts were practically all manufactured through computer-aided machinery, Glocks were extremely cheap to produce.
This is especially true when compared to the other all-metal pistols at the time.
The cheap manufacturing costs set them up for an intensely aggressive marketing campaign where they offered to buy a department’s old pistols and exchange them for new Glocks at a steep discount rate. They still made money on the deal.
That’s how they swept America’s police departments. They were cheaper and more aggressive with greasing the wheels of politics.
They also had strippers to sweeten the deal. Really.
Is it Really a Feature?
If you’re wondering where I’m going with this, just hang on.
Glock is a great example of selling your shortcomings as features. Gaston looked at a wide range of classic pistols and compared their features. He had an eye for where he could remove parts and complexity from his design, making the thing easier to manufacture.
During that research, he determined that a safety on a double action pistol is not required. In a traditional sense, he was right.
Double action pistols usually have trigger pulls in the 8-12 lb range. You have to want to pull the trigger. If it’s a DA/SA mechanism, the pistol switches to single action mode for a nice light trigger pull.
The belief is that the heavier trigger on the double action first shot is the “safety” so long as you’re following the rest of the safety rules. No external safety means o
The trouble is that the Glock isn’t really double action like we’re talking about with a Beretta 92, Sig 226, or CZ. It’s a striker fired pistol with a nominal 5.5 trigger pull, barely lighter than one of the others in single action mode.
To those that pay attention, this is an obvious point of concern. But the marketers are great at their jobs.
You don’t need a thumb safety since it has one built into the trigger, you see. In fact, you shouldn’t even want a thumb safety. That thing will kill you in a fight!
This is how it happens. A feature gets left off for simplicity, and the marketers spin it as something that you shouldn’t have wanted in the first place.
The Power of Groupthink
Good marketing only gets you so far.
Eventually, a rabid fan base will do a lot in your favor. Once the Glock reached commonplace status among police departments, and especially when it got picked up by “cool guy” military units with the budgets and leeway to do what they wanted, it was game over.
If those guys are using it, then it must be the best.
I can’t count the number of internet pissing matches I’ve seen, or been in, where the Glockolyte declares that you absolutely need a Glock for that moment when the bad guy has your wife/girlfriend/daughter as a hostage in the dark while you’re upside down fending off the alien invasion with your weak hand. DA/SA will kill you, m
Ok, that’s an exaggeration. But only a little.
The point here is that once there are enough fanboys chanting, then the new people just showing up to the scene want to be part of the “in-crowd.” It’s no longer marketing, it’s social pressure.
I’ve seen so many new shooters get pushed towards Glock, and then stay there even when they might be better served by something else. They just feel pressured to support their brand.
Glockolytes aren’t the only ones doing this. I’ve seen the same behavior from fans of LaRue Tactical and other manufacturers. Even worse is when I see it from the “just as good as” crowd pressuring new shooters into buying questionable parts.
Bringing it Home
I’m not interested in rehashing fights over external safeties vs no external safeties. Everyone has a preference.
I’m also not interested in bringing up examples of negligent or accidental discharges stemming from loose t-shirts, worn leather holsters, or improper unloading. Those things happen, and not just to Glock owners.
This whole rant isn’t even really about Glock.
I’m imploring you to not take marketing materials and social pressure as sources of truth.
In the firearms world, unbiased information is very difficult to come by. Until you have the experience to know your needs and then analyze the options in front of you, there’s a lot of risk. That also means that you’re going to make mistakes early on.
That’s ok, go with it.
The simple truth is that quality firearm A serves you just as well as quality firearm B in 90% of circumstances. Pick one and stick with it until you have your needs figured out.
Glock’s tagline of Perfection is just one example H&K has their infamous No Compromises line, even though there are indeed some compromises. Even worse was Kel-Tec’s ill-fated “For those who’d drink their own urine” campaign.
Yeah, that happened.
In the end, don’t let the hunt for perfection stop you from working with what you’ve got right in front you.
Weeellll, while I generally agree with your take on heavy handed marketing, I think there is a point you are missing entirely and that point is really why strike fired pistols exist. Basically, you are being more than a little elitist. The reason I know you are being elitist is that I look in the mirror every once in a while and I know what an elitist looks like (well and since you actually like that turd of a Beretta, I am not sure there is any possibility of a redemption for you :-)). Vast majority of gun shooting public does not have your skills, will never have your skills if they try and will never spend enough time developing those skills even if they generally have the ability. You may like it or dislike it, but a Glock (or any similar striker fired pistol) are simply easier to train beginners on than other commonly available pistol type. I have trained a bunch of people to use handguns and have attended a few Frontsight classes that are a great example, of teaching basic handgun skills to the masses. For people who are just trying to get some basic skills, but for whom this is neither a hobby nor an occupation, a Glock is just awesome: “point it in the right direction, keep all your extremities away from the muzzle and focus on sight alignment and trigger control”. Introducing more variable into it for beginners is just trouble for you and… Read more »
Hey ILya!
I’ll admit to a little hyperbole in this matter. I’ve never really warmed up to Glocks, so there maaaaayyy be a tiny element of “stop liking things I don’t like.” But, your point is well made.
There is absolutely something to be said for striker fire pistols in general when it comes to teaching beginners. Glock is simply the most ubiquitous. When someone asks me about a first gun, I also usually point them towards Glocks, P320’s, M&P 2.0, PPQ, and APX. Whichever fits their needs, budget, and hands.
Really, this post isn’t so much a bash on Glock as it is a frustration with people’s tendency to accept groupthink as truth. The whole idea, “the safety will get you killed” is one of those examples.
Also, the Beretta is far from a turd ;P
Though, honestly, I’m quite enjoying my hipster CZ these days. I hope everything is well with you!
Matt, the very first gun I shot was a Beretta 92FS when i was 19 years old. A friend of mine dragged me out to the range (I had no interest in guns prior to that as used to be fairly common among classic martial artists). I fired 50 shots from approximately 7 yards at a paper target at that indoor range in downtown Los Angeles and not a single bullet even grazed paper. I do not take failure very well, so 23 years later, here we are. I sorta hold a grudge against Beretta for that. I shot 92FS once since then, I can shoot it adequately now, but it fits my hands uniquely badly and now that I looked at it carefully, from an engineering standpoint, it is just a bad idea. It is a testament to the ability of Beretta engineers that they managed to make fairly reliable firearms out of that kludge of bad decisions. I am with you on groupthink, though. Ultimately, I learned to shoot handguns with the Glock, so it fits me well and I am exceedingly used to it. I also like to tinker with guns and it is important to me to be able to fix and repair whatever guns I may trust my life with. That means AR-15s and Glocks. I can take both apart to the last spring and pin, fix and re-assemble without any spare parts left. I do own other handguns and shoot them regularly, but most… Read more »
I think the first handgun I ever fired was a Taurus PT92, and I think it went about as well as your experience. The next one was a well-worn M9 at Tyndall Air Force Base’s CATM range. It went only slightly better.
After that, I had an HK USP 9c for a while. I gave it to my father before moving to CA the first time. I wasn’t as familiar with CA law at the time and didn’t want to push my chances. I wish I had kept that one, though, it was a great pistol. Other pistols I’ve gotten used to include 1911’s, the FNS, P320’s, M&P,s Walthers, CZs, and the Beretta.
Like you, I think my starting off with DA/SA influenced me the other direction.
I’d like to hear your reasons why the 92FS is a kludge of bad decisions. I can definitely think of a few myself, but overall I tend to think of it as a decently put together gun. I’ve also never owned one, so my opinions aren’t worth much.
As a Beretta guy, I can think of a few.
For what it is, the 92 is a very large pistol. Like, unnecessarily large for a double stack 9mm. It works out fine if you have large hands, but it’s not for everyone.
Universally, everyone prefers the “G” configuration, which means the safety/decocker becomes a decocker only. With the “G,” you move the decock lever down, the hammer returns decock, and then the lever springs back up. With the standard safety mounted on the rear of the slide, it’s very easy to activate it by accident while doing a slingshot slide release or clearing a malfunction. If you aren’t careful, your next trigger squeeze will do nothing for you.
Lastly, the 92 is an evolution of the Walther P38. It’s operating mechanisms, particularly the locking block, are lifted almost directly from it.
http://weaponsman.com/?p=30179
It’s a nice design in a lot of respects, especially accuracy, but also introduces complexity into the equation. Locking blocks are wear items that need to get replaced periodically, lest they fail and lock the weapon up.
Most modern designs switched to a Browning-style tilting barrel system. It lends itself to less accuracy, but also fewer parts.
Glock is the worst beginners pistol on the market. And they are nothing but junk.
Thank you, This is a truth that more people need to read and understand… a very well written piece….
Floyd, thank you for reading and commenting! Also, thanks for the kind words.
I know it’s a little contrarian, but sometimes we just need to remind people of the truth in things.
“I’ve seen so many new shooters get pushed towards Glock, and then stay there even when they might be better served by something else. They just feel pressured to support their brand.”
-this. It honestly disappoints me that so many people who claim to be “open minded” started off on Glock, got good with Glock, and have never given any time to anything other than a Glock, or anything other than striker-fired guns. I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.
I remember an episode from season 1 or 2 of Top Shot, back when it was a thing. One of the challenges was to shoot a Beretta 92FS at increasingly smaller targets. There was a competitive shooter who blew the challenge and blamed it on how accustomed he was to Glocks over everything else.
That always stuck with me for some reason.
As I said, I’m giving Glock fans grief for this one but it’s really a bad trait all over our culture. It’s most likely a tendency to defend what you spend your hard earned money on. Nobody wants to think that they spent $400-$1000 on something that turns out not to be all that great.
“You should not have a favorite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.” ― Miyamoto Musashi
“This whole rant isn’t even really about Glock.”
This is what stood out the most to me. I didn’t find much of a technical criticism of the item itself.
I generally think of Glock as the best value – the highest quality item available for the lowest price. I can get a better pistol, but it won’t be cheaper, and I can get a cheaper pistol, but it won’t be better. That doesn’t even make the Glock my favorite pistol (I prefer some that cost more), it’s just its position in the market. If someone’s going to get into this seriously – for work or hobby, then it’ll probably be even cheaper/easier to set up a Glock and all of the attendant gear (mags, holsters, spare parts, etc) than it would with any other brand I know of.
Hey Dave, thanks for the well thought out answer!
I think you got to the heart of it. Glock, as an ecosystem of pistols and accessories, is actually in a sweet spot. The pistols are relatively inexpensive, though I think the overall market is trending downwards. A quick search shows CZ P-series, Sig 320s, Walther PPQs, Beretta APX, S&W M&P, and the HK VP9 all coming in at the same price or lower.
But where Glock wins is the cost of accessories, especially magazines. It’s definitely cheaper to outfit yourself in the Glock ecosystem than many of the others.
I think all of that contributed to Glock’s quick rise in popularity. It’s actually a pretty good tactic to get the market share early and then keep people who “bought in” since everything else seems so much more expensive.
But in the end, like you pointed out, my criticism isn’t so much about Glock. I think they have a good product and a very good marketing strategy.
You are right about the Glock marketing. I got into them when I shot a 19 and realized it recoiled less than my M&P9 Long Slide. One Glock 34 later and I couldn’t be happier. Taking that route allowed me to simply enjoy the gun, but not be convinced that it was better than everything else. I mostly enjoyed the switch to Glock because it was so easy with the aftermarket support, as well as the track record. I can shoot the gun well, and it feels great in hand. I didn’t try to think too hard after that. “Is it reliable and does it shoot well? Yes? Okay, let’s move on.”
There’s a plethora of guns that answer “Yes” to that question.
Thanks for commenting, Mitch! You pretty much nailed it. If the thing works for you and it’s reliable, then run with it. Glock does certainly enjoy an advantage with aftermarket accessories as well.
When I was looking for my first handgun one writer said something akin to this; Glocks are like Camrys, inexpensive, reliable and a lot of people have them. Since most handguns are reliable that left inexpensive and common as the two main selling points. I counted these as two reasons not to get one.
I admit to being tempted be the wide range of accessories but in fact any accessories that I might need were available for most guns. And now, owning both a DA/SA and a stryker fired I find a preference for the former so I don’t ever see a Glock 8n my future.