What is the best handgun to have and why is it a Glock?

[Bullitt]

Airman Doors, USAF (or anyone), what is chamber support? I did a quick search and found this,

inadequate chamber support, flawed gun design allowing the pistol to be fired with the barrel slightly out of battery

and also some forum discussions saying recent Glocks have had this problem solved.

Firing while barrel is slightly out of battery sounds pretty sloppy to my untrained mind. Anything else to add about this (possibly solved) problem?

[Bone]

@Bullitt

That’s a little too simplistic. I would not recommend Glock to, for example, someone I know has poor trigger finger habits. That is a recipe for danger.

I would not recommend a firearm to a person with poor trigger finger habits. Manual safety or no, trigger discipline is pretty damn important. Either that or they need to develop some better habits.

@Stranger_On_A_Train

YGlock also makes the G36 and G43 “Baby Glock” pistols in 9mmP which are even smaller (in my opinion, too small to comfortably and accurately shoot a full bore cartridge).

All of your other points are right on the money. But here I think you meant to say the Glock 26.

@MichaelEmouse

What are the significant disadvantages to high capacity magazines? Some more bulk and weight? A less comfortable grip? Anything else?

Depends on what you mean by “high capacity” but in general it’s size and weight. The G26 is a 9mm and has a standard 10 round double stack magazine. The standard magazine for a G17 is a 9mm with a 17 round double stack magazine. Another advantage of the Glocks is that with many of the models that are chambered in the same caliber, the magazines will fit across platforms. Though a 33 round magazine in a G26 baby glock is going to be awkward.

[Bullitt]

@Bone

I would not recommend a firearm to a person with poor trigger finger habits. Manual safety or no, trigger discipline is pretty damn important. Either that or they need to develop some better habits.

Trigger discipline is huge, but in the scenario where someone I know with poor trigger discipline wants to buy their first handgun and asks what I thought if they bought a Glock, I would steer them away with a gentle reminder why.

That’s the scenario I was including when I said that.

[Airman_Doors_USAF]

@Bullitt

Airman Doors, USAF (or anyone), what is chamber support? I did a quick search and found this,

and also some forum discussions saying recent Glocks have had this problem solved.

Firing while barrel is slightly out of battery sounds pretty sloppy to my untrained mind. Anything else to add about this (possibly solved) problem?

The Glocks chambered for .40 S&W have a somewhat generous ramp to facilitate the feeding of the ammunition into the chamber. When you disassemble the firearm, hold the barrel upright, and drop a round into the chamber there is a small half-moon area of the case exposed. The argument is that this is an additional point of failure, if the brass is weak or there is some weird overpressure event it will blow the case out at that point, which might cause damage or injury.

Google “unsupported chamber Glock”, go to images, and you’ll see an example.

I have a Glock 27 and I don’t worry about it. I use factory ammunition, not handloaded ammunition, so overpressure events are virtually impossible.

EDIT: Also, all tipping-barrel guns can fire slightly out of battery, simply because the firing pin can strike the primer just before the camming action is finished. Look at your brass after a rapid-fire string and if any of the strikes are off-center that’s why. It’s no big deal. Really.

[Bullitt]

Great explanation - thank you, sir!

[YogSothoth]

@Stranger_On_A_Train

The Desert Eagle is a “fun” pistol for those who like such things, and is one of the few true pistols that uses a gas pistol instead of straight blowback, short recoil, roller locking, or gas-retarded delayed blowback. It is not, however, a pistol seriously meant or practical for most of the purposes for which people own firearms. It is a novelty item for people with a lot of money to burn, and is not in the same category as a Glock or other service-grade pistol.

I was just judging it on coolness factor

[gigi]

There is one handgun in our house, a Glock my father keeps in his closet. I have never touched it, but I believe one advantage to me would be no safety – just pull back the top part and let her fly. Keeping your hand out of the way.

Don’t worry, I don’t plan to ever touch it; if I do I will learn how to use it correctly!

[Scumpup]

@YogSothoth

I was just judging it on coolness factor

Yeah. That’s why Imma get one. Dad’s Striker has never had any appeal to me. The PGCA show is on the 21st. Believe I’ll haul the Striker to that show and see what one of the Class 3 license dealers will give me for it, proceeds used to buy a pimped-out butt-ugly totally impractical and yet ineffably kewel Desert Eagle.