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A few first offs are in order here.
Number one. I am not a fanboy or bootlick for any firearms manufacturer. I will freely admit that I have some favorites but being of an analytical and technical mind, I believe I can separate facts from opinions, mine and others.
Number two. I will also freely admit that what I write here is largely a matter of opinion but if one thinks about what is written, one can see the position taken.
Number three. I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, an expert nor do I wish to set myself up as such. Doing so would only prove me to be a fool.
Now with the ground work laid...
What makes any handgun a fighting or combat handgun? I would suggest; reliability, simplicity, ease of maintenance, and practical accuracy. Reliability should always be the most important factor in the selection and use of a fighting handgun. And of all of the really fine handguns out there, which one is the best of the lot when all factors are considered?
Glock. Specifically the models 19, 23, 17, and 22 in no particular order. So why Glock. Why not a fine 1911? Take a 1911 and time yourself as you do a field strip of the gun. Then do the same thing with a Glock. I can field strip a Glock, using no special tools, in 6.4 seconds. No way can I do this with my 1911. And I can detail strip the frame in under one minute, which includes the field strip. With only 34 parts, simplicity rules. I can tune my Glock, change the sights, and do other gunsmithing things with ease.
Glocks are very simple and easy to clean. Their polygonal rifling makes cleaning the barrel very easy. But most importantly, they work. They're like that rather ugly hammer in your toolbox you've had for decades that is near perfect and you are never likely to discard. Try as you might, that which works, and works well, perfectly fits the adage.. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Lastly they really carry well, especially their compact versions like the model 19 and model 23. One well known gun writer wrote that the Glock 23 is the finest combat handgun you can carry. I believe he's pretty much dead on with that statement.
Now admittedly I also very much like Smith and Wesson's line of their M&P pistols. I have a number of them and do carry them when I feel they would be the better choice. Really fine products. but they are not as simple to field strip and even less simple to detail strip for repairs, detailed cleaning, or modifications.
So I am just someone who admires and respects things that work the way they were designed. The architectural truism of "Form follows function" seems to have been ingrained in the Glock design. So if a 1911, a Beretta 92FS, an XD series Springfield Armory, a Sig Sauer, and a Glock 23 are sitting on a table waiting for me as I leave my home. Which one do I pick up? Without question, the Glock 23. Others would pickup something else and that's fine. But for me, the choice between these listed guns is simple. A light, efficient, reliable, and high capacity pistol will ride on my hip.
Once more, I am not a fanboy. I just like things that work and fit my wants, needs, and requirements.
Number one. I am not a fanboy or bootlick for any firearms manufacturer. I will freely admit that I have some favorites but being of an analytical and technical mind, I believe I can separate facts from opinions, mine and others.
Number two. I will also freely admit that what I write here is largely a matter of opinion but if one thinks about what is written, one can see the position taken.
Number three. I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, an expert nor do I wish to set myself up as such. Doing so would only prove me to be a fool.
Now with the ground work laid...
What makes any handgun a fighting or combat handgun? I would suggest; reliability, simplicity, ease of maintenance, and practical accuracy. Reliability should always be the most important factor in the selection and use of a fighting handgun. And of all of the really fine handguns out there, which one is the best of the lot when all factors are considered?
Glock. Specifically the models 19, 23, 17, and 22 in no particular order. So why Glock. Why not a fine 1911? Take a 1911 and time yourself as you do a field strip of the gun. Then do the same thing with a Glock. I can field strip a Glock, using no special tools, in 6.4 seconds. No way can I do this with my 1911. And I can detail strip the frame in under one minute, which includes the field strip. With only 34 parts, simplicity rules. I can tune my Glock, change the sights, and do other gunsmithing things with ease.
Glocks are very simple and easy to clean. Their polygonal rifling makes cleaning the barrel very easy. But most importantly, they work. They're like that rather ugly hammer in your toolbox you've had for decades that is near perfect and you are never likely to discard. Try as you might, that which works, and works well, perfectly fits the adage.. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Lastly they really carry well, especially their compact versions like the model 19 and model 23. One well known gun writer wrote that the Glock 23 is the finest combat handgun you can carry. I believe he's pretty much dead on with that statement.
Now admittedly I also very much like Smith and Wesson's line of their M&P pistols. I have a number of them and do carry them when I feel they would be the better choice. Really fine products. but they are not as simple to field strip and even less simple to detail strip for repairs, detailed cleaning, or modifications.
So I am just someone who admires and respects things that work the way they were designed. The architectural truism of "Form follows function" seems to have been ingrained in the Glock design. So if a 1911, a Beretta 92FS, an XD series Springfield Armory, a Sig Sauer, and a Glock 23 are sitting on a table waiting for me as I leave my home. Which one do I pick up? Without question, the Glock 23. Others would pickup something else and that's fine. But for me, the choice between these listed guns is simple. A light, efficient, reliable, and high capacity pistol will ride on my hip.
Once more, I am not a fanboy. I just like things that work and fit my wants, needs, and requirements.
