I wrote this on another board over a year ago. Thought some folks here may find it useful:
I am often asked “Why a Glock” and “Why 9mm”?
Since 1990 I have carried on duty Beretta, Sig, Smith & Wesson, H&K, Colt, Les Baer, Springfield Armory, Para Ordance, Kimber, and Glock (there may be others that I can’t recall right now)
I have had the opportunity to shoot Styer, Taurus, Walther, S&W Sigma, Wilson Combat, Ruger, CZ, Desert / Baby Eagle, STI / SVI, Browning HP, and others that can’t remember right now.
Since the late 1990’s I’ve narrowed my handgun choice to 1911’s and Glocks…because it’s what I shot best and what I felt most comfortable with.
Up until 2001 I had always been a fan of the .45acp, but felt comfortable with a .40cal…And felt that the 9mm was under powered.
I generally carried a 1911, but when it came to stressful shooting (ie. SWAT qual, Firearms Instructor’s qual, etc) I would use a Glock because I felt more comfortable with it under stress, and found time and time again that I shot better with a Glock under stress. The Glock had the same trigger pull every time, the grip angle was perfect, no grip safeties to worry about in ackward positions, the size of the grip was just right, no safety levers / decockers, etc.
In 2001 I took a Tactical Response (formerly OPS Southeast) Tactical Pistol class. I shot the first day with my Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special and the second day with my Glock 35. It was after this class of shooting 500 round through each gun, back to back, that I realized that the Glock was much better suited to me.
I have been through other classes, matches, and training, and shot both guns and found that under stress, shooting one handed, shooting in awkward positions, shooting on the move, shooting while trying to perform other tasks other tasks, etc. that the Glock was better suited to me.
“Why the 9mm”? During my first class with Yeager he made the comment “Pistol bullets poke holes, rifle bullets tear shit up”…That quote stuck in my mind. I thought back to the after effects of shooting on both animals, victim’s of shootings, and Officer involved shootings that I had seen personally and read about during my career. Not one shooting I could think of would the effects not been the same with a 9mm or a .45acp.
With 9mm being approximately half the price of .45acp, the recoil of 9mm being less than the .45acp, and knowing shot placement is much more important than caliber, it’s not hard to understand why I switched over to 9mm. And now that I’m buying only 1 pistol caliber, logistically it’s much easier for me when buying ammo.
Me: How many boxed of the 9mm Winchester White Box 100 round value packs do you have in stock?
Wal-Mart employee: 21, how many do you need?
Me: I’ll take all of them.
Wal-Mart employee: (cocks head and has a bewildered look on his face) Man you must shoot a lot.
I started to rethink my mentality on pistols and pistol calibers, and after some deep soul searching found that I was an anti - 9mm guy, and loved the 1911 because I had listened to everyone else’s hype. Every time I had taken a pistol class, shot in a match, practiced at the range, etc, it solidified that I shot better under stressful conditions with a Glock. But I was carrying a pistol and caliber due to hype, not on what pistol and caliber suited me the best.
Choose what best suits your style, don’t believe the hype, and try it before you dismiss it.
All Glocks, All 9mm
