Dropping Glock versus 1911

[Seabear]

if I was to beat a fence post with my 1911 it would cease to function whereas the Glock will continue firing.

And he would beat a fence post with a firearm, why?

Quimosabe Tonto I asked the same question. I think he was just trying to illustrate with a hypothetical situation, however it just left me confuse. I don't beat posts with my pistol, and I don't recall dropping one except my airsoft.

[kyreb]

I sold off my last two Glocks a couple months ago. 1911s will be my "primary go to"and I could not be happier.

[CEOofEVIL]

For one thing, a typical 1911 has at least three safety mechanisms to the Glock's one

Sorry good buddy, but this is inaccurate. Glocks have three safeties - one active (trigger safety) and two passive/automatic (firing pin safety and drop safety).

Original 1911s only had two active (grip safety and thumb safety) and zero passive/automatic (though later models have integrated various drop safeties and firing pin safeties).

In a nutshell, the 1911 safeties would "allow" someone to press the trigger of a loaded 1911 without it going BANG. Depending on your point of view, this good (extra level of safety) or bad (false sense of safety, as in "look I can press the trigger and nothing will happen" ... until you fail to realize your muscle memory already subconsciously deactivated the thumb safety and ... BANG).

Both are great handgun systems, likely the best two ever developed. And each user should choose the system that fits them best.

As for NDs, it's a stretch to compare 1911s to Glocks in this regard because of sheer numbers (how many more police officers etc. use Glocks daily than 1911s?) and because of the change over that was made in law enforcement from revolvers with relatively heavy triggers (8-15 pounds vs. about 5-6 for a stock Glock) but still no external active safeties of any kind. And yes, I realize the US military used 1911s for 75 years, but it was not the primary weapon of many (most?) who carried it and and likely not subject to number of unholster/reholster repetitions as a LEO-used handgun.

Well said Sir.

To the OP, It would seem your friend is just letting his personal prefererence bias his point of view... I really really, really dislike it when folks who use that same approach make a bad name for owners of a certain Gun/Brand. It's a pet peeve of mine, actually. For instance, my wife went through a Basic Firearms Safety/Pistol Usage Class some months back at out local community college (it was free). She was telling me how the instructor went off an a tangent during the class when asked what some "good" handguns were. He basically said that anything made by Beretta was pure junk, and went on to prasie a number of the modern Polymer pistols (Glock, M&P). I laughed when she told me this. Seriously, I consider it a mark of an excellent instructor if he takes the high road and does not let his personal bias interfere with the honest assesment of a certain Firearms performance. I can understand saying "This brand has a bad track record with reliability" or something of that nature, but flat out telling a group of New shooters that "anything from this brand is crap" is just too far out there. I know we're all humans, but c'mon! When I become an instructor I will be trying my absolutel dangdest to stay away from that type of behavior.

Drinking Brand/Type Kool-aid just isn't wise, as I've found Myopic views will only let one down in multiple ways over the long haul. Options are always good.

Just my 2 cents.

[gigag04]

This whole thread is nonsense. Everyone should know by now that a revolver is the only reliable type of handgun.

[Seabear]

This whole thread is nonsense. Everyone should know by now that a revolver is the only reliable type of handgun.

LOL I have a S&W 625JM that will definitely kick some butt. However, I won't beat a fence post with it either, and I have NEVER dropped it.

[A-R]

I have a S&W 625JM

Let me help you unload that worthless, antiquated wheel gun that shoots old technology .45 ammo by trading you a Glock for it. Heck I'll even trade you a 1911 for it

[CrimsonSoul]

I dropped my 1911 the other day (see never again forum), it was flung from my body a good 4 feet away and didn't go bang thankfully. Lesson learned though, don't jump and spin while carrying lol

[The Annoyed Man]

For one thing, a typical 1911 has at least three safety mechanisms to the Glock's one

Sorry good buddy, but this is inaccurate. Glocks have three safeties - one active (trigger safety) and two passive/automatic (firing pin safety and drop safety).

Original 1911s only had two active (grip safety and thumb safety) and zero passive/automatic (though later models have integrated various drop safeties and firing pin safeties).

Yes, but the external safeties require something additional from the shooter besides just pulling the trigger. The internal safeties on the Glock may work to prevent it from discharging if dropped, but once the finger goes into the trigger guard, all bets are off; whereas putting your finger in the trigger guard of a cocked and locked 1911 will do exactly nothing unless the grip safety is deliberately depressed, and the thumb safety is deliberately switched off.

I don't have any problems with the Glock safety system. My wife owns one, and I don't think that she's in danger with it. I'm not saying that it is not as good a system as the 1911's. I'm just saying that if someone is dumb enough to not handle a gun safely, they are more likely to accidentally shoot themselves with a pistol that only needs the trigger pulled to discharge. Just ask Plaxico Burress.

[Toorop]

It is equally true that the sheer number of "Glock Leg" incidents simply dwarfs the number of "1911 leg" incidents, in large part due to the fact that drawing and using a 1911 requires the user to also use the fourth safety.....his brain. A Glock user on the other hand may get his booger hook into the trigger guard at any stage of the process, including the initial draw stroke, without ever engaging the fourth safety, and very easily shoot himself in the leg. Hence the statistics.

Now, I am not calling Glock users stupid. What I am saying is that they have to pay much closer attention to what they are doing in order to safely handle their pistols, than does the 1911 user with a cocked and locked pistol. And I am not saying Glock users pay less attention either. I'm just saying that if their attention wanders, the likelihood of an ND is quite a bit higher, which explains the statistics.

Which statistics are those? Do you have a link?

[Seabear]

I have a S&W 625JM

Let me help you unload that worthless, antiquated wheel gun that shoots old technology .45 ammo by trading you a Glock for it. Heck I'll even trade you a 1911 for it

You're welcome to come to Corpus and "unload it" as many times as you want, however I don't think it will be going for a ride with anyone else but me.

[kjolly]

What does he have against fence posts?
Seriously I perfer the separate thumb safety or DAO. If the safety is on the trigger and I've already made the mistake of putting my finger inside the trigger guard I don't see that as an adaquate safety.

[paadams]

let me preface this with, I don't have time to read every post but I own 3 Glocks and absolutely love them, and I don't have any 1911s.

I'm sorry, but your friend is an idiot. Who is going to repeatedly drop, or hit a fence post with a pistol? What kind of logic is he using??

[A-R]

What does he have against fence posts?
Seriously I perfer the separate thumb safety or DAO. If the safety is on the trigger and I've already made the mistake of putting my finger inside the trigger guard I don't see that as an adaquate safety.

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* oh and TAM is right, dumb people should not own Glocks

[A-R]

I have a S&W 625JM

Let me help you unload that worthless, antiquated wheel gun that shoots old technology .45 ammo by trading you a Glock for it. Heck I'll even trade you a 1911 for it

You're welcome to come to Corpus and "unload it" as many times as you want, however I don't think it will be going for a ride with anyone else but me.

[A-R]

This whole thread is nonsense. Everyone should know by now that a revolver is the only reliable type of handgun.

BUNK! A single-shot TC Contender is much more reliable