In article <93105.164406U28037@uicvm.uic.edu> Jason Kratz <U28037@uicvm.uic.edu> writes: > >All very true.  I'm going on what I have read and heard from friends. >Basically the Glock is great but I have heard/read that it is a lot harder to >learn proper handling because of the type of safety that it has.  I was >looking at a Glock .40S&W and the S&W 4006 a couple of weeks ago and the >safties on the guns were very different.  The saftey on the 4006 seemed a lot >more "safe"  (for lack of a better word) than the one on the Glock.  Of course >this could also be a bad thing if you were to pull the gun on somebody.  You >would spend more time fiddling around turning the safety off.  Personally I >like the Glocks because they are very light and I think they look really cool >(guess that's why they use them in so many movies) but I wouldn't get one as >my first semi-auto because of the safety.  I would prefer more training with >a "traditional" semi-auto (ala Colt .45) but of course that's just my opinion. > >Jason  	At the risk of starting the 'my gun is better than yours' flame war, I must disagree. 	 	There is no secret in handling a Glock.  In fact, it is often chosen (besides its other merits) because it shoots like a revolver does basically.  It can limit the training time (read budget $$$) due to the fact there are no 'external' safties other than the trigger, hence less training time required.   	Smith & Wesson (among other types) are chosen due to the fact taht they do have the external safties (hammer drop,as well as mag drop) which if properly used have saved many lives when 'Mr. Bad' snatched the gun from the officer and tried to shoot said officer the gun was on safe and would not fire.  This point had been made in many articles in various  gun magazines.  If fact, one author (can't remember who) staged a little test where he had a revolver and a S&W on safe laying on a table and asked people with little firearms experience to on his signal, grab the gun and shoot a target.  He timed the people using each gun.  The revolver times were pretty close, but some of the times with the S&W were in minutes, or the person just gave up because they could not figure out the saftey.  	You don't often see Colt 45 autos issued due to the light trigger which can be accidentally fired in a stress situation, opening the issuing city,county, etc.. to lawsuits, bad press, etc..  	Of course any problem can be overcome with enough training, but such training is not always available to budget crunched departments.  I know if I were a Cop I would want something like a S&W just for the off chance of the gun getting taken away.  The safety doesn't guarantee that 'Mr. Bad' won't figure it out and shoot me, but it could buy enough time to draw a second gun and shoot 'Mr. Bad' before it's too late.  	Don't think I am too biassed here just because I have had 3 Glocks in my possession at one time, because I have had a .45 as well.  In fact, it was my first handgun.  Remember, the ultimate 'safety' is YOU the operator, and no safety is going to stop an negligent discharge (note I don't say accidental) if you break the rules of gun handling.  	As per the part of being light weight and looking cool, I agree 100%.  I wouldn't rule it out as a first purchase.