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Another reason why Glocks are good...

4K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  Sean 
#1 ·
Deputies Switch Pistols from .45ACP Smits to Glock .40. Check out the reasons.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070105/NEWS/701050354/1004

Polk Deputies Switch Pistols

By Eva Kis
The Ledger

BARTOW - The bang-to-buck ratio is about to go up at the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

The agency is upgrading its standard-issue handgun to a .40-caliber Glock pistol, which officials say is more accurate, highly durable and will reduce user error. And they will cost about 40 percent less.

The new firearm is expected to be phased in sometime in March. Each deputy must undergo 16 hours of training to learn about the new gun and practice handling it.

"You're talking two different generations here," Deputy John Angleton said.

The Glocks will cost $350 per gun, compared with $560 for the current .45-caliber Smith & Wesson.

More than 60 percent of law enforcement agencies in the nation already use these weapons, said Sheriff Grady Judd.

Choosing the new weapon involved research and testing.

"We researched five different guns," said Deputy Larry Traylor, who has taught firearms training at the Sheriff's Office for 12 years.

In addition, opinion surveys were mailed out to deputies about them and had deputies test the guns being considered.

The Glock was finally chosen for several reasons.

One of its main advantages, officials agree, is that it holds more ammunition, at 18 rounds with an extended magazine, compared with 9 bullets in the Smith & Wesson.

"If we can't keep our deputies safe, we can't keep the community safe," Judd said.

Its larger sight makes for more accurate and quicker targeting, and the Glock clocks in at nearly 17 ounces lighter than the Smith & Wesson. "God forbid, if we have to shoot a firearm, we only want to hit what we shoot (at)," Judd said.

Along with a new, more secure holster, the Glock has a flashlight attachment on its barrel. It also will mean less of a chore when it comes to cleaning and maintenance - compared with the Smith & Wesson's 87 moving parts, the Glock has 35.

"Every time that part moves, there's a chance that part can break," Traylor said.

Special materials in its construction make the Glock resistant to scratches and rust, and it will fire even after being submerged in water.


"Around here in Polk County, that's a good thing," Traylor said.

Sheriff's deputies switched from revolvers to the 9 mm Smith & Wesson in 1988. Sometime around 1997-98, they changed to the current .45-caliber model.

"I love the (Glock)," Traylor said. "I think it's going to work great."

Eva Kis can be reached at ekis@theledger.com or 863-802-7550.
 
#3 ·
Same here. I own a G35.

Most likely they were issued the 22 models.
 
#5 ·
Bartow is a metro-Atlanta area agency.

I'm a armorer for S&W and Glock. I carry and S&W on duty and a Glock off duty (most of the time).

They make some good points in the article, but I very much have to disagree with the notion than a Glock .40 is more accurate than a S&W .45ACP.
 
#6 ·
Not bashing here, I carry several GLOCKS on and off-duty and am the dept's armorer; that is where this question comes from:

What agency would issue entnded magazine bases? I think either the article is BS or this Sheriff is politicking for justification to the public a large expenditure. IMHO and FWIW

However, most of the other points are arguably valid.
 
#7 ·
The magazine basepads make sense to me. I bought several Arredondo basepads for my G 35 at a cost of $35 per for USPSA limited division. Buying in bulk would probably enable the Sheriff's Office to get a better price. These basepads enable me to put 18 or 19 rounds in the .40 caliber gun. If I were an LEO, I wouldnt mind at all having the extra rounds.
 
#8 ·
Along with a new, more secure holster, the Glock has a flashlight attachment on its barrel.
That must be an new option...i didn't know that i could have a Flashlight attached to my barrel. :smt170

[rant_on] I don't know why so many people need confirmation from some kind of LE Agency that a gun is good. Truth is most of the current production guns are plenty reliable. Whenever i buy a gun, i buy it because it fits my needs, wants & my hands. Not because some LE Agency has it. [rant_off]
 
#9 ·
Bartow is a metro-Atlanta area agency.

I'm a armorer for S&W and Glock. I carry and S&W on duty and a Glock off duty (most of the time).

They make some good points in the article, but I very much have to disagree with the notion than a Glock .40 is more accurate than a S&W .45ACP.
I'd have to concur with your disagreement. Smiths are great. I had a 4513 tactical that would out-shoot any 1911 I put it up against. I'm a believer.

Having said that, nothing wrong with the Glocks, either.
 
#10 ·
I have two cents here, and I am going to toss them in.

I would say the Glock 22 IS more accurate than the Smith 4506...FOR THE AVERAGE OFFICER.

The Big Smith DOES require more of a commitment in time, and training to "make it sing". The Glock is a natural for a wider spectrum of people.

That being said...the difference in true "gun accuracy" is negated by the fact that darned few people can actually shoot as well or better than their gun is capable of BEING SHOT.

I prefer Glock....but I own a Smith 4506, and it is a damned fine pistol, and I'd never feel undergunned carrying it.
 
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