Summary

Pros:
- Accessorizing this gun is easy.
- Turn it into anything you want.
- Reliability.
- Disconcern with getting a stock one a little banged up.
- They're cheap.
- Proven platform.
- You can high five CIA agents, Cops, and other LEO know they have the same gun (do not try this in CA or DC).

Cons:
- The trigger break takes a little getting used to.
- I'm reviewing a .40 S&!W *sad emoji*.
- You can buy this gun drunk and not feel bad.
- The .40 recoil digs into your palm if you have small hands and starts to hurt.
- It requires modifications to be a better gun.
- The sights take a lot of time getting used to.

Gun Additions as Picture:
Taran Tactical base plate, Streamlight TLR-1, Salient Arms BLU (expensive black serrating thing)

Introduction

This post really is for people who found there way to this site and are looking to purchase their first handgun. The gun community, MIL, LEO, and the aliens fortunate enough to visit our planet all know the name Glock well. What you're probably thinking is "when is he going to address the bathtub picture?" Well wait no longer the time is now. Every morning or at night we take a bath and no matter how filthy, steamy, humid, or old our bathtub we expect it to work with little to no belief that it can fail. That's what Glocks are, they're routine, reliable, and will operate in the steamiest and filthiest of conditions. Not much has changed in its design since the Generation 1 Glocks, but they work. The bath-tub essentially serves the same purpose whether it's a decrepit from trainspotting or a lavish one in Aerosmith's mansion; Glock's have the same level of poor mans gun to playboy's carry piece.

The Gun As a whole

I'll try to keep this short as I don't think this pistol needs much to be said about it and if you want more there's a universe of information out there. Is it a great first gun? Yes, buy it, it won't break your pockets. You can have the confidence that our entire nation has had in it. The Pentagon has continued to ring Glock's phone for pistols to distribute throughout their protective agencies. They're as prosaic as Thinkpad laptops in corporate America and the government. A true staple to the firearm community that screams "I don't need it to be fancy, I just need it to go bang." To be honest, it's one of the few Austrian's that I've met on American soil and I don't think it'll have to worry about immigration restrictions anytime soon. If you hate the way it feels and are deciding to go for that 1911, don't, go back to the Glock and familiarize yourself with it. If you still hate it, then place a call to Salient Arms International (SAI) or Agency Arms and have them modify your current one. If you're an anti-gun convert all of your anti-gun friends will be amazed at how beautiful the SAI pistol is, so there no more explaining why you've got a Glock with gold accents. Note: Every company hates .40 S&W, so be prepared to most likely have to convert back to 9mm.

Trigger || Sights || & Everything nice

If you read the Smith & Wesson MP9 article, then you'll know that I'm much more of a fan of the trigger on this pistol than the one that I carry everyday. It has a very crisp break to it from the factory. The trigger safety isn't too intrusive and can even be used as a sort of indexing feature of the middle of the trigger. I don't believe any OEM trigger to be perfect, but this one is pretty close. The only real gripe that I have about it is the face of the trigger isn't flat but has this progressive angle that leads up to where the trigger safety is located. Other than that I think most owners new to Glock will appreciate the OEM trigger.

White squares...line them up...pull the trigger...you should hit your target. This feature is my biggest pet peeve on the G23 and G19 4th generation pistols. I don't know if the sights come a little off from the factory but, this is the only handgun out of the box where I am not very accurate at all at 15 yards. This could be operator error or it could be the gun. I have met people whose shot placement is amazing with the standard sights, but most people that I've met from owner to infrequent users have not shown James Bond like accuracy proficiency. In fact, it takes a lot of concentration to get the bullet to go where you intend it to. To keep cost down I'm sure this won't change, but as I said in the beginning Glocks are the legos of guns, so it's only an upgrade away.

The gun is fairly simply to take down. The take down levers aren't as pronounced as most handguns, but you'll find just above the trigger lies a cutout with levers that you can pull downward. Be sure to make sure there isn't a bullet in the chamber and the magazine has been removed. Once both sides have been pulled down with your thumb and index finger, you can pull the trigger and the slide comes apart. There's really nothing else more to say about the standard pistol other than it works in its utilitarian form.

One of the most notable reasons to purchase this pistol is if you're not planning to run the run-of-the-mill Blackhawk or Safariland holsters. If you want one to find one of the more unique holsters that sometimes take 3-4 months you'll usually find yourself able to skip that wait as the smaller companies always overproduce for Glocks.

You Fancy Huh? The Aftermarket

Finally if you find that your glock isn't working for you or it doesn't have the wooing factor that you're accustom to. Check out the Glock aftermarket, I've listed both Salient and Agency Arms, but there is a galore of companies out there that will tune your Glock to your liking. I've posted pictures below of two angles from Salient. The top tier guns will run you around $2500, which is a bargain if you consider trying to build the same gun on your own. If you're interested in a more detailed review of this pistols I would check out both Colion Noir's SAI and Agency Arms review of his.

Picture courtesy of Salient Arms International

Conclusion

In conclusion everyone needs a Glock. Whether it's your first or last gun, it is the poster board pistol for the gun community. It doesn't matter what brand you favor or if you'll never use the gun outside of moving it around in your safe. Someday there will be a handgun comparison conversation where everyone either praises or trashes their Glocks and you don't want to be that guy or gal who has nothing to contribute. Do yourself a favor, muster up some self or alcohol courage (not too much now, maybe after a hangover? or drunk dial your gun dealer to order one for you), walk into a gun store and buy yourself a Glock 23 or 19.

- The End

Glock 23

Gallery