The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

Walt Sherrill · October 26, 2014, 08:49 PM

Well, the US built about 1.7 million 1911s during a 4-5 year period (WWII), Colt made a quantity before then, and various companies have been making them in modest quantities in the U.S., in Europe (Tanfoglio), Argentina, in the Philippines, and China EVER SINCE!!. I doubt anybody knows how many have been made. Add them all together and it might be a greater total more than Glock -- but Glock did their thing as a single company in a much shorter period -- and didn't rely on a bunch of BIG GOVERNMENT MILITARY CONTRACTS to pump the numbers up! Not that many militaries really use Glocks in large number or as their primary sidearms. (Beretta has them BEAT in that contest.)

It's all pretty impressive -- and some of that success was due to a good bit of very savvy marketing and effective sales practices. While we can all probably agree that Gaston Glock is no John Moses Browning, he's clearly not a fool, either.

I've had a number of Glocks, but have only have one at present -- a Model 38, my favorite! The Glock is based on an elegantly simple design that works far better than it seems it ought to work. The trigger seems to be the biggest complaint, but if you're willing to spend another $250 +/- you can buy one of the better after- market fire control assemblies that will give you a trigger that's about as good as many 1911s.

I also have a Ruger SR9, which I like. I started to install the Ghost trigger kit in that gun (as I did in several of my Glocks), only to find that the Ruger trigger and striker assembly probably had more parts than a Glock pistol. I let my gunsmith do it. The Ghost-improved Ruger trigger is now better than the Ghost-improved Glock trigger, but I'm still awed by the Glock design.

They're not for everyone -- but neither are 1911s.

October 26, 2014, 08:49 PM	#13
Walt Sherrill Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 1999 Location: Winston-Salem, NC USA Posts: 6,348	Well, the US built about 1.7 million 1911s during a 4-5 year period (WWII), Colt made a quantity before then, and various companies have been making them in modest quantities in the U.S., in Europe (Tanfoglio), Argentina, in the Philippines, and China EVER SINCE!!. I doubt anybody knows how many have been made. Add them all together and it might be a greater total more than Glock -- but Glock did their thing as a single company in a much shorter period -- and didn't rely on a bunch of BIG GOVERNMENT MILITARY CONTRACTS to pump the numbers up! Not that many militaries really use Glocks in large number or as their primary sidearms. (Beretta has them BEAT in that contest.) It's all pretty impressive -- and some of that success was due to a good bit of very savvy marketing and effective sales practices. While we can all probably agree that Gaston Glock is no John Moses Browning, he's clearly not a fool, either. I've had a number of Glocks, but have only have one at present -- a Model 38, my favorite! The Glock is based on an elegantly simple design that works far better than it seems it ought to work. The trigger seems to be the biggest complaint, but if you're willing to spend another $250 +/- you can buy one of the better after- market fire control assemblies that will give you a trigger that's about as good as many 1911s. I also have a Ruger SR9, which I like. I started to install the Ghost trigger kit in that gun (as I did in several of my Glocks), only to find that the Ruger trigger and striker assembly probably had more parts than a Glock pistol. I let my gunsmith do it. The Ghost-improved Ruger trigger is now better than the Ghost-improved Glock trigger, but I'm still awed by the Glock design. They're not for everyone -- but neither are 1911s. Last edited by Walt Sherrill; October 27, 2014 at 04:19 AM.