Guns: Glocks - A Default Recommendation

Sometimes my friends ask me which firearm I recommend for personal defense. There are plenty to choose from, of course, but one pistol that always seems to pop up in these conversations is the Glock. That's not to say that I am a Glock fanboy (heck, I don't even own one). Nor do I think Glocks are unbreakable magic swords. But a pistol like a Glock 19 makes a lot of sense for someone who might not be all that enthusiastic about shooting but wants a handgun for defense.

They're easy to find, first of all - I bet nearly every gun store and gun show in the country has Glocks for sale. This means that unsure buyers can see, feel, and perhaps even testfire the pistol firsthand no matter where they live. I love my CZ P-01, for instance, but I can't guarantee XYZ gun shop in Terra Haute will have one in stock. It just doesn't make sense to recommend a gun that isn't readily available.

Accessories are the same way. The huge popularity of the Glock pistol line means that getting new magazines, holsters, and replacement parts is easy, especially compared to more obscure guns. Tracking down mags for a Steyr S9 might be fun for someone who enjoys the shooting sports, but I imagine it'd be frustrating for the average Joe.

Finally, Glocks are "coolness-proof." By recommending a Glock, any Glock, there's no danger a novice shooter will inadvertently buy something that "looks cool" but is really impractical, like a pistol grip shotgun or a Desert Eagle. It might sound ridiculous, but remember that non-shooters get their firearm information from movies and TV, where a TEC-9 is capable of hitting targets from two hundred yards away. The entire Glock pistol line is geared towards self-defense, so restricting the conversation to Glocks means that whatever is purchased will be at least serviceable.