M14 Forum

TheTurtle

Forgive me Almighty JMB, for I have sinned.

I tried, and tried. I even showed him everything I had in stock, but he wouldn't budge. He had his choice set in stone. I sold him a Glock. He even admitted that the XD's and the M&P's feel significantly better and are a lot more fun to shoot, but he didn't want to give up that whole idea of the "It goes bang every time".

My main point when I'm trying to sell another gun over a Glock is, "Sure, if you're going to be crawling through a swamp hunting alligators for food while fleeing from a group of pissed off Spetsnaz, you may need it. But do you ever leave the range? Do you see yourself in combat anytime soon? Do you think your wife and kids will enjoy the sport when you expect them to shoot a gun designed with the ergonomics of a brick? XD's, M&P's, 1911's and just about any other gun that is working good from the start will perform just as well if not better than a Glock. Do your part and the gun will do its."

That right there has sold 7 XD's, 4 1911's, and 2 M&P's in the last month (my sales). This is my first sale on a Glock since I've been working here. I guess the salesman does play a big part in what goes out the door in the gun world.

Anybody else agree that Glocks are hyped up to be more than they really are?

1KPerDay

It's not your job to sell him what you think is best. Sell him what he wants, after offering whatever advice he seeks. Then smile all the way to the bank. :)

Glocks have a well-deserved reputation for reliability in the face of neglect/poor environment/etc. Lots of other pistols do as well. Don't feel bad.

Now, if you'd sold him a Bryco... :D

7MAGMIKE

Well I can say the Glock does go bang every time, I have two that I like, BUT I LOVE my 1911. It just feels right in my hand.

TheTurtle

I keep a good attitude all the way through a sale, but every time somebody comes in asking about a Glock, I show them one. Then follow it up with some other guns to show them what's out there. Every time until today it has resulted in them being happier with what I showed them instead of what they originally "wanted". But I'll sell whatever the customer wants in the end. I really just like to give them options with a bigger picture in mind.

And Bryco.... Bleh.

Edit: I'm generally very good with customers, only had one come in that I had to chase out. I keep a positive humorous attitude from when they walk in the door to when they leave, whether it's with a new toy or if they're just looking. It's only been a couple months and there's already people starting to come in asking for me because a friend of theirs dealt with me and was pleased. Really makes my day when a person I've never met in my life comes in and asks for me because they heard good things.

KaribouKidd

I once fired a Glock M21 - at least it was a proper caliber. I wanted to compare it to my M1911.

I brought it up, acquired the sights, and wiped off the non-existant thumb safety. Ya just can't fool that muscle memory.

I squished the trigger - YECH - and printed a respectable 13 rd. group in the black of a 25yd target.

Then I switched back to my 1911. Hey! A handgun with a trigger! Fired 14 rds (one reload of course) and my group was 1/2 the size of the one with the squish-trigger.

Glock? No disrespect to old Gaston but John Moses Browning he isn't.

TheTurtle

+1111.

When I was in the market for my first handgun, I knew nothing about Glock Or XD's. I was a shotgun nut and had yet to be informed on anything else that went bang. I knew nothing about either, I had never even heard of an XD. I knew the Glock name and was hyped up about it because hey, the police use it.... It MUST be good. It was crap. I went out and shot both before I bought and I chose the XD. Was a totally blind test and the XD won. It was about 4-5 years ago and I couldn't shoot a handgun worth a damn but the XD was funner to shoot and more user friendly.

Etool

It is just my opinion , but nothing is better than a 1911

1KPerDay

I wish you were local... people underestimate the value of a good counter guy/salesman whom they can trust.

TheTurtle

Our Mom 'n pop shop and one other shop in town are the only two within 3 hours in any direction of town. He's got billboards, radio ads, local cable ads, and everything. We have nothing. He's still our biggest salesman. People come flocking over to us straight from his shop because he's just so rude and neither him nor his employees know anything about guns, other than old cowboy action type stuff. Our prices may not be as low but there's plenty of people that would gladly pay 20$ over his for a gun when they get great customer service and a gunsmith of 40 years to back it all up.

Had a guy come in the other day for the first time and I'm briefing him on my bosses custom Remington 700s. He's happy as a clam and he tells me, "Damn, I wish I knew you guys were here when I bought my deer rifle, the guy at the other shop is a total d!ck!" Ended up selling him a custom 700 .308 built from the ground up by my boss for a hefty 2200$. He said he'd never go back to the other shop again. All because I was polite.

Seventh Fleet

I love the 1911 and I've carried it in harms way for three tours in the Nam and on the streets as a cop for thirty years.

However you've got to give the devil his due... Gaston Glock knocked the cover slap off the ball and out of the park when he designed the Glock pistol. Don't believe me, just check the hoster of the next cop that you see and check out what's ridding on his Sam Browne belt. Glock has around 70% of the police business in this country due to several reasons. For several very good reasons, they work, they are ultra reliable, they're durable and they are affordable. They are also easy to train rookies how to use them. In the early days the saying was that cops like Glocks because they're like our old revolvers in that they're simple to use, just point and shoot. No levers or manual safeties to push, just point and shoot and shoot they will, every time you pull the trigger.

If I had to have one pistol to last me for the rest of my life I would choose a Glock due to their inherent reliability, durability, rust resistance and simplicity. Not to mention their classic lines and great beauty... Just kidding about that last one.

7th

Amsdorf

The Glock is a very fine pistol, with a long proven track record of rugged reliability, ease of maintenance, ease of use, and accuracy, at a good price.

We can enjoy the 1911 and appreciate the Glock as well. I know I do.

Just to show how open minded I am about these things.

I am a...

Life Member of the National Rifle Association
Life Member of Gun Owners of America

Owner of three 1911s (17, 26, 21)
Owner of three Glocks (SA Loaded, Ruger 1911, SA Mil Spec)
Owner of HK MK 23
Owner of Ruger Mark III
Owner of six Garands
Owner of one M1 Carbine
Owner of two 1904-A3
Owner of Remington 870
Owner of Daniel Defense M4 v1
Owner of Yugo 24/47
Owner of Mosin/Nagant 91/30
Owner of Mosin/Nagant M44
Owner of Chinese M44
Owner of Ruger 10/22
Owner of maybe something else I can't remember right now

Navy Horn 16

Why do people use the words "Glock" and "Combat" in the same sentence? The vast majority of the military carry the Beretta, Aviators and some SF units carry Sig (226 or 229) and Marine SF still use a 1911.

The outfit with the highest budget and most operational freedom to carry whatever they want, carry the P-226 Navy, which they all will tell you is the finest combat handgun in the world.

Yes, a lot of police forces use Glock, but that has more to do with price and the "lowest common denominator" of user ability.

I have a hammer that goes "bang" every time I swing it. So what? If you care enough about your gun to clean and oil it, a Sig is 1000X better than a Glock. If you are talking polymer handguns (tactical Tupperware is really an entire different discussion) the XD and M&P lines are both vastly superior to Glock in accuracy and ergonomics and easily their equal in reliability. Not to mention that the Glock trigger is probably the worst out-of-the-box trigger on the market.

Powder Burn

I hear ya 7th; I have the 1911's, SIGS, Beretta's, XD's, Wheel Guns and Glocks; Love em all, each has their place in my heart. However, I find that I reach for the Glock 40cal 99% of the time when I go camping, fishing, boating or just every day carry out an about....reason.....reliability

...some say "Less accurate"....in a stressful situation you won't be able to maintain your "range time accuracy" anyway as your motor skills will greatly diminish; I'll take reliability over accuracy any day...

...if the day ever comes(and I pray that it doesn't) that I have to engage a bad guy(s) I won't care whether my shot(s) are center mass or 3 inches off center as long as I stop the situation before me or mine are injured; assuming all the lethal force encounter statistics are correct, most civilian engaugements happen within a few yards anyway so my weapon of choice has to go bang for me to even have a chance and I won't have time to tap rack and roll to clear a weapon malfunction.... practicing the Tueller drill really opened my eyes as to just how fast a bad guy can be on you..

on a side note...back in the middle 90's when I started carrying concealed my EDC was a SIG 228 (had not purchased a Glock yet), I practiced drawing from concealment on a timer and used clean brass and a primer only (no powder or lead in the round)to actuate the timer. I would load several rounds of brass and primer into the SIG mag and after each shot I would rack the slide and the SIG would actually load the brass into the chamber, I must admit that when I bought my first my Glock 17 and began practicing my concealed draw in this manner my Glock would not do this, I had to load each round directly into the chamber.

dprice3844444

plus glocks are light,also

dprice3844444

whew,the sheep are still safe