When glock came out with the 17, just about every LE holster in the US had a Smith 2nd Gen pistol in it, or a revolver. Nobody would touch the glock. The media slammed it as a plastic gun that could go thru airports, and the agencies that tested them were having AD's left and right.

It wasn't until glock started giving them away for free (with trade in) that agencies started showing interest. It had nothing to do with quality, it was all about budget. That sad part is that the trade-in pistols were worth far more than the glocks, and the middle men made a huge profit (especially after the 1994 HC ban).

I've always said glock makes the best $200 gun on the market, and would not feel underarmed if issued one (unless it is a .40 ). The problem is that in order to give freebies to LE departments, they have to up the retail price to cover costs.

I qualified with G17 back in 88 or 89, and a G30 whenever they came out. Easy to shoot, but they couldn't hold a candle to a Smith 3rd Gen DAO like the 3954.