I wonder how many will truthfully say....

[Farmer17]

I like the new thumb safety on the S&W MP and the Springfield XD, and if I were in charge of an LE agency I would probably issue a gun like that over a Glock. With proper training it won't slow you down on your first shot and if a bad guy gets your gun he may not immediately know how to disengage it.

 

[keggius]

By definition it is still accidental even if it was caused by negligence. Unless the intent was to discharge the gun it was accidental. Negligent as well but still accidental.

 

[Frizzman]

I have never been entirely comfortable with a pistol that is cocked essentially and has no safety on it. I started my career as a LEO with a M10 S&W. Safety, no safety, safe action, cocked and locked, cocked and unlocked, condition one, condition two, etc., etc....That's why I still cary a revolver 95% of the time. All DA revolvers work pretty much the same. One can certainly mess up with a revolver. I saw a guy at a precinct house kill the candy machine while playing quick draw in a hall. I think that proper gun handling is the key to avoiding mishaps but when people are tired and/or stressed, etc. they can and do screw up. I don't find that its only Glocks of course. The lighter and shorter trigger on all of the plastic guns is just not comfortable to me. Maybe its my age and background. "A man's got to know his limitations."...

 

[Norton 750]

Back in the 80's when I got my first Glock, I carried it cocked with a full mag for a few months...no "clicks" ever. After that, I was comfortable with a loaded chamber as well. Just get a good holster that covers the trigger and you will be fine. As an aside, the Glock kicked the 1911 off my belt for a while in the 80's, but I went back to the 1911. About three years ago I went back to the Glock 19 full time.

 

[bluesman99]

I have 3 glocks, a smith J frame, a 1911, and a full size S&W 45. I have to say the S&W full size 45 is the safest. If you carry it with the safety on, the trigger is disconnected and it is impossible to discharge. Once to take it off then the double action first shot and grip safety is pretty darn safe. With that said, yes the glock makes me a bit nervous with no safety and a light trigger. Carrying the glock in a good holster is the best safety second to operator control.

Many of the discharges discussed probably occurred in the years when LEO's transitioned from revolvers to autos with the light triggers, due to pulling the trigger under stress. Many police departments went to the Glock NY-1 trigger with 8 lbs pull instead of the stock 5 lbs. This trigger allowed for a firm consistent pull similar to a revolver. Massad Ayoob on page 27 in his well know book Combat Handgunning talks about how he has modified all his glocks with the NY-1 trigger. This $2 modification is a great option for folks that want a safer more revolver like gun.

Yes there also the stories about how LEO's lives were saved because a bad guy tried to kill a cop with their own gun and didn't turn the safety off, but I am also sure there are stories of cops being killed because they forgot to take the safety off their gun, who knows.

Personally, I fell a cocked and locked single action gun like the 1911 is as dangerous a weapon as any out there, and would take the revolver or Glock any day as far as piece of mind carrying goes.

 

[n4zov]

If unintended discharges were common Glock would not have been adopted by so many law enforcement agencies all over the world.

 

[Jack Flash]

Originally posted by wjh2657:

Originally posted by jsd30:
Unfortunately a shooter at our local range was killed in the parking lot while placing his 9mm Glock, loaded, into the old style plastic box that had the protrusion that went through the trigger guard, causing the gun to fire.

A tragedy and I do not want to make less of it. But what was he doing putting a loaded weapon into a storage box (purpose of Plastic Box.) ...

Agree it was a tragedy not to be lightly dismissed. But beyond his other mistakes, if he had only kept the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, he would still be with us.

Violating one gun saftey rule may result in tragedy. Violating three or four at a time almost guarantees it.