Glock 21 vs. M1911

I was recently presented with a question about which I like better the Glock 21 or the M1911?

This isn’t an easy question for me to just answer but I will try. I own and love my Glock 21.45 ACP I have been through a lot with my gun and have shot personally about 500 rounds through it in the 3 years I have owned it when I got this gun it was “pre-loved” by someone else and when I first took the gun apart it was clear he loved it too just by the wear he had put on the gun.

I have shot and holstered a few different M1911s all of which have had their own characteristics and I can say I like the feel, and size and I do like the recoil for some reason. (I know it might be a little much for some people but we aren’t talking about other people) I have a love/hate relationship with the magazine. I love the look and the size of the magazine and how well you can carry so many magazines without taking up that much space on your belt so you don’t feel like you’re carrying Batman’s utility belt (unless that is what you are going for at which point I suggest taking a strong look at becoming a peace officer because they carry all the COOL stuff *quizzical look at self*) nevertheless I hate the 7 round capacity it offers.

I like the polymer-based magazines out on the market for other guns because it puts less wear on the gun (no metal on metal). If you know of a polymer M1911 7-round magazine please email me because I haven’t found one yet.

As I said before I have the Glock 21 and I love it. I have had a few problems over the past few years but we have gotten over them such as having a round without powder fired through the gun followed by a “live” round causing a bulge in the middle of my Glock barrel (see Glock 21 for full story) but that was an ammunition problem not a Glock problem.

I will say I am thankful it was in a Glock for the simple fact that it just messed up the barrel and didn’t blow up the whole gun. I have fired this weapon in close quarters without any hearing protection (unlike with the M1911 you will have a ringing in your ears for a few hours if you are lucky.  In no way am I advocating not wearing ear protection when firing your weapon.) and I will say I was happy because I have heard car horns louder than this gun and it was soft enough that someone in the same building who was sleeping slept right through the shot.

Now I will say I do have a few marks towards this gun that are personal problems. I like that it is a full-size weapon and has a nice big hand grip for us manly men however someone with smaller hands might not like the feel because it can be a little big. (And again this is more personal than a gun problem) The takedown pin for the gun makes it hard for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome to take the gun apart again however on the same side of this coin the takedown for cleaning it is very fast and simple. The magazine is bulky but it has a 13-round capacity so it is like carrying two magazines of the M1911. It is a polymer which I love because it makes the gun lightweight and \as you may have seen in the torture tests makes the gun want to last longer.

Speaking of my Glock, my sights are WAY off! Maybe I will go in and get them to sight the gun in this week. I’ll keep you all posted.

A friend told me he might be buying an M1911 here soon. Maybe if I am really nice I can get him to do a guest post for me on his trip of going out and getting one. 

I introduced Glock to a very old and dear friend of mine who was thinking about buying his first gun and I went shopping with him a few times to look at different guns and he did his research and found that the Glock 22 .40 S&W was the gun for him and when he called me telling me what he got I was proud to say I had a small role in him joining the Glock Family.