Initially people were concerned that these guns could not be detected at airports. This however, is not the case, they can be detected. The Glock gained more acceptance when the Miami Police Department decided that they will award Glock with the official police department contract. That was in 1985, now Glocks are all over the place and are considered to be masterpieces.

The Glock is truly a work of art with fewer than 32 or 31 moving parts, depending on which model you buy. This accounts for it's easy quick field strip. The whole gun can be stripped in fewer than 35 seconds. The grip, slide, barrel, and guide rod can all be disassembled anytime and anywhere.

Recently the FBI has also contracted with Glock for supplying their on and off duty guns. FBI agents as well as special agents will carry Glocks, either concealed or visible. I chose a Glock for some of the same reasons that the FBI has.

First of all, Glocks come with a very nice, non-reflective black finish. The finish is a very tough treatment to the metal and lasts forever. The treatment that the Glocks go through give the gun a hardness rating of 69 out of 70, only diamond is stronger. hence, Glocks are more durable than stainless steel guns. My Glock is one of those original Miami Police Department guns, and the finish as well as the MPD insignia are still there, over 13 years later.

Glocks are lightweight and a joy to carry. The polymer grip makes for a very light gun, which absorbs most of the recoil. The Glock also points very well and is a very effective gun for use with either one hand or two.

Glocks are "double-action only" which basically means that as soon as you pull the trigger the gun fires. There are no external safeties or anything else to manipulate prior to pulling the trigger. The trigger is also an ingenious invention. Glocks are equipped with a special safety trigger system, whereby the trigger pull itself disengages the safety. There is no need to play with anything else before firing a Glock. I am sure the FBI wanted a quick draw gun that will be ready to use quickly. Fiddling with safeties was not on their mind.

Glocks have rounded edges. This aides in carry and draw. A Glock will not scratch up your body, nor will it catch on your clothing. Perhaps this is another reason that the FBI chose Glock.

Perhaps the only area in which the FBI and I part ways is regarding the caliber. I chose a Glock 17 the 9mm caliber, while the FBI chose the G22 and G23 the .40 caliber pistols. I feel that the 9mm cartridge is more than enough for me to handle most situations that I will ever encounter, hence a bigger bore is not necessary. The G17, that I have, accepts the standard 9x19 cartridge. This is a very popular caliber and the variety in ammunition is what drew me to the 9mm size. Some will argue that the 9mm size does not have enough stopping power, I tend to disagree. If you want more stopping power put more bullets in the assailant. If you can adequately handle your 9mm handgun, you can probably put more bullets into the torso than a person with a gun too big for them can. Please practice and know your limitations. Firearms should only be used as a last resort against other human beings. Never threaten with your weapon unless you are loaded and ready to use it. A quick escalation can lead to great harm, to either you or an assailant, be prepared to act. Furthermore, a 9mm handgun is capable to house more bullets than a larger bore size, and hence that gives you more firepower.

I was able to obtain an original Miami Police Department G17 with the high capacity magazine. My clips hold 17 bullets, while newly manufactured guns only have 10 bullets. The guns were sent back to Glock to be refurbished and sold as used. They come with all the standard equipment; a box, a barrel cleaner, an extra clip, and manuals with warranty cards.