Whether you carry a pistol on a daily basis or whether you just keep one in the safe you need to load it with something, and a bullet is not just a bullet. If you are picking a load for self defence purposes, hunting or sport you want it to be able to perform in a manner which will give you the best possible performance. Many people choose their carry load based on the velocity printed on the box or what the person in the gun shop recommended and have no idea what their choice of carry load will actually do. Hopefully this will give you some ideas regarding how you want a bullet to perform in a self defence scenario.

First off let me make it clear that I am not an expert in this field and the ideas here do not claim to be original. They are an amalgamation of ideas printed by people far more knowledgeable than I. There is a lot of misinformation and rubbish around about what loads one should use and what these bullets will and won’t do. People like Dr. Gary Roberts and Dr. Martin Fackler are considered by most people in the know to be the foremost experts in this field and it is worthwhile reading as much of their writings as possible to give you an idea of what performance you want.

We also need to understand what a self defence bullet is required to do and how they work. There is no black art or shock wave energy dump magic happening. People stop for three main reasons.

Firstly, psychological, where they decide oh no I have been shot I must stop. This can happen with any caliber with any shot placement and cannot be relied on.

Secondly, by causing dramatic damage to the Central Nervous System i.e. the lower brain and upper spine. This would be the most reliable means of stopping but obviously from a marksmanship point of view presents the most difficult option. It requires hitting a small area on a potentially moving target under extreme stress. Remember a head shot is not necessarily a brain shot. There are numerous cases of bullets failing to penetrate the skull, especially on angled shots. It is preferable to hit the brainstem which is quite well protected.

Thirdly, by causing a dramatic decrease in blood pressure. This is what we are attempting to do with most common points of aim, namely centre of mass or upper chest etc. Ideally we want to cause as much damage to vital organs as possible, thereby reducing blood pressure to a point where the assailant is no longer able to continue action. The bullet does this by contact; the permanent cavity is the hole the bullet leaves in its wake and what it damages on this path. At handgun velocities the temporary cavity, which is the wounding outside the bullets path, cannot be relied upon as most tissue is elastic enough to resist any permanent damage from this. Organs like the liver or kidneys are less elastic and are more likely to suffer permanent damage. Once again this is not something to be relied upon. At rifle velocities temporary cavity is more destructive due to far higher velocities.

So to my mind the following are the most important factors in choosing what to load in your self defence pistol.

1. Reliability

Your first priority is that the load you choose works reliably in your gun. It doesn’t matter how fantastically it performs on target, if it hangs up on your feed ramp and you have a stoppage. Whether you are using a semi-auto pistol, a revolver or even a derringer, shoot as much of the load you are going to carry as you can afford to. It doesn’t matter what brand of pistol you are using or whether your preferred load works in all your friends pistols you must check it in yours. If your gun will only feed ball reliably, either modify it to work reliably with something else, or carry ball in it or learn to work around its shortcomings.

You need to test fire whatever you are going to carry in the gun and not just hand cycle it. I have owned a couple of pistols that would reliably hand cycle some loads but would have stoppages on firing. The number of rounds you test fire is a difficult one. Most US experts recommend at least 200 rounds and some up to 1000 of whatever you plan on using. Unfortunately, financially, that would be ridiculously expensive for most of us here and at times you may not even be able to purchase 200 of any particular load. Try to shoot off at least a full box out of a full magazine in your pistol.

Reliability also means picking the best quality ammunition you can find. The cheap practice ammo you pick up at the local range or gun shop is not going to be manufactured to the same quality standard as the admittedly far more expensive premium ammunition that is available. If you elect to reload your self defence ammunition, ensure that you pay very careful attention to quality control and pay attention to nothing else when assembling the ammunition you are planning to carry.

Lastly, on this point, check every round that you load in your magazine for any nicks and damage around the case mouth, or anything else that could cause a potential stoppage. Ammo that is cycled regularly will start to show signs of wear and tear such as bullet set back and should be replaced immediately. Bullet setback can be extremely dangerous, potentially leading to a case rupturing and possibly a catastrophic malfunction.

2. Penetration

Select a bullet that will reliably penetrate a minimum of 12 inches of properly calibrated ordinance gelatin. Twelve inches of penetration should ensure that the bullet can reach the vitals on an angled shot, or on a shot that must first penetrate an intermediate barrier, which could be something as simple as an arm. There is no point in having a bullet that expands to a huge diameter, but doesn’t penetrate deeply enough to engage the vitals. This causes, for all intents and purposes, a nasty flesh wound.

Not all shootings are directly frontal. You and your assailant could be moving and introducing various degrees of angling into the scenario. Also, as an exercise, adopt your favoured shooting stance in front of a mirror. You will notice that even on a direct frontal shot, there is a good chance any bullet fired would need to penetrate the arms (maybe including bone) first before trying to penetrate through to the vitals. This could have a very negative effect on the performance of many low penetration and/or fragmenting loads. To reliably achieve this level of penetration with most small caliber pistols (9mm short and below), it would require a non expanding round as most of these cartridges will not be able to push an expanded bullet deeply enough.

Photo courtesy of www.brassfetcher.com

When the topic ofpenetration comes, up many people will then comment on over penetration. This can be a concern, especially with ball ammunition in service calibers, but is far less of a concern with most expanding rounds. The argument is that on a direct frontal shot, a bullet that will penetrate 12 inches is capable of exiting the body and posing a danger to bystanders down range. Tests have shown that for an expanded bullet to exit the skin of your back, it has to penetrate the equivalent of 4 inches of gelatin because of the very elastic nature of skin. This will obviously dramatically reduce the down range hazard. Further to that, bullet expansion is not necessarily a given and even the most advanced low penetration hollow point can plug up and fail to expand. Therefore, we as the shooter should be taking other steps to minimize downrange hazard. Don’t just rely on your ammo to do it for you. A shot that misses poses far more down range hazard than one that over penetrates. A shot that under penetrates, and allows the attacker to continue his attack, is far more of a concern. The most famous example of this is the FBI’s famous April 1986 Miami shootout. Early in the fight one of the gunmen took a non survivable shot that did not reach deeply enough into the vitals. After being shot, he was able to kill two FBI agents and wound others before he was eventually shot dead. (As an aside while the Miami shootout was not just an ammunition failure there are many lessons to be learnt from it. It is definitely worth studying)

3. Expansion

The bigger the hole the faster the blood loss or the more likely something vital will be hit. That is the basic idea behind most modern defensive pistol ammunition. An expanding bullet enables a bullet to reach a larger diameter than when it was fired, and the larger the final diameter, the larger the permanent cavity. With modern bullet design, manufacturers have been able to balance reliable expansion with reliable penetration. Some older designs would expand fantastically but then fail to penetrate deeply enough (the silvertip in most calibers was an example of a bullet that did this). Others would fail to expand or expand very little.

Modern designs are also able to expand far more reliably after encountering barriers than previously. Many barriers, such as wood or even heavy clothing, can plug up the hollow point of the bullet and therefore make it unable to expand. Manufacturers have found various ingenious ways to try to reduce the likelihood of this happening. Your car’s windscreen on the other hand does the opposite, flattening, or even fragmenting the bullet and dramatically reducing its ability to penetrate. This is part of the reason that bonded bullets are very popular with many people, me included, as the bullet is more likely to hold together and penetrate sufficiently.

The bullets used in the picture below of the bare gelatin shows the temporary wound cavitation of various calibers. The bullets were all Federal HST's. Photo by Doug Carr www.tacticalforums.com

The bullets used in the picture below of the bare gelatin  shows the temporary wound cavitation of various calibers. The bullets were all Federal HST’s. Photo by Doug Carr www.tacticalforums.com

In Conclusion.

This to my mind is a summary of the important performances one should be looking for in a carry load. This is the hardware side, and while I feel it is important, it is definitely less important than the software side.  The software side is your ability to make the hit and get decent shot placement, your use of tactics, your mindset and your WILL TO WIN. Proper equipment can give you an advantage, and any advantage is worth having.

Remember that handgun bullets don’t do a great job of immediately stopping people, so it’s important to make sure your shot placement is as effective as possible. Be ready to fire as many rounds as it takes to stop them pressing forward with their attack and always have a plan B.

Article by BigT, GunSite SA Forum Member.

Many thanks from the GunSite SA Team for this continbution.

Pictures courtesy of:

www.speer-ammo.com
www.tacticalforums.com
www.brassfetcher.com

Citizens who take their personal security seriously have come to realize that it might well take more than a pair of flip flops, a cheap hardware store torch and the trusty old handgun to stop a determined and quite possibly very well armed (exactly where did all those missing SAPS R5’s go again?) group of violent home invaders who make entry knowing full well people are at home.

Gear such as vests, plate carriers or magazine pouches / holsters, etc. will naturally follow your personal plan for home defense as well as the weapons you may have at your quick disposal. If all you have is your handgun, then that is what you need to support. Ditto for better weapons such as shotguns or rifles. It really does not matter what you may have in the safe, since you are not likely to be able to get it open and the gun(s) loaded, and ‘gear up’ in time to be a serious player in this ‘game’.

Much may also depend upon your location. If you are on a relatively isolated farm out in the boonies or even a small holding closer to civilization, you may need more or different gear from the guy who lives in an upscale area of homes and flats, etc. In the end, you must make your own choices as to your tools, gear and plans, but hopefully this article will be of some use in that selection process. If nothing else, perhaps it will make you think a bit more deeply about your situation and plans.

Possibly the nearest thing to a gear set up for home use in the professional world would be some of the various ‘Active Shooter’ rigs used by US law officers, although some of these will be used to carry more and / or different items than a home owner would normally need.

Active Shooter is the term used to generally describe a critical incident where there are one or more goblins moving through a structure or area (Mumbai) gunning down pretty much everyone they can shoot. They are mobile but almost always on foot, and they are not really trying to escape or hide from responding officers. The catalyst for this program was, of course, the school shootings at Columbine High School in 1996.

At that time, the prevailing policy for LEOs was to respond to the incident, set up a perimeter and command post and wait for SWAT to make entry. This policy is still followed when the situation is a barricaded gunman or a hostage incident, etc. and for those situations it works as designed. At Columbine it allowed two shooters to continue killing and wounding innocent kids and teachers while officers waited outside. Thus was ‘Rapid Response to Critical Incidents’, or Active Shooter for short, born.

Other incidents since Columbine have shown that even waiting for a ‘scratch team’ of officers to form up and go in can take too long…the most obvious one being the Virginia Tech shootings in April of 2007, where the shooter chained doors shut and locked a large classroom before he started killing. Today, officers are generally taught to make immediate entry, even if alone, since statistics show that as soon as an active shooter is confronted at close range by armed resistance most either flee or shoot themselves, since it is usually a suicide mission for them anyway.

This, in turn, has lead to many officers putting together an ‘active shooter rig’ that can quickly be slipped on over the uniform and that holds the gear most likely to be needed to survive a relatively short, fast fight inside a building…very similar to the armed home invasion scenario with the exception that there will seldom be more than two shooters involved. (Mumbai, while definitely an active shooter scenario, was much different)

Most cops in the states have to buy their own active shooter gear although there are a few agencies that do issue some basic items. Cops salaries are not famous for being extremely high, no matter what the country, and raising a family is expensive no matter where you live, so these setups run the gamut from high line, top dollar gear to very simple and as effective as possible given what spare funds the officer has available. So let us look at what is available for civilian use and hopefully discuss later at length what some of you are using or perhaps planning on using.

The most expensive item is probably body armor, especially if purchasing new. You must decide what level of protection you want as well as what level(s) you can afford. Remember, however, that a ‘home invasion rig’ is not cast in stone, and you can certainly add to or take away from it as time passes and / or in response to changing threats. You might begin with something like level II or IIIA soft armor and later add rifle plates to increase the protection level.

While concealable soft body armor must fit fairly well in order to be worn comfortably for long periods, (and so you don’t look like a soft shelled turtle!) soft armor in an external carrier meant for emergency use does not need to fit perfectly, and you may be able to pick up a used BP pretty cheaply in comparison to new armor. Kevlar does not degrade significantly unless exposed to bleach (such as a bleach spill) or long periods of ultraviolet light (direct sunlight) and tests by the US National Institute of Justice have demonstrated that some 10+ year old vests are fully capable of stopping any threat they would stop when new.

Manufacturers in the US rarely warranty soft armor beyond 5 years for several reasons. First, they have no control over how it is used or stored; second, people change…they grow and they shrink, so a vest that fit fine several years ago may be too small for a good fit today…and no, Kevlar does not shrink, hah! Third, concealable body armor is, in effect, underwear, and it will also sometimes begin to hold odors in spite of being cleaned regularly.

I personally do not want to wear someone else’s’ underwear next to my body, but I would use it if in good condition inside a vest or carrier for short time periods. Many officers will wear issue BPs concealed and use their old vest inside a carrier so they have two layers of soft armor once the vest is on. Not nearly as good as rifle plates, but it certainly is better than nothing.

Rifle plates are sometimes called ‘hard’ armor and they bring the protective levels up significantly in the areas they protect. They are heavy and expensive, but the weight can be mitigated somewhat by a plate carrier that balances well and fits properly. Some will get a front plate first and later add a rear one, but that does create another issue since they balance best as a set, and you will already have the majority of your gear attached from 12 to 3 and 9 o’clock on your carrier…can you say front side sag?

Since this is not an article on armor, we will move on from this topic, but I will say that if at all possible, you should have some soft armor inside your carrier or underneath it, and a combination of hard and soft is even better.

Perhaps the most simple and least expensive setup will be a simple belt with magazine pouches and holster, if you are using a handgun, that can be fastened around the waist. The belt shown is by Tactical Tailor and is 2 inches (5cm) wide so it gives very good support. It will not, however, work with most standard CCW or belt holsters since they are designed for narrower trouser belts. You will need a holster for your handgun in the event you need to have both hands free or perhaps de-escalate when armed security or law officers arrive on scene without setting the gun down where it may be reached by the bad guys. The holster shown is also by TT and is designed for a pistol with tac light attached.

Speaking of attaching items, let’s look at the widely used ‘molle’ / ‘malice’ clip attachments and see how they work. Here is the best brief description of the whats and whys of the molle system I have seen, and it quickly makes sense of some acronyms you will see often in the gear world…

http://cheaperthandirt.com/blog/?tag=molle

Here is a short description on attaching gear via a malice clip courtesy of Tactical Tailor…

http://www.cgwgun.com/ZoomImage.aspx?productID=1936756c-3ee0-482a-abe8-38f48ed86213

Now that we have hopefully clarified that issue, you can see the attraction for molle setups and gear if you will be changing things around on a single military style belt, vest or carrier. I can tell you that it is not at all unusual for pouches, bags and other kit to end up costing more than a carrier if you prefer that system. If you do not need the flexibility of being able to switch and swap attachments easily, there are other options.

Magazine pouches are an obvious next choice and once again I will use TT as an example with a pic of their standard double pistol mag pouch. These three items are probably the very bare bones setup you should consider. Obviously, you can add one or more rifle mag pouches, a pouch to hold your hand held tactical torch and other items such as perhaps a small medical bag, etc. as you see fit (and as you have the belt space) but it will get heavy and bulky very quickly if you try to add too much.

Your gear should be stiffer than soft, and should hold the items securely enough that if you get into a struggle, or trip and fall, etc. your gun, mags and torch don’t all go in different directions! You should be able to holster and secure your pistol with one hand, and the soft, cheap nylon holsters seldom allow for that.

Once you determine how you want your gear placed and located on your belt, don’t change it without good cause, and if you do, make certain to practice with it after the change. In the middle of a home invasion with alarms screaming, voices shouting, dogs barking and bad guys shooting and moving dynamically is NOT the time to realize you have gone to the wrong place on the belt for a spare magazine!

I am partial to the ATS ‘Warbelt’, which is a padded cover used over a stiff, nylon duty type belt, but I use mine for carbine / pistol classes where the extra padding and support is appreciated after several hours on the range. This will not normally be an issue with a home emergency belt, holster and pouches, but it doesn’t hurt if you want to spend the extra money.

The padding is open on the bottom so holsters and pouches not molle compatible can be attached to the underbelt, or you can use molle clips to attach those that are onthe outside of the Warbelt padded cover if you prefer. Blackhawk also makes a similar padded patrol belt but I have never used one. Here is a pic of one set up for a carbine / pistol class by a guy in Maryland using two or three BlueForce Gear Fast Mag rifle pouches, a 5.11 large dump pouch (for discarded rifle and pistol mags), a 5.11 double pistol mag pouch and a left side drop leg nylon holster.

The next step beyond a stand alone belt would probably be something along the lines of what some call a split front chest harness or a GI LBV (load bearingvest) This is basically a set of pouches and suspenders attached to the duty belt, and generally familiar to anyone who has served in most organized military units around the globe. While you could do worse, I suppose, my only gripe with this setup is speed of deployment, especially with issued US LBVs. They are, however, easy to find and cheap and they will get the job done if you need the space. (yes, that pic is from an airsoft site)

Much better for our topic I think is something like the Blackhawk Omega Crossdraw vest. It is much quicker to get into and can hold your pistol if necessary. It also comes with both rifle and pistol mag pouches. The downside, of course, is that you cannot choose where to place your gear like you can with a molle type vest.
Belts, LBVs and items like the Omega Tac vest do not, of course, hold body armor. Plate carriers

are also found in a myriad of styles, quality and prices, from something like those used by the SAPS, but more cheaply made, to extreme high quality carriers that when set up with lots of extra stuff will cost far more than a good basic tactical rifle.

My personal favorite is the Eagle molle plate carrier without cummerbund, although it may be a bit of overkill for a home rig. This will take soft armor AND plates, and is designed

to ride well balanced once loaded. Here is a pic of one set up for active shooter use by a Deputy in Washington State. With something like this, you just leave one side unfastened, grab and throw it over your head and then fasten. I am also very partial to the HSGI Woosatch. I had a Wasach (the larger version) but it was too big for me so I passed it on to a cop who could use it.

For those who are wondering what the fascination is with ‘coyote’ or ‘flat earth’ colors, I was first of all unable to get the contrast I wanted using pics of OD, Ranger Green or black items. A dark blob on a dark background shows up as pretty much nothing. It is also tactically a great all around color choice as there are very few places where it will not blend in very well with foliage, dirt, rocks or other background, and in a home it really does not matter a lot. Black sticks out like a sore thumb in the bush unless it is the very darkest jungle shade, but many Police agencies mandate it, so most such gear is available in black if you prefer.

Camo patterns are also available with certain models, and ‘MultiCam’…trademarked by Crye Precision…is among the very best. It is unfortunately being ripped off left and right by others, but Crye is fighting back in court and has won several cases against counterfeiters. The pattern and how it blends is absolutely amazing.

At the bottom of this page is a list of authorized users, and it reads like a who’s who of the top line tactical gear world.

http://www.multicampattern.com/gear.html

Last, but not least, I would be remiss if we did not mention the old SADF gear as well as some of the various Chicom or other similar stuff floating around on the SA market. I own a SADF Pattern 83 vest in the Nutria coloring. (not the chest harness) Although it is not set up specifically for pistol mags, there are more than enough pockets to hold a couple of them along with rifle mags, torch, medical items and a bunch more. But…and it is a big ‘but’…I could not get into this vest without making tons of noise nor in the dark without almost strangling myself. (I know some of you have a great deal more practice than I do with these) It shares with the LBE / LBV systems, which are more like the older SA Pattern 70 LBE, the issue of being loose and floppy until it is on. For me, this is the kiss of death for a quick reaction home emergency rig. It would certainly not be a bad second line setup to have for other uses, however, and mine is not for sale.

So called ‘Chicom’ chest pouches are an issue item for many armies around the world and I have no doubt they are available in SA as well, although I have never seen one there. They follow a general pattern and usually will hold six or so AK mags and some gear inside the utility pockets on the sides. If you need them to only carry rifle mags and a few other items they are not all that bad unless you have to wear one all day (the thin straps will cut into you after a while)

The one I have will not carry my G19 securely in the utility pocket but it will work for a torch and a battle dressing, etc. The straps must be tied behind the back in the real Chicom pouch, but if you like it, it is a simple matter to change that to a snap in buckle ala the SADF Pattern 83 buckles. They do, however, share a certain amount of the ‘loose and floppy’ nature of the previous items until they are on and fastened.

So…we have looked at a wide range of belts, vests and plate carriers from the ridiculously expensive (but very nice to have) to the cheapest surplus you are likely to find. We have briefly touched on body armor and rifle plates, and we have hopefully made you think and generated some in-depth discussion in the forums, in particularly from those experienced members who have BTDT and / or who have gear set up for this sort of thing already. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do know that ‘gear’ is less important than awareness and mind set, training and ability with the gear you DO have, and tactics and strategy once the fight starts. (as my friend KK20 says ‘There is much more to self preservation than a gun and electric fences’)

What do I recommend? Why, in the spirit of GunSite I say smoke the CC and get the very best! Eagle plate carrier, level IIIA soft armor, Level IV rifle plates, vest holster, TT pouches and an in depth course from some pros who can teach you how to use it well. 

But if you can’t, don’t worry too much about it, and if you can only afford a little at a time, invest in training first! The fact that you have thought through a home security plan and made serious provisions to put it into action if needed, puts you way ahead of the guy with a fat wallet who can buy all the toys but has no idea how to use them correctly when the wolves come busting through the door.

This article was written by Ikor, a GunSite SA Forum Member.
Many thanks.

The phone rings at our training academy, The Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc. “Can you help me?” asks an unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line. “I plan to get a handgun, but first I want advice about what kind to get.”  Sometimes

the caller is male, sometimes female. Sometimes this purchase will be their first gun, other times, a replacement for a pistol that has proven unsuitable.  Without knowing the caller personally, how can we recommend one gun that assures the best chances of success?  “You just can’t go wrong with a GLOCK 19,” answers Marty Hayes, director of our academy. In a wide cross section of men and women, beginners and more advanced shooters, it is hard to find a shooter who will not succeed with a GLOCK 19.

John Farnam of Defense Training International concurs. “For a person coming to one of our courses it’s hard to think of a handgun that would work better than a GLOCK 19.”  “We’ve had a lot of students come to class with GLOCKs,” agrees Massad Ayoob of the Lethal Force Institute. “I do not think there is aneasier handgun with which to teach a new shooter.”  Legendary shooter Jim Cirillo praised the 9×19 GLOCK 19, saying “It is compact, yet powerful with the right ammunition—and it is easy to shoot.” He suggests that especially for  women, the GLOCK 19 may well be the perfect handgun. “I have found it very favorable for females,” Jim reports, “due to the ease of the trigger, the grip angle and the moderate recoil.”  Though prominent in the firearms training industry, these are only a few of the professionals who think the GLOCK 19 is an excellent choice. Here’s why:

Size

At 6.85 inches long, 5 inches high and weighing 21 ounces, the GLOCK 19 fits mid-way between the large, full-sized duty guns and the super-compact, concealed carry pistols that are a delight to carry but less pleasant to shoot. The GLOCK 19, tucked in a good concealment holster, fanny pack or holster handbag, is small enough for the licensed, armed citizen to conceal. Still, when it’s time to go to the range, its mid-sized dimensions provide excellent shoot-ability. The 6.5-inch sight radius snaps the sight picture into quick focus.

“If you can only own one gun, it ought to be a GLOCK 19,” declares Andy Stanford, director of Options for Personal Security and author of numerous books, including Surgical Speed Shooting. He favors having one gun that is used for everything from training to carry. “I feel I can conceal a GLOCK 19 everywhere I can conceal a GLOCK 26,” this slightly built instructor comments. “The GLOCK 19 is definitely the way to go!”   Ayoob notes that the GLOCK 19 has worked extremely well for off-duty police officers. “Rather than train the officer to carry a small gun that is marginal in power and very difficult to use under stress, the GLOCK 19 is the perfect gun,” he reports. He adds that the GLOCK 19 became  “overwhelmingly the first choice of the 40,000 some officers of NYPD. It meant that through [an officer’s] career going from uniform to plainclothes then on to administration, the same officer could carry the exact same weapon. Many people found the full-sized service pistol too big when they got promoted and started wearing a suit.”
Caliber

GLOCK’s wide selection of calibers offers the buyer a baffling variety from which to choose. Though GLOCKs in .45 G.A.P., 10mm, .45 Auto, .40, .357 have advantageous attributes, and fans, the novice is hard-pressed to find a better choice than 9×19. It is widely available, affordable, accurate and controllable. Andy Stanford finds that, “People shoot better with a 9×19, particularly in training.” In his experience, this is true of both experienced and novice shooters.  The 9×19 ammunition choices range from high-velocity hollow points for self-defense to gentle loads pushing a 115-grain, round-nosed bullet downrange considerably slower. When learning to shoot, the beginner can enjoy the gentle recoil of the latter, while working up to a level of skill and comfort that makes it practical to load up high-performance ammunition for self protection or home defense.
Ease of operation

Beginners and pros alike reap the benefits of the elegantly simple operation of the GLOCK handgun. The GLOCK Safe Action design allows quick target engagement, operating on the principle that the best safety is a conscientious shooter. Instead of relying on a thumb safety, the GLOCK shooter must strictly adhere to the safety principle of keeping the finger outside the trigger guard until on target and having made the decision to shoot. Ayoob applauds the famed GLOCK ergonomics, commenting, “It allows the shooter to focus on the basics. In fact, I’ve used the GLOCK as a loaner gun for students with dexterity problems manipulating the levers on their own guns.” Farnam also praises the GLOCK simplicity. “There are no decock levers or manual safeties. The checklist is relatively short for shooting and reholstering.” He concludes that for shooters with medium to large hands,  the GLOCK 19 is “as close to ideal as I can imagine.”

Asked if he is troubled that GLOCKs have no thumb safety, Farnam answers that reliance on an external safety lever is nothing more than a superstitious fear of guns. “At some point we must say, ‘This gun can be dangerous, and I am in control of it!’” he urges passionately.
Maintenance and durability

Few handguns enjoy such a simple maintenance regimen as the GLOCK autopistol. While it is wise to keep it cleaned and lubricated, a GLOCK pistol is capable of successfully completing a week of rigorous firearms training or a high-round shooting match without cleaning.  Of course, the owner of the self-defense GLOCK should keep their pistol clean, and the task couldn’t be easier. Disassembly is simple, and once field stripped, the frame, slide and barrel are easy to brush, scrub and swab clean. In a mere 10 minutes after a practice session at the range, the GLOCK owner can clean their pistol, load it up and walk off the range with a well-maintained handgun. The GLOCK 19, unlike guns costing double and triple its retail price, is capable of discharging tens of thousands of rounds without fear of wearing it out. Cirillo cites the numerous torture tests through which GLOCK pistols have excelled. “Its proven reliability surpasses almost any other gun that I know of,” he observes.
Accessorizing

Though renowned as durable and sturdy, the GLOCK 19 need not be the Plain Jane at the pistol match. So popular is the GLOCK autopistol that the selection of aftermarket accessories is staggering. Indeed, finding accessories to personalize your GLOCK 19 is not the challenge; the task lies in pickingthrough the selection to buy only products that are truly a practical improvement. Adding GLOCK’s extended slide release lever, as well as installing their longer magazine release, has proven advantageous for smaller-handed shooters. A thorough testing on the practice range is recommended, however, to be sure the extended releases are not inadvertently activated during shooting or in the holster.
Get your own Glock 19!

A surprising number of gentlemen select a GLOCK 19 as the perfect gun for their wife, then act surprised when it supplants their full-sized handgun for their own use to carry or for training. Whether purchased for a novice or expert, male or female, the versatile GLOCK 19 works amazingly well for a variety of shooters. Its simple operation leaves the shooter free to concentrate on marksmanship, not the gun’s manual of arms. Right out of the box, its inherent accuracy exceeds the trigger control of most shooters. Recoil is gentle, due to the GLOCK’s low bore axis, the slight flex of its polymer frame and the reasonable 9×19 caliber cartridge for which it is chambered. Finally, the mid-sized frame adapts well to a variety of duties. It is unusual to find a handgun that is so universally suitable. Indeed, I can think of many times I wished a student had come to class with a different handgun, but in all these years, I have never counseled a student to trade their GLOCK 19 for any other gun.

As seen in GLOCK AUTOPISTOLS 2009, a Harris Publication, www.tactical-life.com