The Marines Get GLOCKs!

Authors Industry News Military S.H. Blannelberry This Week

The Marine Corps has officially approved the usage of GLOCKs! Well, that is at least for some marines.

The Marine Corps Times reported that the GLOCK 19 was added to the list of authorized “Individual Weapons, Optics, Modular Attachments and Modifications for FY15 Annual Rifle and Pistol Training” but its use is only reserved for personnel assigned to Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.

Obviously, this raises several questions: What took the Corps so long to embrace the king of polymer pistols? Are all generations of the G19 approved or just the latest?

Unfortunately, the Marine Corps has not explained the timeliness of the decision nor discussed the matter beyond what it included in a force-wide message issued in mid-February.

“It is unclear why the pistols were only now approved for MARSOC,” wrote the Marine Corps Times. “Marine Corps officials could not immediately address questions from MCT.”

With the G19 added to the list, MARSOC will now have to select a holster.

“Standard holsters for this item are pending source selection,” the force-wide message states. “Command approved holsters are authorized for this item until source selection is complete.”

For more on this story, check out the Marine Corps Times.

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  • ejhar March 21, 2015, 2:26 am

    I’m a happy safe glock owner going back to 1993 and a g19.today I use 45acp as my exclusive pistol round. 9mm is ok if I can choose my ammo and have plenty of it.but life’s uncertain.what is certain is those hit by 45 have a half inch hole at the minimum. I’ve come to notice that the glock haters seem to be so angry and miserable.cant figure out why.

  • petru sova February 24, 2015, 4:23 pm

    I wonder who the bone head military bureaucrat was that made that decision. It will of course be reversed when the service starts seeing a lot of accidental shootings with this unsafe handgun. The take down of a Glock invites disaster as the trigger must be pulled with the slide almost forward and yes the Glock will fire slightly out of battery as many civilians have found out when they forgot to check the chamber and shot themselves. Now contrast this to the Beretta that requires you to pull back the slide which would automatically eject a loaded round that you might have forgot to remove. EVEN A MORON CAN SEE WHAT A DISASTER THE GLOCK TAKEDOWN SYSTEM IS. The other problem is the short stroke Glock trigger system and lack of manual safety. New York had so many accidental discharges with their Police use of the Glock they demanded a heavier trigger but due to its short stroke nature it proved not to be a panacea either. Many police departments have switched to safer designed weapons and corresponding accidents as expected went way down. The Glocks ignition system is also way weaker than the Beretta’s as well. A high primer will stop a Glock cold from igniting it while the bone crushing blow of the hammer fired Beretta is strong enough to drive the primer down into the bottom of the primer pocket and ignite the primer making it the more reliable military firearm. And by the way yes there have been runs of commercial ammo accidentally made with high primers so think about that one before you become a dedicated Glockphile. I remember seeing a picture of an orangutan holding a Glock with the inscription “a typical Glock owner” which is not to far from the truth because anyone with a smidgen of mechanical sense can see what a mechanical disaster this gun has been.

    • Army127 June 1, 2015, 2:08 am

      I don’t think that any of the MARSOC, in other words Special Operations Marines would take to kindly to being called morons, do you? Second of all the Glock is carried by over 40% of police departments in the world! So I think the weapon is probably pretty well made, unless of course 40% of all PD’s are morons too, strange how your little hypothesis doesn’t seem to work out at all. Also the Glock is a very safe handgun not an unsafe one,,just see my post and others above for details on the Glock satefy system. As for takedown, if you are stupid enough to not check that your weapon, ANY WEAPON IS NOT LOADED before you takedown a weapon for cleaning and maintenance, you are a MORON! As for the stock trigger pull its just fine where it is from the factory at around 5lbs. So enough with the silly business where we just make things up because we don’t like guns and don’t worry about it. If you had read the whole article you would see it just approved for use with MARSOC no one else.

      SSG G. OUT
      “Death Waits in the Dark”

  • Bamp February 24, 2015, 10:33 am

    Why not use the 357 SIG, the most accurate load for a pistol! My G32 is right on.

  • MSGT February 24, 2015, 10:17 am

    This does not mean the Marines are “getting Glocks.” It means that some Marines are “authorized” to use a Glock.

    Stop writing half true crap. We can read “Bearing Arms” if we want total half true BS and yellow journalism.

    This is a GREAT place to read about Firearms, please keep it that way.

    Respectfully Submitted

  • Russ February 24, 2015, 2:03 am
  • BRASS February 24, 2015, 1:37 am

    Just another tool in the box. No gun is right for every job.

  • Tom Carvelli Sr. February 23, 2015, 3:34 pm

    Glocks do not have a safety. Any time you pull the trigger of a loaded Glock they will fire. They are dangerous and are responsible for many, many accidents. That is both in law enforcement and public use. Some of the accidents have resulted in death. If you were not aware of that now you are. Many people find them very difficult to shoot accurately with the poor trigger they have. The fact that they point like a 2×4 might have something to do with that also. Lets not forget if you shoot reloads they just might blow up due to the unsupported chamber in a Glock. There is a warning in the owners manual. It happens. Now if you want a relatively inexpensive, fairly dependable spray and pray gun without a safety that might blow up that points like a 2×4 by all means buy a Glock. Now if you want to buy a dependable quality gun with a safety, good trigger, points well and has a fully supported chamber buy a S&W M&P. They can be had with a mechanical safety that you can leave in the off position if you so choose. The cost is about the same or less than a Glock. I would also add that S&W firearms are made in the USA.

    • Ray February 23, 2015, 4:28 pm

      “They are dangerous and are responsible for many, many accidents. That is both in law enforcement and public use. Some of the accidents have resulted in death. If you were not aware of that now you are. Many people find them very difficult to shoot accurately with the poor trigger they have.”
      Anyone can spout tripe like this. Where is your attribution? Sounds like a fellow who thinks all things not made in the US are ipso facto inferior.
      I carry Glocks (19 & 23) and have found them reliable, accurate and affordable. Compare that to the prices of S&W, Colt and other domestics, not to mention the problems S&W experienced with their M&P line.

    • SafetyMind February 23, 2015, 7:49 pm

      WRONG!
      Glock DOES have Safety Feautures. There ARE (3) Three on every glock! The Trigger Safety, The Firing Pin Safety and the Drop Pin Safety. The only one you can see on the outside of it is on the trigger. The other (2) two Safeties are inside the “Action” of the firearm.
      Quote from their Website, “GLOCK pistols are equipped with the “SafeAction”® System, a fully automatic safety system
      consisting of three passive, independently oper-ating, mechanical safeties, which sequentially disengage when the trigger is pulled and auto-matically reengage when the trigger is released.”
      Also, KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU’RE READY TO FIRE!!!!

    • Safer February 23, 2015, 7:54 pm

      WRONG!
      Glock DOES have Safety Feautures. There ARE (3) Three on every glock! The Trigger Safety, The Firing Pin Safety and the Drop Pin Safety. The only one you can see on the outside of it is on the trigger. The other (2) two Safeties are inside the “Action” of the firearm.
      Quote from their Website, “GLOCK pistols are equipped with the “SafeAction”® System, a fully automatic safety system
      consisting of three passive, independently oper-ating, mechanical safeties, which sequentially disengage when the trigger is pulled and auto-matically reengage when the trigger is released.”
      Also, KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU’RE READY TO FIRE!!!!

    • Army127 June 1, 2015, 1:53 am

      First of all the Glocks trigger is actually a very good trigger not a crappy 2×4 with a bad trigger. Your super M&P however has a terrible trigger and this has been documented in many U-Tube videos and gun magazine articles. The first thing everyone who knows how to shoot and knows trigger feel that is, does is to get the Apex trigger upgrade kit and replace the M&P’s whole trigger springs and all. The Glock actually has more than one safety in case you were confused, #1 the special trigger where you need to depress that center portion of the trigger even with the rest of the trigger before the gun will fire. #2 it has a firing pin block which doesn’t move unless the trigger is completely pressed, so if the gun drops or you drop it, it will not fire and can’t fire. I could continue but I think you get the point that you have no idea what you are talking about. I won’t even address the ridiculousness of the rest of your post, because you are so incorrect it’s embarrassing. Still to each his own, and I hope you enjoy your M&P they are overall a good pistol.

      SSG G. OUT
      “Death Waits in the Dark”

  • Kivaari February 23, 2015, 3:26 pm

    It’s about time. The Glock 17 or 19 are excellent weapons. I never had any M1911 variant that worked as well as my Glocks. It took awhile the original G17 and G19 had a recall including the trigger system, firing pin and FP safety. Once that was fixed, the guns just work on and on. My issue 17 went over 22,000 rounds, when I stopped keeping count.

  • gym February 23, 2015, 11:21 am

    I have tried every hand gun in the last 45 years of carrying daily. I started out with revolvers, why, because that’s what every cop carried in the 60’s and 70’s. That fire every time, and are simple mechanisms to maintain. The problem was always capacity, size and weight.
    I had a NYC carry for 22 years, and most of you know how difficult that is to obtain. During that time they only allowed 1 gun which was written on your permit with the serial#.
    Then I moved to FL. and Everyone was raving about these plastic guns, Glocks. I had a few friends who had at least 4 or 5 of them. Being surprised that you could have as many guns as you wanted, not like NYC, I immediately picked up a Glock 23.After that a 27, then a 30, and so on.
    They restored my faith in semi automatic handguns. They never jammed or had any problems whatsoever. And this was over 20 years ago.
    Of course I have owned dozens of guns since then, and transitioned to 9mm and 45 only, One for capacity and the other for the large hole it makes. I have unfortunately had to use my guns on a few occasions, and I have staked my life on these weapons, what better endorsement can a man make. I would love to carry a finely tuned 1911 government sized model daily, “and did for a time”. But they need constant care, as do most pistols. The Glock firearms just work without all the replacement parts, like sears and hammers springs welded slide to frame fitting.
    Aside from H&K and a few others who attempted a mainstream plastic gun, Glock succeeded in making a reasonably priced accurate pistol that you can carry without worrying about if it’s going to work when you need it. That’s what we are all looking for really, my 30 “S”, with front night sight, is a 20 oz gun that holds 11 rounds, The recoil is still manageable and it’s priced more than fairly. I do carry a pocket gun most of the time now, but if I had to go into the City, like Miami, the 30 would go with me. I can’t think of anything else I would take as far as a pistol goes, except a different Glock.

  • Carlos J Campos February 23, 2015, 11:00 am

    It’s illegal for the USMC to use defense ammo, at least when I was in, including the MP’s. I carried both .45 acp and 9mm. And preferred the .45. But now it doesn’t matter, I’m out and can carry whatever I want. I just hope under the current administration they can’t carry pink pistols or wear French berets.

    • SSgt_Mas February 23, 2015, 11:21 am

      Not illegal for special units like MARSOC / SOCOM to carry expanding small arms ammo, on certain missions. Thanks to President Reagan.

      Conventional forces are indeed restricted under the Hague Convention, which prohibits expanding small arms ammunition. (Commonly misattributed to the Geneva Convention)

      This article made it clear that this was only for MARSOC.

      • Carlos J Campos February 23, 2015, 11:30 am

        Oh well, when I was in, they weren’t part of SOCOM. Which now I think is a big mistake.

      • DaveGinOly February 23, 2015, 10:05 pm

        Conventional forces are not constrained by the Hague Convention – we are not a signatory and we voluntarily abide by it but are not obligated to do so. KInda dumb, I know, but check it out. This is very easily confirmed from a number of sources.

        Just read an article a day or so ago saying that the US military is thinking of chucking voluntary compliance with the HC and going to hollow point/expanding ammunition for general use in at least some weapons. (I believe the article was specifically about a new rifle bullet.)

  • Mark Tercsak February 23, 2015, 10:10 am

    I think the Marine Corps should also look at some other Autos, the CZ-Line of Pistols The CZ-75 and CZ-SP-01 for example and the HK’s newest 45 auto, also the Steyr family of 9×19 parabellum pistols.

  • George Williams February 23, 2015, 8:45 am

    Don’t hold your breath on the plastic gun becoming the Marines standard pistol.
    No safety….(the LEAST of this pseudo-gun’s problems)
    All Marines I know want a real gun….if you can’t shoot ’em, you can hit them with it…

    • Max Corder February 23, 2015, 10:09 am

      George, have you been to Front Sight? Front Sight has now trained over 1 million Americans, and I assume they know what they are doing when it comes to guns and training average citizens, as well as training LEO’s. I went last year for a 4 day defensive handgun course. Before going, I asked what their preferred handgun was. The answer: Glock 22 in .40 Cal. Right out of the box, no customizing, tinkering or gunsmiting necessary. I realize it’s not American made, but after running a few thousand rounds through mine, I’m a believer that you need to shoot what you train with. As for not the Glock having a safety, no gun will shoot unless the trigger is pulled. If 40% of the world’s LEO’s carry Glocks and bet their life on them, that says something to me about their safety and reliability. By the way, even though I revere a great Colt or Ruger (have owned both) and other fine American brands I would rather handle a rattlesnake than some of the 1911’s, even though I know saying it is a sacrilege. But, I haven’t trained with them enough, so to each his own.

    • SSgt_Mas February 23, 2015, 10:33 am

      George Williams I’m not sure what retirement home you’re getting your information from, but all Marines value reliable weapons. The 1911 chokes too easily and is generally too finicky to feed all modern defensive ammo – most Marines I know, including this one, (off-duty) carry a Glock/HK/M&P variant-POLYMER frame and all.

      If you’re looking for something to hammer nails into the wall with, pickup a hammer.

      • SGT MOORE 1968 February 24, 2015, 12:34 am

        SSgt Mas U.S. Military in a combat zone – DO NOT carry modern defensive ammo! Remember the Geneva Convention = we have to carry “round ball” and NO hollowpoints! Just about any new polymer gun or any other semi-auto pistol will fail to extract & sometimes fail to feed if the shooter is “LIMP WRISTING” the firearm!

    • Vince February 23, 2015, 2:05 pm

      I was a firm believer in steel handguns until I tried a Glock a long time ago. My carry now is a G19 and G42 or a LCP in the very hot summer months.

  • Ram 6 February 23, 2015, 8:24 am

    Why not somethng from S&W or perhaps Colt or any other American based company?

  • nick February 23, 2015, 8:10 am

    I would like to add that our armed services are looking to replace their current sidearm so I would see this as more of a field test for glock. I was surprised that their mp’s aren’t on the list. I have spoken with a lot of police officers and most prefer the glock in some form or another

  • sean February 23, 2015, 8:03 am

    Good to see them look at other side arm but after carrying the 1911 why bother.

    • john milligan February 23, 2015, 12:07 pm

      it is much lighter for combat carry. i have a model 34. very accurate with the very short barrel. .45 cal. 101st a shau valley.

      • Russ February 23, 2015, 6:08 pm

        Because it’s 2015.
        LOL

        • D Hicks February 24, 2015, 1:50 pm

          The article did not say Marine corps standard issue.Why would any one want to carry a polymer frame pistol? My son did TWO Afgan combat tours. Staff Sgt. USMC.Says nothing works better tan a 1911 .45acp A real metal pistol.

      • Mr Brett February 25, 2015, 12:15 am

        Hey John, if it’s a .45 with a short barrel it’s either a Model 30 or 36. No biggie… easy to get them mixed up.

    • SteveS. February 23, 2015, 8:38 pm

      1911 is nice but heavy. Plus the new G41 is a 1911 sized polymer pistol that holds 14 rounds of 45ACP. The fastest reload is the one you don’t have to make. In combat that is pretty darn important.

    • Russ February 24, 2015, 2:14 am

      G19 vs 1911 ?
      Regardless of the pros and cons, I’m guessing it’s the price to supply that motivates the government to change.
      But take a look —> https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ly5UnR7pPtk

    • DANNY M February 24, 2015, 2:34 pm

      I own a 9mm Glock 19, 9mm Sig Sauer 228, .45 Colt Cmdr, 9mm 1911, and a old 9mm Browning HP. I use the gun for defensive purposes as a bodyguard and was never impressed with the Glock. The 9mm is a fine caliber, but the .45 is still the best defensive round. The 9mm is an excellent round, but if bullet placement is off there is chance the bullet will not stop the threat and will pass through the target putting innocent people at risk. The .45 on the other hand will stop and put down the threat, and will not travel through anywhere near the distance of a 9mm thus reducing the risk of hitting an unintended target. That being said I recently have been carrying the Glock more frequently and have gotten more used to the gun. I still believe the Colt 1911 is the best of the lot, and the Sig is better than the Glock. The Browning HP is of course and very fine handgun, but is not double action so you need to carry is in a cocked and locked position which makes people very nervous. The Colt .45 is also single action, but it has a grip safety for what it is worth. As far as the amount of bullet capacity of the handguns I feel if you can’t hit what your aiming at with 10 rounds than you should use your M16. I believe the longest distance in defensive situations for a handgun is 30-40 yards, after that use your rifle. The other plus to the Colt .45 is the inherent reliability and strength of the weapon and with the reload tome of an automatic the 8 round capacity is outweighed by the stopping power of the .45 round, and the reliability of the Colt 1911. After carrying a handgun for 40+ years in various calibers I believe the .45 round is the best defensive handgun, and when your in a position of life and death I would want to carry a handgun that will stop the threat even if my aim is off and that’s what the .45 200+P grain bullet is all about. All the handguns I mentioned above are of the highest quality, very accurate, and I have never experienced any malfunction with any of the pistols using good ammo. Experts will argue about what pistol is the best or what caliber to carry, but history and statistics are on the side of the .45 cal. Whatever your choice you can’t go wrong with any of the pistols mentioned handguns, and the opinion of the .45 call bullet is mine after years of carrying and testing,

      • bigdaddy February 25, 2015, 10:01 pm

        I AS AN FFL OWN MANY HANDGUNS ( GLOCK,SPRINGFIELDS, S&W, RUGER, COLT ) IN 9, 38,357, 40, 45 AND 10. I PREFER THE 10MM BECACSE IT IS STRONGER THAN THE 40 AND AS STRONG AS THE 45, BUT FLATTER SHOOTING. I HAVE BEEN SHOOTING FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS. MY PREFERED SEMI IS A GLOCK 20C THAT IS COMPENSATED WITH VERY LITTLE RECOIL AND EASIER TO GET ON TRACK WITH ALL THE FOLLOE UP SHOTS. JUST MY OPINION.

    • Bradley Sanford February 25, 2015, 1:55 pm

      As a U.S.M.C. vet that has used a colt 1911 as a side arm, there is no way I would carry a glock into a hot zone. The velocity of a 9 mil. traveling much faster and simply does not have the knock down power of a 45,a much slower moving round that will make “your” target do flips and will be deceased. Where as a 9 Mil. passes through the “target” and he or she keeps coming at you. Most Marines know this and do not care for a 9Mil. This all about standardizing our weapons with NATO rounds. A very poor position on the Commandant’s part.

      • Army127 June 1, 2015, 1:37 am

        I find that funny that you seem to think the 9mm will pass through so many people etc-etc. Velocity isn’t the only part of the equation nor is bullet mass, when it comes to stopping power. As for the .45 which I do carry, but I also carry a 9mm, in FMJ or ball round it will pass through more people, things etc than a 124 gr 9mm round. Which is the NATO round, and the 230 gr FMJ .45 is the NAYO round for the 1911. Do some research and you will find out that most of the MARSOC Marines have been either carrying, the G19, Sig 226, or Beretta M9A1 for quite some time, and when the new Colt .45 ACP pistol was offered most turned it down in favor of keeping the 9mm. The reason for this is 1. CQB, the 9mm is a better round in this situation. 2. magazine capacity, and no it’s not because they can’t hit anything, like so many of you say, but the fact that when they are out of ammo for their primary weapon they have a lot more ammo for that pistol! Oh the reason the 9mm is a better all around round in a military situation is the fact that we have to use FMJ/Ball ammo. Due to this the 9mm will penetrate less than the .45 round. Do some research and you shall see. Also the Marines experimented with the EFMJ or expanding full metal jacket round in Afganistan with good results. For those of you who don’t know think of the new Federal Guard Dog round with the piece of polymer behind the front of the jacket in front of the lead core which causes the round to mushroom like a JHP round. They stated that they used almost 50-60% less rounds to get knockdown with that round verses the FMJ. So hopefully that round will be adapted as well. Also personally I find the 1911 a finicky outdated over 100 year old platform that though still good is definitely not at the forefront of gun science or development. Now before all you 1911 people jump all over me I actually do own a couple of 1911’s, a Remington, a RIA, and a Colt. The Remington has been customized and is a smooth tight great running pistol but the others are not without there problems. Now of course any gun can have problems, and there are 1911’s that are great, but in today’s Military there just is no place for the 100+ year old design of the 1911.,even though John Moses Browning made it one of the best and well built guns of its time and for many decades on including today, where in the civilian world it’s still very relevant. I personally wouldn’t go with a Glock either, but they are a simple easy to work on bullet proof design that will run even when Marines don’t have the time to properly clean and maintain them. Oh and just in case you don’t think I know what I am talking about 15 years in the U.S. Army with numerous deployments to the Middle East to include 2 tours in Iraq, and 1 in Afganistan, amoung other areas in that theatre. Also was my Dets Armorer for the last 6 years I was in until my combat injuries, besides my regular duty as a UH-60A/L Blackhawk Crew Chief and Gunner. I am now a consultant for firearm development and the Senior Product Development Manager for an AR type rifle manufacturer and retailer. I do this from home when I am able due to my injuries but yes I have an excellent understanding of firearms, and am a certified gunsmith as well. By the way tell your son thank you from me, and even if you or he doesn’t agree with me I always have respect for my brothers and sisters who have put their lives on the line to serve our Nation, and for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice even more.

        SSG G. OUT
        “Death Waits in the Dark”

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