The fallacy that police prefer Glock

[Deputydave]

Recently in a discussion on another forum regarding Glock getting a lot (most) police contracts. I responded with this post and I put it here for discussion.

In many cases, Glock almost gives their pistols away to L.E. agencies. They do this as a marketing strategy to give the illusion that police 'prefer' Glock. In truth, the majority of police don't really care what they are issued so long as it's easy for them to qualify with it. So no, police don't 'prefer' Glock...it's simply what the agency issues them because they come in so low. So in essence, while many folks think Glock is the 'best' because that is what their local agency uses...it's actually a lowest bidder thing. But the illusion has taken hold and gun writers and reviewers parrot the same nonsense over and over so many folks believe it.

Companies like HK, Sig, S&W and Ruger simply don't feel the need to compete in that niche of the market as heavily as Glock. Personally, I don't think that is a winning strategy for them in the long run.

 

[Hk-USPC-40]

This is quite true..
Every LEO I asked about the Glock thing says they are CHEAP & that's why they use them..
Imagine how much money Glock made in 2020
There where folks calling the gun stores & pawn shops asking "Do You Have Any Glocks"
They didn't even care the length caliber or anything, Just Glock..
A guy could have sold as many G19s as you had.. I sold my G24 & G26 & made $200ea on both..
Some of our Sherriff's carry SIG P320s now but all the rest of the Police have Glock 22 23 35 & 27s
I think I may have had one of the only Glock 24s in the area, Every Cop I showed it too wanted to know
Were did you get it?? Answer = Pawn Shop $400.. I know I Paid Too Much.. Should Be $398.20 Blue Label Price
I had a guy drive 200 miles to come & get it BTW from Northern Indiana Near Chicago..
I'd bet Glock only has $100 in each pistol or less..

 

[Renegade]

. Personally, I don't think that is a winning strategy for them in the long run.

Been working for them for over 30 years.... So I would say it has been a winning long run strategy. Now will it work for another 30 years? Who knows.

 

[AGG]

Lowest bidder.

Tony

 

[Guyanaman1963]

The “GLOCK” brand is on the tip of every new gun owner’s tongue. Everyone thats ask me about a self defense or CCW weapon will always seek my opinion on GLOCKS. I tell them it works... it goes bang...
When I explain HK’s to them, they are sold on it but the price poin scares them off!
How about a VP9 for like $100 to $150 more? No... too much money I’m told.
Its not their fault, its the “perceived” value they think they are getting with a Glock... the ones Police Agencies prefer!
Great strategy for GLOCK!
M.

 

[Deputydave]

Been working for them for over 30 years.... So I would say it has been a winning long run strategy. Now will it work for another 30 years? Who knows.

I'd have to disagree. As others have said above, Glock is what people know (or think they know). Glock has had an extremely aggressive marketing strategy along with paid 'reviewers' so talk up their pistols for decades. And I don't begrudge them that, it was smart on their part. And it's given the illusion that 'all cops' prefer Glock. I've know 'cops' that didn't even know what caliber gun they were carrying. I no, not joking. Most police aren't gun people and really don't care what they're issued.

On the other hand, Sig, Ruger, S&W and HK haven't been nearly as aggressive. Partly because they don't want to give their guns away to agencies to compete with Glock who has that strong presence. They've maybe stayed afloat somewhat but last stat I heard was Glock was in 6 out of every 10 holsters in L.E. which means all the other companies combined are competing for the other 4 holsters. And their pistols are every bit as good as Glocks, even better in some cases with the exception of maybe Ruger in the semi-auto area.

How strong are the civilian sales as a result? Wasn't HK in financial trouble recently? I haven't kept up with that so I don't recall where their at. Be nice to see them really make a strong VP9 push since L.E. isn't going to embrace the hammer-fired P30 or USP series that much because on the whole they don't really know how to shoot something other than striker-fired plastic-fantastics these days.

I'd love to see HK come out with a hammer-fired pistol that competes strongly with the Sig P365 and/or P365XL.

 

[HotelKilo]

I have no Glocks and don't feel an urge to buy any but I know they are popular. When one of my buddies tells me how much they love their Glocks I just say, "That's because you haven't shot an HK yet".

 

[AGG]

I have no Glocks and don't feel an urge to buy any but I know they are popular. When one of my buddies tells me how much they love their Glocks I just say, "That's because you haven't shot an HK yet".

Exactly.

Tony

 

[Deputydave]

I have no Glocks and don't feel an urge to buy any but I know they are popular. When one of my buddies tells me how much they love their Glocks I just say, "That's because you haven't shot an HK yet".

A lot of truth in that statement. Part of the problem is that a good part of HK's line up is hammer-fired and a lot of shooters, particularly the newer generation just aren't skilled shooters. I don't say that as a disparaging comment, just a statement of fact. It takes more skill to master a DA/SA or DAO pistol (or revolver for that matter) than it does a striker-fired pistol. Which is why so many newer shooters think they need to swap out the stock trigger on their Glock for some gee-whiz dodadd trigger. In other words, they think a gadget will make up for lack of actual skill.

Same think applies to police. Those police (to include Deputies, Troopers, Agents) that 'grew up' on revolvers would do fine with a good DA/SA or DAO hammer-fired pistol. On the other hand, the striker-fire only crowd often struggle even with such and easy trigger.