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By all means, buy a GLOCK. They’re simple reliable handguns, available in a smörgåsbord of size and caliber combinations, suitable for any shooter’s needs. There are more GLOCK-compatible holsters for sale than you shake a SIG at, and plenty of aftermarket goodies with which you can adorn Gaston’s Meisterwerk. Still, there are three main reasons why some gun guys and gals don’t go GLOCK . . .

1. The Grip Angle is Sub-Optimal

Give a newbie a GLOCK (not the children’s book of the same name), then have them close their eyes and point the (unloaded) gun at a target. Chances are they’ll be high. Make that they’ll be aiming high. For an explanation, we turn to Gary Marbut of the Montana Shooting Sports Association.

The 1911 grip angle (all 1911 variants, Springfield XD, etc.) is more nearly square to the slide (about 18 degrees off square), while the GLOCK grip angle (Luger, Steyr M series, H&K P7, Ruger Mk II, etc.) is more raked (about 22 degrees off square).

Neither grip angle is inherently better than the other, but some peoples’ hand and wrist anatomy just works better with one angle and some with the other. It works better to not to fight what is the anatomically-natural grip angle for you.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. So I didn’t.

2. GLOCKs Lack an External Safety

Not one of Gaston’s gats sports a safety lever mounted on the frame. There are millions of shooters who celebrate this omission. An external safety is one more thing to go wrong! A GLOCK is point-and-shoot perfection.

There are many shooters, though, who wouldn’t be caught dead carrying/shooting a handgun without an external safety. They demand an external safety for safety’s sake; it’s one more thing to prevent a negligent discharge! The little lever could also, in theory, stop a firearms-ignorant gun-grabbing perp from using your gun against you.

1911 shooters — gunnies who worship at the temple of John Moses Browning to receive the Sacrament of Single Action — feel they need an external safety to carry their gun cocked-and-locked. Without the safety, a mere touch of the trigger could send a round rocketing down the barrel. Strangely, the same worry vexes some striker-fired plastic pistol people.

3. GLOCKs Are Ugly

A GLOCK is a boring, bland, featureless firearm. For some people, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing. They view a handgun as a tool, and nothing is more Harbor Freight hammer-esque than a GLOCK. It’s so minimalist you might even say it’s got anti-style style.

If, however, you like actual design, any other handgun made is a better bet. Walthers, HKs, FN’s, SIGs, Springfields, whatever. Even ugly pistols have more presence than a GLOCK.

Is that a good reason to eschew America’s favorite handgun, a pistol that embodies the form-follows-function aesthetic so slavishly that it’s the ballistic equivalent of toothpick? Of course not! Now don’t forget to change the oil in your Toyota Corolla. As if you would . . .

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227 COMMENTS

    • Gary Marbut is suboptimal. Everything he touches here in Montana turns to crap.

      The Glock grip angle was a result of the measurement of dozens of people who pointed a protractor. Glock threw out the grip angle of other pistols from priate flintlocks to 1911s and started from scratch. I prefer the grip angle of a Glock over a Browning.

      Safetys? Sure. If you need to make your guns not go bang.

      Ulgy? Kind of a sissy complaint. My Jeep Rubicon is ugly in those same terms but has the chicks in a wow. Some mistake absolute function with ugly. They need Barbie clothes and pearl grips to feel good about a gun because their talents are with posing not shooting. But it takes all kinds. I guess more Glocks for me and more chrome plated sissy pistols for you.

      • Didn’t have to go far to get that whole article debunked haha! This. I drive the UGLIEST old truck ever. But it’s a tank. Cast iron block, everything you need to push 250k mileage. I’m at 210 currently. My wife’s 2015 is nice, but it doesn’t do what my truck does.

        • I agree, I take this more as a lightly written article to laugh at or disgust. IT is not some harsh review meant to change people’s view of Glock’s. I think Splitlip took this article a bit too personal. I find it hilarious that Splitlip brings up his Rubicon and that it has some chicks on WOW! haha. Perhaps it is just a comment but if your jeep comes up in conversation and actually WOW’s chicks then I would not tell anyone about it much less bring up as a bragging point. In fact I see it as quite the opposite and it says a lot about the quality of chicks he is having conversations with (for his sake I hope it is only conversations).

        • Not to leave out that many Jeep models, particularly the Wranglers have the worst in customer satisfaction. They top the list.
          As a 45+ year professional mechanic and have driven everything from Ramblers to a Rolls Royce, I have to say those Jeeps drove like sh–! I loved my first car, a jeep though. It was a 1951 Willys Jeep pick 2X4. Never once got it stuck.
          As far as GLOCKS. Sorry, I’ll carry my Sig. GLOCKS are so ordinary and common. It’s like driving a white Silverado! Oh, and yes they are ugly. I can’t carry an ugly gun, just can’t do it.

      • Agree, agree, agree.

        To me it has always been function over form, but then again, I think both a Glock and a Jeep are two of the most perfect machines created. Love them both.

      • Dang , you sound like me , cold, hard , blunt to No Fault, & dead to them accurate. He sounds like a girl that must have pink whatever to make it pretty & huggable. The pistol firearm is a TOOL of defensive nature to cause death. John Moses Browning would admire Gaston Glock, and I have zero doubt the opposite feelings are felt. I like women painted up in various colors to her liking and plain Jane to her liking. Have a friend that’s been married 5-6x’s ( haven’t seen him in 20 years since I said “ I do” to federal chemical weapons LEO at 45 and (3) federal academy graduations and (5) severally damaged discs the want to replace with an oil derrick SS medical grade spinal fitment later ; I’m disability retired. Why so many times married , well he wanted to fund up for breast augmentation ( slapping so more pink furniture on the host unit could be a firearm. I’m more lethal now to interact with on a negative illegal basis, I won’t restrain and refrain from a maiming or deadly blow(s) to my attacker because it’s them or me being permanently paralyzed or dead- I choose me every time !!!! If you’re a hostage, just close your eyes, cause I’m sending it into their peeking eye as apposed to me disarming myself or weapon to them. Where’s your weapon adult hostage ?!?! 17 & under get a free pass for self protection. What’s the first thing a liberal screams for while being “caught” rioting and burning down someone else’s homes , businesses ,or assaulted while picketing to defund the police ? Hep me , hep me, police, POLICE, SOMEBODY CALL Five O, da po po- please!!!!
        They’re baah ( bad ) disobedient sheep that have been displaying for the wolves to taunt them wearing as little wool as possible or screaming I Know my rights in face of a stone cold unknown or known killer ! Wolves gotta eat , the liberals put them on the endangered species list, you know the special club folks. Humans trump all living creatures, unless your a liberal on tv espousing , save this Or that, unless it interrupts my new black lives matter (proceeds from idiots) -mansion I’m building cause I’s deserves all da monay -not no bs uncharitable org.

      • Keep your unreliable, azz ugly, HORRIBLE GRIP ANGLE piece of–well, plastic junk. It’s all hype buddy. Glocks are horrible. 65% of ALL UNINTENDED IGNITIONS are committed by GLOCKS!!!!

    • i have jusy about all the top guns, but mostly shoot and carrl glock, why? logic, i have none of mentioned problems, glock is easy to clean, rugged, shoot well even in competion, i am not concerned with newbies, the g/3 glocks slide has the most ware resistan coating,the g/4 has lost some of that still, throw it in the mud, drop it in water, still gonna be dependable, the mentioned 3 reasons not to by a glock, could pertain to any handgun, basicaly if it fits you you can adapt no matter the weapon,just as long as internal parts hold well, brand, is inseignifigent, as long as it fits your hand, take it to the range, you will adapt they all have their tiny draw backs, glock is not special in this area

    • It’s too bad Glock doesn’t offer removable front, side, and rear panels that can be replaced with panels of different angles and textures. Such a setup might not be practical since it likely would require an aluminum skeleton to act as support. As it stands, I have the grips on my larger Glocks modified to feel less like a 2×4 and more like a streamlined 2×4. It’s not perfect but it helps.

      • Any gun, not a glock.

        Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Sig, Korth, etc, etc, etc.

        I myself would not be caught dead with a glock, as it was a glock and its lack of a safety that almost killed me.

        Too all those who say that ya just gotta keep your finger off the trigger till your ready to shoot, I agree. I also have cut myself shaving, been married, and occasionally skewered with a knife cutting vegetables.

        Accidents happen, thumb safety’s make them less likely to be the last mistake you’ll ever get to make.

        • Ok… I’m going to call bullshit on that one…

          The only way your “mistake” could be fatal is if you’re breaking more than one safety rule.

          If your Glock NDs and you have it pointed in a safe direction, you might have an embarrassing hole in your floor, but you’ll be fine. If your holstering or unholstering winds up with you lasering your own ass, you need to go back and take a long hard look at rule 2. It’s why I don’t like appendix carry. 3-5 (9-7 for lefties) is a great way to carry a gun without pointing it at anything that reacts badly to bullets. (Like me, I react badly to bullets.)

        • serge: “The only way your “mistake” could be fatal is if you’re breaking more than one safety rule.”
          He didn’t say the ND was his. I have seen (at the range) others have NDs that could very well have hit others; in more than one case, the shooter was using a holster on the table in front of them, and ND’d the wall.

        • Okay, maybe some Beretta’s have soul.

          I guess I see your point: people who can’t safely handle a gun should stick to guns with a safety.

        • Actually, I would say was human error that almost killed you. Guns, like cars and whiskey bottles, are inanimate objects. The Glock not having an external safety didn’t almost kill you, someone screwing up almost killed you. I’ve carried a Glock daily wherever I legally could since 2001, and haven’t had an ND yet.

      • I know this is late but HK45. Not only is the ergonomics amazing but it has a ultra low recoil, weighs slightly more than your average glock, is way more accurate when you put the o rings on, and just look like a fantastic gun. Another gun I really like is the Mossberg 590 nightstick. It holds 5 shots and allows me to use speed loaders for instant 12 gauge loading, not to mention is nice and compact but without the retarded 200$ tax stamp cause it ain’t technically a sbs. What does a glock do besides have horrible ergonomics, look ugly as f and shoot a weak ass caliber? If a gun is nothing more than a tool to you then at least take some pride in yourself and invest in something nice.

      • “Please define “soul” as it relates to a gun.”

        It’s sort of like porn.
        I recognize it when I see it.
        Sometimes I have to look at a lot of porn to find it.
        GUNS! I meant to say GUNS! Not porn. GUNS!!!

      • A 3 1/2″ S&W .357 has it, a 1911 has it. Exactly what it is may be different to everyone. What I do know is that if I were to use a Glock, the police would take care of it until the trial was over. The 65 year old N frame would still be safe from mishandling and the brutality of neglect. A glock can be replaced cheaply and quickly, not so much with a nice revolver.

        • Good pistols, but the S&W trigger is god awful. By the time you fix that (by replacing it) it costs more than a Glock.

        • The trigger on my Performance Center ported M&P is better than the trigger on every Glock I have tried. M&P triggers generally are better than they used to be. The only ones to disappoint me recently have been standard Shield triggers. Performance Center Shields are pretty good.

      • I would argue against “better” but for “as good.” There are many, many guns in the $500-600 dollar range that are just as good, as reliable and as, if not more accurate.

        • I’m a big CZ fan, but listing a gun that isn’t available yet and exists only in MAC video is a weak argument. You have as much experience with P10 as I do with a Gen 5 Glock.

      • “Better” is too subjective, let’s just work with “simple” and “reliable” as our criteria:
        Smith&Wesson M&P
        Springfield XD and XDm
        Ruger SR series
        Remington RP9
        Hmm… anything else I can think of would be more expensive than a Glock, so I guess that’s a start.

        • Ruger SR series is a clunky joke. Let me grab my gun and check the entire length of the side to make sure there’s a round in the chamber.

          Remington? Was that a serious contender or was it just something else to try and make a list out of? The slide alone weighs more than an entire Glock.

          The only thing remotely comparable is the XD.

      • I’ve been trying to buy a CZ 75B but can’t find a new CA legal one in stock.

        I rented a Glock 17 at an indoor range. I really wanted to like the gun, but I thought the trigger was just awful. It might have been an older gen3 or gen2.

      • I don’t know that it’s any better than a Glock, but the Canik TP9SA I picked up a few weeks ago for 260 bucks is as good as any Glock I’ve ever owned.

        • To me this author is just wasting ink, pixilated, and our time . I’ve shot most all, if the triggers “bad”, or it’s “heavy “ or it’s whatever princess pea sensitivity ( woman are natural warriors they fight their whole lives to survive like the rest of us & and somebody also wants to stick it to them with good or bad intentions- either way their a target I teach self defense and natural shooting skills based on the /our assessment of what they shoot vert well and what will get by 20’ and closer! If your a real deal shooter you can pick up any firearm : rifle/shotgun -bolt, semiautomatic, pump, break-open, etc., pistol- semiautomatic/revolver/ break-open, etc., or any other tool and utilize it to its fullest to maim or kill was threatening your life or if your willing-innocent idiots thst chose after 17 to be ignorant of self defense , independence, mental will to effectively/ affectively win , even if you die, you’ve ID Your killers DNA and or maimed them enough to protect others. Wolves hate even within the pack because of competition for survival food, dominance, mating hierarchy, etc.. but the pack must survive and they all attack the attacker or food source to downed and eaten for fuel to survive another nano second or their natural life length. Anyone not teaching themselves, their friends, family /clan, co-workers, neighbors, especially children starting -depending on maturity- 6-8 years old stranger danger, how to think and react to general and specific situations = are sheep to be preyed upon as naturally selected weakest link of your human branch by ALL Predators with or without legs , in and out of the water ! NO, NOT teaching Fear, but Survival’s natural e/affects on the human body and mind, over come native reactions ( freezing in spot more than appropriate to deal with the that particular threat) . REMEMBER Everything gets more excepted and interested in movement and the thrill of the chase / hunt / battle, from humans to the lowest forms of life , it’s natural , instinctive, inbreed, DNA built reactions to stimuli-visual, sound, feeling, 6th sense, All that you are is attuned to survive the threat or non-threat during every moment of a very short life span. I’m saved in this world by what and who I know and the same for when I die- I have A Personal Savior I’ve personally studied and accepted and asked for acceptance and forgiveness . I’m in NO Hurry to die , I have more goals and good works to accomplish, but the date, time, reasons for my sooner than later death are known, just not in my pay grade (: Respect who you are designed from, respect others , don’t be needlessly destructive, ignorant , study this world , adapt, but do the same for the next. No Name evokes True Power and Purpose than Jesus Christ. Either you recoil or you Respect & want to study and Follow this Teacher of Life & Hereafter or you go rogue , selfish , and remain ignorant. Good & bad are allowed to occur in free well granted to us, there is guilt by association and proximity or by Faith and the hem of a garment. John 3:16 is the start of life’s Real KSA’s: Knowledge , Skills , and Abilities for now and later. Why learn to swim in the desert? Because of flood eventuality . HE Prepares the Way for Survival in Both Worlds. From the moment your conceived your in route to your death, correct? One political party want to kill you in the womb or enslave you after birth , the other teaches independence to your highest potential while acknowledging your in a clan, pack with others who have high moral and virtues. Abortion is murder in the womb same as outside, Your a Citizen inside and outside the womb . Your either for TRUE good or unnatural evil. Some are born brain dead , others ingest/ inject poison to cloud the mind and body . Aspirin is fine til the body becomes allergic to it, at the beginning or later on. Half the country want to kill more than the 50 million babies aborted in the last ~ 50 “ legal years “ . Go to the Original Law Book – The Bible. Yes, it takes a life time of maturity and re-studying and Prayer to know The Meaning of Every Word and placement location and it’s significant for That Moment. I wish you a bountiful , abundant, joyous Full Life here and beyond. The other half of the population want to start of killing you and your potential , instead of letting you play out your life, good / productive or bad Hitler / mass murderer … free will is your. Read that Bible you’ll see slavery is a human invention that’s been around almost from the beginning… Read , learn, study , and make an informed “your own decision “ not some whiny author trying to create relevance where is just is none, subjective is just that. Either you can or can’t shoot well anything you pickup. Your decision to purchase is a albeit temporary commitment of time, money, KSA’s , and EFFORT. Almost anything EASY is to be possibly feared for its consequences! Nuff said . Be Blessed With or without true knowledge for a moment anyway. I believe the site should be called Half the truth about guns , because they give you their take / impression, fact or pea princess version ($) for money and agenda and bias. Almost all semiautomatic are now a knock off of Glocks original design, the author didn’t share that critical piece of information did they- why . Look at the number of Glock law suits defending their international patents – wouldn’t you if you’d invested that time and huge volumes of money $$$. Taurus is a knock off, NOW , a real good version, just works, functions reliably, it’s cheaper than any other brand – I’d prefer two hand guns thst work to one expensive one, but that’s me, I invite choices , this guy wants to literally stop your decision making process if you fall for his stupidity = free advice to earn him money not you! Every salesperson wants you to go to the most expensive item they sell, they make more commission, prestige, seller of the month = it’s bias every time- survival is about recognizing bias = risks. Always do your due diligence it’s in YOUR best interest, not mine , definitely not his and whose paying him to voice this bs…

    • You can reverse the mag catch. What other controls do you really need to be ambi? I don’t use the slide release on any of my guns anymore.

      • You can reverse, maybe, but then it’s only left-handed.

        What if you are in a fight with ten ninjas and the forth chopped your right hand off so you have to switch to lefty on the fly and then you have to reload?

        Don’t you think it will be difficult enough with one hand without having to worry about where the magazine release is?!?

        • Also don’t forget that the biggest reason for ambi is not for southpaws, but in case you take a round to your strong arm. Since it Is gunfighting we are talking about, that seems a not unlikely occurance.
          Why do you think that many matches force shooting certain stages with the weak hand?

        • If I’m fighting ten ninjas, I’m going to wake up and check what it was that I was drinking. (Then find the nearest narutard and punch him in the throat.)

    • I’ve been releasing mag releases with my index finger for so long I’d honestly find a “left-handed” mag release awkward.

      • Yeah, it’s the most copied handgun design currently in use today. Pretty much every pistol is based off the Glock design.

        • Yeah my lowly new Taurus 111g2 is remarkably similar to a GLOCK brand GLOCK(except for the external safety). So what? It costs 3-400bucks less and shoots boo-lits…I don’t hate Glock BTW.

        • Umm…no.

          “What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

      • I’ll grant you that, but for the same money (or even slightly less now) there are half a dozen guns with better triggers.

  1. The Grip Angle is Sub-Optimal … Neither grip angle is inherently better than the other, but some peoples’ hand and wrist anatomy just works better with one angle and some with the other

    So, no. Your subhead and supporting text contradict each other.

    Also, well done on the click bait!

  2. This list lacks substance…

    The grip is the best I’ve used so far out of a lowly total of four pistols… and the lack of a safety and no frills is one of the biggest pluses…

    When someone else makes something better for the price point I’ll consider jumping over… until then…

  3. 1. They are not safe to carry with a round chambered. DAs are. Lacking an external safety, a DA mechanism can substitute. A piece of plastic on the trigger does not
    2. They require pulling the trigger to disassemble. This is also less safe than other designs. ESP. for beginners, who are the group glocks are mostly marketed to.
    3. Overpriced. As a virtual clone of the Lorcin/Hipoint ilk, they should be priced only slightly higher, not double/triple.

    • Glocks are not clones of Hi-Points or Lorcins, they do not use the blowback operation.

      Get your facts straight before you shoot your mouth off.

      • All striker fired pistols are similar to hipoints and lorcins. I know you glockers love your glocks, but please to pull the claws in, kitty.

        • I understand the point of your comparison, but I will say that the SD9VE or perhaps some Ruger would likely be a better point of comparison. At $300ish for an SD9VE (think they dipped into the high 280s) still way less than a Glock but a super similar mechanism in all.

        • Andrew; You are correct. I should have made that comparison instead. It is, indeed, much better.
          I stand corrected.

    • I’m no fanboy for Glock, but comparing it to a HiPoint? HiPoints are direct blowback, hence the heavy spring and slide. Glocks use tilt barrel system that’s more complicated (not by much).

      Plus, I’ve got a very accurate G17. I’ve never seen an accurate HiPoint.

      • ” Glocks use tilt barrel system that’s more complicated (not by much). ”
        This is exactly what I meant by: “should be priced only slightly higher, not double/triple.” The system IS more expensive to manufacture, but nowhere near what is charged.

      • I have, used to have a .45 HiPoint that shot very well, probably due to weight. That was my first pistol. And I have since sold it because it was, though accurate and reliable, a piece of crap compared to pretty much everything else I have ever owned.

        • “…because it was, though accurate and reliable, a piece of crap compared to pretty much everything else I have ever owned.”

          Sounds like the perfect contender for a ‘truck gun’ (or whatever your mode of transport is that has room for a ballistic protection package).

    • kenneth,

      Glocks are safe to carry with a round in the chamber as long as you keep that Glock in a quality holster designed for it.

      Pro-tip: a quality holster that is designed for a specific handgun covers the entire trigger guard and guarantees that the trigger will not move backwards (which ensures that the firearm will not go BANG!).

      • Strange then, that so many glocks manage to just “go off” as they are being inserted into the special holsters made just for them…
        Strange also that this phenomenon does not seem to occur with other handgun designs.

        • Keep your finger out of the trigger guard and the gun won’t “just go off”. Pretty simple really.

          Everyone wants to blame the gun for their own inadequacies. There’s no possible way that some dumbass shot himself in the leg because he wasn’t paying attention, it HAS to be the guns fault. 30+ years, the gun has been faulty? Try again… This isn’t Remington we’re talking about after all.

      • Also, I note that you followed the words; “Glocks are safe to carry…”, with the qualifier; “as long as”.
        Would you not agree that a design that doesn’t require special accessories is inherently better than another design that does?

    • Why is it unsafe to carry with one in the pipe?

      I mean, unless you’re advocating for “Plaxico carry” I can’t really understand this.

      • Because in the glock design the striker is semi cocked by the slide, and then fully cocked and released by the trigger at firing. This allows a lighter and shorter trigger pull, but at the expense of allowing the mainspring to store energy which can fire the pistol, which does not happen with a DA trigger.
        You can check this yourself by dropping the striker on a snap cap and then pulling the trigger. The trigger doesn’t function a second time until the slide is cycled. This means that in addition to the safety issue, glocks also give up second strike capability in the event of a misfire.

        • This comment is a much better use for this quote:

          “What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

        • Eric in oregon; If you cannot understand the technical jargon necessary in firearms conversations, perhaps this site is not for you.

        • Are you in some roundabout suggesting that Glock brand Glocks are prone to just going off by themselves because…?

          Second strike capacity… ugh. Whoever came up with that marketing ploy deserves a serious raise.

    • As for #2… Noobies don’t need to be handling any weapon if they don’t even have the sense to clear it and triple check it before disassembly!

      • Many a trained LEO has had NDs with glocks over this, so your objection is invalid. Many even used to ND while putting their glocks in the box, as the box itself used to pull the trigger as the gun went in. Thankfully, glock corrected this with a new box… finally! But still won’t address the root cause, the need to pull the trigger to disassemble. Other take-down designs are just better.

        • Over a long enough time period anyone who handles any firearms runs the risk of an ND. People make mistakes. It happens. The whole point of the rules of gun safety is that you have to break more than one to hurt someone.

          The fact that some LAPD SWAT officer put a burst of 9mm into the floor with his MP5 last year doesn’t mean that the MP5 is a bad firearm. It means he screwed up. Guns are inherently dangerous but, generally speaking, guns don’t just go off by themselves.

          ND’s are called ND’s because they require negligence on the part of the operator. That negligence may be due to drunkenness, tiredness, being distracted, flat out stupidity or some other form of tomfuckery but it always involves a human being doing something they shouldn’t have.

        • You persist in misrepresenting every single word I’ve written.
          Nowhere have i said a glock is bad. Only that other designs are better and cheaper. As they objectively are.
          Now, can you figure out a way to twist even that around? Having posted to MDA, I know how easily it can be done, so I suppose you can…

        • “Only that other designs are better and cheaper. As they objectively are.”

          Objectively better? Really? Your opinion now counts as an objective fact?

          Wow, just stop digging brah. Put down that shovel.

    • 1. Don’t pull the trigger and you won’t have a problem. If you pull a Glock’s trigger inadvertently, then by definition you did so without being aware. How can you control the pressure applied to the trigger when you aren’t even controlling it? Trick question. You can’t. So your REAL complaint is that you need 11-13 lbs. of built-in DA trigger weight, vs. the Glock’s approx. 5 lbs., to protect you from yourself. Sounds like maybe you shouldn’t carry a firearm, at all.

      What’s also interesting, is that the typical gun owner whom you regard as so reckless as to be a danger to himself by pulling the trigger negligently, is the same gun owner whom you implicitly regard as so smoothly proficient as to be able to switch off some other handgun’s external safety in the terror-filled immediacy of a self defense gun use. That seems a tad unlikely, dont you find?

      2. Why can’t it be the opposite, that knowing you need to pull the trigger, the actual intended means of discharging the firearm, would motivate you to be extra diligent about removing the ammunition source and then clearing the chamber? After all, there are plenty of non-Glock negligent discharges out there. Maybe people get careless precisely because they don’t expect to pull the trigger. Yet, the trigger still gets pulled. The double action savior of humanity trigger gets pulled. Curious, that.

      3. Then go make your own Glock knockoff, a Glockoff, if you will, undercut their price, use clever advertising to counter theirs, and make a million dollars! What is the delay? Show America that your mousetrap is just as good or better, but priced more competitively.

        • Response to a prior comment of yours:

          The ND issue is just that. Negligence. Is it the design and fault of the car if hit someone in front you instead of stopping because you were texting instead of paying attention?

          (This was meant to agree with what you were saying. Kenneth obviously has a serious issue trusting himself with a firearm, so I’m not sure he needs one. )

        • Jon:

          I followed your analogy. It’s a pretty good one. Hope you’re enjoying the nice weather, that is if you’re not up in the mountains.

      • LOL!
        If you had ever read my posts before you could appreciate just what a ridiculous joke you made. I shoot DA S&W revolvers with extra power springs! The stronger the spring, the quicker the reset.
        I would suggest some practice sharpening up on your comprehension, yours is weak.

    • Glocks should not be priced much more than an S&W sd9ve honestly. They’re so bare bones I do not see how they justify the price.

  4. Jeebus. I think if we went a day or two on this site without publishing something about frickin’ Glocks, my head would explode of astonishment. Can we get back to Israeli supermodels? Maybe start a caliber war (oh wait, did that yesterday). How about synthetic vs. dino oil for lubing pistols?

  5. Can’t wait to click on Farago’s next Glock hit piece when he lists the worst police sidearms currently in use today. He’ll never shut up about the Glock 17M and constantly spew the praise of the S&W M&P II.

    Something fishy is going on here.

    • Please cite an example. Farago constantly complains about the S&W trigger, and he’s made it clear that he often carries a G19.

    • I thought his was just the counterpoint to the previous top reasons to buy a Glock post.

      If my recollection is rights, the three points were also similar between the two. The lesson is that you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Also, that readers here have short memories and are looking to claim conspiracies.

  6. Right don’t just buy “A” Glock, buy lots of
    Glocks.

    Then go around and tell everyone who will listen that you are af firearms collector, or just offer them in trade for guns that are worth 3-4x as much and then get offended and very reluctantly offer $100 on top to “sweeten” the deal. +10 points if you can somehow work in that it is a “limited” or “special” edition because it has an FDE frame.

    At least from personal experience thats about all I can figure that people who buy Glocks do.

  7. #4 overrated, cheap for government contracts but over priced for individual $600 plus trigger, sights, sometimes guide rod, can get Ruger, Smith & Wesson m&p or even Springfield xd, for under $600 no need to change anything, and don’t need to worry about parts they’re lifetime warranty

  8. I didn’t buy a Glock for the same reason I have never bought a Harley. I have or have had many different kinds of motorcycles and guns but I don’t want the big name brand simply because that’s what “everyone” wants.

    Rather than a Glock 19, I bought a S&W SD9VE that is very close in size, weight, function and accuracy to one. It was $200 cheaper and I think it is better looking.

    • If you forever limit yourself to only one flavor of anything you will never know whether or not there’s something better out there. How will you KNOW Coke is the best if you’ve never tried a Pepsi? Or a Shasta, or a Root beer, or a……..

  9. Yeah, overrated. Own mod 21 first and last of these plastic wonders. Safe queen really.
    I remember the political hacks all upset when Glock first came on the seen.

  10. “The little lever could also, in theory, stop a firearms-ignorant gun grabbing perp from using your gun against you.”

    Not to flame anyone here but if your plan is to have the safety on your gun prevent a BG from shooting you with your own pistol you need a significantly better plan.

    Further, if this really is part of your reasoning for why you roll with a gun that has a safety, rather than some bullshit reason you throw out to test the intelligence and critical thinking skills of other people, you should also probably be evaluated by a professional for other signs of mental retardation. Seriously, this is a side of naturally sourced, non-GMO, certified lead content paint chips with every meal level of stupidity.

    Personally I don’t much care about external safeties and I don’t roll with one engaged, that’s my bias. YMMV, but FFS there are legit reasons you can articulate to carry with the safety on and this isn’t one of them. Do you carry a rubber training knife because the BG might get a hold of your blade?

      • When I see statements that cause me to think “Holy shit, screw and invite, cancel the Special Olympics and award all medals to this guy…” I’m probably gonna say something about it.

        Now, I’m not flaming RF here, I know he’s just repeating what some mall ninjas say because I’ve heard people say things like this.

  11. Safeties are for guns without holsters. Holsters that properly cover the trigger guard make manually operated safeties redundant and unnecessary.

    Some people think Glocks are ugly. Some people think the male genitalia is ugly. Both are best kept under cover until they are properly put to use, at which time the appearance becomes irrelevant.

  12. My Glock 26 is simple, reliable, easy-to-clean, durable, weather-resistant. I shoot it well. Other guns may have those same qualities, but a Glock 26 is what I have. It does the job. I don’t want anything else out of it that would cause me to set it aside.

  13. i was offered a glock .40 (i’m trying to get my weight up on cz’s numbering system- i’ll never know what all the glock numbers mean) for $350 “handshake.” i would have and should have sold the slide and hung it under a pistol carbine. so maybe i’ll build a lower. because striker makes more sense to me for a carbine. and magazine- o- rama.
    my number one reason not to buy a glock for carry or range use is that i do not want one.
    after viewing that slo- mo of the frame rail flexing under fire i’m suspicious of all plasticky guns. i admit they are somewhat lighter than what i’m used to. and i am aware that they are durable.

  14. 1. There is a good reason why that grip angle exists. See: 1911A1, and Jim Cirillo’s opinion on facing baddies with Glocks. Having the front sight naturally present itself above the slide cannot be a bad thing for defensive purposes.

    2. A manual safety is superfluous for a striker-fired gun. If you don’t think you have the presence of mind often enough to prevent yourself from accidentally or negligently tripping the trigger, buy a gun with a manual safety. Know thy self.

    3. The Glock is utilitarian, and downright sexy for it. When lady-librarian lets her hair down and rocks your world, do you think back about how stupid her glasses looked?

  15. Glocks are pretty expensive compared to some of the other options out there. I paid $399 for my brand new M&P 9, but the same online retailer charges over $500 for a G19.

  16. Glocks fit some people and not others (like me). If the gun fits, you must commit. If it doesn’t, don’t.

    What really bothers me about Glocks isn’t that they’re ugly (they are) or that they don’t have an active safety (an active safety is a must on a single action M1911 that’s carried cocked, but not on a striker-fired gun). What bothers me the most is that cleaning requires a trigger press. It’s a design defect.

    Yes, I know it’s all the owner’s fault when the gun goes off. Blah blah blah. But a mechanical device should improve safety, and Glocks certainly do not.

    If other manufacturers can figure out a way to field strip their pistols without dry (or not dry) firing them, so should the world’s greatest manufacturer of curtain rods.

    • Most striker fired guns don’t need an effective safety but the Springfield is the striker fired equivalent of a single action pistol. The trigger releases the fully cocked striker hence the grip safety. I think a grip safety is sufficient protection for any pistol. Certainly Browning thought so.

      • I may be wrong (and Donald Trump might be a nice guy…) but I believe that during the 1911 development process, the US Army demanded an additional safety for the sake of their cavalry troopers, hence the inclusion of the grip safety. JMB originally designed only the frame mounted thumb operated safety lever.

    • Oh please. If you think disassembling a Glock is unsafe you must think someone doing dry fire practice is a menace to society. Checking for a clear chamber should be done as automatically as breathing.

      • Lots of things SHOULD be, but firearms need to be designed for the average human, not for those who never fail or make a mistake.
        No one should ever get in a car ‘accident’, either. Does that mean you think that air bags and seat belts are useless?

        • So… you’re saying that guns should be designed to prevent the chambering of a round and subsequent firing because some people are stupid and won’t check the chamber? Maybe just make the barrel solid then?

          If you’re dumb enough to pull the trigger without checking the gun the safety isn’t going to save you from an ND because the safety usually locks or disengages the trigger which means pulling it does nothing. So, in their infinite retardation, most people who are stupid enough to do this will intentionally take the safety off so that they can pull the trigger because they want the gun to go *click*.

          If you want to argue about people making mistakes when drawing and having an ND that’s all well and good. Everything else you’ve said in this thread is nonsense because you can’t idiot proof a gun to the point an ND is impossible without making the gun inoperable which, by the by, would defeat the entire fucking point of having one.

          You are, quite literally, advocating for the EDC of a blue gun whether you realize it or not.

        • So that’s what you have? Against concrete reasons and logic, you can run around in left field in circles at random? God, its like talking to Shannon Watts! At least you can’t ban me from THIS site… I think.

        • To the ad hominems when you can’t actually articulate a point. Typical.

          I’m just going to say this: If you can’t trust yourself with a Glock don’t get one. If you don’t like the Glock system don’t get one. I don’t carry one but I did for quite a while and I find nothing wrong with the system.

          They’re an alright handgun and they’re not anywhere near as unsafe as you suggest. You hate them we all know that because you’ve left about half the comments on this page, all disparaging Glock and people who like the brand. Stop beating the horse. It died long ago.

          To me, your comments suggest that you like to play with the trigger on your guns and assume that the safety will keep it from discharging. Maybe that’s true, maybe it’s not. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re an anti-fanboy which is the ONLY thing more annoying than a fanboy. It just makes you seem like an asshole because you’re basically telling other people what they should prefer when you have no business doing so.

          Again, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it but leave the people that don’t have your paranoia about the gun alone.

  17. I prefer steel and alloy frame firearms.

    For whatever reason, I can’t shoot anything with polymer handguns, but the minute I pick up my CZ I can run a train on a target and eat up steel at the steel challenge like a pro.

    I’ll never understand the physics or mindset behind that, or why I have so much trouble with poly guns, but not metal frame firearms.

    • Need a citation on that… AFAIK they made one prototype with a manual safety and dropped the idea. You can get aftermarket though.

  18. Buy what you shoot well. Don’t get emotionally invested in a brand. Saying “don’t buy a Glock because it looks ugly” is really reaching for reasons not to buy a gun. I mean sure, it’s a reason, but don’t let that be your ONLY reason for not buying it.

  19. BEST reason to own a Glock; all the people they irritate. Kinda like loving Tom Brady and the Patriots! Can’t wait for their next album! LII!

  20. Am I the only person who likes that the grip angle instinctually makes people lean forward more? Also, shoot a whole bunch of guns a lot and the grip size and angle start to not matter, at least for me. The grip is too big? Shoot a stock Beretta in double-action and all of the sudden the Glock grip seems small.

  21. First reason would be in my top three but the two are down on the list. Reason two is that the trigger sucks. Reason #3 is that sights suck. You will have to spend money to fix those two and if your really want to do it right, if it’s a bad grip angle for you is to buy a new frame and voila your Glock perfection costs as much as a SiG. Therefore, if you pick a Glock and the grip angle doesn’t suit you, buy a Springfield. The better trigger and sights come standard with it. The 1911 is the most ergonomic design every produced. JMB knew what he was doing when he designed the pistol. The Hi Power is just an improvement on a great design.

  22. 1) Grip angle and grip feel are different for each individual. My Glock fits my hand like a glove, to others an M&P or a Sig feels best. I always say buy a reliable gun that feels good in your hand. 2) Your reasons #2 and #3 are irrelevant. Revolvers have no external safety either. That is strictly a bias from 1911 guys and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Glock is “beautiful” in its simplicity and rugged reliability. There wasn’t much “truth” in this article. Are you applying for a job at MSNBC?

  23. Yeah. So?
    Mine work for me. They’ve never failed to go bang when I pulled the trigger, and I generally hit whatever it is I want to hit. It’s a tool for fun and self-defense.

    Just because I like it doesn’t mean you have to. I like the 1911 too, and have a couple.

  24. Well honesty I’m just sick and freaking tired of every major gun writer on the internet gushing over Glocks and other DAO striker fired guns in almost every freakin’ review.

    Yes… Glocks work well and are reliable. We all agree with that by now. But that doesn’t justify the #Gamergate level of obsession with them in the gun press.

  25. I have a G17G4.
    I also have a Ruger P95.
    The 17 shoots tighter groups, but the grip requires me to refresh my grip every two or three shots. It just doesn’t work right for me.
    The P95, OTOH, shoots well, and fits me fine; I can mag-dump without changing the grip.
    I’ve tried .40s and 10mms as well, and the Glocks all shoot tighter groups, but are just a pain *for me* to shoot.
    I will keep the 17, but I would never trust my life to it.
    But that’s just me. We are all different.

  26. Let’s just agree to disagree. Glocks are made for responsible adults who can handle not putting their finger inside the trigger guard and ripping a round through their leg/ass.

    If you don’t pull the trigger, the bullet won’t come out. Very simple. I’m not sure why there are so many people crying about safety. Follow the 4 Rules, and you won’t shoot yourself or anyone/anything else you don’t want to.

    It’s time to grow up and be responsible for your own actions, instead of blaming someone else (or an inanimate object) for your own inadequacies and negligence.

  27. My reasons:

    I shoot the Sig P320 better. I don’t know why, but I do.

    Everyone slobbers over glocks. Yes they are good but I wanted something different just to be different.

    And lastly, after I bought a glock 19 I DIDN’T F***ING FEEL LIKE BUYING A GLOCK SUSAN! so basically, just because

  28. lets see, i absolutely hate glock, for almost every reason already listed, i carry my xd daily, and ill add one more reason, everybody and there mother, sister, cousin, brother, law enforcement, or inbred freak has a glock, because it says perfection in the name. Ill carry almost anything over a glock, kinda like ill own any vehicle over a ford, id rather push a chevy than be caught dead in a ford, just like id rather shoot a hipoint than own a glock, not that id do either. Point being all you glock fan boys can keep your crap that hasnt changed at all since introduced what, 35 years ago? Oh and the “customer service?” how much did the public beg for a single stack 9mm from glock before it happened? Screw glock.

  29. ? Gun blog rule #1…when you’re sites got shit and needs the hits post anything in regards to Glocks or 1911s. Never fails!

  30. Only 3 reasons? I could probably come up with 3 dozen. There is NO reason to buy or carry a glock & NO company should be like glock. A poorly designed, unsafe, not that that reliable pile of junk. Not only is the product junk, but so is Gaston Glock. A billionaire POS that lives a debauched lifestyle. When I look at a company, I also look at it’s founders & leaders; mr. glock totally sucks. Here is a good link about real news on this pile of garbage: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/11/glock-family-goes-down-guns-blazing.html. Not only would I not buy a seriously flawed product like his, but also because I do not want to contribute to this POS’s lifestyle.

  31. “1. The Grip Angle is Sub-Optimal”

    Fortunately, many humans are capable of training and learning. Not all, as evidenced by the primal screams against this angle, but certainly many. People all over the planet learn to use pistols with different grip angles. One suspects many Americans can also.

    2. GLOCKs Lack an External Safety

    For what it’s worth, JMB created MANY guns that lacked external safeties. In fact, I would dare any M1911 cult member to rave about the features and ergonomics of the JMB designed 1905 Military. Better yet, use one in a match, for concealed carry, or in a training course.

    http://www.nramuseum.com/guns/the-galleries/world-war-i-and-firearms-innovation/case-36-great-inventors/colt-model-1905-45-automatic-pistol.aspx

    “3. GLOCKs Are Ugly”

    Aaah. Now we’re at the heart of it.
    “But,” the traditionalist interjected, “this shovel looks so much better than that one!” Or,
    “What would my barbeque buddies think if I didn’t pack a Wilson or Nighthawk?”

    • Though your assessment of points two and three is pretty much spot on, your rebuttal to point one doesn’t change the fact that it is a legitimate reason to not buy a Glock. Yes, it is possible to train to shoot it well if it doesn’t fit you, but with options that are just as good that do fit you well, why would you? Unless of course you just wanted a Glock, in which case go for it.

      • The point for 1 is rather that it’s really a subjective position, not an objective one. When Farago trolls with “sub-optimal,” he actually means “for him” and others who have already acclimatized to other grip angles. A Steyr M9 shooter may, for example, feel otherwise.

        In any case, people can learn any angle.
        http://s266.photobucket.com/user/USNMAC/media/Chop%20Photos/g22.jpg.html

        People used to something else will find the Glock angle to be “off.” But, that’s largely on them, not on the pistol. When I pick up an M1911 or Hi-Power, I have to adjust the other way. You know, Farago’s position may as well be “all guns should be M1911s” because anything else is different and requires acclimatization (for him). Frankly, that’s a position that I have come to expect from the M1911 cult.

  32. I prefer my XDM to a glock for 9 MM. although I’m considering a sig p320.

    The main reason for me to buy a glock was 10mm. I love my Glock 40 MOS and there really is no other long slide 10mm for 800 bucks that can hold a candle to it.

  33. It all comes down to personal preference. It’s that simple. Carry what is most comfortable for you.

    I own a Glock 19 Gen 4. The trigger is trash. My duty weapon is a Smith & Wesson M&P 40. The trigger is trash but I still score in the 90’s when I qualify with it. I have a Springfield XD .45. I love it but it’s big and heavy for an EDC. I have a Walther PPQ M2 9mm. In my opinion it’s the best damn polymer handgun I’ve ever had the pleasure to shoot. I have a Springfield 1911 GI. I will never part ways with that beautiful weapon. It was the first automatic handgun I ever shot.

    Whether I perform well or poorly with a specific firearm should have zero impact on someone else’s decision on what to buy and carry. Take all of these articles with a grain of salt.

  34. >>Neither grip angle is inherently better than the other

    No! Just NO! This sentence should be promptly removed from the post, lest praerie fire of argument about grip angle will not develop properly!!!1

  35. 4. Glocks are too big for some hands.
    Pistol ought to feel like a body extension. Hi-Powers do that for me. A few others…

  36. I love all the internet tacticooltards hating on Glocks. Maybe if it effects their sales they’ll lower prices.

    Its only the primary sidearms of tens of thousands of police departments and dozens of militaries around the world, working in every set of conditions possible from the arctic to deserts to concealed carry under business suits, without a single major complaint about its durability, reliability, or operation. Yeah I think if I could only have 1 handgun, a Glock wouldn’t be such a terrible choice…

  37. The number 1 reason not to buy a Glock (anymore) is there are lots of different choices (now) if you are set on buying combat tupperware. I own several Glocks but at least one doesn’t get the love it used to now that I have Sig P250. The Glock was pretty unique when it hit the market and they have sold tons of the same gun in different calibers and sizes without any real product/design innovation in 30(?) years. Now if you want a polymer wunder nine there are a blue million choices with all kinds of bells and whistles

  38. Lhstr, well I’m at a loss, I have several Glocks, Rugers and etc. I like Glock because no external safetys. I don’t use them. I am left handed so all of mine are gen.4’s. I do have a American Ruger that I would carry over Glock, but its heavy. The Ruger is left handed completely(slide lock and mag. rlse.) and is a great 9mm shooter, but with light, it’s a bit over weight. Lets face it all are great. I would carry my 5.7 but its a touch to big. To each to its own preference. Be safe out there and carry what you shoot the best.

    • Who can believe the word of someone named Enzo? GLOcks are easy to use and maintain as well as reliable. Do you even own a Glock Enzo? I own three and they are here to stay because they are the best. Don’t knock a Glock, if you don’t have one.

  39. Well, after reading much of the testosterone laced comments about Glocks (and Jeeps), I’m still not convinced to purchase a Glock. After 40 years of carrying handguns, I’ll stick with what I know.

    BTW, who dumps their guns in mud or horse troughs to see if their Glock will work for them. What does that prove ?

    I’ll stick with Sig P220, S&W M&P .45/9MM, and even a CZ PCR Compact 9MM and keep them out of the horse troughs.

  40. Sounds like to me you have those that have the best firearms possible, Glocks, and those that are too cheap to lay down the $$$ and instead buy inferior weapons. Then they want to write a blog about why someone else should be a Glock hater like their cheap self. “Me thinks that the “ … Glock hater …”doth protest too much!” If you don’t buy Glock, well shut up and carry something else but quit dissing those of us that are Glock loyal.

    I love all 3 of mine (19, 43, and 26), and I’m a woman who carries concealed. I didn’t want an exterior safety to slow me down in a crisis. If you would do your research before you ran your mouth, you would know that glocks have 3 internal safeties already. If that’s not enough, then put a lock on the darn thing. However, for self defense concealed carry, I don’t want to have worry about knocking off an external safety in the maybe 3 seconds I might have to defend my life.

  41. As a lefty, I find a Glock a little hard to carry. I don’t like the placement of the slide release and the mag release is too low and not ambidextrous. I don’t use my G19 for EDC. The grip angle is ok and I have adapted to it but I prefer an 18 degree as it is more natural to my wrist. Glocks are still great guns and I use mine for competition.

  42. Every one is different, that’s why there are a million aftermarket parts for many popular Pistols. If you don’t like something then change it or adapt, there is no 1 perfect gun.

  43. I carried a Beretta 92F in the cops for a few years. Unbeatable reliability and accuracy. I realise IQs have dropped a lot over the years but I still can’t comprehend how any Police force could choose a sidearm that is not a proper double action with an external hammer. Let me put it this way. We always carried one in the pipe, hammer down. If it’s SHTF time simple pull the trigger and away you go. What the hell do you do with Glock? Walk around with one in the pipe and the striker cocked? Or criminal suddenly pulls a gun and you say, hang on a moment while I cock, assuming you haven’t blown your foot off by then. Geezuz I would rather have double action six shooter in that situation. As a side note, we never used the safety on the Beretta and were never trained to. Idiots use the safety on a defence weapon. Guarenteed the day you need it the saftey will be on. Also there are other advantages to the external hammer. You know immediatly what the status of your weapon is and the Beretta had a little indicator that warned you if you were one up. In a nutshell the Beretta is the AK47 of handguns.

    • You make wayyy too much sense for the brain of a Glock-Turd to comprehend. I have 7 Beretta’s and just picked up the 92X Performance..OMG. By the way we also have over 30 Sig’s, but not one Glock…total crap.

  44. This is abuncha crap.

    I own all manner of handguns. Dozens upon dozens. I like all of them for what they are.

    The Glock G19? Two different times I have accidentally dropped it, loaded, into desert sand.

    Blow the crap off the ejection port (think “whistle”, I was in the desert?) and empty the magazine into the berm of the road. 15 shots. Never a hiccup. None. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Try that with your tight fitted 1911?

    My G19 has over 15 THOUSAND ROUNDS THRU IT. It looks like BRAND FREAKING NEW due to the nitride/Tenifer finish. How can a person diss a gun like that?

    It is the first pistol I ever bought, and the last one I would dispose of. How’s that for a testimonial?

    I used to shoot my G22 offhand (one handed) at 25 yards, and I never left the black with my handloads. People would stop to ask me who tuned my pistol, as they had never seen a Glock shoot like that. “Nobody” was the answer. Practice, practice, practice is the solution.

    I used to put one or two hundert rounds a week thru my first G22. It sits in my nightstand with some ugly hollow points in it. I’d bet my life on that pistol, and any of the other six Glocks I own. They never fail, until you forget to change out the trigger spring about every 3000 rounds. That is the only, SINGLE failure I have ever had from a Glock, and it likely had over 5K rounds thru it at the time. The failure was my doing, and not the pistol’s.

    What’s wrong with pistols like these? Tell me please. I can’t wait to hear more bullshite covered tripe.

  45. Man, who messed you up??? I’ve have Glock 22,26,17,19, Ruger P89, Sig 365, Springfield MS1911A1, Colt Python 357, SW M&P9EZ and Springfield XD3.

    By far my EDC and favorite to shoot is my 19 gen5. Next is my 22gen2. Love it, love it, love it!

    Can’t find anyone that agrees with you. Next time I see your name on an article, I will PASS!

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