Glock 20

[DunnCoHunter]

Looking at getting a Glock 20 mostly to carry while bowhunting. It will probably be the only handgun I own because I don’t plan on carrying. But I have a friend who said I should get a gun with an actual safety on it. What are everyone’s thoughts on this? I found a new Glock 20 for sale and was all set to buy it but having second thoughts now.


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[realunlucky]

Glocks are proven by pretty much every law enforcement entity out there. If my finger is touching the trigger it's already go time.

Nothing wrong with a more traditional safety if your more comfortable carrying it that way.

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[hflier]

Just need a good holster. Many guns no longer have safeties. The safety is the owner and a good holster. That comment on safeties is an old school way of thinking. Many people under extreme stress for get about working the safety. I have own many Glocks, everyone was 100% reliable.

Biggest Glock danger is forgetting there is a round in the chamber when cleaning as you have to pull the trigger to get the slide off.


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[Jellymon1]

Tons of hunters carry the g20 every year, it’s extremely popular and you never hear of issues associated with carrying. It’s a non issue. I absolutely love mine.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Revolvers don’t have safeties, nobody complains about that.

I have 3 Glock 20s, like others have said, get a good holster and get comfortable with the function of the gun and you are good to go.

 

[Elk2008]

I pack a glock 20 bowhunting. I just don’t load a round in the chamber until I need it!

 

[hflier]

I pack a glock 20 bowhunting. I just don’t load a round in the chamber until I need it!

If you are carrying for Grizz your are dead.


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[RMP]

I'm a Glock fan. I spend a lot of time out in the field photographing wildlife and encounter a lot of black bears, sometimes up very close. I've never had a problem, but one needs to be prepared. I carry a G20, or sometimes a G29, 10mm. If you are going to carry it outdoors as emergency protection from bears (or two legged predators), I suggest replacing the sights with something that's more usable than the stock sights. I use TruGlo TFX Pros on my 10mm Glocks. They are dual fiber-optic and tritium and are very durable. They light up nicely during even in twilight hours.

 

[Mike7]

The lack of an external safety should be a non-issue. Also, it is one less thing to worry about in an emergency.

I might know a guy who crashed his mountain bike after riding the front tire into a deep, lightly covered ground hog hole while coming down an old logging road. This was before I, I mean the guy, had a really good, secure holster (use a Bianchi... UM92II now I think). Anyway, that Glock 20 came sliding, skipping, and rolling past the guy seemingly in slow motion down the road as he tumbled off the bike and down the road himself. The glock survived unscathed and without firing.

And agree with above... would not recommend an empty chamber if you are carrying it for protection.

You might find a 9mm more convenient to carry and with other options if you don't necessarily care for Glocks...and there are 9mm hard cast like rounds available that will really penetrate well (like doubletap 9mm +P 147 gr FMJ-FP rounds).

 

[Steve from GA]

Just carry it in a solid holster. If you happen to have time to deploy it with a grizzly charging you, flipping off a safety is not something you should have to worry about. Coming out hot is the way to go. I have carried a G19 on my person for more than a decade now (will carry a G20 when I start hunting elk), and have never come close to a negligent discharge. Just keep your booger hook off the bang switch - it really is that simple.

 

[DJL2]

Re: lack of safeties as a concern
There are a ton of folks that have no business carrying a pistol. These folks are internet famous for shooting themselves or someone else while "cleaning" their weapon, drinking and discharging their weapon negligently, putting holes in themselves while attempting to re-holster, and various other things. A safety can be situationally useful, but it is not a substitute for competence. Glocks are very functional pistols, but they are not particularly forgiving of fools.

Re: safeties as a concern
My work gun(s) has a safety... has never slowed me down in the slightest. I've shot USPSA with a 1911... and the safety never slowed me down in the slightest. If you can't hit the safety, every time, coming out of the holster... the gun isn't the problem, refer back to the first sentence of the first paragraph above. ;-)

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Re: lack of safeties as a concern
There are a ton of folks that have no business carrying a pistol. These folks are internet famous for shooting themselves or someone else while "cleaning" their weapon, drinking and discharging their weapon negligently, putting holes in themselves while attempting to re-holster, and various other things. A safety can be situationally useful, but it is not a substitute for competence. Glocks are very functional pistols, but they are not particularly forgiving of fools.

Re: safeties as a concern
My work gun(s) has a safety... has never slowed me down in the slightest. I've shot USPSA with a 1911... and the safety never slowed me down in the slightest. If you can't hit the safety, every time, coming out of the holster... the gun isn't the problem, refer back to the first sentence of the first paragraph above. ;-)

When I first joined the Coast Guard, we had 1911's, and our prescribed method of carry was empty chamber. In range drills, it took from 1.5-2 seconds from the time the instructor's whistle blew until we had rounds on target. With practice, and the accompanying muscle memory, it can become mechanical in process.

OP, I recently bought my first Glock. A model 40 10mm. I have already fallen in love with it. If I am being honest, I am pretty average in handgun accuracy. I couldn't believe how well I shot this one. Follow up shots were a bit slow, but with practice, I'll get there. That was with open sights. I have since added a holo sight and have not yet shot it. For me the lack of a safety isn't an issue at all.

 

[DJL2]

I prefer pistols to paper weights . Seriously, I would never carry on an empty chamber. My carry gun has a nice trigger that can’t be more than four lbs, no safety… and no problems. I carried a Glock 19/17/34 for years… also with a ~4 lb trigger, no safety, no problems.

My point was that a properly designed safety has niche utility, doesn’t hurt, but also isn’t necessary on many designs,

Added a red dot on my carry gun a few months back. Been running it fairly hard since, can appreciate the capability a RDS begins to the table.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Hmmm. A 10mm, Glock or otherwise, is not the easiest gun to learn on.

I tend to think most new shooters are better served by a quality revolver. 357 or 44 if you must. Semi autos are great guns and these days the reliability gap is more narrow than it was a generation ago.

i am a Glock fan and for bear protection would tote one along over nearly any other semi auto. However, if I didn’t have a lot of experience with glocks I Would probably preference a 44 revolver.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Hmmm. A 10mm, Glock or otherwise, is not the easiest gun to learn on.

I tend to think most new shooters are better served by a quality revolver. 357 or 44 if you must. Semi autos are great guns and these days the reliability gap is more narrow than it was a generation ago.

i am a Glock fan and for bear protection would tote one along over nearly any other semi auto. However, if I didn’t have a lot of experience with glocks I Would probably preference a 44 revolver.

I have had Ruger Redhawks and Blackhawks in 44 Magnum. My Glock 40 is appreciably easier to shoot.

 

[ColtyJr]

Gloxk 20 is great just practice and practice especially if this will be your only handgun you'll love it. I'd recommend a fully supported barrel if you plan on shooting heavy bear defense ammo. Like a KKM aftermarket barrel

 

[Mike7]

When I first joined the Coast Guard, we had 1911's, and our prescribed method of carry was empty chamber. In range drills, it took from 1.5-2 seconds from the time the instructor's whistle blew until we had rounds on target. With practice, and the accompanying muscle memory, it can become mechanical in process.

OP, I recently bought my first Glock. A model 40 10mm. I have already fallen in love with it. If I am being honest, I am pretty average in handgun accuracy. I couldn't believe how well I shot this one. Follow up shots were a bit slow, but with practice, I'll get there. That was with open sights. I have since added a holo sight and have not yet shot it. For me the lack of a safety isn't an issue at all.

A grizzly bear sprinting at 35 mph will cover 40 yds in 2 seconds...placing the bear right on top of you before you can shoot, given the timing you mention. And that is assuming you are completely ready like in training, function under stress as well as you do in training, and that you have a 40 yd buffer between you and the bear when it charges.

So maybe it makes more sense to carry on an empty chamber in garrison, but not when boarding a ship or sneaking through brush in bear country?

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

If you don’t know your recoil tolerance for handguns, go rent some (different makes/models/calibers) and see where your threshold is.

Next find a handgun that actually fits your hands that is at or under your recoil threshold.

Buy a lot of practice ammo and some hard cast ammunition such as Buffalo Bore.

Practice a lot. This include speed drills that incorporate drawing from a holster with random targets in different locations. If your handgun happens to have a safety, include it in your training.

Once at the trailhead, ensure that you have a round chambered. Go hunt.

 

[davsco]

glock 20 is a good gun and caliber. try one out at a range before you buy though, they're a little bit wider than glocks in 9/40/357sig. i sold my g20 because the grip was a little too big for me and kept my g31 and g22 among others.

if you're carrying it (or it's a bedside gun etc) you really want a round in the chamber. just like wearing a seatbelt, you prob won't have time to get it ready when you really need it. thousands and thousands of folks shooting 2 & 3 gun matches run around with loaded handguns with no issues of them going off while holstered. just make sure you have a secure holster and that nothing like your finger or a zipper pull etc get in the way when holstering.

 

[DJL2]

A grizzly bear sprinting at 35 mph will cover 40 yds in 2 seconds...placing the bear right on top of you before you can shoot, given the timing you mention. And that is assuming you are completely ready like in training, function under stress as well as you do in training, and that you have a 40 yd buffer between you and the bear when it charges.

So maybe it makes more sense to carry on an empty chamber in garrison, but not when boarding a ship or sneaking through brush in bear country?

Real Talk: getting your pistol into operation in 1.5 second or less from a duty or carry rig and placing shots on the target with precision is high level performance. That's a shooter with outstanding skills, refined through considerable practice.