I think it was the May, 1990 issues of Guns magazine- sort of an "all Glock" issue. There was an article in it by Massad Ayoob. One of the observations he made about the Glock was that when you loaded the Glock magazine, the walls of it swelled.

At that time, I had never examined a Glock, but after I read this, I said "No way, no how. Never." Cutting my teeth on all-metal pistols, I simply could not imagine ever having or wanting such a pistol. The sides of the magazine swell?? It seemed cheap, cheesy. An imitation handgun, a toy. A plastic frame was bad enough but at least there was precedent of sorts for such a thing- the H&K VP-70.

I knew that the Glock was becoming very popular with the police and I had heard the stories, of course, about their durability and how, for instance, the Cobb County Sheriff's Office had taken a Glock up into a helicopter and from a height of 150 feet, frisbee'd it out the door to land- with a loaded chamber and loaded magazine- on a concrete parking lot, then retrieved and fired to slide lock. I'd heard that they were highly resistant to rust, required very little lubrication to function and would eat anything with a 9mm headstamp.

And yet...

I cut my teeth on the .45 ACP, as did countless guys who came to handgun shooting in the 1970s and 1980s. The gun periodicals of the time were chock full of outright worship for John Browning's cartridge and his redoubtable pistol and my very first handgun was a Colt Combat Commander, followed shortly thereafter by a Colt Combat Government- a very early 80-series pistol.

When Smith & Wesson came out with their 4506, I had to have one but damn if it wasn't a chore to tote. My very first 9mm pistol was a S&W 6904 (a logical choice to go with its big brother) in 1989. Needless to say, it was much easier to pack.

I had a friend- an Atlanta City police officer- who was a gun aficionado like me. At the time, his department issued the Beretta 92FS and he, too, had a yearning for lighter, more compact pistols. In 1993, he purchased a Glock 19 and that's the first time I ever held one. Actually, he handed me the frame only and I thought to myself "Yep. It's a toy." But then, he assembled his pistol and handed it to me with a loaded magazine to try.

Yes, there were and are pistols I shoot more accurately, and if accuracy was all that mattered, I'd have gone a different direction, but the G19 was flat and lightweight and like the 1911, has a consistent trigger pull from first to last shot and that makes a huge difference for me.

My friend showed me how easily and quickly his G19 could be broken down and, back then, most parts cost nothing. Add to that, the US facility for Glock is in the Atlanta Metro area, and suddenly, I had something to think about.

And now, here I am, 21 Glocks later. I've sold only one Glock- a second generation G17, which was the second Glock I purchased, and that was only because my gun money was tight back then and I knew I could replace that pistol with no trouble. I never did get another second gen G17 but five examples, 3rd and 5th gen, are enough for just about anybody.

June 26, 1993 was a Saturday, and that's the date on the receipt for my first Glock, a G19- AKY610US. I purchased it for 430.50 at one of the Eastman gun shows, probably the Cobb County show, I can't recall. I don't carry it anymore, having replaced it with a G19 RTF2, but my first Glock serves still, in an auxiliary role. Trust my life to it, I have, and trust my life to it, I do, still.

Great story. That $430 in 1993 is a little over $900 today so the fact that you can go get a new G19 for $500 is a true bargain.

Cool story....thanks for sharing.

I started with Glocks much later, around 1998, having only shot my father's revolvers and 1911s, but my first real big-boy pistol was a Gen2 G22. Mainly because it was what I could afford - a well-used model from a local corrections officer, and because as a young inexperienced shooter, I bought the BS line about "caliber gotta start with a 4!" Not long after that, I acquired my first G19.

Two things I find unique to the G19 across time.

1. Almost anyone seems to be able to pick one up and shoot it well. I'm not saying anything new, and it's not fluff. From first-timers to experienced pros, people who haven't shot much of anything can pick up a G19 and be on target with relative ease. And professionals can run them extremely efficiently.

2. The price has remained affordable. This is astonishing to me, considering all the crazy inflation of the modern era. Look at what similar metal pistols of the day sold for vs what they're bringing now. I'd dare say a new G19 is a better value now than it was even on your receipt.

I still own and use a G19 (a fairly recent gen 5). If I were in some terrible restrictive world that only allowed one handgun, I would keep my G19.

That's a great story!
I started in 1998 with a gen2 19. I think it was $450.
I actually had to have my chief write a letter so I could buy some regular capacity magazines.

That 19 and gone through a lot of us. I loaned it to my mom years ago and she hasn't returned it. She loves it. So I just went and got another. I did miss the no fingergrooves of the gen2 and have finally gotten around to a gen5 19ish gun (it's a 19X slide that was given to me that I put on a gen5 19 frame).

My first Glock was in the early 90’s as well. I was in flight school in Pensacola and ended up in a gun store/range over in Gulf Breeze. My buddy was buying something and there was a police trade in G19. Gen2, had some pretty good holster wear. Honestly it was ugly as shit and I stated that to the owner in a jocular manner. We had been talking guns and he reached behind the counter and handed me half a box of 9mm and pointed me to the range. Nobody turns down a free chance to shoot somebody else’s ammo or gun.

I shot that half a box and bought gun. First Glock.

It is funny how Glocks have still remained affordable and can be had for some great deals. They are solid guns and I can't think of any other gun in history, barring the 1911, that has the following or longevity that it has.

My first Glock was my Gen 3 G23, purchased in Ramstein, Germany at the Kaiserslautern Rod & Gun Club for USD 545.95 (& no tax) in 1998 or 1999. Over the years, I would mention to my wife that I should sell it or trade it for something else I wanted, but she always said, “No, you should keep it”. (God bless that woman!)

I still have it, and in fact have added a G19X, a Gen 4 G19, a G43 for my wife, and a G45 MOS with Holosun SCS that is my EDC. As Para mentioned, when they first came out, I was very skeptical, also having cut my teeth on metal guns, but by 1998 I was convinced enough to buy that first G23. They may not be sexy or ergonomic, but they go bang every time and are very easy to shoot well — and that can be pretty sexy when the SHTF.

Next March will be 30 yrs. w/ my Gen2 G17 - AUBxxxUS.
After the first couple rounds failing (most likely limp wristing on the brand new gun) it's been perfect and rewarded me a headshot one Thanksgiving on a running possum that had vandalized Mom's leftover turkey she had set out on the deck to cool before throwing in the fridge.

Bonus: Being able to use those original G17 mags in my Gen5 G26.

Thanks for this post. It got me thinking a bit.

1993 was my first as well, a second gen G21. Many years later, many rounds later, a 6 month academy, a couple sets of sights the latest being Heine Straight 8's and a grip job from Robar....still the last Glock I'd ever part with. It's guarding a shelf in the safe, where it's been a good few years...maybe time to dust it off.

My first Glock was a Model 19, Gen 2 that I purchased directly from Glock in Smyrna for $425.00 around
March of 1989. I was stationed at the Atlanta Airport so it was just a short drive to what is now the old facility.

I carried the 19 as my off duty gun for years, only replacing it with a 32C which I still carry. The 19 was a gun I never worried about. Unlike Sigs, I felt it was a tool partially made of plastic. I never damaged it even though it saw some hard use. I would feel comfortable carrying it daily even though it is 34 years old. Although I prefer Sigs, I never felt the slightest concern having a Glock as my second faorite. There are many guns out there, but for me, I felt that if you can't find it in a Sig or a Glock, you probably don't need it.

It is a bit being overly proud, but I came to appreciate Glocks even more after being invited to have dinner with Gaston Glock (along with five others) and hearing about the early development of Gock pistols. It was a memorable occasion.

My first Glock was a Gen 2 model 19 that I bought in the early 90s when I was stationed in Cape Hatteras. When I got divorced she took it when she moved out.

I bought another when I became a cop.

I currently have 2 G19s, one I carried off duty for years and the other is still NIB. They’re serial number buddies. I keep them for TEOTWAWKI-or anything else.

And I have a G43X, that I carried for a few years until I went back to the tried and true commander sized 1911 for EDC.

But I have absolute trust in the Glock.

My first Glock was a 2nd generation 19 also. The serial was ADT___US. It was issued to me at my first police job. The department was very small and the gun was obtained through a program from the Phoenix Police Department where they would sell evidence room guns to other law enforcement agencies for a buck. My department bought six 19s from them that way.

I carried that gun for about two years before switching to .40. I ended up being fortunate enough to get to buy it from the PD for $300 when they decided that they did not want to own them anymore.

I bought my first one, a G23 in June 1994. Initially, my desire was a G19 but certain semi autos were hare to get ahold of due to looming passage of the Clinton "Crime Bill" a couple of months later (it was a crime, Bill, you moron!), so I grabbed that one. Never liked the stout recoil and grip angle so I sold it.

A few yrs late I tried another Glock, a G26, but as hard as I tried, couldn't develop a real liking for it.

Right now, I have a G17 Gen 4 as well as a G43X. Love both of these! Of the two, the G43X is my favorite. Thanks to the interchangeable backstraps on the G17 Gen 4, I can get a comfortable grip on it.

As for Glock durability, the friend of a shooting acquaintance uses a G17 for competition shooting and has logged the round count. So far he's at over 85,000!!! Only springs have been changed periodically. That says a lot.

In the early years when Glock was making a big effort to gain traction with law enforcement, the Glock sales rep visited my Dept and left us G17s to evaluate. At the time we were revolver armed. As Firearms Instructor I nixed the Glock, not because of performance but because the transition training would have been a time and budget impossibility. Several years later, we converted to DAO Smith .40s which were awful. Dumped them quickly and went to DA/SA P229 40s. Then converted the 229 to DAK. Now my Dept is Glock armed.
Glock has reached its current level of success largely due to its early push to arm Police with their guns. It was and still is the most brilliant piece of firearms marketing in modern times.

Can I mildly, very mildly, disagree? They clearly were brilliant in their idea of cheaply arming the police of America. It was a genius idea. It also overshadows the very amazing design that is the Glock. This gun would have revolutionized the gun scene without the police sales. It would have happened on a slower and smaller scale. Glock would not be nearly as ubiquitous but the "Glock" idea would have flourished with or without the brilliant marketing. Good ideas nearly always win in the end. Glock would have started a trend even if they themselves didn't get the lions share of the market like they did.

Long way to say, lots of people talk like Glock sells a ton merely because of the marketing which is bs.

I bought my first and only Glock ~ a Gen 3 G19 about 10 years ago from a fellow SF'er right off the forum.

In general I have never been all that fond of striker fired pistols even though my G19 shoots and handles very well.
Even more strangely I carry a Shield most of the time.
I did buy Walther PDP recently which of all the strikers I enjoy this one the most.

However my primary love is for hammer-fired and for poly-framed guns is HK.

Nevertheless, you will own a Glock .... and I do too.

For my first handgun purchase I debated between a P228 and a Glock 19. Ultimately the Sig won out as it fit my hand like a glove, and shoots like a laser. I carried it for years.

Eventually the weight of the Sig on my hip got old, and I bought a G26. After getting used to putting more finger on the trigger, I could shoot it virtually as well as the Sig, and it is much easier to carry. I carry it with a Magpul 12 rd and a g19 mag as a spare, so I have 1 additional round total in a smaller, easier to carry package.

For fun, my second Glock is a G20 gen4. Same easy operation as the g26, and remarkably, the recoil of the 1cm is only slightly less comfortable than the 9mm g26. Fast, but not harsh. Anyone who hasn't shot one owes it to themselves to try it.

There are any number of other handguns I would like to collect and shoot, but for carry and defense, I see no reason to use anything other than a Glock.

When I first started shooting handguns the choice for 9mm was a S&W model 39 or a 357 Magnum revolver. BTW, technically the 357 Caliber is considered a 9mm in many European countries. Lust said the Python was king but Wallets were totally in love with the S&W model 19. My hazy memory says in 1973 the asking price for a 4 inch model 19 was 165 dollars and Python's were about 240 dollars.

While I have and carry plastic wondernines shooting them feels a lot like Work. Hand me a model 19 with some light Magnums loaded to 9mm Para ballistics and I am immediately transported to a much gentler era and having lots of fun.

So, I now respect the Glocks. Don't have any but they are a good pistol and some day I may break down and buy one. However if I'm not working at maintaining my skills with my 365 or LC9S then I'll be reaching for my latest acquisition. A true Anti Glock in the form of a TZ75 -88. Yeah, the Tanfoglio clone of the CZ75. Accuracy is superb and it's heavy enough that you barely feel any recoil at all.

I remain Glockless. All of my carry autos are Springfield 1911s (rarely) or SIG. With hammers, as explained below.

I had an "incident" when I was in the Army. I was on the firing line with a SIG 228, doing a CID qual, but I was not CID, I was their lawyer. In the Army range protocol, an observer holds the magazines, and hands them to the shooter. I was wearing a shoulder holster, which was my issue. We were ordered to holster weapons. As I pushed my gun into the holster, with my trigger finger properly laid alongside the slide, the edge of the leather caught the tip of my finger, pushed it through the trigger guard, and cycled the 228 action as I drove the gun home. Had it been loaded, the soldier behind me would have taken one in the chest.

From that day forward, I have always put a thumb on the hammer as I holster. Since that is not an option with a Glock, I do not own or carry any. Same for S&W M&P series, or the equivalent Springfield offerings.

I shoot striker guns well, respect their reliability and light weight, and appreciate the technology. I recommend them to people who are comfortable with the manual of arms.

I, troglodyte that I am, don't own any.