Glock made a splash in the 1980s with their “all plastic” handgun. They made striker-fired guns famous because of their extreme reliability, although they weren’t widely accepted at first. In fact, they were so revolutionary that many people rejected them. As a side note, the H&K VP-70 was the very first polymer-framed handgun, not the Glock. But I digress.
Glock entered the market at the most perfect time imaginable. Police forces in America perceived that they were being outgunned by the bad guys, and the mad switch from revolvers to auto pistols kicked into full swing. Glock introduced a new pistol that held more rounds than the competitors (18 rounds in its Glock 17) and was lighter than most of the other pistols of its day.
Once Glock gained a foothold in the game, they attacked the pistol market with tenacity. In fact, they never did expand beyond the pistol market, as they have no rifles or revolvers in their inventory. While it’s true that the company has produced other products, such as entrenching tools and products for the civilian market, pistols are their mainstay, at least as far as the firearms market is concerned.
Much like Glock, Smith & Wesson needs no introduction. Founded in 1852 in Norwich, CT, the company has become a household name in the firearms industry. In recent years, the company has fallen down a few pegs but seems to be trying to mount a comeback.
Around 2000, S&W made a gun control agreement with the White House that caused a huge boycott in the industry, and it hurt the company terribly.
Smith & Wesson’s revolvers have always been of good quality, with materials and workmanship being among the highest in the industry. Their auto pistols, however, have been somewhat middle-of-the-road, with nothing really jumping ahead of the pack when compared to other manufacturers. At times, it seems like it’s all they can do just to stay in the game.
Enough about that, though. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty details and discuss whether or not one brand is “better” than the other.
Quality and Reliability
Glock’s reputation for reliability is well-founded. In fact, if Glock is known for one thing, it is for their reliability. There is no small amount of data available showing that Glocks have been subjected to obscene torture tests, including being dunked in mud, frozen in ice, and even shot underwater. The damn things just keep on shooting.
My biggest gripe with Glock is that most of their pistols come stock with polymer sights, except for pistols that have metal night sights from the factory, such as the model 19X. In my opinion, they should just use metal sights.
In my personal experience, Smith & Wesson handguns cannot come close to enduring the torture tests that Glocks have had and still continuing to function.
When Life Gives You Lemons
Shortly after the M&P 9mm was introduced, I bought one. The grip was fantastic, and the accuracy was stellar. However, the pistol had the very irritating trait of chucking the spent brass directly into the eye socket as it ejected the casings. Every single time. I took it to a gunsmith and tried to have the matter rectified to no avail. Eventually, they took the pistol back, and I went with another brand.
A while later, my wife took a shine to the M&P Compact 9mm. I figured, “What the heck, we might as well try it.” I mean, what’s the chance of having two lemons in a row? Well, you don’t know my luck very well, because it happened. The M&P Compact 9mm suffered terribly in the reliability department. No matter how much I cleaned it, nor how many different types of ammo I ran through it, it just would not run.
I had had enough!
Years later, I tried an S&W CSX pistol, their micro pistol with a metal frame, and found it to be a great pistol all around. Small and light, it is very accurate, and it is a great pistol. So, they still do have some good pistols, but my prior experiences really soured me toward Smith & Wesson autos.
Magazines
There is one firearms manufacturer who makes the toughest magazines that I know of on the planet, and that is Glock. I’ve been to trainings where I’ve seen those magazines dropping onto concrete floors all day long, being stepped on, and otherwise abused. And yet, they continue to function long after lesser magazines would have simply been ruined. As far as durability is concerned, Glock mags are where it’s at. For their size, they might not hold as many rounds as some other magazines, but for longevity, go with Glock.
Glock magazines have a polymer body with a thin metal lining that apparently strikes a sweet spot in durability and function. Another point in Glock’s favor is that their magazines are priced incredibly reasonably and available everywhere.
Smith & Wesson’s magazines seem to be about in line with those of most other manufacturers, but nothing extraordinary. They are metal magazines that are fairly average, and they cost more than Glock mags.
Ergonomics
Many current Glock models have interchangeable backstraps, and some S&W models also have this feature.
In their M&P line, S&W has definitely put a lot of work into their grips; they are extremely comfortable and, in my opinion, more ergonomic than Glock’s grips.
Glock’s grips have evolved over the years, too, and both companies are now including interchangeable back straps for many of their newer models of pistols. However, Glock has not departed very far from their original grips, as far as the angle is concerned. They have, however, introduced newer grip textures, which are very good.
User Base
The following list is by no means all-inclusive. Rather, it’s just to give a broad view of some of the numbers in which these pistols are being issued and used by law enforcement agencies.
Glock
Over 65% of US law enforcement agencies use the Glock pistol, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York Police Department, and the US Marshals. Over 25,000 NYPD officers carry the Glock 19. The Philadelphia Police Department allows its 7,000 officers to carry the Glock 17 or 19 in 9mm, the Glock 22 in .40 S&W, or the Glock 21 or 21SF in .45ACP. Among its issued pistols, the Houston PD allows its officers to carry Glock 17, 22, or 23 pistols.
The DC Metropolitan Police Department’s 3,000 officers are issued the Glock 17 or 19 for patrol staff, with lieutenants or above being allowed to carry the Glock 26. The Boston PD issues the Glock 22, 23, or 27, all in .40 S&W. Miami-Dade’s 2,900 sworn and 1,700 support personnel are issued the Glock 17 with the option of buying several other types of pistols on a list.
The FBI and ATF also carry Glock pistols.
Units of the US Marine Corps use the Glock 19, designating it the M007. The SEALs who carry it call it the MK27. The Army’s SFOD-D (Delta) also has the G19 in inventory, as do some Army Rangers and Special Forces units. These are no small endorsements, as some of these units could have any pistol on the planet, and they chose the Glock 19.
S&W
It seems that S&W’s big seller to agencies these days is the M&P line, which stands for Military and Police. Ironically, the military does not use the M&P pistol, although some police agencies do.
The Detroit PD’s 2,200 officers are issued the M&P 2.0 9mm pistol. Other agencies also issue S&W pistols, but they are not nearly as widespread as Glock. In fact, I could find very few agencies that issued an S&W pistol as their sole duty handgun; rather, some allow officers to carry them as part of a group of approved pistols for duty use.
Revolvers
So far, we’ve talked mostly about auto pistols, but we haven’t touched very much on revolvers. Smith & Wesson’s revolvers outshine Glock’s revolvers because…well, Glock doesn’t have revolvers.
I will confess to owning a S&W revolver. It’s a model 642 in .38 Special, and it’s compact and lightweight, making it very easy to slip into a pocket and carry along. The workmanship is excellent, and I like it a lot. In fact, I like many of the revolvers in the S&W lineup, and this diversity in inventory is attractive. As far as revolvers are concerned, I’ll take S&W all day long over all others on the market.
Parting Shots
The bottom line is that Glock has the lion’s share of pistol sales these days compared to S&W, at least for law enforcement sales. Glock pistols are also wildly popular with civilian shooters. It’s not often that you talk to someone who owns just one Glock; most own at least a few.
Some have criticized Glock because the pistols haven’t changed all that much since their first release, except for some tweaking here and there. Others see that as a good thing, in the vein of “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” Indeed, Glocks do work.
For decades, the Glock 19 has been used as a standard reference when comparing other auto pistols. It’s still going strong, and its size is just about perfect for a variety of applications. One could argue that it’s just about the most popular pistol in the world, which is why it has become a yardstick by which most others are measured.
Smith & Wesson is bringing up the rear in regard to how many actual users there are. Some agencies issue S&W pistols, but they are not nearly as prevalent as Glocks. S&W is still a prominent American arms maker, but they seem to have lost some ground over the years, be it from a quality standpoint or their political dealings. Personally, I see Glock as the winner in this competition, and I most often bet my life on Glock. But every now and then, my little S&W 642 snubby gets a little love when I carry it with me.
We’d love to hear from our readers. Sound off in the comments section, and let us know which is your favorite and why!
