I personally believe Glock is a great choice for a first gun. But how does one go about selecting and purchasing their first Glock pistol. Which is the best model and caliber for each individual?

First, don't let "anyone" talk you into to purchasing a firearm that you are not comfortable with.

The second thing you should do is go to a firing range that also rents firearms. There, you can handle, load fire and try out as many different models as possible. Get the Glock that suits you best.

However, assuming you want to purchase a Glock pistol for a PDW (primary or personal defense weapon), we suggest you consider the following Glock pistols:

Caliber 9mm

• Glock Model 17 - unconcealed carry
• Glock Model 19 - concealed/unconcealed carry (best all-around PDW)
• Glock Model 26 - concealed carry/backup (best small pistol)

The 9mm Glocks are generally preferred by those who have less experience and are not planning to shoot a lot. Conversely, the more experienced shooters who do shoot a lot enjoy cheaper ammo prices. Many Shooters advocate the Glock 9mm for a variety of other reasons.

On the plus side, ammo for the 9mm Glock is plenty and considerably cheaper than other Glock ammo It also offers reliability, more controllability, and has greater magazine capacity with high capacity mags (still available, but getting very pricey). The 9mm is used by military armed forces around the world. Many claimed it to be equal to .40 S&W and .45 Auto stopping power with the current best loads, i.e., Remington Golden Sabre 124 gr +P, Cor-Bon 125 gr +P, Federal Hydra-Shok 124 gr +P+, Winchester Ranger Talon 124 gr +P+.

MINUS FOR 9MM

It's limited choice and availability of good defense loads. For instance the +P+ loads are generally sold to law enforcement agencies (LEA's) only, but you can, occasionally, find them at gun shows and ammo distributors. A Glock 9mm with the right load is an adequate and fine PDW.

Caliber .40 S&W

• Glock Model 22 - unconcealed carry (duty gun)
• Glock Model 23 - concealed/unconcealed carry (best all-around PDW)
• Glock Model 27 - concealed carry/backup (best small pistol)

Whereas the venerable 9mm has been around since the turn of the century, the .40 S&W is a '90's vintage cartridge and the darling of the American LE community. The FBI adopted the 10mm (.40 cal) in 1990 and downloaded it considerably below its potential (Federal XM1001 180gr@924 fps). Smith & Wesson got the bright idea that if the round was going to be downgraded as such, the 10mm case could be shortened to fit in a 9mm-sized pistol... voila ... the .40 S&W. Some critics call it the .40 Short & Weak or the 10mm Lite. However, the .40 S&W is a good compromise between the 9mm and the .45 Auto. There are lots of good loads available for it, but it requires more dedicated practice to learn to shoot adequately because of sharper recoil and muzzle blast. Some experienced shooters think that the .45 ACP is easier to shoot. But if you're willing to put in practice time, the .40 S&W can be tamed.

PLUS FOR .40 S&W

It's an excellent defense ammo, high capacity mags are still available, but expensive. It has better overall ballistics for defense. It is used by many U.S. LEA's, including the FBI, who use G22s and G23s. The .40 S&W is a great compromise between controllability, fire power and stopping power. The Glock .40 S&W is a very reliable PDW.

MINUS FOR .40 S&W

It is less controllability than the 9mm and the cost of ammo is higher.

Most defensive guns with pretty standard loads are pretty manageable --even for newbies, unless they're frightened by the whole notion of shooting and loud noises to begin with. But don't worry. The more you shoot the sooner you'll get over it.

The 357 mag is very powerful and the 38 Special that can be fired in a .357 is fairly inexpensive. The 38 Spec. can be loaded upwards to be an impressive defense round, but it's easier to download the .357 mag into something effective that's easy to shoot. . . like a 110 gr. JHP loaded to fast or very fast velocities (personally, I like the 158 gr. JHP load in a .357 mag for defense).

Owning 2 Glocks, I think I have some relevant things to say on this topic.

Ever notice how often a DA revolver is recommended as a first gun for beginners? Ever notice how a DA revolver is fired by most people? That's right, just like a Glock -- put your finger on the trigger and pull it. This assumes, of course, that in both cases (revolver and Glock) that the user knows enough about the gun to know how to load it (and chamber the first round, in the case of the Glock).

Think of a chambered Glock just like you'd think of a revolver. I don't understand why there's such a controversy over this, especially among hand-gunners. Even the weight of the trigger pull is similar.

It's really simple--this is a safety requirement for any firearm, under all circumstances:

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY READY TO SHOOT!