Retired Special Forces NCO Argues Glocks Do Not Need a Thumb Safety

In a 19FortyFive column, retired Army Special Forces NCO Steve Balestrieri argues that the Glock's built-in safeties make a manual thumb safety unnecessary.

Key points

• Three safeties: he describes a trigger blade, a firing pin plunger and a drop safety, all of which re-engage when the trigger is released. A stock Glock 17 takes about 5.5 pounds over roughly half an inch of travel to fire.
• The real safety: he says trigger finger discipline matters most, and that a thumb safety swept off during the draw leaves the gun just as unsafe as a Glock.
• Holsters: he says most Glock negligent discharges come from a finger on the trigger while reholstering or from soft holsters and pockets, and he recommends a rigid holster that covers the trigger guard.
• Adoption: he cites Glock's 2018 statement that its pistols were the duty gun for roughly 65 percent of US law enforcement agencies. He also notes that the FBI's Glock 19M has no manual safety and that SOCOM adopted the Glock 19 in 2016.

Quick take

Balestrieri admits the Glock is unforgiving of careless handling. He says anyone more comfortable with a manual safety should buy a pistol with one and train with it, but he would rather spend that money on a quality holster and practice ammunition.

Read the full story at 19FortyFive.