A gripe

[dravz]

You can take it easy on the sarcasm now. Thanks.

I actually wasn't being sarcastic. Not everything has to be a Ford vs Chevy debate.

[jslaker]

but we all know I was referring to the Glock's trigger safety and not its overall design.

Could've fooled me.

Now, if I could convince certain co-workers about the Serpa holsters....

There's a good thread about that somewhere around here. I'd link you, but I'm on my phone right now.

[dravz]

Could've fooled me.

Look, all I was trying to do was challenge the preconceived notion that the XD doesn't even belong in the conversation because of the original question. You chose a (what I see as insignificant) single flaw in the XD and harped on it as a deal-breaker, so I found a (what I also see as insignificant) single flaw in the Glock and harped on it as a deal-breaker, to show how the sword can point both ways. I apologize for my subtlety as it obviously doesn't travel well over the internet. I like Glocks and XD's and M&P's, and I love that we have so many options.

I know it's hard to believe but people can actually like and appreciate guns from different manufacturers at the same time. Forgive me for rocking the boat, dudes. I thought on a forum about the Indians and not the arrows we could discuss how XD's get left out in the cold.

[jslaker]

Look, all I was trying to do was challenge the preconceived notion that the XD doesn't even belong in the conversation because of the original question. You chose a (what I see as insignificant) single flaw in the XD and harped on it as a deal-breaker, so I found a (what I also see as insignificant) single flaw in the Glock and harped on it as a deal-breaker, to show how the sword can point both ways. I apologize for my subtlety as it obviously doesn't travel well over the internet. I like Glocks and XD's and M&P's, and I love that we have so many options.

I know it's hard to believe but people can actually like and appreciate guns from different manufacturers at the same time. Forgive me for rocking the boat, dudes. I thought on a forum about the Indians and not the arrows we could discuss how XD's get left out in the cold.

The reason I pointed at that flaw is because it's the most obvious one with the design. I understand why you picked out the Glock's trigger face safety, I just don't feel that it's an analogous comparison because of the extreme difference in how those features affect the operation of the firearm. One directly impacts the operation of the firearm under hard use, the other generally doesn't.

One of the reasons the XD gets "left out in the cold" is because of that aspect of the design. I was only trying to explain the specifics of why. The gun literally cannot cycle -- even manually -- when that safety is engaged. That contributes in a very real way to it not being taken seriously by serious shooters. I appologize if that irks you, but it's the reality of the situation.

[TCinVA]

I apologize for my subtlety as it obviously doesn't travel well over the internet.

Apparently mine isn't traveling well either, so I'll be clearer:

Cease and desist.

This kind of thing:

I know it's hard to believe but people can actually like and appreciate guns from different manufacturers at the same time. Forgive me for rocking the boat, dudes. I thought on a forum about the Indians and not the arrows we could discuss how XD's get left out in the cold.

...does not contribute to the conversation, does not make a legitimate point backed by fact, and in general steers the conversation into a wall. That's not what we want to see here.

[dravz]

Okay, have a good one.

[WyoXd]

Hey now, my Gen 4 Glock 17 probably had more failures in the first 50 rounds than my $389 (price I paid new in '04) XD9 Service has had in 13K rounds. Granted I now am probably liking the Glock better I still have complete faith in my XD.

[ToddG]

I've personally watched the XD tested by federal agencies and fail to get past initial testing.

While I see fairly few XDs come through class (maybe one out of every 30-40 students), I've yet to see a single one get through class without multiple reliability problems. Most often, the student ditches the gun for something else before the class is even over.

[Joe in PNG]

Maybe they should all get CZ-75's...I kid, I kid!

Actually, until just a short while ago, I was a fan of the CZ-75. However, upon reading the facts about the inherent reliability issues with the gun, I had to either change my opinion, or take a trip up De Nile. Let’s face it, folks that teach high round count classes do tend to see a lot of guns at their best and worst.

The fact was that even though the CZ-75 I had was reliable for me did not mean the whole system was perfect. It just meant that the one I had worked. If I had used it for a major pistol class, I may have found out otherwise.

Think of it this way- when looking for a new car, when your mechanic tells you to avoid those [multiple explicatives deleted] Chrysler products*, what do you do?

*Yes, I was a mechanic. And hate Chrysler products.

[Slavex]

To answer Caleb's original question, people buy guns for a lot of different reasons. While most people on this forum have the same philosophy about handguns, I think that's probably the minority compared to most handgun owners. Most of the handguns I own are for students to use or for plain fun. I have a few guns dedicated to competition and a couple for zombie defense. And while I don't own any I'd call "questionable" quality wise, I know that some of you (Todd) think I'm crazy for owning some of them (yes I mean the Desert Eagle).
Here in Canada I see a lot of people buying Norinco handguns as their first guns due to cost. Its a cheap way to get their feet wet, and sad to say most people like the idea if getting something new vs something used at the same price. Add in the Look Cool Factor and you get an entire other market segment.
I'm rather glad that people do buy the crap guns that are out there, it pushes manufacturers to not rest on their laurels and to stay competitive. If all everyone did was buy Glocks the handgun world would sure be boring.