Whether you’re an experienced shooter adding to their collection or someone who just got their first firearm, welcome to the world of Glocks! These Austrian firearms are legendary for their versatility, reliability, history, and being a damn good handgun. Now, as a proud Glock owner, you can experience one for yourself.
But there’s one more thing Glocks are known for: safety. You’ve got a lot of questions about how safe Glocks are to use. Are Glocks drop safe? Where’s the safety? Hell, do Glocks have a safety?
Don’t worry. As fellow Glock owners, we’ll guide you through 3 basic questions about Glock safety that every beginner should be able to answer.
Table of Contents
- Understand Glocks Do Have a Safety (Kind Of)
- Learn About the SAFE ACTION® System
- Be Confident Glocks Are Drop Safe
- Be S.A.F.E.
- Get a Durable Holster
- Upgrade Your Glock With Wing Tactical
Tip #1: Understand Glocks Do Have a Safety (Kind Of)
Long story short: yes, they have safeties, contrary to some people claiming they don’t.
The full story: they don’t have just one, but three safeties — but none of them are manual switches!
Glocks are what’s known as a striker-fire pistol. These handguns use spring-loaded firing pins to ignite a cartridge in the chamber, not a hammer. They typically don’t have external safety switches, and Glocks are no different.
Glocks have three kinds of safety mechanisms built into the fire control system: trigger safety, firing pin safety, and drop safety. Together, they’re what Glock has trademarked the SAFE ACTION® System.
Tip #2: Learn About the SAFE ACTION® System
So the SAFE ACTION® System is Glock’s answer to the common question of “Do Glocks have a safety?” Here’s the breakdown of how this system works:
1. Trigger Safety
This is the first safety. The trigger safety is a small lever that sticks out from the Glock trigger. In order to fire a Glock, the shooter has to deliberately pull both the lever and the trigger together.
2. Firing Pin Safety
The second safety is on the firing pin. A small block prevents the firing pin from sliding forward into the ready-to-fire position until the trigger is completely depressed. Even with the trigger safety off and the trigger slightly pulled, the Glock won’t fire.
3. Drop Safety
The third and final safety is in the trigger mechanism housing. A safety ramp guides the trigger bar to engage with the firing pin and prevent it from moving forward. As the trigger is pulled, the trigger bar is pulled along the ramp until the firing pin is finally released. All three safeties reengage after the gun has fired and the trigger is released.
Tip #3: Be Confident Glocks Are Drop Safe
We just established that Glocks do have safeties, and one of the most important reasons is to prevent accidental discharges from going off. This is specifically due to their accurately named drop safety. Firearms without drop safety can accidentally fire if the gun is dropped, regardless of whether the external switch safety is toggled on or not.
Not Glocks, though. Glocks are drop safe because the drop safety prevents the firing pin from moving at all, keeping the firing mechanism from actuating and firing a round without the trigger being pulled.
Tip #4: Be S.A.F.E.
S.A.F.E. is an acronym that stands for “Serious About Firearm Education.” It’s Glock’s guiding philosophy for how to safely handle their products — because while Glocks do have a safety system and that is important, gun safety starts with you, the owner. The system is made up of 4 primary rules and 6 additional safety rules.
So our tip is to read up on Glock’s S.A.F.E. rules, especially if you’re a new gun owner. Glocks are drop safe, but you shouldn’t just rely on its systems. Education is important!
Tip #5: Get a Durable Holster
Glocks do have a safety, but to safely carry your Glock, we recommend you get a nice, high-quality pistol holster. Your ideal holster will be durable, water-resistant, concealable, and not deform with use like leather holsters do. This will keep both you and your Glock safe.
Upgrade Your Glock With Wing Tactical
Now that you’ve mastered these safety tips for using your Glock, it’s time to make your Glock yours with high-quality Glock parts. That’s where we come in. Wing Tactical is a veteran-founded gun parts supplier dedicated to providing fellow gun owners with the parts and accessories we’d use with our own firearms. Personalize your Glock’s look with Glock slides in a variety of tactical colors, or extend your magazine with both functional and decorative mag base plates.
If you have any questions (other than “Do Glocks have a safety?”), don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to help!