World's best hand-held firearms

With a new Glock 17 pistol, the Philippine police will be handling one of the world's best hand-held firearms, according to Philippine National Police authorities.

The PNP has ordered 59,904 units of Glock 17 Generation 4 pistols from under its P1.2 billion procurement program.

Director Arnulfo Perez, PNP director for logistic, said the procurement program also allowed them to acquire a handgun similar to short firearms used by 60 percent of all police forces in America, Europe and Asia.

The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "safe action" pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria.

Despite initial resistance from the market to accept a "plastic gun" due to durability and reliability concerns, Glock pistols have become the company's most profitable line of products, commanding 65 percent of the market share of handguns for United States law enforcement agencies as well as supplying numerous national armed forces and security agencies worldwide.

The gun can fire 9mm,40 and caliber rounds and can be fitted with telescopic and laser sights.

Former PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome said the new Glock pistol, PNP can now engage in equal terms heavily-armed criminals."

He said the procurement of cew pistols has also solved a long-standing problem of lack of guns.

Deputy Director General Emelito Sarmiento, PNP deputy chief for administration said that the PNP has save some P200 million in the procurement, enough to allow them to fund a re-order of an additional 12,000 handgun units.