This is what our grandfather’s carried in their sidearms in WWII. 45 ACP is one of the most well-regarded handgun calibers in America. Many competitors will swap in a 9mm barrel for training with the cheaper ammo. 40 S&W offering and is ideal for competitors who want a little bit more power than the 9mm brings. 40 S&W version of the baby GLOCK, the G27 offers. The G23 is the same size as the G19 and is the compact, more concealable version of the G22. The G22 is still one of the more popular duty guns used by law enforcement, though many are swapping to 9mm models. 40 S&W GLOCK models is the ability to swap in a 9mm replacement barrel and use both calibers in the same gun. 40 S&W may be fading in popularity as a caliber, but it still has a loyal following who want to split the difference between 9mm and.
Not much else is known about this model yet, and we will update this section upon release.40 Smith & Wesson GLOCKS It is a new model that takes styling notes from the 19x and uses a full-size grip to provide easy shooting. The G45 is the newest of the GLOCK models at the time of this writing and hasn’t actually been released yet. The G34 is the most common GLOCK seen in a competitive environment, and the model has brought home several national match trophies. It is difficult to conceal this gun, but it could work as an open carry option, but where it really shines is the field of competition. The G34 is the long-slide competition 9×19 choice, and it is ideal for shooters who want that extra sight radius for additional accuracy. It holds 6+1 rounds of 9×19 goodness and is perfect for those who want to deep carry in a pocket or bag without worrying about printing.
The G43 is the trimmer, slimmer, single-stack subcompact option in 9×19. The “baby GLOCK” is ideally suited for use as a backup gun as it will still accept magazines from larger double stack 9mm GLOCKS, but it can also serve as an easy-to-conceal primary weapon. It is designed to be a replacement for snub-nosed revolvers and other pocket guns while still offering 10+1 rounds on tap.
The G26 is the subcompact double-stack 9×19 option. It is, according to some (including the author) in the top three choices for defensive handguns in the world. If you’re looking at putting one of these on your guns anyway, see if you like the MOS design. GLOCK’s MOS system is basically just a fancy way of saying the guns come pre-milled to accept a red dot or holosight. These models are prized by women, young shooters, and men with smaller hands or shorter fingers. This stands for “short frame” and indicates a model with a smaller grip circumference. GLOCK offers several of their pistols in an “SF” configuration. The main thing to be careful of here is the fact that parts and magazines may not work from one generation to another so be on the lookout when delving into customization or aftermarket mags. A police trade-in Gen 3 might be half or even a third of the price of a new Gen 5 model. Take a look at the differences, see if they matter to you, and see if that’s worth it for your needs. Gen 3, 4 and 5 GLOCKS are all excellent, and while the newest models do have some improved features, the design hasn’t changed all that radically across generations. There are five generations of GLOCKS available, but the only ones you really need to worry about are the most recent three. To help you pick the GLOCK that best suits your individual wants and needs, we put together this handy guide to help you separate the G21s from the G19s from the G43s to…well you get the idea. Ultimately, there’s a GLOCK handgun for every need, whether you need a tiny pocket/backup gun that won’t let you down, or you need a full-size, fully customized race gun to go smoke the competition at your next IDPA meetup. There’s also over fifty different models, seven available calibers, multiple generations, and about a million and one aftermarket parts available. There’s a reason that just about every US police force uses GLOCKS, and it’s the same reason why nearly every military on the planet fields them in one fashion or another. They’re ruggedly dependable, relatively cheap, and infinitely reliable. GLOCK handguns are probably the most popular handguns currently being made on planet Earth, and it’s easy to see why.