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In 1982 the Glock pistol was introduced, and everything changed. The Glock 17 began to arrive in America in 1986, and though its plastic construction was the blunt of many jokes, it soon became a favorite of law enforcement. Today more American police officers carry Glocks than any other handgun. Glock is also on the fifth generation of their pistols, and offers 68 models in eight different chamberings (including law enforcement-only versions). That’s a lot to choose from, and it leaves many shooters who want to buy one wondering which might be the best Glocks for them.
Best Overall: Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS
Best for Hunting: Glock 40 Gen 4 MOS
Best for Concealed Carry: Glock 43X MOS
Best Budget: Glock 44
Best for Competition: Glock 34 Gen 5 MOS
Best Overall: Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS
Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS Semi-Auto Pistol
Specs
Chambering: 9mm Luger
Length: 7.28 inches
Weight: 21.34 ounces (unloaded without magazine)
Height: 5.04 inches
Barrel: 4.02 inches
Capacity: 15+1 (standard magazine)
Pros
Not too large or heavy
Sight versatility
User adjustable grip
Cons
Will need to install suppressor height sights for co-witnessing with optic
Though the Glock 17 was the first and most iconic Glock, it’s a big pistol that’s more than eight inches long and weighs more than 32 ounces with a loaded magazine. The G19 Gen 5 MOS has a slightly shorter barrel and slightly shorter grip, and it weighs just a bit less. But with extended magazines, the G19 can hold just as much ammunition as the G17. The Gen 5 MOS version of the G19 features a removable slide plate for mounting an optical sight, a reversible magazine catch, an ambidextrous slide stop, and the Glock Modular Backstrap System (MBS) that will allow you to adjust the grip size to better fit your hand. It’s also chambered for the 9mm Luger, which is the most popular pistol cartridge in the world.
Best for Hunting: Glock 40 Gen 4 MOS
Glock 40 Gen 4 MOS 10mm Auto Pistol
Specs
Chambering: 10mm Auto
Length: 9.49 inches
Weight: 32.28 ounces (unloaded without magazine)
Height: 5.47 inches
Barrel: 6.02 inches
Capacity: 15+1 (standard magazine)
Pros
Long sight radius
Chambered for a powerful cartridge
Cons
Heavy for a Glock
As mentioned, the cartridge a pistol is chambered for has a bearing on what it can be used for. While you could effectively hunt something with any Glock pistol, the most powerful cartridge a Glock pistol is chambered for is the 10mm Auto—which is also best for hunting. Glock offers six pistols chambered for the 10mm. The three G20s are duty-sized handguns, and the two G29s are compacts, sized more appropriately for concealed carry. But the G40 Gen 4 MOS is a full-sized pistol with a barrel that is almost 1.5 inches longer than the G20 barrel. This means the sight radius is also longer, and this makes the pistol easier to shoot with open sights. But the G20 Gen 4 MOS Glock’s slide is also cut for an optic, which makes this pistol even more suitable for hunting.
Best for Concealed Carry: Glock 43X MOS
Glock 43X MOS Semi-Auto Pistol
Specs
Chambering: 9mm Luger
Length: 6.50 inches
Weight: 16.26 ounces (unloaded without magazine)
Height: 5.04 inches
Barrel: 3.41 inches
Capacity: 10+1 (standard magazine)
Pros
Ideally sized for concealed carry.
10-round capacity
Optical sight compatibility
Cons
Will need to install suppressor height sights for co-witnessing with optic
Arguably the most important feature of a good concealed carry pistol is compactness. The smaller and lighter a pistol is, the more likely you are to carry it. And the more likely you are to carry it, the more likely you are to have it when you need it. However, extremely compact pistols can be difficult to handle and shoot well. Glock’s G43X MOS pistol offers what might be the best combination of size and shootability of all their handguns. The little G43 only holds 6 rounds, but the G43X MOS holds 10 rounds, and its unloaded weight is almost identical to the standard G43. In fact, except for the longer grip of the G43X MOS, these pistols are nearly identical in size. The G43X MOS’s ¾-inch longer grip might be slightly more difficult to conceal, but its added capacity and shootability make up for it. The pistol’s magazine release is reversible, the slide is cut for an optical sight, and it is chambered in 9mm, which is currently the most popular chambering for law enforcement handguns.
Best Budget: Glock 44
Specs
Chambering: 22 Long Rifle
Length: 7.28 inches
Weight: 12.63 ounces (unloaded without magazine)
Height: 5.04 inches
Barrel: 4.02 inches
Capacity: 10+1
Pros
Affordable and fun to shoot
Great sub-caliber trainer
Cons
Limited magazine capacity
The prices of Glock pistols do not vary a great deal. There’s only a $380 difference between the least and most expensive Glock pistols on this list. The Glock G44, which is chambered for the 22 LR rimfire cartridge, is the least expensive Glock pistol, and it is also the most fun to shoot of any of the Glocks. At only 12.63 ounces, the G44 is incredibly light—it only weighs 16.40 ounces with a fully loaded 10-round magazine. Sized almost identically to the various Glock 19 pistols, the G44 makes for an ideal sub-caliber rim-fire trainer. It is also an ideal pistol for new shooters to learn with, fantastic for plinking fun on the range, and it would serve well as a trail gun or for small game hunting. If you really like Glock pistols, a G44 should be in your safe.
Best for Competition: Glock 34 Gen 5 MOS
Specs
Chambering: 9mm Luger
Length: 8.74 inches
Weight: 23.46 ounces (unloaded without magazine)
Barrel: 5.31 inches
Height: 5.47 inches
Capacity: 17+1 (standard magazine)
Pros
Longer sight radius
Optic compatibility
High capacity
Cons
Will need to install suppressor height sights for co-witnessing with optic
Because there are so many different types of handgun competitions, you cannot identify one pistol as the best for all. However, action/combat pistol shooting is very popular, and it’s a venue where Glock pistols shine. Of all the 68 Glock pistols offered, the G34 Gen5 MOS is their dedicated competition pistol in 9mm, and it’s well configured for sport shooting. It comes with a 5.31-inch barrel and a longer sight radius than the Glock 17, a flared magazine well, ambidextrous slide stop levers, and a modular frame with interchangeable backstraps. It also features a removable slide plate that will allow for miniature reflex sight mounting. For those who want a larger caliber pistol for competition, Glock offers the Gen 4, G35 MOS Competition in 40 S&W, and the G41 MOS Competition in 45 Auto.
Forgotten Glocks: G37, G38, G39
Specs (G39)
Length: 6.50 inches
Weight: 22.22 ounces
Height: 4.17 inches
Barrel: 3.43 inches
Capacity: 6+1 (8- and 10-round magazines optional)
Pros
Slight ballistic advantage over 45 Auto with 200-grain bullets
Cons
Limited factory ammunition
From the standpoint of reliability and on-target performance, there really is no such thing as a bad Glock. However, there are three Glock pistols most would consider a flop, and that’s the G37, G38, and G39. In 2003 Glock introduced their own pistol cartridge. It was very similar to the 45 Auto cartridge, except its overall length was shorter, and it used a small pistol primer. It got its GAP name from the fact that it was a “Glock Auto Pistol” cartridge. Glock offers three pistols chambered for the 45 GAP. The G37 is a duty-size pistol, the G38 is a compact pistol, and the G39 is a sub-compact. The problem was not that the pistols or the 45 GAP cartridge were bad, but that no one cared. The thinking that law enforcement and those interested in concealed carry would get on board didn’t pan out, and today the pistol and cartridge—for which there are only a handful of factory loads—are mostly forgotten.
How We Picked the Best Glocks
When I became a police officer in 1992, the issue sidearm for my department was the Gen 3 Glock Model 22 in 40 S&W. From then until I left law enforcement in 2005, a Glock was my duty gun. I also used them in competition and even won my division—and a new Glock pistol—in a GSSF shooting match (GSSF Matches are something all Glock owners should check out). Though not my favorite handgun, I have a lot of experience with Glocks, and when it comes to which Glock pistol might be the best, it mostly depends on what you want to do with it. They are all very reliable and rugged handguns you can trust to last a lifetime.
Considering all 68 current models, all the current production Glocks were considered based on my experiences with them, how well they dovetail into various applications, and by evaluating the following features:
Size & Weight: Size and weight matter a great deal anytime the selection of a handgun is in question, and it’s especially true for concealed carry.
Chambering: The cartridge a pistol is chambered for establishes its practical applications.
Capacity: Depending on how a pistol is planned to be used, magazine capacity deserves strong consideration.
Optics Compatibility: The use of mini-reflex sights on pistols is becoming very popular, and they can enhance the shootability of a pistol.
Price: Though there’s not a wide price variation between Glocks, price still deserves some consideration.
What To Consider Before Buying a Glock
Glocks are well respected and reliable pistols, but to be sure if a Glock is right for you, you should spend some time with it and shoot it first. Though I carried a Glock on duty for many years, the pistols never fit my hand well, and I struggled with the 22-degree grip angle, which was just enough different from the 1911 and the Browning HiPower to make it problematic for me. As with the selection of any pistol, its size and weight and the cartridge it’s chambered for all matter a great deal. Fortunately, Glock has a wide selection of small, medium, and large pistols to choose from. Find the one that fits you and your needs the best.
FAQs
Q: Is Glock 17 or 19 better? The only real difference between the G17 and the G19 is size. The G19 is a little bit smaller and, with standard magazines, has slightly less capacity. The G17 is the most famous Glock because it was the first, but the reduced size of the G19 is why it is so popular, especially for personal protection.
Q: Which Glock has the least recoil? Pistol recoil is a combination of several things, mostly dependent on the cartridge the pistol is chambered for, the ammunition used, and the weight of the pistol. Considering all Glock pistols, the G44, which is chambered for the 22 LR rimfire cartridge, has the least recoil.
Q: Do Glocks have no safety? Glocks have what is called a Safe Action System, which incorporates a trigger safety, a firing pin safety, and a drop safety. Glock pistols do not have a grip safety, manual thumb safety, or a magazine disconnect safety.
Final Thoughts
Four of the pistols on this list are the MOS version, which means the slide has a removable plate to allow for the installation of a miniature reflex sight. You may not like optical sights on handguns, but keep in mind that as you age, your eyesight will not get any better. You may not like the idea of an optical sight now but could very well need one in the future. That’s why it’s still a good idea to buy an optics-compatible Glock. You can always leave the plate in place and use the open sights. Also, if you don’t like the factory sights on a Glock pistol, don’t let that discourage you. There’s a wide selection of aftermarket sights made to fit Glocks. And finally, some shooters complain about the trigger on Glock pistols which they say feels a bit mushy. That, too, can be corrected. Timney offers three great and very well-performing aftermarket triggers and an enhanced feel trigger shoe just for Glock pistols.
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