Meet the New Glock Pistols
At SHOT Show 2014 Glock showcased two new pistols, their smallest model made to date alongside one of the largest: the G42 .380 and the G41 Gen 4 .45ACP. We got to handle and shoot both new buzzworthy pistols at Media Day at the Range in nearby Boulder City the day before the official show opening.
The G41, which Glock is touting as “practical/tactical,” is essentially a G21 but, instead of a 4.6″ barrel and 6.77″ sight radius, it gets stretched out with a 5.31″ barrel and 7.56″ sight radius while still managing to shave off 2.3oz. While certainly not helping improve concealability, the longer sight radius should help improve accuracy – a welcome trait whether your life is on the line or you’re just trying to win a match. The extra barrel and slide length make the G41 feel more balanced than a G21 and also improve the already more-than-managable felt recoil and muzzle rise from the hefty .45, making it easier to get back on target for follow-on shots.
Of course, as a member of the 4th generation of Glock “Safe Action” pistols the G41 has all of the latest accoutrements you would expect: interchangeable backstraps for a good fit in your hand; a big, reversible magazine release button; two recoil springs to reduce felt recoil and wear; and improved texture for a better grip.
At the opposite end of the size spectrum, riding the wave of popular tiny .380 sub-compact CCW pistols flooding the market, is the G42. At just over 14 oz fully loaded, less than 6″ long (with a 3.25″ barrel), 4.13″ high and a mere 0.94″ wide, the G42 will easily disappear in a pocket, purse or IWB holster. Despite the diminutive caliber, it will conceal completely and comfortably and it is, no doubt, far better than asking a mugger or rapist to please stop.
As with most pistols in this class, the G42 has a 6+1 capacity; it would be tough to fit much more into such a small package. However, when you sacrifice size for concealability you, of course, also sacrifice grip area and controlability, especially if you are the type that can palm a beach ball. It took a couple tries for me to be able to get on and stay on target. A magazine extension with a place to put an extra finger would help, but the Glock rep with whom I spoke didn’t exactly instill much confidence that such an improvement would be coming any time soon.
Overall, I liked the G41 quite a bit and would love to have one. If I were in the market for a .380, I suppose the G42 is about as good as the next one. Glock fan-boys (and fan-girls) looking for a ultra-concealable EDC or back-up CCW pistol will likely go nuts for it. It is a little surprising that they didn’t come out with the single-stack 9mm that the US market is clamoring for and they aren’t exactly early to the .380 party, but it looks like Glock did alright with their new offerings this year.