New Glock, New Cartridge

Stu Farish

Stu Farish

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New Guns & Ammo has an article on it. The Glock 37, chambered in 45 Glock.

Yep, not 45ACP, 45 Glock. Glock designed a new round. While I'm generally left scratching my head and my ass over this one, here's the explanation:

It's the same diameter as a 45ACP, but shorter. This allows them to use a magazine the size of a 9mm mag, so the grip frame can be shorter measured front to rear. The result is that they get 10+1 45 cal rounds into a gun the exact size of a Glock 17.

Initial factory loads will be 185 and 200 gr bullets, at 1100 and 950 or so fps respectively. Due to the shorter OAL, 230 gr loads are pretty much out, they'd use up too much case capacity.

Maybe such a beast will be popular for people with smaller hands? I dunno if that is that big a deal or not. I have pretty big hands and have no problems with handling larger guns. Is it attractive enough to sell over the already popular 40S&W?

Beats me. Seems to be an oddball kind of round, a fairly large investment risk given the current economy and brutal competition already underway with so many new rifle cartridges. Still, I can't say that I'm going to get upset over a new introduction, just a bit puzzled...
 
I, for one, don't think this round will last 2 years. I can only see the most hardcore Glock fan buying one of these. Well maybe LAPD will make their officers carry them because of the great deal Glock is bound to offer LEOs to carry them.

All Glock had to do was redesign the main spring channel and slim the grip of their existing 45ACP models. I look for this to be the biggest dog, in the US market, Glock has ever produced.

So now that I've said that,I expect this to be a slam dunk for Gaston. I think I'll buy a lottery ticket.
 
I thought the object was to reduce the width of the grip, not a minor difference in length?

So we have a reduced case capacity 45ACP? What is the biggest problem with the 45ACP, not enough case capacity.

I think they are on my list of stocks to short tomorrow. It is easier to predict loosers than winners.

Jack
 
Well, it's only one model of a long lineup, so I doubt their stock will be seriously hurt with a dog.

I'd say that if you're a Glock collector who wants one of every model, buy it and put it in the collection. May be worth something as a collectors item 50 years from now, dunno. Maybe not.

Maybe (and I have no idea what Glock's marketing strategy is with this) they have ID'd a target market in law enforcement and/or military. Jeff Coopers last column made comment that our military has decided that if we adopt a new sidearm it will be a major caliber. Don't know that this one would qualify, but if it does the smaller grip frame would make it more acceptable as a general issue weapon.

The limited info in the article makes it sound like it's just a notch more performance than the 40S&W. Maybe a nice notch, as it does it with heavier bullets than the 40.

But short of some sort of acceptance/adoption withing professionaly armed ranks, I have a hard time seeing this round becoming very popular and wide spread. Could be wrong, of course, as every round out there now started out as a nothing.
 
Glock 45 = Solution for a non-problem.

Hey Glock designers... How about a pistol with an ambi mag release?

Us lefties already have enough funtions for our middle finger to perform.
 
DaisyCutter,

Here you go. It's not a Glock, but it is a 45.

1.jpg


I have the same problem using the mag release on my 1911s. Thankfully Smith and Alexander have this wonderfully overpriced ($100.00) ambi-mag release. It takes 2 minutes with a Dremmel 9012(?) cutting tool and presto!!!

Anyway, I like it and was looking for an excuse to show off my new digital camera.

Cheers!
 
Where are they now?

357 Sig
10mm Auto
357 Maximum
41 Magnum

And those are without really thinking about it very much. And not including a bunch of the more flight'o'fancy type rounds.

There are pleny more, I am sure.

Point being, It is REALLY hard to beat something as tried'n'true as some of our old standbys. Not that the above rounds are bad per se', but for whatever reason, they were just not competitive.

Most people can do pretty well with the standard fare, there is a huge knowledge base there. Best of luck to Glock I suppose.
 
The 10mm Auto is enjoying a bit of a resurgence right now. There is better ammo available and more of it to choose from. Glock, EAA, and Dan Wesson currently make autoloaders in this caliber. There are also used Colt, S&W autos and revolvers, plus other guns out there in this caliber. I prefer to carry my Glock 20 for ALL of my uses. 17 + 1 rounds of magnum power. There's nothing else like it. MI VHNTR
 
Maybe this is all just an attempt by Glock to simply have a cartridge with their name on it?

Think about it. All the different .xxx Remingtons, the .yyy Winchester Mags, the .480 Ruger, the .500 Smith, the .zz Colts, the .357 Sig, etc. All the big manufacturers have cartridges with their name on it. So Glock now feels the need to have a bullet with their name on it.
 
.357 SIG? I'm not sure where your getting your statistics at, but there are thousands of cops carrying the .357 SIG right now. Me being one of them. The .357 SIG has been a smashing success in the law enforcement arena. Just because the beloved LAPD and NYPD aren't carrying them, don't believe for a second that it's not a popular caliber. Most of the large agencies (NYPD, LAPD, Chicago PD, Houston, etc.) have never been, and will never be on the cutting edge of procuring the best weapons for their officers.

As for the .45 Glock....Gaston Glock was pissed off when he observed the success of the .357 SIG cartridge. He has always, and will continue to refuse to use the phrase ".357 SIG" in referring to the cartridge. Look at any Glock 31, 32, or 33, and you will only see ".357" on the gun or in the owner's manual. The .45 Glock caliber is a solution for a problem that doesn't exist! Gaston Glock builds great pistols, but he is an eccentric egomaniac (there has been much written about his escapades and temperment). He wants to see his name on his competitors pistols. Trust me, it isn't going to happen.
 
I think a better name for the .45 Glock, and should pull Gaston's punk card, would be .45 Short. Although I think the best route the rest of the industry could take is to simply ignore this cartridge.

The .45 Glock won't be the first cartridge to be obsolete before it was brought to market.
 
I'll second what DOORGUNNER says I have both barrels for my sig 226 (40 s&W and 357 sig) I carry it with 40 most of the time cause of the price of the 357 ammo. Texas dept of public safety also carries it. Its a great caliber and from what I have heard out performs most other loads.

As far as a 45 glock, maybe they need to work on building a gun that holds together better before they make a new caliber. Got another memo via Telets about 3 guns that blew up on the range in PA????
 
Maybe something like a .45 ACP necked down to the .40, along the lines of the .357 SIG. That should give the .40 a bit more scoot. The .45 is already slow, no point in making it any slower or you'll wind up with a bullet that can be dodged "Matrix style" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
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