“Once you start with perfection, you stay with perfection,” reads the product page for Glock’s newest — and long awaited — Model 44. The Glock 44 is a midsize pistol like the industry standard Glock 19, now chambered for .22 Long Rifle.
While rimfire conversion kits for Glock pistols are nothing new, this is the company’s first official rimfire pistol, after many years of being an industry leader in centerfire handguns for military, law enforcement and shooters everywhere.
The Glock 44 follows the Gen 5 standard with a straight frontstrap, interchangeable backstraps and forward and rear slide serrations. It has a railed frame for accessories, adjustable Glock sights and comes with two 10-round magazines.
It has a 4-inch “Marksman” barrel and weighs just under 15 ounces with a magazine. The magazines feature load assist levers but otherwise mimic standard magazines in shape and size. It has ambidextrous slide release levers and a reversible magazine catch for left-handed use.
Apart from the weight reduction, the Glock 44 is otherwise the same size as the Glock 19, making it the perfect rimfire pistol for the bulk of Glock shooters.
There are many reasons that could explain why it took so long for Glock to make a .22. First and most importantly, is reliability. Making a rimfire pistol that has the look and feel of a centerfire gun is difficult, and making one that just works is even harder.
See Also: My New Favorite Glock, The Slimline Glock 48
The Glock 44 is designed to work with a wide range of .22 LR ammunition, which ranges from cheap plinking ammo to premium hunting and competition rounds. Unlike conversion kits, which are mostly for fun and introductory training, the Glock 44 is meant for harder use.
Glock achieved their reliability goals by using a specially lightened slide. They went with an uncommon slide material, but it shouldn’t be too surprising — it’s plastic. The Glock 44 has a steel-reinforced polymer slide that weighs less and performs better with the relatively light-recoiling rimfire ammo.
So while it seems inevitable for Glock to make a Glock 19-sized .22, it’s clear that the time was spent rethinking the design and working from the ground up to make a rimfire gun that can live up to the company’s high standard.
“It’s as much function as it is fun,” said Glock in the announcement. The suggested retail price for the Glock 44 is around $400, and will likely sell for less online and in stores. Availability is slated for the top of 2020.
For more information, visit Glock.com.
Kel Tec is not the only .22 Magnum pistol player. Might take a look at the RIA 1911-A1 XTM-22, .22 Magnum. This 1911has standard steel frame, dovetailed rear sight, fiber optic front sight, Delta style hammer and 14 round magazine. This model does not seem to be ammo finicky. Street price is usually under $475. Can use with .45 ACP slide or some .22 LR conversion kits.
And yet another 22LR POS with a ten round magazine?
Keltec has come out with one with that has a 33 round magazine and I’d bet it’s still cheaper than this one!
Why is Kel-Tec the only company smart enough to market WMR .22 Magnum Semi-Auto Pistol PMR-30. I wish other gun makers make these kinds of model like this. My .22 WMR K-T PMR-30 is truly just a simple bad-ass MF!
For all you folks who are wondering why Glock 48 has only a 10 round magazine ! A lot of states have passed laws limiting autos to a 10 round mag and one round in the tube ! I think it was a smart move on Glocks part ! I know it’s not right , but they are playing it safe !!
Safe is not what I’d call it.
More like chicken $hit.
Make it with as much capacity you can, and then offer a 10 round magazine for those states that the subjects failed to shoot, er, I meant vote out their oppressors!
I have had the Kimber 22 cal target model that is on a 1911 alloy frame and it was a tack driver out of the box. I have had it for over 10 years so the idea that no one made one that is reliable is BS. I have never had a jam or any anomaly after 1000s of rounds. I The folks hung up on the threaded barrel haven’t figured out that a suppressor on a .22 is pretty much useless unless firing subsonics which are pretty useless themselves unless doing illegal backyard hunting in the neighborhood.
Why a 22 L/R and Not a 22 Mag??? A 22 mag makes a better CCW…
No thanks… No more plastic guns for me. Steel and aluminum guns provide a lifetime of durable fun, while plastic is fragile and susceptible to breakage and premature wear & tear. For the same $ you can have the eponymous Ruger Mark IV Standard built with all-metal parts. Happy shooting!
My Grand Paw told me that if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything.
Lots of praise, but not much real info. Yeah, it’s Glock 19-ish but the actual stats are lacking. The presenter could have saved a lot of effort by just posting the link to the Glock web page.
Why just 10 rounds in a full size pistol that could hold more center fire cartridges than that?
A double stack 22 magazine should hold near 30 rounds. You would spend more time reloading than
plinking and if you used it for self defense, you would have the disadvantage of both small caliber and
low capacity. A good amount of underthinking went into this project.
For those who would like a .22 version of their EDC to include in their training regiment this gun will fill a void. There are conversion kits for existing Glock pistols however one would expect this Glock product to be more reliable. Doing half of my range practice with this pistol would pay for itself in ammo cost savings in about 2 months. I will be acquiring one soon. Glock continues to try to meet the needs of their customers. I applaud them. PS. I am totally independent and have no affiliation with Glock other than owning them, all of which I paid retail price for. All of us have different preferences and I own a dozen other brands of pistols as well.
I have a Tactical Solutions TSG-22 conversion kit for the Glock 17 or 22; it has a single stack 15 round mag that works flawlessly. I highly recommend this kit. I think they make a kit for the 19? It is picky on ammo; likes 40 grain round nose and the barrel is not threaded. It is better to practice with as one is using the same trigger as on yer real Glock. I noticed no one in their reviews have said one word about the trigger on the new Glock .22 rimfire, eh? The worse thing about Glocks and the hard thing to master is that stupid trigger. When you practice it is best to practice with that stupid trigger in stead of something different. Now, if they made one in .22 WMR then I might be interested but you can bet yer last dollar that will never happen, eh?
I’m on the fence with glocks, not crazy about them but don’t completely dislike them. A .22 is a great addition but, I agree, for the money I would like to have seen a much higher capacity magazine ( 30 rounds ?? ) and maybe a .22 mag version. I would have bought it for certain then.
They will be putting out air guns next.
They already have been for some time. Glock 19 bb guns are made under license by Umarex, an air gun manufacturer, but they bear the Glock name. From more than a few feet away most people including LE could not distinguish it from the real thing (has no orange muzzle because shooting steel balls at several hundred fps makes it a weapon even if it’s not one you’d want to take to a gun fight).
Threaded barrel and nut are options on Glock Webpage store tab.
With only a 10 round mag they should have put it in a 48. I’ll bet that “The Glock Store” will have a threaded barrel soon.
Does it a simple Blow-back or locking design?
Nice looking gun but why not make the magazine have a staggered load design like the Sig P365 or like the Kel-Tec PMR30 or CP33? Give this Glock at least 16 rounds. There are so many 10 round .22lr pistols out there already. Why not compete using more than just your name? Threaded barrel should be standard these days.
If you want a gun that looks like a Glock, shoots great and has a threaded barrel for around $200-250, get the ISSC M22. $400 is just too much.
Staggered magazines and rimmed ammunition are not good friends. I suppose the reason for the straight mag is to avoid rim lock while making reloading easier (note the provided loading assist, a new thing for Glocks).
What is he measured trigger pull and take-up????
If the pull is anything like a normal Glock FaGetaboutit,, the SW Victory is a winner in the .22 line.
So what another .22 where is the 30rd mag. If you are going to do the same as everyone else do something different at the same time.
Some states have magazine restrictions. 10 rounds is the legal max, hence a ten round mag.
Sounds like a winner. However, wish they had made the mag higher capacity. Ten rounds is the standard, but having the same size mag as a full size 19, it seems they could have buffed capacity a bit without sacrificing reliability.
Agree with previous comment, will wait until a threaded option is available.
I mean it makes sense for them to have a .22 but I find it pretty underwhelming.
No reason in that frame size they couldn’t have developed a triple stack mag to hold 30rds (like pmr30)…. then it would sell like hotcakes.
Agree that a threaded barrel version would be nice too.
400 bucks, no threaded barrel, and only 10 round mag. I’ll pass.
It would be interesting to know magazine capacity.
Only 10 rounds.
Wish they’d create a slimline full capacity 22LR or 22MAG intended for carry.
Something to fill the PMR30 niche.
WTH does “top of 2020” mean? Eschew obfuscation, will you?
I guess this is a good trainer, especially if you plan on shooting similar larger caliber Glocks. I just have a hard time spending so much on a 22LR pistol. I have a GSG Firefly that was just under $200 (Sig Mosquito) that serves the same purpose. Glock diehards will like it, but if I’m going to spend $400 it will be a full size/caliber gun. Will have to see what street price ends up as…
I’ve shot steel with my Glock 42. For match purposes I bought extensions for the mags and ETS 12 rounders.
Maybe ETS will produce and offer extended mags for the Glock 44.
This definitely fills out the Glock line, and the price is right. Personally, I’ll wait until a threaded barrel is available as an option.