Rumor has it that Glock has a new 9mm pistol in the works. As in, a different kind of handgun. It looks like Glock is working on an all-new design with a new operating system.
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Designed for the German Police, the Glock 46 looks somewhat similar to a Glock 19. A mid-size service pistol, the Glock 46 borrows from multiple generations and adds a few new ones as well.
Several standout features on the frame include a straight grip without any fingergrooves. Also the frame has a long, integral beavertail on the backstrap. And the front of the grip doesn’t have a magazine removal cutout, either, which can pinch fingers when reloading.
The Glock 46 is ambidextrous where it counts, at the slide release, and it has a reversible magazine button. It also has an enlarged trigger housing and thinner, flatter trigger.
The updated design also doesn’t require users to pull the trigger during disassembly. This is a major safety concern, particularly for military, police and other agency users. All around the Glock 46 looks easier to handle with better ergonomics.
What’s really different is the gun’s operation. The Glock 46 doesn’t use a Browning-style tilting barrel locking system. It’s built around a cam-actuated rotating barrel action.
Only a small number of modern handguns use a rotating barrel lockup. Rotating barrels are less common but offer a smoother locking system. Because the barrel doesn’t tilt it also generates less recoil.
See Also: Next Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0–More LIke Glock 19 2.0
Combined with the enlarged beavertail backstrap and Glock’s archetypal low bore axis the Glock 46 promises to be one of the softest shooting service pistols in production.
The big question is if, or when, will this gun be available to consumers? Obviously, the Glock 46 is a Glock 19 killer, so with the recent introduction of the Gen 5 Glock 19 Glock has little reason to compete with itself.
Still, with its unusual operating system and frankly, best of the best Glock ergonomics, it would be foolish for the company to avoid selling this to the public. A lot of buyers are ready to give Glock their money for a gun like this, including people who swore off Glock entirely.
Photos confirming the new rotating barrel pistol from Das Magazin für Waffenbesitzer (The Magazine for Weapon Owners), a German magazine.
We have to wonder if the Glock 46 is the tip of the iceberg, since there’s no mention of a Glock 44 or Glock 45. If the Glock 46 follows the Glock 19, than the Glock 44 could be a full-size rotating barrel pistol and the Glock 45 could be a machine pistol.
While it may not happen tomorrow or next month or even this year, Glock would have to have serious doubts not to bring this gun to the American market.
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So glock is going to build a takeoff of the Steyer’s m9,
Which was designed and built by ex glock employees who broke off when A. Glock rejected the rotating barrel
The Glock 45 is a 19x that takes standard mags.
The Canadian Customs decided to arm their Booth Officers, on International Borders. As they were bought and sold by S&W! The specs cancelled out Glock! in the tests. The first test, the pistol picked, should keep the full magazine locked in place, dropped from 6 ft? A meter? S&W the magazine flew out on impact! And kept doing so, till only one round remained in the magazine.
So off to the only gun left in the test… Beretta PX4 Storm. 9mm or .40 cal? I forget.
But they picked the non-browning twist action pistol. A lot of these older female Officers subjected to the RCMP 50m distant target, failed? The fact that they were more expensive to keep, wages, and time off?
Might have been method in this. The customers coming from the US of A, being 6′ away? As they drove up to the Booth? Made sense, yes?
It’s safe to say the HK VP9 made the Glock, and ALL other striker fired pistols obsolete! While there’s no debating Glock globally changed the pistol market, they’re playing catch up and LOSING!
oh listen to that expert. hk failed by simply put a 17 rnd magazin in a g17 size gun. aftermarket mags had to chime in to fix that. in the berlin polize tests the vp9 got selected and by retests of first samples failed.
What world are you living in, because its certainly not planet earth.
So Glock made all these improvements and skimped on an ambidextrous mag release? Having a switchable mag release is a lackluster solution and I think Glock knows it. Going from my XD in the academy to my department issued Glock was maddening when it came to weak hand shooting drills.
What’s new? It looks like the same block handle it has always been! There was nothing wrong with the current operating system, it has always been very reliable! What has always been wrong with the Glock is the ergonomics,
Very well said, sir. I agree. Someone should put a Browning Hi-Power, or a Walther P99 into the hands of the designers there at Glock’s headquarters in Austria. All it really needs is better ergonomics and better standard sights.
A new Glock…a “NEW” Glock..!??! You’ve gotta be kiddin’.
HoHoHoHoheeeheeeheeehahhahahahahahaha BWAHAHAHAAAAAA..!
Glock never EVER does anything new. And that’s why they are getting left behind
by the likes of CZ and others.
They are getting put to bed by their competition and it’s almost like they don’t care.
I’ve owned one – never again.
I’m happy with all my CZ’s & SIG’s. YMMV
If I were seriously considering buying a new Glock (especially a G19) right now this would certainly give me pause. Anybody familiar with the history of personal electronics over the past few decades knows that with each revolutionary change consumers were left holding the bag. I don’t think many of us want to get caught buingy the Betamax of semi-auto pistols!
I guess your comparison is referring to how well the old design will supported for parts/service in the future…seems like there are a lot of Glock armorers and parts around.
So Glock is at least attempting to make a good (standard) thing better and should be recognized for doing so. But if they really want to rocket their sales, all they need to do is change the grip angle, enough with their pride in a good product … Mr Browning’s 1911 grip arguably just fits better in most hands. Any way that you decide, Hillary won’t be blocking your freedom to choose.
Or at least offer the grip angle in traditional or at 1911 type, it wouldn’t be a feat of engineering to do it both ways but it sure could be a success for Glock
Screw Hillary !
No!
Keith, What a completely disgusting thought. You go right ahead, but be warned, you never know where that disgusting thing has been.
You see, this is very odd to me. Im 50 and my dad bought me my first firearm when I turned 12 so Ive been around long enough to have watched the storied revival of the 1911 platform unfold and then blow up to the mega proportions it reached until the arrival of the plastic fantastic. Well, not exactly the arrival because they took a while to gain the following they had/have.
I enjoy no other pistol the way I enjoy, and appreciate, the 1911. Theyre beautiful. I look at no other pistol and see the same artistry that I see in the 1911………..BUT.
A 1911 does NOT, I say again, does not point as naturally for me as the glock does. Yes, Ive tried both curved and flat MSHs and it matters not, I never new that I actually had to train my wrist to angle away from its natural angle, like when you point. I bought my first glock in almost 30 years ago and fell in love with “that damned hunk of plastic junk” as dad called it. No, he never warmed to that damned hunk of plastic junk but he too enjoyed the 1911 and especially the BHP. I thought he might enjoy another 9mm but it would never be plastic. A plastic gun? What???? But the angle and just oh so natural way I pointed that damned hunk of plastic junk has kept me buying and shooting the hell out of them to this day and Im sorry but youre not going to tell me militarys and police depts around the world are ALL wrong in their choice of glock. Out of the 17 glocks Ive owned and the 4 I currently own, none have been a lemon. Now damnit, thats a hell of a record. I cant tell you how many 1911s I owned and/or shot have had issues of one magnitude or another.
So, I always scratch my head and wonder whats wrong with me that the glock points so damned naturally for me and so many others absolutely detest the angle/shape/hump/size/squareness of the grip on a glock grip. When I throw a glock up to fire I can almost close my eyes and when I open them the sights are almost right on and that my friends is why I for one hope they dont change the grip angle/shape/hump/size or squareness of the glock. Not even the finger grooves as they ALL fit my hand almost to……………………….wait for it.
PERFECTION. Glock perfection.
And no I am not a glock fanboy, I own all brands, I shoot and buy what I like and I like all types and brands of guns. Smith, CZ, Beretta…..if I dont like them after a while, I sell em.
@Bill, …. That natural point of aim is probably where we should all seek to find a gun that fits us personally, where you close your eyes, raise the pistol, open your eyes and find your sights aligned with your target. So Glock’s grip angle works for you and the 1911 angle works for many. Most people can train for either and be proficient. As far as military and police departments go, a very few make the decisions for all of the rest and grip angles have little to do with those decisions, they are more likely to decide based on cost, reliability and ease of training. Most of us can admit that the Glocks are robust, they function well in adverse conditions and are simple to operate, even those of us who do not favor them as our go-to weapon of choice. For me, I like the early service model Spgfld XD. But there are plenty of other good choices we could rely on for fit & reliability, and everybody’s got their favorite. Just glad we have the freedom to choose.
Bill, Well, different strokes for different folks, but to me, pistols such as the Browning Hi Power, the Walther P99, and the Walther PPS, are the pistols which point the most naturally for me.
My understanding of physics whispers to me that all other things being equal: a rotating barrel would reduce muzzle flip because it moves straight back but that recoil should actually be increased for the same reason. Perceived recoil? I’d like to try one.
Physics (or any actual science), much like logic, is avoided like the plague on this site.
My Beretta 8045 Cougar with rotating barrel is the softest .45ACP I have ever shot. I don’t know about the physics, but the sure does seem to reduce the recoil for me. It has less felt recoil for me than a standard steel 1911. So I think this is a very good thing. The problem is that it introduces some other issues with using a suppressor.
If you want to try a rotating barrel try a Beretta PX4 Storm pistol,it has a rotating barrel. My wife loves them she has a 45 cal and a 9mm version.
Giovanni, I’ve heard good things about those pistols. I really liked their earlier Beretta models with the rotating barrels, too. I think they were called the Beretta Cougar.
Can someone please explain to me why having to pull the trigger before disassembly is so worrisome to so many? Do Glock owners not clear their pistols before disassembling them? Please enlighten me as I\’m about to buy a Glock 43, which will become the ugliest pistol in my collection – the black sheep. Unfortunately, the Glock 43 seems to have the whole package I\’m looking for – low weight, small size, 9mm single stack. But seriously, what\’s the big deal about pulling the trigger? Why would anyone pull the trigger without knowing if it was going to go bang? I seem to have drifted off topic – at least this new one won\’t be cause for alarm (you know, the whole trigger pulling thing).
I have no idea. I own 4 Glocks and love them all. They always work and are easy to clean. Unless you are a fool and don’t know how to ensure your gun is safe and unloaded I don’t know why it’s a big deal. Never bothered me in the 22 years I have owned them. The Glock 43 is a great carry gun. My EDC is a Glock 23. But for my wife and kids at home I got the 43 mainly forvthem. The funny thing is I am carrying the 43 a lot on my quick runs to the bank orvthe store. It is very convenient. You can’t go wrong with the 43.
Know what I love about the 43?
My best friend wanted on so bad he sold me his 42. He bought it when it introed and after I shot it and found out how well I hit with it I kept trying to buy it from him. The glock 43 and persistence paid off!
You’ll love the 43. I don’t have strong feelings about Glocks in general, but my 43 has been my constant companion since purchasing. It points well, shoots better, and it disappears in a sticky holster shoved in at 4 o’clock.
i get why the takedown trigger pull is a SLIGHT issue, but with all the noise over it, you’d think it was equivalent to monkeying with the pin on a live grenade or something. anyone who has ever done dry practice without hurting anyone, and i think that’s most of us, knows how to handle this.
Well, each year a bakers-dozen-o-cops seem to shoot their princess toes off because of forgetting about the one in the chamber for some reason. Clearly, it’s a user issue because they seem to keep doing this dispite the instructions in the manual and the thousands of videos in the interwebs clarifying the takedown process.
I love my G43. I actually pull the trigger on take down to push the slide forward to release it. I always make sure it\’s clear first anyways. (Doesn\’t everybody?) Duh? The G42/43 trigger system is the biggest and best part of the Gen 5 as well. I have about 1,650 rounds through mine and the STOCK trigger is smooth as butter and reset is less than 1/8\”. I easily pocket it carry inside a Sticky and have a couple extra mags in my other pocket for good balance out. You\’ll love it!
I agree! Why would anyone clean or disassemble a pistol without clearing it first? Any idiot who tries, should not own the pistol in the first place. And I wonder if the people who call for a safety on a striker fired pistol also want to put one on a revolver. They’re probably the same people who insist on a magazine safety.
I just don’t get those who call for a “safety”, it’s striker fired pistol, the only reason for a safety on this operating system is the operator can’t train themselves in the 4th law of gun handling, and if that’s the case, you shouldn’t be handling the gun in the first place!!!!!!
Glocks are perfectly safe as is, it’s the person handling it that isn’t!
Yes but you seemed to forget the law of CHAOS, Shit happens, I learned the hard way crawling out of collapsed house trying to rescue people that Weird stuff happens. Give me a safety every time. If you put the pistol in a gun case and only take it out to clean it and show it off, and never load it then you might be ok. Me, I purchase a pistol to use. You just don’t know what will happen no matter how cautious you are, shit just plain happens.
Agreed.
It’s just another GLOCK-TEASE !!!
The only pistol you buy that immediately needs a new trigger, grip redesigned, springs, trigger guard undercut, etc.etc…before it’s what you really wanted…
Wow!
I guess you never bought a Ruger (AWFUL triggers across the board, and I own many), an S&W, Colt (early Pony .380’s sucked) and don’t get me started on the Walther Ppk series, I have one that started with a 14 pound DA pull, and that was COMMON!!!!!!!!!!
I sold many like that, but everyone bought into the Walther line of quality.
Spring kit, extensive honing and smoothing of the internals, and it’s now tractable.
If you’re a Glock hater, so be it, but don’t make comments you can’t back up, we all know that our litigious society has brought this trigger situation to this point.
Custom pistolsmiths can do this and get away with it, because YOU bought a gun that was deliberately set up that way, therefore any ND’s are on you. Many make you sign a form to that end.
The mass manufacturers must build to a common standard, for legal reasons.
1911
Now, if only Glock would reduce the grip hump and radius the underside of the trigger guard for better ergonomics (i.e., no Glock knuckle), it just may be on to something.
Add a factor Comminally safety like they put on the military trials version and it would be great.
Plus: The updated design also doesn’t require users to pull the trigger during disassembly.
Cons: The Glock worked very well. This redesign will have growing pains and issues.
The Glock 44 and 45 could also be the 9mm and .40 versions of Glock’s entry into the MHS trials.
I’d like to see it be a single stack 9mm, a slim line on for CC.
Inevitable comparisons will be made to the Beretta PX4 Storm. The Storm was moderately successful for Beretta – a number of LE agencies adopted it. With Glocks already large share of the U.S. LE market, the 46 should have an easy time gaining acceptance. I have a PX4, in 40 S&W. I can\’t say I notice much difference in felt recoil vs. tilting breech actions of similar size. But, I have found it to be a smooth shooter and utterly reliable. Looking forward to trying the 46.
I own several Glocks and wouldn’t really want them to change anything. That being said, I have a PX4 Storm in 9mm and a PX4 storm in .40. I agree with your recoil assessment. I want a recoil system I get a Bereta, I want a straight shooter, with the greatness in simplicity, I get a Glock. This should be interesting…………