Glock is announcing a revival, of sorts, of .40-caliber handguns. After a long wait, Glock is now offering its latest Gen5 series of pistols chambered for .40 S&W.
Glock is releasing five handguns chambered for .40 starting with the three main models, the Glock Models 22, 23 and 27. These are the company’s full-size, compact and subcompact pistols.
The full-size 22 and compact 23 will both be offered in two packages, the standard Gen5 configuration and the red-dot-ready Modular Optics System, or MOS models. For now, they will only offer the Glock 27 in the standard Gen5 config.
The Gen5 models use an updated grip developed to meet modern military and agency requirements. The biggest and most noticeable change is to the grip profile, which no longer has fingergrooves on the frontstrap and in general is contoured to fit a wider range of hands comfortably.
Unlike a handful of other newer Glock pistols, these don’t have a cutout on the frame for stripping stuck magazines. That was a feature with mixed support and quite a few critics. The frames do have flared magwells, which are popular with shooters across the board.
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Other features include an ambidextrous slide stop lever, a reversible magazine catch, updated trigger assembly, Marksman match-grade barrel and forward and rear slide serrations. The steel components have a black diamond-like carbon finish for wear and corrosion resistance.
One subtle change that may affect a number of shooters is that these Gen5 Glock pistols chambered for .40 S&W have slightly wider slides than previous-generation Glocks. For some users, this may mean these will not work with older holsters.
The changes to the slide make the Gen5 pistols slightly heavier than the Gen4 versions. Unloaded the .40-caliber Gen5 models weigh around three ounces more than the older models. The added weight can reduce felt recoil, especially when using full-power ammunition.
Glock’s decision to introduce updated, improved versions of their main three .40-caliber models isn’t realistically a sign that .40 S&W is making a comeback, just that the cartridge has a lot of staying power.
Its huge success, particularly with law enforcement, but also with competition shooters and regular people for self-defense, means that there will always be support for .40 S&W, even if it takes a little time for companies to support .40 compared to 9mm Luger and .45 ACP.
Glock hasn’t released the pricing but there’s no reason to expect it to break from the rest of the Gen5 and Gen5 MOS listings. For more information about these pistols and more visit Glock online.
I own almost every modern pistol and revolver caliber, all the 32s, 38 SW, 38Spl, .357, 9mm, 45ACP, 380, 32ACP, 44SPL, 44mag, 45Lc, but have never found a reason to buy a .40. Still can’t think of a reason.
My guess is they suspect a magazine limitation law coming. They producing the .40 SW so that they can make a full size gun with losing as many rounds in capacity as they would with 9MM. That is what gun manufacturers did in the 90s which is why the .40SW became popular then died after the magazine ban ended.
I still have the Glock 23 I bought back about 95-96. I also have a G27 but rarely use it any more. Now, as one respondent said, I have both 9mm and .40 guns. In any emergency situation, I should be able to find one or the other if not both. But either way, I’ll have something that will still shoot.
Why own a .40? I like the ‘stopping power’ of thee bigger calibers but, I also like the round counts of the 9mm. Ergo sum, enter the .40. If you load up a 9mm to .40 or .45 specs, you’re now shooting those out of a lighter gun meaning that, for most people at least, experiencing greater recoil than that from the larger caliber with its standard ammo. Yes, I can recover for a second shot with a 9mm but the difference is infinitesimal. The chance of any real difference in outcome is unlikely.
If all of these handgun calibers use the .357 as the gold standard, why not just start there! There doesn’t seem to be .357 in anything but revolvers?
Actually, Coonan built a SWEEEEET 1911 in 357 Magnum, Desert Eagle builds one, AND, Glock 22s and such are easily converted to 357 Sig (basically the .40 S&W necked to .356, mimicking the performance of 357 Mag ) with a barrel swap from alone Wolf, or others.
The Benefit of a Glock, is 15 (or 22 or more) rounds “on tap” with more potentially a Mag swap away.
The benefit of the revolver is, if one round don’t go off because of ammo problem, another pull of the trigger brings up another chance.
Well..that’s why Baskin Robbins makes 31 flavors. Everybody likes something different. (9, 10, 38, 40, 45, 50, 357, etc) Whichever you prefer , is the best!
Enjoy the weekend 👍
Do not see a need for a 40 ,9 has shown to perform just as well as the 40 ,with les recoil ,more capacity and 9 mm cheaper to buy ,if i go bigger ,i go ,45 . Or 10mm ,or .357 Sig.
Check the specs between .40 and 10mm.
A 9 will not penetrate like a 40.
My first carry, back in 1999, was a Gen 2 G23…today I carry a Gen 4 G23.
The .40 never left, only the lemming-like go from caliber to caliber based on the prevailing winds from the “Tacticool” Community.
The reported demise of the .40 is premature. Plenty of agencies still shoot .40. Yes, it has lost ground to the 9mm. There are a couple of reasons that makes sense. Good 9mm and .40 ammo works well and there is little difference in results. 9mm costs less to shoot tens of thousands of rounds in training. 9mm IS easier to train people to use, due to lesser recoil. 9mm doesn’t wear out the guns as fast as .40 guns.
I never bought a .40 and never will. i have .45, 9mm 10mm 460 rowland . Cant think of one reason that I would want or need a.40 for? I have all of the bases covered.
Ammo availability… diversity allows for adaptability. Rule of thumb have two of everything… hence if I’m pulling a 357 Sig out of the safe, that’s all I could find ammo for.
Ditto that.
One reason I’m going to maintain my .40’s has to do with that 4.6 billion rounds of .40 S&W JHP “training” ammo that the DOJ (I) purchased during the previous administration.
I have no idea why I as a taxpayer bought all those rounds that can only be used domestically and are based on a platform that few Federal agencies currently use, but I bet most of it is still waiting to be fired.
-I’m ready!
SuperG, the .40 group never left, except for limp-wristed girlymen like you who jumped on the post-FBI 9mm fanboy train thinking despite one shot stop statistics and hard facts 9mm is somehow all the sudden the best round ever. The change was about money, not about effectiveness. Anecdotally speaking go watch police shoot video, why does it take 5-7 rounds of 9mm per officer to stop a perp, vs 1-2 rounds when a .40 is used and most times the second shot is reflexive? .40 with 135g jhp mimics .357 mag ballistics and one stop shot stats. Certain loads are virtually the same as the so loved 10mm. Bullet weights range from 135jhp to 200g cast core at 1100 fps. 9mm cant even get a 147g to supersonic levels. Child please.
Glock, please make a single stack .40 i like my shield, but it is no Glock.
You discount the performance of 9mm +P+ loads. Good 9mm mmo loaded to the max performs like .357 loads Recoil in the same as a .40, but recovery time between shots is faster. One reason you see cops armed with 9mms put out more rounds, is becsause they can. I can shoot circles around people armed with higher recoiling guns, especially .45 or 10mm armed shooters.
Never thought that the .45 had much of a recoil. Saying that, shoot whatever you prefer and shoot well with.
.40 isn’t making a comeback? You’d first have to leave the stage for that to happen. 😉
😀