Latest Gen, Best Shooter?

The Generation 6 9mm GLOCK pistols are now out and about. After a projected late-January arrival, they’ve been advertised as available by a number of distributors and dealers. I saw Palmetto State Armory had Gen6 G19s available, but the ad said “short supply.”

Are they popular for a reason or do people just yearn for “the latest?”

I was about to find out. GLOCK sent a Gen6 GLOCK 45 (the “crossover – G19 slide and barrel over a G17-size frame with 17-round magazine) for examination. It featured the plastic place-holder sights along with all the new updates. 

The frame is redesigned for ergonomics; the forward part of the frame (below the slide, behind the accessory rail) features “gas pedals” on each side. More stabilization pads, it’s a place to apply pressure to redirect movement post-ignition. There’s an enhanced “beavertail” tang to prevent slide-bite on large hands. 

It appears to me that the nearly-flat trigger shoe and the slight palm-swells may have more impact on the gun’s shootability. 

While the ‘feel’ of the piece when just dry handling is okay, but it takes shooting to assess whether or not the changes help.

I tended to press left with GLOCK pistols since my first shooting experience with them. I tried about everything. I noted that the left-tendency I had with their guns didn’t appear so much with their large frame (G20, G21) guns, with the slim-frame (G42, G43, G43X) nor with the subcompacts (like the G26). 

It was G19/23, G17/G22 where I saw the issue arise. 

When they came out with the Gen5 guns, I wondered what changed because I was less left-centric with those guns. 

Now, with the Gen6 G45, it appears that I’m more centered up. 

As to accuracy, in my limited handling tests (all I’ve done so far), the Gen6 is Gen5 accurate – which means the most accurate regular frame GLOCK 9mms ever made.

I started out with the D-1(c) repair centers for the NRA D-1 targets used in the GLOCK Shooting Sports Foundation gallery courses. I shot a short (15 yards and in) target and a long line (25 yards) target separately. These were the first rounds out of the gun. I shot in the 10-rounds/15 second cadence, starting from low ready, as in a GSSF match. 

I ended up with a few hits in the 10-ring outside the X up close and had only one out of the X-ring at 25 yards. 

I don’t shoot that well. 

I used an IALEFI-Q target for my own mash-up “qual-“type course. This included shooting close with the so-called ICE bent-arm technique, shooting from ten-feet with one-second for a head shot starting from covered low ready (hand on holstered handgun) and one-second pairs from compressed low-ready. 

I had one hit out of the “head” circle – my first round fired. Otherwise, rounds were centered in the scoring rings. I did pull one off target with a 25-yard headshot; the other four were inside. 

I plead elder shooter status.

I posted a pair of business reply envelopes in landscape mode and checked standing two-hand zero with Hornady Critical Duty 135gr. +P and Federal 124 grain PUNCH JHP. Both clustered inside the space of the envelope.

The following day, I hit the range with the 22LR GLOCK 44 in tow. I shot a B-16 (NRA “Short Course”) slow fire target with ten rounds and followed up with ten rounds timed fire on a B-8 repair center. Every round was fired one-handed.

While my 57/100 slow fire was miserable (that scoring is tight), I shot a 90/100 timed fire. With that “warmup,” I shot the Gen6 G45 bullseye style. I had a full 17-round magazine and shot on a B-8 repair center.

I tended right, shooting one-handed. I believe it was my error in finding natural point of aim – it was that consistent. I shot 150/170 on that effort. 

Just before leaving the range, I put up the target I printed of the Shootist’s Challenge. A five-inch square of an old-time envelope with a one-inch square, representing a stamp in the midst of the square. Step off ten paces, right around 25 feet for most folks, turn and fire six rounds – one-handed. The object is six rounds in the “envelope” with at least one hit on the “stamp.”

The G45 passed this easily. 

I’m not through with the test of the gun – though a trip to the indoor range may be in order due to some winter weather. At the outset I can say it’s GLOCK-ish except it doesn’t exactly feel like a traditional Austrian blaster. 

Those plastic sights were no obstruction to some good shooting; you’d need higher sights for most optics anyway and I’m sure most buyers of Gen6 GLOCK pistols will put glass on them. 

So far, so good. 

— Rich Grassi