A Review Of The Glock 45 9mm Pistol

So, you thought I was going to do a rambling political discourse on the folly of red flag laws and the like? Maybe later. For now, let’s do a rare firearm review - this time the GLOCK 45 9mm pistol!

Pistol	Cost	Buy Now
GLOCK 45 9mm w Ameriglo	$629	Buy Now!

I’m not much of a GLOCK guy, to be honest. Not from dislike of the brand (I love GLOCK), but I just don’t have a significant quantity of them. It’s a number between 0 and 4, really. Oh, and a t-shirt. I just went in a different direction with my handguns. However, a trusted friend highly recommended the GLOCK 45 to me, and I really had no choice at that point but to borrow his, and give it a run.

A word on GLOCK nomenclature

For those that don’t know, GLOCKs are named somewhat sequentually. I say, “somewhat” since they skip numbers (where’s the GLOCK 44?) on occasion. The number basically corresponds to the design/patent release sequence. Gaston’s (link to book) first handgun was the GLOCK 17 9mm pistol. It was his 17th patent, though coincidentally it held 17 rounds. So, the GLOCK 45 is their 45th product design. Anyways…

Features

The GLOCK 45 is regarded as a close cousin of the GLOCK 19x. In addition to being basic, bad, black instead of tan, the GLOCK 45 sports a flared magwell, front serrations, the new-generation Marksman barrel, and all the internal features of Gen5 GLOCK pistols. Like the G19x, the GLOCK 45 is a “crossover” pistol, which mates a compact slide to a full-size frame. You get a shorter sight radius (the distance between the front and rear sights) for faster target acquisition and also the larger frame soaks up some of the recoil. To be honest, the crossovers look a little goofy to me, but functionally, I see the benefit. Most of these features are the result of GLOCK consulting with their law enforcment customers, so we may see this pistol making it’s way to departments around the country soon.

So, how did it test?

And Now For The Test

Since the GLOCK 45 wasn’t a loaner from GLOCK or purchased by me, I had limited time to square a way a proper test run. Normally I’d go to Henry’s Range down where the buses don’t run, but weather and time denied that. So, I went nearby to Florida Gun Center in Hialeah. An indoor range, sure, but for basic testing, it is suitable.

My decidedly-unscientific testing protocol included the GLOCK 45 pistol, the three included factory GLOCK magazines, and 200 rounds of Winchester 124gr 9mm NATO ammunition. Per the owner of the firearm, the pistol already had around 500 rounds through it, and any issues would have manifested themselves by then. However, I figured 200 rounds on top of that would maybe bring something out, if any.

Sidebar - what is “9mm NATO” and why did you choose it?

Some of my more astute readers may have noted that I chose to use 9mm NATO ammuniton in this case. So, what is 9mm NATO, and how does it differ from “standard” 9mm?

9mm NATO is an “overpressure” variant of 9mm Luger. Basically, it runs at 36,500 PSI, versus 34,100 PSI. You get a little more “oomph”, especially out of a shorter barrel, and yes, there’s a little more recoil. It’s a military standard that corresponds roughly to 9mm +P (check my pistol ammo primer for info on that), which is what I carry daily. That being said, 9mm will beat up your gun a little more, but most modern firearms will shrug it off.

I was looking for two things - a simulation of my carry ammo, along with some extra stress to see if anything would happen.

Ergonomics

Before I went to the range, I checked out the ergonomics of the GLOCK 45 with some dry fire drills and so on at home. I found the pistol to be very well balanced. Having a full-size grip defintely helps. You don’t feel that the pistol is front-heavy at all. The lack of finger-grooves was noticeable but it’s not worth obsessing over. The front serrations did prove useful for racking the slide, in a different way. I did some mag changes as fast as possible, and the little “racing” feature of a flared magwell helps. The compact slide and barrel make carry a little more comfortable. One thing worth noting is that the GLOCK 45 will fit most G19x holsters.

At The Range

I didn’t expect anything negative about the GLOCK 45 at the range. GLOCK may have a bit of a fanboy culture around it, but that doesn’t mean it’s a sub-par gun. GLOCK is trusted by professionals around the world, and for good reason. They work. Reliable and more accurate than most shooters themselves, they just go. And go. And go.

The GLOCK 45 was no exception. I’ve never shot a crossover pistol before, and was pleasantly surprised at how flat it shot. Definitely more accurate than I am, and it did display my slight tendency to “lobster” pistols. Lobstering is basically when a shooter tightens his grip even more while pressing the trigger. Proper technique is to keep a consistent and tight grip and just use your trigger finger. A lobster snaps his grip shut when he clamps on something. We’re not lobsters.

Regardless, I was impressed with the accuracy, even after I self-corrected the lobster issue.

The firearm was consistent and even pleasant to shoot. No failures of any kind throughout, regardless of magazine. It just kept going.

Back Home

Since it wasn’t my gun, I figured I’d do the owner a solid and clean it up some before returning it. Takedown is a breeze, although you have to press the trigger to disassemble the gun. I consider that problematic, but GLOCK doesn’t for some reason. Oh well. Reassembly is cake, you can put the gun back together in about 20 seconds.

My Final Verdict

Withouth any reservations, I can recommend this firearm as a first-time gun, or as a gun for a seasoned shooter. First-timers (with proper instruction) will love the forgiving nature of the recoil and the flat shooting and impressive ergonomics. You want a comfortable gun. Experienced shooters will prize the increased accuracy of the Marksman barrel and the advantages of the crossover concept. This is a solid sidearm whether you are a professional user looking for a new duty weapon, or a regular guy/girl looking for something for self-defense.

Pistol	Cost	Buy Now
GLOCK 45 9mm w Ameriglo	$629	Buy Now!

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