While the same gun will not always work for every person, the Glock Gen4’s versatility, compatibility and durability allow for this one pistol to satisfy a myriad of individual sidearm needs — making it an ideal choice for outfitting an entire department.

Over time, established weapons evolve and improve. The Glock line of pistols is no exception, and with the Glock Gen4 frame they do nothing if not improve on a proven design that has dominated the law enforcement market. It’s more than likely that by now you’ve heard everyone talk about this new Glock pistol, but from the Law Enforcement perspective, is this new pistol a “game changer?”

The first thing you’ll notice is that the “feel” of the gun has changed. While I have always liked Glocks, (I pretty much carry nothing else), there have been those clamoring for something that could be worked with for each individual who picked up the gun.

The Gen4 is an adjustable tool for the officer as it comes with interchangeable backstraps. This growing trend in poly-
mer guns has come to the Austrian giant, addressing the needs of the “one size fits all” crowd. For those agencies that only issue one gun, it means officers have had to adapt to that platform.

Perhaps the most notable feature is the replaceable backstrap, with small, medium and large options for a variety of hand sizes.

Each weapon comes with two additional, different sized backstraps. The base grip on the gun is considered the “small” size, with a “medium” and “large” size insert also included. The “medium” is pretty consistent with their current backstrap size, while others see the large as close to the Glock 21 size. This way, those with small or large hands can adapt the gun to their liking.

In addition, they added a version of their Gen4 gripping surface on this new pistol. Instead of the common addition of skateboard tape that is seen these days, you can now have a non-slip surface on already integrated into the grip of your Glock — far better for when hands are wet or slippery. They still maintain the traditional version of the straight slide serrations, keeping the best of the old design with the new improvements.