Glock Guardians: The Glock 41 Gen4 and Glock 42

glock 41 gen4, glock 41, glock, glock 41, glock 41 pistols, glock 42 pistols, glock pistols, glock pistol — Glock 41 Gen4 (top) and Glock 42 (bottom): advanced .45 and .380 firepower to break any threat, anywhere.

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In the late 1970s, after the essential replacement of many other implements of war, the Austrian military’s thinking turned toward replacing its aging sidearms. In the 1980s its leaders announced that they were conducting pistol trials, and it was made known that anyone interested could participate and enter their design for consideration. Gaston Glock, a business owner who specialized in making plastic objects for some years, including a few for the military such as entrenching tools and knives, put his name in the hat. The Austrian Military had 17 requirements that each entry must meet or exceed. Gaston Glock had his hands full, but, as history has shown, he was determined to succeed.

Using the most modern CNC-machining methods of the day, he built his slides from bar stock and the frames from polymer. He pressed the steel framework into the polymer and added the Safe Action system, which included a firing pin safety, drop safety and trigger safety. Soon after the trials were over, the Austrian government placed an order for 25,000 Glock 17 pistols.

Today, Glock is a household name and police departments all over the U.S. carry Glocks of every caliber in their holsters. I would dare to say that Gaston Glock is sitting beside some of the great firearms geniuses of our time. Meanwhile, Glock is a thriving, growing business and shows no signs of slowing down one bit. The company recently introduced two new pistols, the Glock 41 Gen4, a long-slide competition/duty pistol in .45 ACP, and the long-anticipated Glock 42 in .380 ACP.

Street-Ready Firepower

Even though the Glock 42 is the company’s smallest pistol design yet, it felt good in the hand and rounds were easy to keep on target. I thought it was just me, but as I spoke with others I found the feeling was unanimous throughout a wide group of shooters. Glock seems to have hit another one out of the park. Pair a Glock 42 with a pocket holster to prevent printing and rotations during movement and you’re set.

Glock also recently introduced its new “Practical/Tactical” Glock 41 Gen4 in .45 ACP for competition shooters. The 7.56 inches between the sights is to improve accuracy, and the weight is now distributed over the slide to improve the balance and the overall performance of the pistol. The Glock 41 Gen4’s longer barrel also helps with muzzle flip and recoil, making for a smooth shot even with the potent .45 ACP.

The Glock 41 Gen4 is also branded for tactical and/or duty-carry as well, and after shooting the gun it’s easy to see why. I found it easy to keep all my .45 ACP rounds on steel even when shooting rapid fire. Plus, as an added bonus, you can use your Glock 41 magazines in your Glock 30 and Glock 36. Because all Glock magazines lock up in the same place, this allows you to carry more rounds in a compact or subcompact gun.

Glock’s customer service is top-notch in anyone’s book. I have sent damaged and broken pistols in and they were cleaned, upgraded and sent back free of charge. Maybe that’s why I own three of them and working on number four.

For more information, visit http://us.glock.com or call 770-432-1202.