Estimated studying time: 12 minutes
First pictures on the brand new Gen 6 G17, G19, and G45 present actual features in grip, optics mounting, and controls with out altering the Glock DNA. It feels up to date but immediately acquainted.
Gen 6 Launch: The Lineup and What Modified
Glock has formally unveiled the sixth era of its commonplace body pistols. At launch, the Gen 6 lineup consists of three 9 mm fashions: the G17, G19, and G45. All three share the identical core updates and are constructed round revised ergonomics, a flat set off, and an all new optic mounting system.
On paper and within the hand, the Gen 6 is clearly up to date. It is usually very clearly nonetheless a Glock. If you happen to had been hoping for a modular fireplace management unit or a radical departure from the normal Glock design, this era doesn’t ship both.
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Earlier than moving into the small print, one essential caveat:
Check Situations: What This First Look Covers
My set off time thus far has been restricted to Glock’s personal manufacturing unit occasion in Georgia. Glock had three tables arrange, every with one G19, one G17, and one G45, for a complete of 9 pistols that everybody took turns capturing. Every mannequin had a unique crimson dot. If you happen to needed to shoot the completely different crimson dot variants, you needed to change to all three tables. Each journal was restricted to 10 rounds. Every journey to the road allowed three magazines, for a complete of 30 rounds per relay and 10 rounds per gun.
I repeated that course of no less than 15 instances and certain extra, placing equal rounds by way of the G17, G19, and G45. That places my whole spherical depend north of 450 rounds by way of numerous samples. I had no malfunctions and didn’t personally observe any malfunctions from different shooters whereas I used to be on the road.
That’s encouraging, however it isn’t unbiased testing. The weapons had been factory-maintained, the ammunition was Glock-supplied, and the capturing setting was best. I’ve not but had a manufacturing Gen 6 alone vary, in my very own holsters, with my very own carry ammunition, shot soiled, and below actual working circumstances. It is a first look, not a last verdict.
Watch The Vary Session
Body and Ergonomics: The Large Really feel Modifications
Glock is inserting heavy emphasis on ergonomics with the Gen 6, and that is the place the vast majority of the seen adjustments dwell.
The grip now incorporates a built-in palm swell designed from measured hand knowledge to suit a variety of shooters. It provides refined fullness to the grip with out turning the body into a contest profile. Within the hand it nonetheless looks like a Glock, simply barely extra stuffed out. To me, this was barely noticeable.
The brand new RTF6 texture is the most effective manufacturing unit texture Glock has ever produced. It blends extra aggressive and subdued floor patterns and extends larger up the body. It locks into the hand higher than Gen 5 whereas remaining snug in opposition to pores and skin and clothes.
An enlarged beavertail is now molded straight into the body. For shooters with a correct excessive grip, this successfully eliminates slide chew. Backstraps are nonetheless included to regulate grip measurement, however none add a further beavertail as a result of one is already inbuilt. I’ve massive arms and like no backstrap.
Glock additionally molded a raised fence across the ambidextrous slide cease lever. This prevents the assist hand thumb or palm from pinning the lever down below recoil and stopping the final spherical slide lock. For shooters who grip excessive, this is without doubt one of the most sensible enhancements on all the gun.
A refined textured thumb ledge is current on each side of the body ahead of the takedown lever. Glock even went as far as to confer with it as a “fuel pedal”. It doesn’t widen the body and may stay suitable with current holsters. It features extra as an index level than a full competitors fuel pedal, and my opinion is that it’s too small to matter. I additionally grip larger, and it’s too low for me to utilize. Your opinion could also be completely different, and that’s okay.
The set off guard now features a manufacturing unit undercut. That is one thing Glock shooters have been paying for or doing themselves for years. Glock lastly made it commonplace.
There’s a barely flared magwell on all the new fashions.
Entrance slide serrations are deeper and extra aggressive, whereas the rear serrations stay acquainted. Press checks and slide manipulations are noticeably simpler with out feeling overly sharp.
Set off Flat Face Identical DNA New Geometry
All Gen 6 pistols ship with a flat-faced set off shoe. The Protected Motion system stays intact, and the pull weight feels per earlier generations. Internally, the geometry has modified. The set off sits nearer to the again of the body to shorten set off attain, and the set off parts aren’t interchangeable with earlier generations.
In use, it nonetheless looks like a Glock set off. The flat face merely provides a extra constant finger place and barely cleaner notion on the wall and reset.
Optics Mount Decrease Reduce Sealed Channels Higher Plates
The optic mounting system is without doubt one of the most significant structural upgrades on Gen 6.
Glock has fully deserted the MOS system. The optic pocket is reduce deeper into the slide, so crimson dots sit decrease over the bore. The mounting screws thread straight into the metal slide, not into the plate. The included polymer plates act like compressible interfaces that assist soak up recoil impulse and preserve screw stress over time.
The extractor channel and all different channels are actually absolutely sealed beneath the optic reduce. In different phrases the optics cuts and screw holes don’t hook up with any of the working system. This prevents lengthy screws or extra thread locker from interfering with reliability. It’s a easy change with actual sensible profit.
RMR and DeltaPoint Professional footprints are supported at launch, with further plates deliberate.
Extractor and Striker: What Modified Inside
Glock additionally redesigned the extractor meeting and the slide internals that assist it. The Gen 6 makes use of a smaller, narrower striker and a revised three-part extractor package deal that sits in a sealed channel.
Components Compatibility: What Carries Over, What Does Not
From the surface, a Gen 6 pistol appears to be like like a evenly refined Gen 5. Internally, it’s extra generation-specific.
Magazines stay suitable throughout prior generations. Commonplace Glock sight cuts are unchanged. Holster match ought to stay largely the identical.
Nonetheless, the barrel is Gen 6 particular with revised geometry. The striker meeting, extractor parts, backplate, and several other small inner elements are additionally distinctive to Gen 6. Glock has additionally returned to a single captive recoil spring meeting on these 9 mm fashions, although the meeting itself stays generation-specific.
Most customers won’t ever discover these variations. For builders and elements swappers, Gen 6 must be handled as a brand new ecosystem till the aftermarket fills within the gaps.
Reliability So Far: Clear Runs Throughout All Samples
Glock studies intensive endurance testing on Gen 6 pistols below combined ammunition and environmental stress. Additionally they report further drop testing that exceeds previous requirements. That’s Glock’s knowledge below Glock’s protocols.
My very own restricted capturing matched expectations. Each gun I fired ran clear. Each gun I noticed ran clear. That’s precisely what you’d anticipate at a managed manufacturing unit occasion.
What we don’t but have is long-term third-party testing. Till I’ve a manufacturing gun alone vary for hundreds of rounds, Gen 6 stays promising however not but confirmed.
How It Shoots: Feels Like a Glock With Higher Management
The only method to describe the capturing expertise is that this. It shoots like a Glock.
Recoil impulse, sight monitoring, and set off habits all really feel acquainted to anybody who has ever shot any era of Glock. The enhancements come from how the gun stays planted in your arms. The undercut, beavertail, improved texture, and slide cease fence make it simpler to grip the gun accurately with out preventing conventional Glock quirks. These are legitimate enhancements.
The flat set off provides constant finger placement however doesn’t change the elemental nature of the set off itself.
Accuracy was wonderful when capturing intentionally. At velocity, I used to be capable of maintain tight teams whereas switching between three completely different pistols with three completely different crimson dots. That speaks to Glock’s consistency, however doesn’t exchange unbiased testing.
Is Gen 6 Truly New? Manufacturing facility Solutions to Aftermarket Mods
Most of what defines the Gen 6 are options Glock house owners have been including for years by way of the aftermarket. Prolonged beavertails. Higher stippling. Undercut set off guards. Customized optic cuts. Thumb ledges. Glock didn’t invent these concepts. They lastly adopted conservative manufacturing unit variations of them.
The most important profit is that you simply now get these options with out paying a store to soften your body, reduce your slide, or threat voiding your guarantee. If you happen to love Glocks the best way they already are, the Gen 6 provides you the model you in all probability needed a decade in the past.
If you happen to had been hoping Glock would essentially reinvent itself to chase newer, trendier platforms, don’t maintain your breath. Glock continues to be Glock. If you happen to imagine, as many do, that Glocks are good, then you’ll love the Gen 6.
Barrels: Chilly Hammer Solid The Confirmed Core
One factor that has not modified is how Glock makes its barrels. The Gen 6 pistols proceed to make use of chilly hammer cast barrels produced in-house. Whereas on the manufacturing unit, I watched the method start with a brief, thick metal clean that seemed nothing like a barrel. That clean is machined, then pushed by way of a hammer forge the place a number of dies kind the interior profile and condense the steel construction earlier than last machining and ending.
The result’s an especially laborious, constant bore that ought to ship lengthy service life properly past what most shooters will ever put on out. No matter opinions you might have about incremental ergonomic change,s Glock’s barrel manufacturing course of stays one of many strongest technical foundations of the platform.
Timing and Politics: One Writer’s Take
The timing of this launch and the Gen V nonetheless raises questions. Glock management said clearly that Gen 6 was not a response to California’s authorized actions and that it had been in improvement for years. That could be true. From the surface, nevertheless, it nonetheless appears to be like like Glock is adjusting merchandise on the similar time sure states are attacking producers as a substitute of addressing the true sources of unlawful conversion gadgets and imported machine gun switches.
Talking just for myself, I wish to see Glock train management and use its measurement and authorized energy to go on offense within the courtroom and problem these legal guidelines straight, somewhat than let the general public notion develop that the corporate is quietly adapting to political strain somewhat than preventing it. As an organization whose pistols shield our particular forces, our legislation enforcement, and lots of of our houses and lives each day, I wish to see them step up.
Pricing and Availability: What to Count on
Gen 6 pistols are anticipated to start transport to sellers in early 2026 at pricing similar to present Gen 5 MOS fashions. Every pistol ships with three magazines, two backstraps, optic plates, and the usual Glock case and equipment.
Glock Gen 6 Specs: What We Know Now
Execs and Cons Quick Takeaways
Execs: Improved texture and undercut for management. Constructed-in beavertail. Decrease optics reduce with sealed channels. Slide cease fence helps dependable lockback. Acquainted capturing really feel. Flared Magwell. Entrance Serrations. Cons: Set off nonetheless looks like Glock. Thumb ledge is minimal. Components compatibility is extra generation-specific. Unbiased long-term testing continues to be pending.
Closing Ideas Up to date The place It Counts
The Gen 6 adjustments are nearly all constructive. Most of them are lengthy overdue. They make the gun nicer to shoot and deal with with out altering its fundamental character.
It’s nonetheless a Glock. It nonetheless looks like a Glock. It nonetheless shoots like a Glock.
If you happen to already belief Glock responsibility pistols, the Gen 6 appears to be like just like the model you in all probability needed years in the past. If you happen to had been ready for Glock to turn into one thing radically completely different, this era shouldn’t be that.
I can’t have a last verdict till we get a manufacturing Gen 6 in for full unbiased testing. Within the meantime, the adjustments are actual, the enhancements are legitimate, and the route is the correct one.
Go to Glock for extra info on the Gen 6
