Glock Goes Optical and Adds a New 10mm Powerhouse
Tom McHale 01.21.15
There’s been much speculation about what Glock may or may not announce at the 2015 SHOT Show. A single-stack 9mm, the Glock 1911, and a pocket polymer flamethrower have all been tossed around as potential product announcements. Well, at the pre-SHOT media range event, I found out exactly what they’d be bringing out in 2015.
Their new products include a series of optics-ready enhancements to existing pistols and a new 10mm handgun. All four new guns feature the Glock Modular Optic System (MOS) system. MOS pistols include custom-milled frames and mounting plates that allow attachment of red dot sights.
Four mounting plates are included with MOS pistols. These plates allow direct mounting of the following optics:
- 01 EOTECH / DOCTER / INSIGHT / MEOPTA
- 02 TRIJICON RMR
- 03 C-MORE
- 04 LEUPOLD DELTA POINT
MOS pistols also include a cover plate that fills the slide cutout area if no optic is used.
“Our research has prompted us to release the MOS configurations for the G34 Gen4, G35 Gen4 and G41 Gen4 and the new G40 Gen4 in the MOS Configuration.” stated Josh Dorsey, VP at GLOCK, Inc. “The new GLOCK MOS platform offers a convenient way to mount reflex sights without costly alterations to a warrantied slide.”
Three existing pistols have been added to the MOS family: the G34, G35, and G41.
The G34 MOS is a 9x19mm gun with 5.31-inch barrel. The extra length offers an increased sight radius of 7.55 inches. The longer sight picture allows faster and more precise sight acquisition and alignment than traditional full-sized models. Standard capacity is 17+1. With a trigger pull weight of about 4 ½ pounds, the G34 MOS is a great competition gun, especially with an optical sight installed.
The G35 MOS is the .40 S&W option, also with 5.31-inch barrel and 7.55-inch sight radius. Unlike the G34, it features the standard Glock trigger pull weight of 5 ½ pounds. Capacity is 15+1.
The G41 is the .45 ACP extended length offering. It offers the same barrel length and sight radius as the G34 and G35 and also includes a 5 ½ pound trigger pull. Capacity is 13+1.
The new kid on the block is the G40 MOS. It’s a long-slide design in 10mm. Handgun hunters and those wanting some serious power have been pestering the Glock folks for years for this type of product. It’s got a 6.02-inch barrel and 8.19-inch sight radius. Overall length of the G40 MOS is 9.49 inches. It’ll hold 15+1 rounds of 10mm.
Shooting the G40 MOS was surprisingly pleasant. Glock grips tend to fill my hand well, which helps with perceived recoil, and the G40 MOS was no exception. I had no trouble controlling this gun with a couple magazines on a steel plate course of fire. If I had to describe “felt” recoil, I would liken it to that of a moderately powered .45 ACP round fired from a full-sized gun like a 1911. It’s a gun you can shoot a lot without worrying too much about recoil fatigue.
The model I shot was equipped with a Trijicon RMR sight. Any optical sight on a pistol takes a bit of getting used to. Rather than trying to find the dot, just raise the pistol and look for the front sight. The dot will come right into view without effort. Using a pistol-mounted red dot effectively really boils down to forgetting it’s there. The more you concentrate on it, the slower it will be. If you don’t worry about it, sighting is a very natural motion.
While there’s certainly no reason the new Glock MOS pistols couldn’t be used for home defense, you can tell Glock is going after the competitive shooting market with this year’s graduating class. Of course, the notable exception is the Glock G40 MOS, which makes for a pretty darn good handgun hunting solution.
Tom McHale is the author of the Insanely Practical Guides book series that guides new and experienced shooters alike in a fun, approachable, and practical way. His books are available in print and eBook format on Amazon.
