Currently Glock produces over 50 different models of handguns. Here's what you need to know about Glock pistols so you can pick the right one for your particular situation.

While some in the shooting community were slow to accept the new polymer frame handgun, Glock pistols are now favorites of law enforcement agencies, military forces and civilian shooters in the US and around the world.

Glock now produces several hundred variations of the famous handgun, owing largely to their popularity. Nevertheless, gun owners will probably agree that in current production the sheer number of different Glock handguns can be daunting.

Though all of them are semi-automatic pistols, share a number of features (like their "Safe Action" safety system), and parts can be interchanged between some Glock models, there is sometimes a significant difference between Glock pistols. This applies in particular to handguns of different generations or those chambered in different calibers.

At present, Glock manufactures semi-automatic handguns chambered in seven different cartridges: 9mm Luger, .357 SIG, .380 ACP, .40 S&W, .45 ACP and .45 GAP. Furthermore, each caliber can come in 5 different sizes: Standard, Compact, Subcompact, Slimline, and Competition.

The standard-size pistols feature a full-size slide with a large magazine capacity intended for law enforcement and military use as a duty / service weapon or civilians for general use and self-defense.

Law enforcement agencies often issue compact models to smaller-handed officers and those models are relatively popular for concealed carry; as they maintain good capacity with a smaller footprint.

Subcompact models are even smaller, and are specifically designed for concealed carry. The Slimline models are, as the name suggests, the smallest Glock handgun models in production, and use a single stack magazine that results in an extremely narrow frame at the cost of reduced magazine capacity. Models of competition have a longer barrel length, longer slides and better sights.

Eventually, during the course of their manufacturing, Glock has revised their handguns several times. It is possible to group these updates into several different generations.

Glocks of the first and second generations are uncmmon today; being used from 1981 to 1998. The 3rd and 4th gen Glocks have interchangeable backstraps to better fit the shooter's hand, an enlarged and reversible magazine catch, a dual felt recoil spring, and a rough textured frame to enhance grip traction. In 2017 Glock launched their 5th generation (Gen 5) handguns.

Besides having one less locking block pin and a relatively smoother trigger pull, Glock Gen 5 handguns are fitted with ambidextrous slide stop levers, a redesigned "Glock Marksman Barrel," new magazines and no finger grooves on the handle.

Here is a breakdown of each Glock model based on their caliber.

9mm Glock

.40 S&W Glock

10mm Auto Glock

.45 ACP Note: all Glock handguns chambered in.45 ACP have an octagonal polygonal rifling to achieve a better gas seal with a wider diameter. Full-size handgun with short frame Glock 21 Gen 4 (G21 Gen 4) Standard, full-size handgun

.45 Glock

Most Popular Glock Models

Glock 19

The Glock 19 Gen5 showcases the latest technology and engineering that drives Glock's constant pursuit of perfection. The G19 Gen5 features over 20 design modifications from its Gen4 predecessor, including the Glock Marksman Barrel, an nDLC finish, ambidextrous slide stop levers, and a flared mag-well. These changes deliver improved accuracy, durability, performance, control, and flexibility whether you are on the range or in a situation where fractions of a second matter.

Glock 43

The Glock G43 Slimline is something fans of the Glock brand have been asking for since the release of the .380 G42. Glock listened and released this single stack 9mm. sub-compact gun with all the features and reliability that they are known for.

With a width of only 1.02 in. and a length of 6.26 in., this handgun is small enough to conceal carry any position you want while still holding 6 rounds in the magazine. Even though it is small, the enhanced beavertail and undercut trigger guard allows you to get a high purchase on the grip for improved accuracy and control.

Speaking of control, the G43 comes includes and extra magazine with a pinky finger extension for people with larger hands to make sure their whole hand fits on the aggressively textured grip.

Glock 17

The GLOCK 17 Gen4 introduces revolutionary design changes to the world's most popular 9mm pistol. The Modular Back Strap design lets you instantly customize its grip to adapt to an individual shooter's hand size.

The surface of the frame employs the new scientifically designed, real-world-tested, Gen4 rough textured technology. Internally, the new GLOCK dual recoil spring assembly substantially increases the life of the system.

A reversible enlarged magazine catch, changeable in seconds, accommodates left or right-handed operators. The G17 Gen4 9x19mm pistol also retains the GLOCK accessory rail for your attachments.

Glock 21

The Glock 21 Gen4 mates the ever-popular .45 ACP to legendary reliability and simplicity of a Glock handgun. The polymer frame on the Gen4 G21 is modular and includes three backstraps.

This customizable grip lets users assemble their sidearm for optimal ergonomics, regardless of their hand size. The textured backstrap and finger grooves, ensure you have a positive grip for better recoil management and faster follow up shots.

The .45 Glock 21 Gen4 is a great option for those looking for more firepower for duty, defense, or hunting.

Glock Everyday Carry

Everyday carry describes both concealed and open carry of a firearm. While every state has its own laws and regulations, the fundamentals of EDC remain the same. A carried firearm will always be a tradeoff between comfort and performance. Large firearms are better for personal defense but uncomfortable to carry. Compact firearms are easier to carry but compromise on capacity and ballistics.

But that doesn't mean we can't make an awesome carry pistol.

Best Glock EDC

Every carry pistol must meet some basic standards: A carry pistol must be reliable, effective, and practical.

With a Glock pistol, you'll get all 3 with any model you choose.

For the Full size EDC route, the GLock 17, Glock 19, Glock 19x, Glock 45 all chambered in 9mm, are the most popular ways to go. they all feature high capacity magazines, modern features with Gen 4 and 5 models, offer all the mods you can dream of and more accessories than you can shake a stick at.

If you are looking for something with a little more umph, then the Glock 21, Glock 30, and Glock 41 Chambered in .45 ACP will be the way to go. They have a Higher capacity magazine than a 1911, are lighter weight and have just about as many amazing mods as their 9mm brothers.

Best Conealed Carry Glock

Concealing a pistol requires finesse, and your pistol selection will depend on where you set the firearm against your body. Appendix carry sets the firearm at your front for fast access, but the pistol's grip will press against your gut every time you sit down.

If you've got a trim physique, this prodding may be tolerable, but many find it too uncomfortable. The common choice is setting your holster in the small of your back. Small-of-back carry is slower on the draw, but the added comfort and concealment are very convenient. If weather permits, you can also conceal outside the waistband, but this works best in cooler climates, where you can wear a coat for full concealment.

Regardless, the ideal EDC pistol will fall somewhere with the subcompact, compact and slimline range.

With Glock, you have the option to choose between the 9mm Glock 19, Glock 43 and Glock 26, the .380 Glock 42 and the .45 ACP Glock 30. These are all very popular models for undercover law inforcement and Federal agents do to their size, weight, accuracy and magazine capacity.

Best Glock Upgrades

With a platform as important as Glock, there has become quite the market for mods and upgrades. You can do so many Glock 19 mods that none of the OEM parts are on your gun. The same holds true with Glock 17 mods. Thanks to this, most parts between models are interchangeable. Triggers, sights, red dots, magazines, muzzle devices and more are pretty universal and can upgrade any of your Glocks. Below is a table of links that will take you to that specific Glock part.

Step one for most Glock owners is to upgrade the sights

The stock Glock sights feature a now-iconic U-shaped rear sight with a dot on the front sight post, both colored white. They’re also made of plastic -- which some people don’t mind at all; the entire lower half of the pistol is made of plastic and no one bats an eye. But to some, the combination of being made of polymer and the non-traditional sight picture is enough to merit an upgrade.

these upgraded Glock sights are illuminated with fiber optic and tritium.

Upgrade your Glock sights based on what your needs are. There's no shortage of options.

Tritium and fiber-optic sights provide a high-visibility and high-contrast sight picture in a variety of applications like home defense, low light situations, or competition shooting.

Don't like the traditional 3-dot aiming system, but still aren't sold on the OEM sights either? Try some other options like those from XS Sights, which feature a tritium and white painted front sight and their unique V-Notch rear sight for fast target acquisition and a snag-free, low-profile design.

This Glock 34 is largely stock, with upgraded sights and a streamlight weapon light.

Glock Trigger Upgrades

When the Glock 17 first hit consumer markets in the early 1980s, the trigger was unique. Now more than three decades later, many other manufacturers have innovated on this original design, both in their own pistol models and in units designed to replace the stock Glock trigger.

This CMC drop in glock trigger features a custom gold color.

Drop-in Glock trigger systems are easy to install and can provide upgraded operation far beyond the OEM system. If you want more custom-tailored performance, replacing individual parts such as the springs, shoe, or connector will allow you to get the precise solution you’re looking for.

Glock Extended Magazine Releases

The factory Glock magazine release button has seen some changes over the years, getting a size upgrade with the release of their Gen4 pistols, to the pleasure of most Glock fans. But many shooters like to go even bigger.

At first blush, these may seem like nitpicky things to get bent out of shape about to the degree that one would choose to spend even more money to change them. But hear me out. In a life-or-death situation, these small components can become difficult to manipulate as your body surges with adrenaline and your brain diverts processing power away from your fine motor skills to more pressing matters. This could be a serious problem. So, the market provided alternatives.

from companies like ZEV Tech, Vickers, and Ghost Inc. extend the release button even further, allowing a shooter to make a magazine change without ever adjusting their firing grip. This could save crucial seconds in a worst-case-scenario. The same can be said for the slide stop lever. Putting just a little more meat on this component might mean your pistol isn’t quite as sleek and slender as it may have been out of the box. However, you will never have to struggle for leverage using your dominant hand’s thumb to drop the slide and bring your Glock into battery ever again.

Glock Grip Upgrade

The polymer frame of a Glock pistol is like a blank canvas. Stippling your Glock frame not only enhances your grip ability – especially helpful in stressful situations or sub-optimal weather – but it gives your pistol a unique style as well. You get to make it what you want it, just like the rest of the pistol.

Stippled Glock

There's a lot of companies out there today that will stipple your Glock frame for you. Send it in, wait a while, and you'll have an awesome looking stipple job that is functional too. But many people like to do things themselves. A soldering iron, some practice and some patience, and you can really take a hands-on approach to customizing your Glock.

Glock Stippled Tape

If you want to take a less permanent route, one that would allow you to return your Glock grip to it's original factory design anytime you want, then stippling isn't an option. Luckily, you still have choices. You can add adhesive tactile enhancements like talon grips, or rubberized sleeve grips that fit snugly over your Glock grip. In addition to these, flared magazine well inserts can make reloading your Glock faster and easier.

Best Light For Glock

If you're going to use your Glock as a self-defense firearm, this one should be considered a non-negotiable upgrade. Read more about why here, but suffice it to say, more bad stuff can happen in the dark. So bring light along with you. You can find many models that pack some serious power at affordable prices. A couple of our favorites are the Steamlight TLR-1 HL, the Inforce APLc Glock Model, and the Surefire X300 Ultra. These units are proven, tested, and tough.

Best Glock Barrels

Glock has made some improvements to their barrels over the years, but nothing is going to be better for your accuracy than dropping in a quality match barrel. These will usually have traditional rifling rather than the hexagonal rifling that come standard in Glock OEM barrels, so you can shoot softer lead bullets without so much fouling, increasing the lifetime and the performance of your barrel.

This CMC Glock Barrel is fluted and features a threaded muzzle for a supressor or compensator.

Best Glock Red dot

For the fastest possible sight acquisition and the best in low-light shooting, you're going to want to attach a mini reflex red dot sight to your Glock, like the Trijicon RMR or the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro. In competition, nothing gets you on-target faster and shots at greater distances, than with a red dot equipped Glock. Most red dots run off of battery power, so to make sure you're always covered, pair your red dot with suppressor height iron sights to give you the ability to co-witness through the red dot. Or, invest in a model that runs on tritium and fiber optic like a Dual-Illuminated RMR, and you won't have to worry about dead batteries.

Custom Glock Side Work

There's a practical purpose to this beyond just a customized, cool looking pistol. Having your pistols slide milled with additional serrations on the muzzle end makes press-checking your chamber for a round a lot easier. Some types of slide work can dramatically reduce the weight of your pistol or make it possible to rack the slide with one hand in a worst-case scenario. All told, this is again an opportunity for you to make your Glock what you need it to be. Customize the slide to your needs and potential uses, and any challenge you may believe you'll encounter and prepare your pistol as well as yourself to overcome them.