GLOCK 45 in 9mm Luger, test-firing the crossover pistol between GLOCK 17 and GLOCK 19

The newest pistol variant from the Austrian company based in Deutsch-Wagram offers not only GLOCK ’s well-known and proven technology, but also some small but fine detail improvements, which were often desired by GLOCK fans and are often enough implemented in a similar form by gunsmiths as custom jobs on other GLOCK models.

GLOCK 45 – full black...

In some ways, the new model 45 goes back to the commercial success of the GLOCK 19X on the US civilian market. Originally, the 19X was developed for the US Armed Forces' tender for a new service pistol. One of the trademarks of the 19X was the combination of a compact 4-inch / 102 mm barrel in the style of the GLOCK 19 with a polymer frame the size of the well-known full-grown service model GLOCK 17. In the tender version for the US Armed Forces, the somewhat unpopular finger grooves of older model generations were deleted. The manufacturer also equipped the pistol with modern features such as a slide stop lever on both sides. And it goes without saying that the whole thing did not come in matte black as desired, but completely in desert colors - in the case of the 19X, in "Coyote Tan". By the way, we fire-tested the civilian version of the GLOCK 19X too. According to reports, tens of thousands of sand-colored GLOCKs were sold last year. So why not bring out the GLOCK 45, a model whose dimensions correspond to those of the popular US Army tender pattern, but featuring a classic black finish?

The surfaces of the slide and barrel of the new GLOCK 45 are protected by a particularly corrosion-resistant hard material coating called nDLC, as is the case with the Gen5 models. DLC stands for "Diamond Like Carbon". The GLOCK 45 is largely identical to the models of the new Gen5 . The trademark of the new version are the serrations on the slide front. These slide serrations were especially requested to gunsmiths in the USA by some GLOCK shooters as a customization feature. For some users this offers additional options and more handling comfort when loading and for the "press check" - the slide handling task to check the status of the firearm.

The Gen5 magazines offer a slightly enlarged floor for improved handling and a follower in signal orange. The new "Glock Marksman Barrel" features a modified inner profile compared to older series and a chamfered muzzle crown. The Gen4 already came with a set of interchangeable backstraps for individual adjustment of the hand position: the manufacturer includes several of them with the gun. Some backstraps also offer a slightly extended grip spur to prevent slide bite, depending on the shape of your hand and personal touch. The simple, but in practice quite useful sights with windage-adjustable rear sight are unfortunately still made of plastic, but this keeps the price comparatively low and the selection of alternatives at GLOCK is traditionally huge. Even though the manufacturer took the opportunity to modify the recoil and trigger springs in newer generations, the cycling behavior and the partially preloaded safe action trigger typical of the manufacturer do not feel spectacularly different in the GLOCK 45 compared to older generations. The workmanship of the test gun left a familiarly accurate impression with no evident luxuries and frills, but also without unattractive dirty corners, including the inside of the pistol.

Do you want to buy a GLOCK pistol? How to find "your" model - the GLOCK Buyer's Guide.

At the shooting range with the GLOCK 45 in 9mm Luger

The model 45 shot well and suffered no malfunction. Also when intentionally held loose, the test gun ejected the cases evenly to the right. Accuracy was also within the range of what can be expected from a medium-sized GLOCK in factory configuration. In principle, the pistol does not shoot much differently than a Gen5 GLOCK 17. And on the shooting range the latter is not very different from a GLOCK 17 of older generations, at least for right-handed people with average-sized male hands.

The greatest plus in comfort was offered by the moderately widened magazine shaft. In conjunction with the full-length frame, fast reloading is particularly easy. However, the slight shortening of the slide and barrel of the GLOCK 45 compared to GLOCK's basic model 17 doesn't have excessive effects on pistol balance or overall weight. In principle, the GLOCK 45, just like comparable models from other manufacturers, appears to be well suited as a service gun for open carry. Here the slide shortening by a finger's width can also help to improve carrying comfort for smaller people and especially when sitting in vehicles.

Video: the GLOCK 45 on the shooting range!

GLOCK 45: price and technical data 

GLOCK 45: our test wrap-up

Conceptually, the basic principle of the GLOCK 45 is still quite new for the manufacturer, but the commercial success of the similarly designed 19X suggests that the market will respond very positively to this 9mm polymer handgun with its large frame and compact top.

In handling, aiming and shooting the GLOCK 45 does not differ spectacularly from a 5th generation GLOCK 17, whereby some shooters will appreciate small details such as the front slide serrations or the new design of the grip front. 

Further information on GLOCK's handguns can be found directly on the manufacturer's website.

Here at all4shooters you can find all articles, news and test reports about GLOCK pistols .