Pistol Review: The Glock 44 - Reliable Shooting In .22LR

Ever since it's unveiling earlier this month, all anyone can talk about is the new Glock 44. While many were anticipating a new 10mm Glock pistol or perhaps a single-stack .45 ACP, Glock caught us all by surprise when divulging the G44's true caliber, 22LR.

In no way can we say we are disappointed, the G44 is the ideal pistol to start or enhance your shooting experience.

Before presenting the superior design and mechanics of the G44, allow me to present the fundamental problem when using the 22LR caliber in a semi-automatic handgun; it is notoriously known for being unreliable when loading, firing, and ejecting cartridges.

Originally marketed in 1884 as a black powder round, the lead-nosed peewee bullet was meant for use in rifles and revolvers, with its rimmed case proving especially difficult for pistols to cycle. In addition, there are quite literally countless of loads in circulation, all with slightly different specs and performance. When magnifying those problems with the fact that the rounds are often produced by the millions as economically as possible and you get a cartridge that tends to be finicky in a majority of semi-auto handguns.

On the other hand, Glock is infamous for being notoriously reliable and they do not mean to tarnish that reputation anytime soon. To get it right, Glock spent nearly three years testing and developing the G44. During that time, they used over a hundred and forty different rimfire loads in testing, firing over 1.2 million rounds in the process. No corners were cut as they used every variation of the 22LR round from 42-grain subsonic to CCI Stingers with no problems arising.

In short, while many 22LR pistols come with the caveat that they may not cycle certain loads properly or even at all, the G44 can handle everything you throw at it.

Moving onto the design, Glock constructed the G44 to emulate the world-renowned G19. Using a 4.02-inch barrel and the same 5.04-inch height, the G44 will work in nearly all G19 equipment, especially holsters.

The G44 departs from the G19 in weight and magazine capacity, while the G19 has a 15+1 capacity and 30-ounce weight, is that the G44 runs a smaller 10-shot rimfire magazine and only weighs about half as much. As a result, the G44 has become an ideal training pistol for the G19 has it employs inexpensive 22LR ammo and the recoil is near to nothing.

The right equipment is essential. The G44 has the ability to adapt to nearly every hand size by using the different backstraps supplied with the pistol. It also comes standard with the GLOCK Marksman Barrel (GMB) for increased accuracy and precision. Topping it all off, the G44 comes with adjustable rear sights and two load-assist magazines. Everything that a well-prepared shooter needs.

SPECIFICATIONS