Best Glocks: Rated and Ranked for 2023

Below are my selections of the best Glocks for a variety of roles & use cases. I list the best Glock pistols in terms of value, fit, design, and cost.

Click on the name to head to the product page, read reviews and check prices or skip ahead to the list of Glocks.

1. Best Overall: Glock 17

Specifications:

• Weight: 22.05oz
• Length: 8.03”
• Barrel Length: 4.49”

• Capacity: 17
• Height: 5.47”
• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Striker-fired

Pros

• The Orginal Glock
• Best developed in terms of reliability and updates
• These fit well in most people’s hands
• Shoot accurately for most people

Cons

• Same iffy Glock factory trigger
• The all-black standard sights are not the best for fast shooting.

Beyond being “The Original” Glock, which won the company favor with the Austrians then the world, the Glock G17 is arguably the most popular Glock pistol model on the planet.

There are tons of features that make it worth your consideration, starting with its trademark durability and flexibility. It features a modular backstrap that will let you customize the grip for your unique hand size. The entire surface is also textured for easier handling, making it difficult to lose your hold on the weapon, even in a confrontation.

If you want more on the G17 check out our hands-on review.

It features a dual recoil spring assembly to make it even more durable and an enlarged magazine catch, which can accommodate either left or right-handed shooters, that makes changing the magazine easy and fast. A Glock accessory rail is available for any attachments you might want to include.

2. Best .40 S&W: Glock 22

Specifications:

• Weight: 22.1oz
• Length: 7.95”
• Barrel Length: 4.49”

• Capacity: 15
• Height: 5.47”
• Caliber: .40 S&W
• Action: Striker-fired

Pros

• Most controllable .40SW Glock
• Same size and controls as the G19

Cons

• .40 SW is fading in popularity
• Non-replaceable sights

Glock’s first entry into the .40 S&W game is arguably their best; with the G22 they just got a lot right.

Beyond the fabled reliability, the .40 SW packs a punch, and the full-sized G22 helps tame the recoil impulse better than its smaller .40 S&W brethren —  the compact G23 and subcompact Glock G27.

You’re giving up concealability with the G22, but for most shooters it’s a significantly easier pistol to control than its .40 SW siblings.

While it doesn’t feature the modular backstrap, the textured grip is sufficient, plus you get the captive recoil spring, steel guide rod, and ambi mag release found on other Glocks, and a rail for all your home defense needs.

It’s also the same size as the G19, so accessories should work between the two of you want to add a .40S&W Glock to your roster.

We went deep on the G22 in our hands-on review if you want more detail.

3. Best For Target Shooting: Glock 34

Specifications:

• Weight: 23.1oz
• Length: 8.82”
• Barrel Length: 5.31”

• Capacity: 17
• Height: 5.47”
• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Striker-fired

Pros

• More accurate than other Glocks.
• Heavier frame aids in felt recoil reduction

Cons

• Long slide could use more serrations
• Proprietary rail system

This fifth-generation G34 pistol is another fantastic choice, featuring an extended 5.3” barrel for enhanced accuracy and larger slide dimensions. As a result, it’s a particularly good target shooting pistol, especially since it features a special marksman barrel that includes enhanced polygon rifling and an improved barrel crown.

The gun is somewhat unique in that the grip doesn’t feature any grooves, though it does include ambidextrous slide stop levers for added versatility and even more control. A non-corrosive finish increases the pistol’s durability even further, and you get a 10-round magazine with your purchase.

4. Most Versatile: Glock 19

Specifications:

• Weight: 21.16oz
• Length: 7.36”
• Barrel Length: 4.02”

• Capacity: 15
• Height: 5.04”
• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Striker-fired

Pros

• More concealable than the Glock 17 but with similar ergonomics
• Come standard with improved white sights

Cons

• Loses two rounds of capacity to the G17
• Large despite shorter barrel length

The Gen 5 G19 Glock pistol is incredibly popular, in fact, it’s so popular it’s become a bit of a default go-to pistol for those in the market for a defensive pistol. It comes with night sights built into its frame, making this a great duty carry pistol or home defense option.

It also comes with the same adjustable grip back strap as the Glock 17 making it easy to customize the grip to your hand shape.

Finger grooves can also be removed for added versatility and customization, helping to increase hand feel and control. It comes with an enhanced trigger spring assembly design, so each trigger pull is smooth and snappy.

Other additional benefits like an enhanced magazine floorplate, and the 15+1 capacity gives the most capacity of any Glock handgun.

All these, plus the non-corrosive finish, open it up for tons of potential uses if not something as casual as pocket pistol use.

If you’re on the fence we have a hands-on Glock 19 review and compared the G19 and G17 to help you make sense of the two.

Like the G17’s full-size grip but want the G19’s shorter, more concealable slide? The G19X gives you the best of both worlds (with a few compromises.)

5. Mix & Match Pick: Glock 47

Specifications:

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel Length: 4.49 inches
• Overall Length: 7.95 inches
• Weight: 25.93 ounces, unloaded
• Magazine Capacity: 17 rounds standard. 19, 24, 31, and 33 optional

Pros

• The G47 can be looked at as the best version of the Glock 17 ever made
• By far is the most adaptable 9mm in the company’s catalog

Cons

• The worst rock that can be thrown at the G47 is the Glock haters just don’t get it. However, that won’t stop Glock from selling a million of these guns in the next couple of years.

Basically a Glock 17 with extra steps, the new (to the market) G47 has a trick or two up its sleeve.

Originally unobtanium as it was introduced in 2019 for a federal law enforcement contract, Glock made all the fans happy in early 2022 when they released it to the commercial market.

This gun is a Gen 5 Glock, which means it has possibly the best factory trigger installed by the company along with tweaks developed after 35 years of lessons learned from millions of “plastic fantastics” sold and used around the world.

The big deal is that the Glock 47 is a G17-sized pistol that uses an abbreviated G19 recoil assembly in a shortened dust cover which allows the top half to be swapped between the G17 Gen5, G19 Gen5 MOS, G45, and G19X and vice versa.

While not a universal appeal to everyone, if you already have one or more of the compatible models, the G47 is attractive and enables people to make the fabled Glock 19L by transplanting the G47’s top half to the frame of a G19.

Plus, and this is the big deal, the G17 Gen 5 MOS is being discontinued, so that makes the G47 its easy and more modular replacement.

Like the rest of the Gen 5 Glocks, the G47 is kind of ambidextrous, with a slide catch lever on both sides of the frame and a magazine button that can be swapped left to right. The mag drops free when the button is pressed but the slide catch is small and can be awkward to manipulate.

Glock dropped the finger grooves that were common on the Gen 3/4 models when going to the Gen 5– exemplified by the G47– and, coupled with the polymid RTF style texturing, this pistol feels good in the hand.

I fired 500 rounds through the G47 right out of the box with no lubrication added and went 500:500 with no problem. When it comes to reliability, Glock really does tend to live up to the “Perfection” in the brand’s motto.

The fixed plastic sights that the G47 ships with are notoriously adequate, if somewhat boring. The G47 is a MOS (Modular Optics System) model, which means it has a milled slide top ready to accept most micro red/green dots so long as the user has the compatible plate.

The Gen 5 Glock trigger is better than that seen in previous generations. I found it to have less creep and a better wall than earlier trigger packs, breaking at about 5.25 pounds.

Using the new Glock Marksman Barrel with more aggressive polygonal rifling than used in the past, a target-style crown, and tighter chamber specs, the G47 is set up to deliver, especially when you add the long sight radius to the mix.

The clunky front and rear iron sights still held it back a bit, but I had no problem punching out the hole of every target we put the G47 in front of stretching back to 25 yards.

Glock has kind of painted themselves into a corner with their 5th Generation guns as the over 20 design modifications from their Gen 4 predecessors ended a lot of backward compatibilities.

However, there is no shortage of aftermarket parts including triggers, sights, and mags for the G47 and its Gen 5 brethren.

6. Best Glock for Concealed Carry: Glock 43

Specifications:

• Weight: 16.4oz
• Length: 6.5”
• Barrel Length: 3.41”

• Capacity: 10
• Height: 5.04”
• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Striker-fired

Pros

• The most concealable Glock carry gun
• It feels larger in hand
• Easy to shoot

Cons

• Only 10 round capacity
• Short sight radius
• Challenging for new shooters

This last Glock pistol is a Glock 43x model with fixed sites and chambered for 9mm Luger rounds. One of the best concealed carry pistols on the market today — especially if you’re in the market for a single-stack 9mm semi-auto.

It’s a great handgun that’s about as close to a pocket pistol as any Glock model gets, so if you want the best carry gun from the Austrian maker will need to look no further.

When you’re dealing with such a small gun you’ll have relatively limited capacity, be it 6+1 or 10+1, but the 3.4” barrel paired with the 1” width and weight of just over 1 pound makes it the best concealed carry gun in Glock’s line-up. It’s a very small gun that makes an excellent self defense or concealed carry pistol. Plus, the 5” height gives you enough grip to maintain control in any situation.

Overall the 43X is an extremely sleek and slim firearm, with a silver finished slide specially coated for added durability.

It ships with two 10-round magazines and comes with Glock sights from the factory – but you can easily switch these out for your own irons or night sights if you like.

We dove deep into the G43 in our review if you want more details.

Glocks occupy a specific – if broad – niche from other guns in the firearm market, serving as versatile home defense and target shooting weapons.

There are plenty of things that distinguish each model from its cousins – be it full size or compact –  so keep these aspects in mind as you buy to ensure you get a Glock that’s perfect for your unique needs.

Caliber

Firstly, consider the caliber of a given Glock. The majority of Glock pistols will be chambered for 9mm cartridges, which suits the platform’s versatility.

However, you may be able to find a Glock suited for more niche purposes if it’s chambered for different rounds – such as the larger 10mm or a .22LR option such as the Glock 44 if you want a training pistol that’ll fit your G19 holsters but cut down on ammo costs.

You may also want a Glock that’s chambered for the caliber of your other handguns – or simply for the ammo you have stockpiled at the moment.

Capacity

The magazine capacity of any pistol also matters, as it dictates how many shots you can fire before you need to reload — and impacts things like weight & grip length — so capacity indirectly impacts control and hand feel.

Most Glock pistols have capacities hovering around 12 cartridges or so, either in the magazine or magazine, plus a chambered cartridge. A double stack magazine may offer up to 33 rounds, while the single stack Glock 43 will offer just six rounds.

Keep in mind that higher capacities will mean more weight – which prevents 33-round sticks from being a top choice for concealed carry handguns. Double stacks can’t be used with single stack pistols (and vice versa), so if you’re rocking a G17 don’t expect those 17 rounders to work with your new G43X.

Barrel Length

The barrel length of a Glock can also impact whether it’s better suited for self-defense, as a concealed carry weapon, or both. Glocks with shorter barrels are easier to use with small concealed carry holsters and are generally better for close-quarters self-defense, but tend to produce more recoil without the weight out front to keep the muzzle down.

With longer barrels, you get more sight radius — the distance between the front and rear sights — so it’ll be slightly more accurate all things being equal. Plus if you open carry, the length of the barrel really won’t matter.

Often longer barrelled Glocks will also have longer/thicker grips, which means higher capacity and a better grip as well.

Overall, the best Glock handgun for most people is the Glock 17, which features full-sized control, a versatile, durable design and plenty of customizability.

You’ll be able to tailor the grip according to your needs and use this capably for either self-defense or target shooting. Consider each option above, though, and choose the one that works best for your needs. Good hunting!