Written by Phillip

Specifications

Caliber: .22LR
System: Safe Action
Magazine: 10 rounds
Barrel Length: 102 mm | 4.02 inch
Weight (without magazine): 358g | 12.63 oz
Weight (with empty magazine): 415 g | 14.64 oz
Weight (with loaded magazine): 465g | 16.40 oz
Trigger Pull: 5.5lbs
Length (Overall): 185 mm | 7.28 inch
Slide Length: 174 mm | 6.85 inch
Width (Overall): 32 mm | 1.26 inch
Slide Width: 25,5 mm | 1.0 inch
Height (incl magazine): 128 mm | 5.04 inch

Glock 44 Review

Features of the Glock 44

If you’ve ever looked at a Glock 19 Gen 5 and thought “dang I wish this thing came in 22LR” well that is basically what the Glock 44 is.

The finger grooves are a thing of the past and are not found on the G44 but you still get the interchangeable backstraps for a custom fitting grip.

The slide sports front and rear serrations and are rounded out like all Gen 5 models. In fact, it is so similar to the G19 Gen 5 that the G44 will fit in any holsters you have lying around the house for it.

Disassembly is identical to a traditional Glock, if you know how to take one apart you know how to take them all apart.

Glock was able to drop in their Gen 5 trigger in the G44 giving it the exact same trigger feel as their centerfire options. This system also allows the shooter to safely dry fire their 22LR, which is uncommon among other brands and really awesome.

One of the major differences between other Glocks and the G44 is the slide. Because of the low power of the 22LR Glock decided to construct the majority of the slide out of polymer and leaving reinforced steel on the bottom to meet with any metal contact
points.

This drops the weight significantly on the gun overall (almost 10oz lighter than the G19) and allows it to perform much more reliably.

Weighing in at under a pound the G44 is ultralightweight.

A welcome addition to the Glock 44 is an adjustable rear sight. Windage and elevation can both be changed, but depending on the distance you shot at you may run into issues with the elevation bottoming out.

Two 10 round magazines come standard with the Glock 44. I know that higher capacity would be a nice feature but in 22LR 10 rounds are pretty much industry standard and it keeps feeding more reliable.

The mags have pull tabs on the sides which make loading a breeze.

Another cool feature with these mags is that they are the exact same size as the Glock 19 magazines so you are really going to get familiar with reloading both pistols when training with the G44.

An additional feature not found on other Glocks is the recoil system.

Being a 22LR with low recoil, Glock decided the best course of action was to use a blowback design. They engineered a Glock Marksman Barrel around the caliber and included a viewport hole so you can visually inspect to see if the gun is loaded with the
slide closed.

This is a smart move and can be found in most 22LR handguns as it leaves less room for error when loading, firing, and ejecting.

With the addition of the magazine release being changeable from left to right, the Glock 44 also has the gen 5 ambidextrous slide release giving major usability points to left-handed shooters.

The magwells on the Glock 44 are beveled and flared making it very easy to change mags.

How does it compare to other Glock models?

Being the only rimfire pistol Glock has produced thus far it is unlike any other offering from the company. Since the Glock 19 is arguably the most popular firearm they make it was a smart move to model the G48 after it.

Being a compact pistol the Glock 48 is smaller than the Glock 17 and is larger than the Glock 26.

Even though the magazine is single stack they are constructed to be as wide as the double-stack magazines so the pistol is wider than other single-stack pistols like the Glock 48.

Glock 44 competitors

The biggest competitor for the Glock 44 would be the Smith and Wesson M&P22.

They both fit the niche of being replicas of service pistols and the M&P comes in considerably cheaper.

Both pistols come with 10 round magazines and adjustable rear sights.

The M&P22 is not a true 1:1 Scale of the centerfire M&P series which is both a bad and good thing depending on if you prefer the compact form factor.

The M&P22 also sports a manual safety, unlike other M&P models.

If you are looking for something with extended magazine capacity then the Taurus TX22 will fit the bill.

The TX22 comes priced much cheaper than the Glock and carries an extra six rounds in the mag.

With the TX22 you have the option to purchase one with or without a manual safety and there is the option for a tan or green frame.

Most Tx22 models come with a threaded barrel but non-treaded and 10 round options are available for more restrictive states.

The Walther PPQ 22 is a full-sized PPQ chambered in 22LR.

Similarly how the Glock 44 is a great trainer if you own a Glock 19 the PPQ 22 is a great trainer if you own a PPQ.

It boasts all the same features as the PPQ: Front serrations, ambidextrous slide lock, swappable magazine release, and an incredible trigger.

How does the striker fire system work?

You may be wondering what the heck is this striker fire system and how does it work?

Well, we start off by removing the hammer and the mainspring from the frame.

From there the mainspring is put inside the slide and the firing pin instead of being transferred from the hammer does the striking itself. So it has simply been renamed the striker.

Why it is beneficial

With fewer moving parts you end up with a gun that is much more reliable than a traditional hammer system.

I love me a 1911 but if I am being honest I have seen more failures with them than I’d like to admit.

Customization for the Glock 44

When you promise yourself when you buy the gun you will keep it stock for a while then the next day you break that promise.

Glock offers a threaded barrel for the model 44. The barrel is threaded M9x0.75 but comes with an adapter to use 0.5x28 muzzle devices.

As stated earlier you can change out the sights on the Glock 44 just be careful with the sizing specs of the aftermarket sights since they can damage the polymer slide if they are slightly too large.

The frame can be stippled to add a more aggressive texture.

Higher-capacity magazines are available but I have not tried them and from my experience with 22LR high capacity mags tend to be less reliable than the lower-capacity ones.

Best Ammo to Use in a Glock 44

Sticking with a high-velocity round with a 40-grain bullet will likely get the most reliability out of the Glock 44.

40-grain CCI Mini-mags are my go-to 22LR round. They are copper plated so they run cleaner than lead and the round nose feeds better than hollow points. They are high velocity and I rarely have issues with them in any of my guns.

For a bulk option, I chose Federal AutoMatch. These are also a high-velocity 40-grain round. The big difference between these and the Mini-mags is 1. They are loose bulk packed and 2.

They are lead round nose. Accuracy is still good but be aware this ammo will dirty your barrel much faster.

Best Accessories for the Glock 44

Any accessories made for the Glock 19 are good accessories for the Glock 44. The holsters will fit the pistol nicely and the magazine pouches will hold the G44 mags just fine.

Everything is plug and play between the two making it extremely convenient for those who already own the 19.

Purchasing extra magazines is never a bad idea. It’s always great to have them pre-loaded and ready as soon as you get to the range.

Extra mags will allow you to practice mag changes and transitions with cheap 22LR ammunition.

Typical reaction when someone asks you if you have enough gun accessories.

Pros

Trigger

Having the same trigger across the rimfire and centerfire offerings allows the shooter to gain practical experience no matter what caliber they are shooting.

Maintenance

Maintenance is the same as the rest of the Glock line up and the brand has always been know for simplicity in the takedown.

Barrel

The Glock Marksman Barrel is fantastic and very accurate.

Sights

Adjustable sights out of the box is a big plus.

The slide cut is compatible with other Glock sights if you’d prefer to change them but be careful!

The polymer slide can be damaged if the aftermarket sights are slightly larger than the cut-out.

Durability

Durability is something Glock prides itself on and the Glock 44 is no exception.

Yes, there is a lot more polymer on this model than others but you shouldn’t have issues as long as you take care and use the gun properly.

Frame

Using the gen 5 frame is a big plus. Deleting the finger grooves and being able to change out the backstraps assists with custom fitting the grip. I am a big fan of the flared magwell as well.

The Glock 44 is ambidextrous with the mag release being able to swap from side to side and the slide lock being on both the left and right side of the frame.

Safe Action

Being a safe action pistol you don’t have a safety to manipulate during the course of fire.

The Glock 44 takes ergonomic points from the gen 5s with the rounded frame and front serrations. Both welcome additions in my book.

Cons

Magazines

You need to be careful when loading the magazines on the 44.

Since it is a rimfire cartridge that is being stacked on top of each other there is the possibility of the rounds losing the angle they need to sit at to feed in the pistol properly.

This occurs most commonly within the first three rounds so just watch how they are stacking as you load.

Customization

With being a newer gun to the market, it is not going to have as many customization options for a bit until aftermarket brands have enough time to create products for it.

Price

I’d say that the price for the Glock 44 is a bit high.

Yes, conversion kits for centerfire to rimfire for Glocks are fairly expensive in their own right, there are other competitors who offer similar complete rimfire pistols for a lower price than perform similarly.

Reliability

As with many rimfire firearms, reliability comes into question.

This is most noticeable when trying to use bulk 36-grain hollow points. Failure to eject and light primer strikes both happened when trying a few different brands.

Glock 44 Overall Review

The Glock 44 is an excellent option for people who already own Glocks and want a cheap way to train while still retaining all the muscle memory.

It is also great for first-time shooters who don’t want to deal with a ton of recoil while they learn to shoot a handgun.

That being said it is one of the more pricy options to break into the rimfire pistol game and reliability comes into question when trying to use lower grain weight hollow point bullets.

It is still a decent offering with the features it has but I would hope that after a break-in period the gun would start to perform more dependably.

Overall Rating: 3/5

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