Glock Model 41 .45ACP Practical Tactical Pistol
Back in 1985 when the Glock Model 17 9mm “came on the scene” in America, a great many folks simply weren’t impressed. When the handgun was adopted by the Washington Metropolitan Police Department (Washington DC’s PD or MPD), there was more than one “accidental” discharge. The number of fans the design had was (originally) easily equaled by the number of folks who didn’t care for it. But here we are almost 30 years later and the Glock line no longer is limited to the Glock 17 9mm. In fact, we’re all the way up to the Glock Model 42. In this particular article, though, we’re taking a look at the Glock Model 41, or a “practical tactical” pistol chambered for .45ACP.
Let’s look back to the first Glock chambered for the .45ACP – the Model 21. Slightly larger than the Glock Model 17, because the .45ACP chambering required a larger frame and wider slide. The Glock Model 21 was (and is) a 13+1 round .45ACP handgun with a 4.6” barrel and a 6.77” sight radius. Like all standard Glocks, the trigger pull is 5.5 pounds.
The next .45ACP pistol offered by Glock was the Model 30 which was slightly downsized from the Model 21. With a 10+1 capacity, 3.77” barrel and a 5.91” sight radius. I used to have and regularly carry a Glock Model 30 and it was quite a handy package for an 11 round (overall) pistol chambered for .45ACP. If you’re not familiar with the Model 30 but you ARE familiar with the Glock Model 19 – the midsize 9mm – the Glock Model 30 is just slightly thicker. It is very similarly sized overall.
After that, Glock followed up with the Model 36, which was/is a single stack .45ACP with a capacity of 6+1, a 3.77” barrel and a 5.91” sight radius. Looking at the capacity difference between the Glock 30 and the Glock 36, the difference is in pistol WIDTH. The Model 30 measures 1.27” wide while the Model 36 is a slimmer 1.10”. It may not sound or read like a big difference, but it feels different in the hand and certainly is a slimmer package to conceal as need be.
That brings us to the next and newest .45ACP offering from Glock: The Model 41. In 2014, at SHOT Show, Glock introduced two new pistols: The .45ACP Model 41 and the .380ACP Model 42 (there will be a future review done on it). There has been no mention of a Glock Model 40 although there is plenty of speculation as to what it may be. Hopefully Glock will make that announcement sometime in the near future, but for now, the Glock Model 41 Practical/Tactical .45ACP is what we’re here to discuss.
Design for tactical application and/or competition purposes, the Model 41 has a longer barrel than the Model 21. Barrel length on the 41 is 5.31” and the additional length gives it an increased sight radius as well, making it 7.56”. For those of you who understand the connection between sight radius and accuracy, the longer sight radius is an obvious benefit. The weapon capacity, trigger pull, height and width are all the same as the Glock Model 21. The only difference is the added length of barrel and slide.
Now, having previously handled and fired my fair share of Glock Model 21s as well as the other Glock Practical/Tactical models, I felt like I had a good idea what the Glock Model 41 should feel like.
I didn’t get a chance to shoot one at SHOT Show, but like everyone else who stopped at the Glock booth, I got to handle one and – honestly – it felt like every other Glock. With no ammo (as you’d hope and expect at SHOT Show), it felt a little front heavy due to the extra barrel and slide length.
I haven’t yet seen any holster info for it but expect that several of the major manufacturers either have, or soon will, come out with both duty and competition holsters. I’m sure that someone, somewhere will come out with an off-duty holster for it even though this gun is FAR from comfortable concealed carry size (in my opinion).
I expect that the Model 41 will be as successful as all of the previous Glock models have been. It’ll perform as well as all the others and offer a smidgen more accuracy for those who seek it.
For more info, check out the Glock website at http://www.glock.com
Stay safe!
Lt. Frank Borelli (ret), Editorial Director | Editorial Director
Lt. Frank Borelli is the Editorial Director for the Officer Media Group. Frank brings 20+ years of writing and editing experience in addition to 40 years of law enforcement operations, administration and training experience to the team.
Frank has had numerous books published which are available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and other major retail outlets.
If you have any comments or questions, you can contact him via email at [email protected].
