Hands on with Gen 4 GLOCK

[fightingquaker13]

That was insightful. 

Oops! The board didn't let me post. What I was going to say was that if I wanted a 1911 grip I'd buy a 1911. The Glock fits me perfectly. I'm tired of companies getting a product right and then "improving" it to the point that its not as good as it  started out being. I've seen this happen too many times. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Glocks are good enough for what they're for. Leave the design alone.
FQ13

[Kilroy]

I heard rumors of this on other gun forums..... Where did you get to see these? How much closer to a 1911 style grip angle is it now?

Saw and handled one sample.  Retains Glock grip angle, though with the changeable arches it may vary slightly.

It's getting fired by a lot of LE agencies.

[ericire12]

Saw and handled one sample. 

Where?

[Badgersmilk]

Primary reason you see good products change is to keep sales moving.  If everybody buys a light bulb, it works great, never breaks... GE wouldn't be in business after a few years (much less giving top dogs million dollar bonus's!).  Soon everyone would have all they need and your unable to move enough product to keep your doors open for business.  

Now if you can make some little trendy change to the product and call it "new and improved"...  NOBODY want's "yesterday's", "old style" light bulb!!!     $$$ CHA CHING! $$$

I was in sales for four years, it taught me a LOT about how American works, and why we're the biggest "consumers" in the world market.    

[ericire12]

Primary reason you see good products change is to keep sales moving.  If everybody buys a light bulb, it works great, never breaks... GE wouldn't be in business after a few years (much less giving top dogs million dollar bonus's!).  Soon everyone would have all they need and your unable to move enough product to keep your doors open for business. 

Now if you can make some little trendy change to the product and call it "new and improved"...  NOBODY wants "yesterday's", "old style" light bulb!!!  $$$ CHA CHING! $$$

I was in sales for four years, it taught me a LOT about how American works, and why we're the biggest "consumers" in the world market.   

You make a good point, but I dont think this would be a gimmick. By adding interchangeable backstraps Glock would actually be addressing a major design flaw -- the grip angle.

One of the biggest complaints about Glocks is the less then desirable grip angle. It is also probably the biggest deciding factor that pushes potential customers away from Glock and into purchasing a fantastic plastic of another manufacturer. By giving the gun interchangeable backstraps which would provide the user a more traditional grip angle, Glock is opening up their product line to buyers that in the past have fondled and passed on a purchase because the gun did not fit their hand. It is a small monetary investment into each gun that would allow them to market to people that like the current grip angle as well as those who desire a grip angle something closer to a 1911 style. There is still a large untapped market out there who would buy a Glock in a second if the gun would fit their hand.... Not to mention new gun owners that have not even fondled a Glock to begin with.

I personally think this would be a brilliant marketing move. Why would any company not want to make their product as appealing as possible to consumers? Its a small monetary investment that would do a great deal to increase sales.     





*One company is already making these:
http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=4147.0

[Sponsor]

[jnevis]

Every piece of equipment from just about any manufacturer is going to have improvements over time.  Some are more obvious than others. If a problem is identified it is fixed.  I'm willling to bet that if you were to pull a Gen 1 and a Gen 3 Glock apart there would be more differences than just the frame design. 

Beretta has been doing that for years with the 90 series.  The locking block and barrel lugs have been radiused differently and some metal parts have been replaced with polymer.  Also some of the metal parts that were machined are now MIM'd.  Externally most people wouldn't notice the evolution unless they knew what to look for.

As for the new frame, good on Glock.  Like Eric points out, that has been the one major problem that has plauged Glock from the beginning.  I'm honestly surprised it took them this long to do it.  My oldest can't get her hand placement right with the Glocks but doesn't have a problem with a 1911 or M&P straight from the factory, or a Robar recountoured Glock.

[Badgersmilk]

It should be a good thing for all of us in that not only will the guy's who didn't like the old grips get what they were looking for, but the used gun racks will soon be flooded with guns at great prices from those who swap out for the newer model!

I'd just warn against falling into the "have to have the latest thing" trap.

Either way, it adds to the number of quality sidearms in legal owners hands.  GO GLOCK GO! 

[fightingquaker13]

It should be a good thing for all of us in that not only will the guy's who didn't like the old grips get what they were looking for, but the used gun racks will soon be flooded with guns at great prices from those who swap out for the newer model!

There you are right. When I was young and dumb, I was a gear freak. I had to have the newest and best backpack, flyrod etc. What I have since learned is that today's middle of the road model was yesterday's next great thing. If you buy a proven design from a quality company you can save a lot of money by buying halway down the page in the catalouge rather than looking at the top, and never notice the difference. Good enough is good enough.
FQ13 who no longer has to worry about credit card bills

[ericire12]

UPDATE: It looks to be official

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/10/22/glock-gen-4-said-to-be-coming-next-year/



http://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/2009/10/21/fourth-generation-glock-adjustable-grips/

Glock has officially started teasing to the fourth generation of their pistols due in 2010.

Calling it the “Next Generation of Perfection,” the fourth generation Glock pistols are expected to feature an interchangeable backstrap, or adjustable grip, to accommodate a wide range of hand sizes.

Way back on June 9, I broke the information on the adjustable grip Glock after a Glock rep leaked the information to police supplier, GT Distributors at the National Association of Police Equipment Distributors (NAPED) conference.

The fourth generation Glocks are rumored to have a textured finish that is not nearly as aggressive as the RTF2 introduced at the 2009 SHOT Show.  The new finish is said to be rougher than the prior generations, but easier on the hands and clothes than the RTF2.  The RTF2 was found by some people to wear through uniform shirts and other clothing too quickly.

While adjustable grip pistols are not new, Glock has resisted adding this feature to its guns.  However, with the significant gains Smith & Wesson has made into the police market with the M&P pistols, Glock is likely feeling the pressure to add interchangeable backstraps to better appeal to the law enforcement market.  Many agencies switching to the M&P have stated that the ability to match the gun to the officer’s hand size was a major factor in choosing Smith & Wesson over Glock.

The Gen 4 Glocks will be seen at the 2010 SHOT Show, and we will be there for full coverage.

[Kilroy]

Primary reason you see good products change is to keep sales moving.  

This past year saw Glock in the hundred thousand+ range for back orders.  Good business sense keeps the business stable in addressing the demand for products.  That is, sell what you can actually make and service.  With an incredible banner year for sales under their belt, the claim that market pressure for features such as changeable grip arches rings a bit hollow.

Where?  (Did I see this?)

I was in the right place at the right time, and know the right people.