Glock 44 .22LR Success? First Rounds – Review

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Glock 44U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- December is always a tricky time to launch new products.  In one aspect it's nice to build hype just prior to January's annual SHOT show.  It's also true that announcements dropped during one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year can sometimes go unheralded.  The latter option seems to have been the case when Glock announced the G44, their first handgun chambered in .22 LR, during 2019's final month.  Many people have clamored for Glock to produce a .22 slinger over the years, but when it was finally announced the response seemed lukewarm.  I put a pin in it and waited until SHOT during January of 2020 to try the Glock 44 out during range day. GLOCK 44 .22LR  I liked it.  I nearly loved it.  I went back to my hotel in Vegas and wrote up my range impressions (here) which were positive.  I figured the general consensus would be approximately the same, as I'd heard nothing but good comments from those around me at the Glock booth.  I was wrong.  Instead, Glock's grand launch was spoiled by a couple reports of cracked slides in the Glock 44, apparently due to rounds igniting out of battery.  The internet was ablaze, and made it seem like hundreds or thousands of such reports were just around the corner.  So far, a mass recall hasn't happened and there are a ton of positive reports to offset the few (justified) complaints.  Issues with a Gen I design?  Bad batch from a supplier?  Time will give us more information.  As I'm planning on teaching my three sons to shoot (in part) with the G44, I need to give this one a serious break-in first. Compared to the slightly smaller G43x (bottom) the G44 proves only a touch bigger.Before I cover range time, let's take a look at the tech specs courtesy of Glock.

• Length:  7.28″
• Width (overall):  1.26″
• Height:  5.04″ (with magazine)
• Weight:  16.4 ounces (with loaded mag)
• 2 x 10-round factory mags included

If you're experienced with shooting Glock guns in any degree, the G44 will feel incredibly familiar.  The grip texture, mag release, sights and slide cuts are all quintessential Glock.  Oh, and the trigger too. The Glock 44 fits nicely in all my G19 holsters.The Glock 44 is nearly a twin to the immensely popular Glock 19 Pistol.  In theory, this gives the G44 a great role as a trainer.  You can spend all day at the range with a brick of .22LR improving your draw speed and building muscle memory.  After you're done, run a few more reps with your centerfire companion and you've hopefully achieved the dream: a solid day of training on a minimal budget. The G44 exits from a G19 holster nicely as well.I hit the range with four varieties of .22LR, Remington Golden Bullet, American Eagle, CCI Mini Mag, and Federal Champion bulk pack.  These are all 40 gr, with the exception of Federal's round at 36 gr.  Loading up, the G44's mags are as easy as any other .22LR's mags are.  It is important to make sure the first round is nose up, as it can easily sit in a nose-down attitude which nearly always causes a failure to feed.  This was the sole cause of feeding issues on the day.  When I ensured the first round was seated properly, the gun ran like a sewing machine. Four varieties of .22LR, Remington Golden Bullet, American Eagle, CCI Mini Mag, and Federal Champion bulk pack.I'm not one for benchrest grouping handguns, but I do like shooting some groups as I get a feel for the gun.  Below are some offhand 10-round groups at 7 yards, quick-paced.  I vastly prefer hit/miss targets, such as empty shotgun hulls, steel plates or clay pigeons.  While the G44 grouped fine (limiting factor: me), I found it to perform really well during hit/miss drills.  I was a bit surprised at just how well it shot for me, given that it's really not set up as a target pistol at all.  If I had this during my grouse hunting years, there'd have been many more feather piles in the backyard before dinner. Below are some offhand 10-round groups at 7 yards, quick-paced.So I'm a few hundred rounds down the road from when I pulled the Glock 44 out of the box.  I'm a happy shooter so far, but I still have more .22 ammo sitting on the shelf that I'm just itching to burn up and the Glock 44 is the perfect candidate to send it downrange.  Even though my hands-on time with the Glock 44 is only a couple of months now, it has still had enough time to make a very positive impression.  Check back soon for more coverage, updates, and experiences using the Glock 44 as a youth trainer.  In the meantime, head over to Glock's website and check it out!  MSRP is $430, while the street price is hovering around $359.
About Rex Nanorum Rex Nanorum is an Alaskan Expatriate living in Oregon with his wife and kids. Growing up on commercial fishing vessels, he found his next adventure with the 2nd Bn, 75th Ranger Regt. After 5 tours to Afghanistan and Iraq, he adventured about the west coast becoming a commercial fisheries and salvage SCUBA diver, rated helicopter pilot instructor (CFII) and personal trainer, before becoming a gear reviewer and writer.”