Recently, several folks have asked why we cover the 9mm variations of Glocks/M&Ps and seem to ignore the other calibers, specifically the 45. So here are a random collection of thoughts on the Glock 21. When selecting a pistol for duty, it’s really hard not to get mired in a caliber debate. Without digressing too far, it is my strong belief that in service handgun calibers, using modern hollowpoint ammunition, the caliber used is of no real significance. Yes, you could split hairs, but for all intents and purposes handgun calibers are all weak. So if we can agree on that, it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense to deviate from the 9mm. This caliber offers the following advantages: higher capacity, lower recoil, and reduced costs for training. The lower recoil is a significant advantage even to red blooded American males who aren’t recoil sensitive as it allows for longer training periods with less fatigue and more importantly, significantly reduced probability of wear and tear to your joints and connective tissue over a career of high volume shooting. All things being equal, the reduced recoil also allows most shooters to put down accurate followup shots more quickly.

And it is for these reasons why we are so 9mm centric when it comes to coverage and preference of pistols here on MSW. However, there are many reasons to take a look at other pistols. A big one is agency policy. Many folks simply don’t have a choice and are beholden to whatever caliber their employer approves. And if you are limited to 45 ACP, the Glock 21 is a fine choice with one caveat.

I am a big Glock 21 fan; I find it to be one of the softest shooting 45 caliber service pistols I’ve ever shot. My friend Caleb Giddings of GunNuts.Net turned me onto the tungsten recoil system for the Gen 4 Glock 21 sold by Glockstore.com. It is a drop in replacement for the Gen 4 recoil spring assembly and makes the already soft shooting pistol even more controllable. I find the gun tracks flatter during recoil with this setup and have not found any negative effects on reliability.

The 12-round magazine capacity offers a 50% increase in capacity over that of a single stack 1911, and the pistol itself is far less maintenance intensive. Of course, the Glock trigger is heavier and a little more difficult to manipulate but with practice I find I can shoot the pistol quite well. I’ve managed 3-inch groups at 25-yards standing freestyle.

The pistol is extremely shootable. With very little train-up, I managed to perform respectably well in a local GSSF match and the transition from the 9mm variants of the platform was transparent. Like its smaller siblings, the Glock 21 benefits from a few minor modifications. First, and most important are a set of quality iron sights like the ones from 10-8 Performance. For whatever reason, the slide stop sits a little more flush against the frame and is a bit harder to depress than in the smaller framed guns. I like to replace it with the excellent extended slide stop from TangoDown. And while I’m at it I also like their improved magazine release.

The only weakness of the Glock 21 is the large frame size, which really requires at least medium sized hands to efficiently operate. The SF and Gen 4 models are a little bit slimmer than the Gen 3 variant but the difference is fairly marginal. In this pistol I prefer the Gen 4 variant with no backstraps. It offers the smallest grip circumference and has very functional texturing. Additionally, the dual recoil spring setup does seem to soften recoil over the standard Gen 3 setup.

So there you have it. If you are required to carry a 45 caliber pistol, and don’t have pygmy hands, the Glock 21 is a great choice. It’s currently my favorite service pistol in 45 ACP.