Confessions of a SHOT Show Virgin The People vs the Glock 44

Hello. My name is Chef Emily Sprissler and I anticipate recoil…

The weeks leading up to SHOT are filled with the sneak peaks from

firearms companies. Glock released their contribution the .22 pistol

community with the Glock 44. I was interested in taking a look and did

some reading up. The gun community seemed split between wanting to

like the 44 based on loyalty and hate based on lack of utility. This seemed

odd since the community has been so cohesive of late. Reading the

cacophonous commentary was a bit like getting ones’ teeth drilled at the

dentist. Unavoidable but sometimes necessary.

I’m in the former camp, I’m a Glock girl. From 19 to my 26.

At the Glock booth I had the opportunity to try the 44 out. Truth be told, I

hadn’t wanted to. I was anxious to get to Colt (see my previous post).

Shirley Watral, an NRA certified firearms instructor, recommended we go

first thing. She pointed out the 44 would be a game changer for training.

The similar platform to the 19, a shooter could use the less expensive

ammo to take on a more vigorous and dynamic training regime. Yep, that

was an “Ah-ha” moment. So off to Glock we went, meeting up with the

charming Cindy Noyes en route.

Here’s my take. The feel of the 44 is so similar to my 19 & 26. Picking up

the pistol felt familiar, like donning a favorite sweater in the Fall. The pistol

with a full magazine weighs less that the 19, but about the same as the 26.

The trigger itself is standard factory issue, but the trigger pull is smoother

than I had anticipated. I chewed effortlessly through a full magazine. The

slide of the Glock 44 is polymer (plastic) with steel inserts for the rails

instead of being all steel as in the centerfire guns. This makes it light

enough to function with the lower power of the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. As

far as I could tell all of the moving parts in the Glock 44 are steel on

steel, with of course the exception of the trigger safety tab.

After the first magazine, I was sold. I could see the future applications for

the 44. Not only for progressive training, this platform could be

instrumental in introducing new shooters to pistols. I’m not a trained

instructor, but I have taken women to the range who have never even held

a pistol. The intimidation factor for many women is huge. Putting aside the

overall background commotion surrounding guns, the physicality of the

shooting experience can be frightening. The roar of the projectile exiting

the barrel, the jerk of the gas expulsion, and the ejection of the hot

cartridge is so outside the normal experience for some women. The Glock

44 can open up the pathway for firs