U.S. Customs and Border Protection is making the move to 9mm Luger and issuing all-new Glock pistols to its personnel. Not only are they going with some of Glock’s latest and greatest, they’re going with one gun that’s been all rumor until now.
The agency will issue Gen 5 versions of the compact Glock 19 as well as the no-longer-secret full-size Glock 47 to officers as well as the subcompact Gen 5 Glock 26 pistols for plainclothes work.
“Glock models 19 and 47 will be authorized for uniformed duty assignments and the model 26 for plain clothes duty assignments,” said a CBP official in an email to GunsAmerica. “CBP law enforcement personnel are authorized to carry any of the three selected Glock models in an off duty capacity.”
“This contract provides CBP law enforcement personnel the latest in handgun technology and represents our commitment to providing the highest quality use-of-force tools and equipment to our law enforcement personnel who defend America’s frontline every day,” said Deputy Commissioner Robert E. Perez.
“The solicitation process included independent performance testing by the National Institute of Justice laboratories, direct input from over 16,000 CBP law enforcement personnel and extensive field evaluations,” said the CBP statement.
Customs and Border Protection is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country and this is an equally large contract. The 10-year contract is worth up to $85 million and will transfer all its law enforcement personnel to 9mm by 2021.
This is another example of a law enforcement agency moving away from .40 S&W to 9mm. When .40 S&W was introduced it offered better performance with expanding ammunition but today the differences between the two are less impressive. Also, 9mm often has less felt recoil and costs less.
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Both the Glock 19 and Glock 47 are MOS-type pistols with slides machined for optional mini red dot optics. All three have the full set of Gen 5 features including a straight pistol grip, improved grip texture and forward slide serrations.
The new Glock 47 appears to be a Glock 45 with an extended barrel and slide. At first this seems odd since the Glock 45 is essentially a full-size Glock 17 frame modified to use a compact Glock 19 slide and barrel assembly.
It looks like the main difference between the Glock 17 and Glock 47 is that while both start as full-size handguns, the Glock 47 may be able to accept Glock 19 upper assemblies, just like the Glock 45. If that’s true then the Glock 47 upper assembly may be compatible with the Glock 19 frames, adding another configuration to the mix.
This would mean that departments that issue both Glock 19s and Glock 47s could have many different carry options, giving officers a little more flex in what they carry, when. That could also mean that armorers have the ability to mix and match more parts if necessary.
While not as modular as some other designs on the market, it’s safe to say that Glock is doing well at staying competitive. This is a good deal for Glock and a solid update for the U.S. CBP.