I was a bit skeptical when Glock announced its newest generation of pistols, the Gen6 line.
I immediately thought of the social media meme where a guy wearing a red flannel shirt holds up the shirt maker’s newest flannel, which looks just the same as the guy’s shirt. There’s a parallel with past commentary on “new” Glock generations looking pretty much the same as the old ones.
But as soon as I had my test model Glock G17 Gen6 in hand, I knew the meme and the skepticism didn’t apply.
For one thing, the grips on my G17 9mm were well textured, the polymer covered in raised squares. That texturing covers the front and back straps, too. My hold was further enhanced by a significant beavertail that placed the web of my shooting hand high and nicely forward.
The grips also feature palm swells and handy indentations along the top that corresponded right to my shooting hand thumb and the base of my shooting finger.
This texturing is definitely more aggressive than that on my G19 Gen5, and the thumb indents are better placed and deeper.
The pistol was optics-ready and included three adapter plates, one for the RMR footprint, one for the C-More System Optics, and a third plate that fits the EOTech EFLX, the Leupold DPP, and the Vortex Defender red-dots.
It’s another large improvement over Gen5s, which were not optics ready.
The lower two-thirds of the trigger itself is flat faced, another first for Glock.
After I’d run a couple hundred rounds of various 9mm ammunition brands through the pistol, I was sure Glock built my G17 Gen6 with the reliability and ruggedness of past Glock pistols, a reputation well earned and consistently re-affirmed during its tenure as a top gun manufacturer.
This is no copy with a different generational number stamped on the slide.
Balance and Weight
The barrel in my test G17 was 4.5 inches long, while the pistol’s overall length measured out just shy of 8 inches. The barrel and slide are steel, and the slide features handy serrations front and back for easy racking of the slide.
With an empty magazine, Glock put the G17 at 23.99 ounces and 31.39 ounces with a loaded mag. When loaded, the G17 balanced nicely and pointed easily.
In addition to the afore-mentioned grip ergonomics, the polymer frame features a roomy trigger guard perfect for gloved fingers. The substantial front of the trigger guard struck me as ideal for resting against a post or doorframe for an impromptu rest. An accessory rail for a light and/or laser rounds out the frame.
The pistol’s beveled magwell makes for easy magazine insertion and extraction. The G17 sells with three 17-round Glock magazines. I used all three interchangeably and they loaded easily by hand and fed 9mm rounds just fine.
The pull weight on my trigger averaged 2 pounds, 15 ounces. The trigger itself required approximately a quarter inch of take-up before engaging the striker firing assembly and then made what I consider a solid striker-firing break: not spongy yet not crisp.
It also reset quickly in my shooting.
Safety Sequence
While the G17 Gen6 doesn’t have a manual safety, the pistol features Glock’s SAFE ACTION System, a safety standard Glock began with its first pistol and has continued on with each generation. The system is designed with three automatic and independently operating mechanical safeties built into the Glock fire control system.
The trigger safety is a bladed trigger safety. For the pistol to fire, the bladed safety and the trigger itself must be deliberately depressed at the same time. If the bladed safety is not depressed, the trigger won’t move rearwards, and the pistol will not fire.
The firing pin safety mechanically blocks the firing pin from moving forward in the ready-to-fire condition. As the trigger moves rearward, the trigger bar pushes the firing pin safety up and frees the firing pin channel.
Last is the trigger bar safety, which engages the rear portion of the firing pin and prevents the firing pin from moving forward. As the trigger is pulled, the trigger bar lowers down the safety ramp and allows the release of the firing pin.
All three safeties disengage sequentially as the trigger is pulled; all three automatically re-engage as soon as the trigger is released into the forward position.
Sight Picture
The G17’s standard sights feature a white outlined rear notch, with that rear blade drift adjustable. The front sight is a fixed white-dot post. They worked. But my eyes and I needed a bit more help.
Availing myself of the pistol’s optics-ready build, I removed the rear slide plate, slid the correct adapter plate into the slide cut and secured my Trijicon Green-Dot RMR.
Debuted in 2025, this version of the RMR Type 2 Adjustable LED Reflex Sight featured a 3.25-MOA green-dot reticle. As with other RMRs, this newest version sports a tough, forged 7075-T6 aluminum housing, offers 1-MOA elevation and windage adjustments, and runs on a single CR2032 lithium battery.
Tight Groups
Zeroing the G17 with the RMR started at 12 yards, shooting from a rest. I used House of Payne 9mm rounds loaded with 124-grain polymer-matrix bullets. It only took a few rounds to get me on target, and I shot off a couple magazines at a Caldwell Dual Silhouette target from the rest and offhand at 7 yards.
The bad guy threat was well stopped.
To further test the pistol’s accuracy, I added Remington UMC 9mm to the mix, this round loaded with a 115-grain full metal jacket bullet, and Nosler’s ASP self-defense option, specifically manufactured for suppressed shooting with its 147-grain jacketed hollow point.
Accuracy was first rate.
At 12 yards from a rest, the Remington UMC consistently pegged five-shot groups of 1.5 inches and under. The best group came in at .80 inches. Nosler ASP also shot tight at this distance, the top group coming in at .90 inches.
At 20 yards from a rest, the Nosler consistently drilled sub-2-inch groups including one at 1.5 inches. Remington UMC produced 2.5- to 3-inch groups, including one at 2 inches.
Throughout my shooting, the G17 remained firm in hand. In approximately 200 rounds, I experienced no failures to feed ammunition or to eject spent brass. Muzzle flip was minimal.
Out of the Box
For those customers who might dismissively say, ‘Oh, yeah, just another Glock,’ start by pointing out the very-much improved ergonomics of the Gen6 line. This includes the aggressive grip texture, the palm swell, the extended beavertail, and the integrated thumb rests on both sides of the grips.
The standard new optics-ready system needs a shout out, too. It will appeal to the ever growing number of shooters moving from open sights to red- (and green-) dots.
“The updates to the Gen6 offer a more out-of-the-box solution to many of the aftermarket modifications that people were making to [previous-generation] pistols,” said Caitlin Wood, Glock’s communications manager.
To encourage your customers to try the Glock side of the world, she noted that Glock provides its authorized dealers with a good deal of sales help.
“Glock offers dealers access to a myriad of resources to help them market their inventory ranging from photos/videos/logos, to brochures and flyers, to branded promotional items, and more,” Wood said. “If someone needs access or has a specific marketing request, they can email marketing@glock.us.”
Glock dealer programs for authorized Glock dealers include the Glock Stocking Dealer Program, the Glock Dealer Development Program, and the Glock Range Program.
Each of these programs offers inclusion in Glock’s marketing efforts, including the dealer locator on the company website, plus the Glock Armorer’s Course training, and discounts on Glock parts and apparel. Plus, each program adds other unique dealer benefits.
Independent FFL’s have to purchase Glock products through a distributor. Glock works with a large number of both commercial and law enforcement distributors.
To become a Glock dealer, simply go to the Glock website at https://us.glock.com and follow the instructions for sign-up.
Good Hype
No surprise, the Gen6 launch has generated a huge amount of media coverage. Print and online reviews, YouTubes and television shows have all covered the Gen6 line.
That line, by the way, currently encompasses the G17 Gen6, G19 Gen6 and the G45 Gen6 in Glock’s Commercial Firearms category, as well as the same models in the Law Enforcement Firearms category. All Gen6 models are 9mm chamberings.
