TheGunBlog.ca — Glock, the world’s biggest maker of handguns, said it aims to have the Canadian version of its new model 44 pistol chambered in .22LR in stores in March.
The Austrian company expects a Canadian edition of the 9 mm model 45 next summer, said James Cassells, Glock’s Canadian sales manager.
It presented the Glock 44 this morning as the first .22LR in its 37-year history making guns. The semi-automatic pistol is similar in size to the 9 mm Glock 19, the world’s most-popular handgun.
$520, Canada Specs
The Canadian version will be offered at $520, Cassells said.
It will have a 106-mm barrel to comply with federal law instead of the 102 mm standard. It will come with two standard 10-round ammunition magazines.
‘Sometime in March’
“I’m hoping sometime in March we’ll have them on the dealer’s shelves,” Cassells told TheGunBlog.ca today in a telephone interview. “I think it’s going to be an extremely popular pistol for us, both in the U.S. and Canada. We need to make sure we get our Canadian orders in.”
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Glocks are popular around the world for personal protection, competition and recreation.
Although dwarfed by the U.S., Canada is one of Glock’s largest recurring annual markets worldwide.
Trudeau Confiscation
The new models are arriving as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seeks the biggest gun confiscations in Canadian history against the country’s 2.2 million federally licensed firearm users.
He promised to allow municipalities to expel handgun owners through new prohibitions, and to confiscate a quarter-million hunting and sporting rifles.
The complexity of setting up the seizures and the growing opposition to them suggest the plans will fail.
Glock Canada
Two years ago Glock started offering a Canadian version of the model 19. It also had a longer-than-normal barrel to satisfy Canadian politicians.
The Made In U.S.A. Glock 44 is “pretty much the same size as a 19. We’ll have 4 mm of barrel sticking out,” said Cassells, who joined Glock about 7 years ago after 30 years with the Toronto police, including 5 years with the SWAT unit, the Emergency Task Force.
Plastic, Lowest Price
“The unique thing about this particular model is that it has a polymer slide as well as a polymer frame,” Cassells said.
The Glock-made .22LR pistol could wipe out demand for conversion kits like one made by Advantage Arms. It sells for $460 at Rangeview Sports in Newmarket, Ontario.
“This is a dedicated .22,” said Cassells. “It’ll be our lowest-priced pistol. It comes with adjustable sights.”
3,000 – 5,000
AmChar Canada Inc., Big Rock Sports LLC and European Arms Distributors 1982 Ltd. will distribute the Glock 44 to stores, Cassells said. It will be offered for sale to law-enforcement and military personnel by Rampart International Corp.
“We still need to get our distributors’ orders in, but I would not be surprised if we sell between 3,000 and 5,000 of those,” Cassells said. “I mean, who doesn’t like a .22 calibre?”
Cassells Shoots the Glock 44
It feeds well and works well with all major brands of .22-calibre ammunition.
I shot it along with 30 other people, one gun, for several hours.
No hiccups, no problems. I was very impressed with the reliability.
—James Cassells, Glock Canadian Sales Manager
Glock 45 Next Summer
Glock expects its 9 mm model 45 pistol in Canadian stores next summer, possibly late in the second quarter, Cassells said. It’ll have a longer barrel and mags limited to 10 rounds.
“My plans in 2020 are to do a G45, and that would include a G45 MOS,” Cassells said, referring to Glock’s Modular Optic System for red-dot sights. “It’s going to be a little later in the year because of the release of the 44.”
Popular With Police
The company estimates it supplies about 80% of Canada’s law-enforcement agencies. Some are moving to the G45 as they switch to 9 mm from .40 S&W, Cassells said.
He recommends police use the G45 with a Streamlight TLR-7 light.
“The 45 is pretty popular on the professional side,” Cassells said. “You see a lot of agencies going to the 45.”
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Update 14 Feb.: Updates fifth paragraph to show standard G44 magazine capacity is 10 rounds.