Glock’s first pistol — the 9mm Glock 17 — was nothing short of Earth-shattering. And Glock continues to be one of the most successful semi-automatic designs of all time. Their pistols ride in more police duty holsters than any other competing brand. They are also a top choice of concealed permit holders who favor semi-autos.
After the G17, Glock introduced the more compact G19. This filled the demand for a smaller pistol for plainclothes cops. The G19 features a shorter barrel/slide, smaller frame, lighter weight and a slightly lower magazine capacity.
Then came the “Compact Crossover.” The 9mm G45 meets the needs of concealed pistol carriers (or uniformed cops) who want to keep the full 17-round magazine capacity of the G17 (17+1 rounds) but still have the concealment and handling advantages of the shorter-barreled G19.
The Glock G45
The G45 is a Gen5 pistol featuring all of the latest enhancements, including a molded-in Picatinny rail for mounting lights and laser sights. Enhanced ambidextrous slide release levers give the thumb additional leverage for easier engagement. Other features include a flared magazine well, front cocking serrations on the slide, Glock Marksman barrel and a frame free of molded-in finger grooves. New from the factory, the package also includes four backstrap adaptors.
| Glock Model | Overall Length | Barrel Length | Weight (Empty Mag) | Overall Width |
| G17 | 8.03 inches | 4.49 inches | 25.08 ounces | 1.26 inches |
| G19 | 7.36 inches | 4.02 inches | 23.99 ounces | 1.26 inches |
| G45 | 7.44 inches | 4.02 inches | 24.98 ounces | 1.34 inches |
My test G45 came with standard Glock polymer fixed sights. The basic grip (sized small) was a perfect fit for my medium-sized hands, so no grip adaptors were needed. I headed to the range with some Winchester 124-grain “White Box” ball ammo. I also brought along SIG Sauer’s M17 124-grain +P+P and +P+ are designators identifying ammunition as carrying a higher internal pressure than is standard for ammunition of its caliber. M17 Military Grade FMJ Elite Training and Elite V-Crown JHPA jacketed hollow-point (JHP) is a hollow-point bullet that is also jacketed. This is done to reduce fouling in the action and barrel of the firearm and to provide more consistent bullet expansion. ammo.
The reduced slide and barrel length do more for improving overall feel and balance — that mystical quality known as “pointability” — than for concealability.
Testing the G45
I tested the G45 two-handed, standing at a distance of 30 feet. The difference in pointability between the full-sized G17, the compact G19 and the Compact Crossover G45 is significant. The full-length grip extending to the base of the hand imparted solid control. This held true even when firing the hot +P SIG loads running just short of 1200 FPS out of “full-length” 9mm barrels. The four-inch barrel literally snaps on target and sweeps naturally from side-to-side. The G45 feels like a natural extension of your fist.
The Gen5 Safe Action trigger made producing tight groups easy. It was no problem at all to achieve three-inch groups. However, while our groups were printing dead center in terms of windage, elevation seemed to be an issue. The groups landed consistently below the point of aim by about 1.5 inches.
On the rear sight, the base of the white outline sat slightly below the top of the slide — lower than normal. This issue can easily be remedied by the addition of a Glock adjustable rear sight. If I wanted to do some really intense accuracy work, I could mount an adjustable rear sight. Even without adjustment however, the G45’s sight is positioned plenty well enough for defensive shooting.
I was VERY satisfied with the G45’s performance. Of course, there were no malfunctions of any sort. The Compact Crossover G45 is not a compromise pistol; it really does provide the best of the G17 and G19 worlds.
Sources:
Glock: US.Glock.com
Winchester: Winchester.com
SIG: SigSauer.com
