There is some big news from GLOCK today. I was at GLOCK USA headquarters in Smyrna, Georgia, last week to get an exclusive early look at the brand new GLOCK Gen6 handguns, which represent the future of GLOCK pistols. Out of the gate, the Austrian gunmaker is releasing the new G17 Gen6, the G19 Gen6, and G45 Gen6, all outfitted with a host of new features, inside and out. The international markets receive an additional model, the Glock 49 Gen6.
These aren’t placeholders. They’re the foundation of what Glock says is its next era.
Glock doesn’t change for the sake of change. They don’t chase trends, redesign guns for marketing points, or ship something before they’re convinced it will run in the worst conditions imaginable. That’s why when Glock announces a new generation, something that’s only happened five times in more than 40 years, it matters.
Gen6 is that moment.
This isn’t a cosmetic refresh. It’s the first time Glock has truly reshaped how their pistols fit the hand, mount optics, and deliver performance. And after spending a day inside the facility, talking with the engineers, and putting close to 100 rounds downrange across all three U.S. models, I’m comfortable saying it:
Gen6 is the best-feeling, most user-focused Glock to date.
GLOCK Gen6 Ergonomics and Frame Changes
First up, the GLOCK Gen6 pistols include a significant number of changes to the frame and grip. For decades the Glock formula has been simple: safe, reliable, consistent. But Glock listened to law enforcement instructors, competitive shooters, military units, and civilians who run these guns hard.
The message was unified: Keep what works. Fix what doesn’t. Gen6 does exactly that. Every change is intentional. No gimmicks. No shortcuts.
Palm Swell
The grip on the new Gen6 pistols includes a palm swell that fills the curvature of the hand for a more natural overall grip, representing a significant ergonomic improvement over the Gen5 guns.
For the first time ever, the frame has a true palm swell. It kills the “blocky Glock” feel and fills the hand the way a duty pistol should.
New RTF6 Grip Texture
This is the best grip texture GLOCK has every produced.
The new RTF6 texture is a combination of RTF2 and RTF4 characteristics. It offers better purchase for wet, cold hands while being gentle enough not to shred skin, clothing, or gloves.
Additionally, the stippled area covers more area and has been extended higher on the frame.
Built-In Thumb Rest
But that’s not all. The new Gen6 frames includes a built-in thumb rest for the support hand that GLOCK says is inspired by aftermarket “gas pedal” attachments that have become popular for offering greater recoil control, but this rest is molded right into the polymer of the frame, not a bolt-on or glue-on accessory.
It’s designed in such a way that it doesn’t increase the pistol’s width in a holster (Gen6 pistols will still fit in Gen5 holsters).
Undercut Trigger Guard
In order to eliminate the ol’ “GLOCK knuckle,” a deeper undercut where the trigger guard meets the grip has been added. It’s deep enough to allow users to get a higher grip and improve control, but not too deep as to compromise the trigger guard’s durability in duty holsters.
Enlarged, Integrated Beaver Tail
The default beaver tail on the new Gen6 frames are more aggressive than the beavertail backstraps included with the Gen4 and Gen5 pistols. It prevents slide bite and helps shooters get closer to the trigger.
All of these features combine to allow small-handed shooters and people who prefer a tight, high grip to reach the trigger more naturally with greater control.
Shorter Trigger Reach
A small change with a big impact, faster indexing, better leverage, improved performance for shooters of all hand sizes.
GLOCK Gen6 Slide and Controls Changes
Deeper, Tapered Front and Rear Slide Serrations
Both sets of the slide serrations on the Gen6 pistols are wider at the top and narrower at the bottom for better purchase, and are more aggressive overall than those on the Gen 5 guns. There’s more bite, better texture, and it results in a noticeable difference during slide manipulations.
Protected Slide Stop
The frame on Gen6 pistols includes a molded border around the slide stop lever, designed to prevent premature “ride-over” or failure for the slide to lock back because of a high-thumb grip.
Trigger System Changes: Familiar but Better
Glock finally delivered a factory flat-faced trigger, and they didn’t just slap a flat shoe on the old system. They re-engineered angles, materials, and geometry to keep the Glock traits that matter: safety, consistency, and durability.
The result? Still a Glock trigger, which is exactly why it works so well, but now with better indexing, thanks to raised ledges at the top and bottom of the face.
MOS Is Out. New Optics System is a Huge Leap Forward
The Gen6 GLOCKs introduces a lower, stronger, simpler mounting solution that eliminates plate stacking and reduces failure points.
The MOS system for attaching red-dot optics to GLOCK slides has been left behind with the Gen5 models and has been replaced with a system that uses a recessed, polymer “crush-washer” style center plate. Screws mount directly into the slide with no intermediary plate stack, which lowers the optic height and reduces the need for tall “suppressor-height” iron sights for a co-witness.
The change also makes the sight mount more secure under recoil because of the compression effect of the new polymer plate.
Supported Optic Footprints (at launch)
At the moment, only RMR and Aimpoint Acro P-type Pro footprints are available. GLOCK says solutions are inbound for the Holosun 509T, Acro P2, and other enclosed emitter footprints.
Redesigned EDP (Extractor Depressor Plunger) Channel
The EDP channel has been shortened in direct response to issues that arose with the MOS system, including preventing long optic screws from interfering with extraction and Loctite contamination in the channel.
Inside the GLOCK Factory
Before heading to the range, we toured the Glock facility—clean floors, organized workflow, and machining that ran with the kind of precision you’d expect from a company obsessive about reliability. It was clear these pistols aren’t assembled; they’re produced with intent.
Range Time: Shooting the Gen6 Pistols
I ran roughly 90 rounds through the Gen6 models. Enough to feel what mattered.
RTF6 Texture
Immediate confidence. The gun doesn’t shift, even during rapid strings.
Palm Swell and Thumb Rest
Together, they change how the pistol anchors in the hand. Felt flatter, faster, and more natural.
Trigger
A classic Glock break with a cleaner interface. The shorter reach and flat face pair surprisingly well.
Optic Mounting
When I asked GLOCK staff how many rounds the new system had seen, the answer was simple: “Thousands. Across multiple optics. We weren’t releasing it until it met our internal durability standard.”
After running it myself, I believe them. The mounting system feels tight and consistent. Zero shifting. No plate flex. No drama.
GLOCK Addresses Litigation and the “V Series”
Carlos Guevara, Vice President and General Counsel of GLOCK, Inc., said that the company is currently facing “coordinated attacks from well-funded anti-gun groups and city governments. There are six active cases that claim GLOCK should be responsible for criminals misusing illegally modified firearms.”
GLOCK says this is unconstitutional and it is fighting these legal challenges aggressively.
Many media outlets and Reddit experts hypothesized that the recent introduction of the GLOCK “V Series” pistols last month, which will reportedly be phased out in favor of the Gen6 models, were a reaction to these lawsuits and new legislation passed in California.
“Absolutely not,” Guevara said. “Measure to reduce illegal machine-gun conversion with MCDs or ‘switches’ began in 2022, long before lawsuits were filed.”
The first suit was filed in April 2024.
Additionally, GLOCK says the Gen6 and V Series pistols were not designed as California-compliant firearms and that GLOCK is currently working toward giving California customers new product options.
“We don’t respond to changes because of actions of criminals,” is GLOCK’s official stance on the issue.
Yes, There Is a GLOCK AR In The Works
For once, the long-circulated internet rumors were true! GLOCK is indeed making an AR, the GLOCK Rifle (GR115).
What do we know?
- It exists.
- It’s a direct-impingement AR-pattern rifle.
- It will only be available to select law enforcement and military customers with no commercial release date as of yet.
Why aren’t they blowing this new gun up with a huge marketing campaign? GLOCK says they don’t want a repeat of what happened with the G19 COA pistol: high demand with insufficient supply.
GLOCK Gen6 Pistols: A True Evolution
Gen6 isn’t flashy. It isn’t loud. It’s GLOCK doing what GLOCK does best, refining the gun in the exact places shooters have asked for:
- Better ergonomics.
- A real optics system.
- A modern trigger.
- And all the underlying reliability that made Glock the standard in the first place.
This is the most significant generation change since the jump from Gen3 to Gen4. Maybe bigger. Because for the first time, GLOCK didn’t just defend their legacy, they moved it forward.
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