SHOT Show: The GLOCK 47 9mm Pistol Is Finally Available For Everyone

GLOCK, GLOCK, GLOCK…it’s all about GLOCK. GLOCK is the Marvel movie of the gun genre. Some whiners claim they release the same product over and over…but here’s the thing. It’s always worth the squeeze and it’s always successful.

The G47 was something of an enigma. It was only available to the contract holder that requested it, the Department of Homeland Security. Exclusivity breeds desire. Nothing makes people want something more than telling them they can’t have it. People have been clamoring for the G47 for a while. I’m not even a certified “GLOCK Guy” but not being able to have a G47 made me want one.

Earlier last year, Border Patrol offered a commemorative model for current and former agents. This had me going through my list of friends to see if I might have a BP agent who owed me a favor…but alas. Now I don’t have to take it that far.

GLOCK has either completed the contract or finally felt it was time to release the famed GLOCK 47 to the general public.

What It Is

It’s a full-sized GLOCK in 9mm. Wait…doesn’t that make it a G17? Well, kind of. It’s a duty-sized GLOCK in 9mm, but look at where the frame ends.

Yep, right before the end of the slide. This signifies a design difference, and that difference allows you to remove the G47’s slide and equip it with a GLOCK 19 frame. That gives you the hybrid we’ve all wanted…a more concealable firearm with you a duty-length barrel.

A big slide and long barrel make the gun easier to shoot. Lower recoil, better accuracy, and the like are beneficial. The smaller frame makes the gun easier to conceal when using an IWB or AIWB holster. This setup makes it easier to carry concealed in a modern IWB or AIWB setup.

On the split side, if you want to use the G47’s frame with a G19 slide to make a GLOCK 19X or G45, you most certainly can do that.

In short, the GLOCK 47 offers a different level of modularity than the GLOCKS before it. Since it’s 2023, the G47 also offers you an MOS-compatible slide so you can put your favorite optic in place.

Is the GLOCK 47 going to break the mold of polymer frame pistols? Probably not, but it’s a nice movement toward modularity, and modularity matters in the modern age.