GLOCK G22 Gen4 Review: Once Popular With Law Enforcement
GLOCK 22 Gen 4 PROS And CONS
PROS:
- The grip system made this gun and caliber more appealing to a wider variety of shooters
- More power than the GLOCK 17
- Low cost options on the used gun market
CONS:
- 40 Auto caliber is a dead caliber
- More recoil than a 9mm
- Less rounds capacity than a GLOCK 17
One of the most popular handguns for law-enforcement personnel is the GLOCK Model G22. The G22 is a full-size handgun that fires from a 4.49-inch barrel. Since the introduction of the Glock pistol, there have been only subtle changes, and most people still think of the Glock as being available without options or variation. But we’ve been able to purchase different models with upgrades to the trigger, sights, slide release, magazine release, and other operational components. Gen 4 pistols offer an aggressive grip texture and a choice of three different backstrap profiles. The Gen 4 pistols include the 9mm G17 and G19, the .357 SIG G31, and the 45 GAP G37.
Upon first look, we thought our G22 Gen 4 arrived with three alternate backstraps. After looking for a way to release the backstrap in place, we realized that this was not the concept. At no time does this system ask you to disengage a segment of the frame. Instead, the two supplied alternate backstraps were designed to slide over the frame. We were fooled in part because the base grip frame showed a ridge outlining the rear border of the side panel. Not just a cosmetic feature, the purpose of this ridge was to grasp the edge of the alternate panels.
The Gen4 texture, also found on the RTF models, looked more abrasive than it actually was. It helped us hold on in hot weather, but we found it was most benefi cial when shooting with gloves on, such as many patrolmen wear. Note the vertical ridge at the rear corner of the grip. That’s not just to create the illusion of a side panel. That groove holds the alternate backstraps in place.
Furthermore, there was a solid pin inserted at the top of the backstrap. But that was just a place keeper. A pushpin tool was supplied along with an extra retaining pin of greater length to accommodate the larger panels. We think this was a very clever design.
There are two additional features that make the Gen4 special. Most noticeably would be the grip texture, consisting of rows of flat-tipped spikes molded into the surface of the grip. We found these spikes to be helpful, but not necessarily a perfect solution for sweaty hands.
The G22 pistols offer a 2-inch-long rail, but only one crosshatch. The tips of the G22 pistols are tapered for easier concealment and smoother holstering.
They actually work much better should you wear gloves, as many patrolmen do. We thought the downside to this texture might be unbearable abrasion to bare skin or garment when carried concealed, such as in an inside the waistband holster. But we tried wearing the G22 Gen4 (unloaded), tucked into our belts beneath our shirt for an entire day. We were pleasantly surprised not to suffer a rash or other abrasion.
The last feature that makes a GLOCK Gen4 different was the fully captured plunger-style recoil assembly. We’ve seen several of these units, but we think this one appeared to be stronger. We certainly had to work harder to compress and reinstall it. The Gen4 recoil unit utilized three separate springs. The plunger that worked in from the rear or barrel lug side was wrapped with one close-coil spring. The rod fed into a steel guide that encapsulated another larger diameter spring. The pipe-shaped guide was fit with a polymer bushing for contact within the slide yoke. The third spring, fashioned from noticeably heavier wire, surrounded the second spring and the guide. Alternate design recoil systems generally are designed to slow down and spread recoil over a longer period of time. We weren’t able to record any actual data regarding recoil reduction, but we do think our GLOCK G22 Gen4 suffered less muzzle flip than standard G22 pistols we have shot in the past.
The GLOCK's plunger style recoil system worked with three beefy springs. Note the steel guide surrounding the forward inner spring. All steel except for a polymer cap on the front this unit appeared to be heavier built than other systems of this type. It was our opinion that this unit helped reduce muzzle flip.
Common features of the GLOCK G22 pistol consisted of a front end with an effective taper to ease concealment and smooth holstering. The accessory rail on the dustcover measured a full 2 inches in length, but it offered only one cross hatch. Our pistol arrived with standard sights, meaning a single-dot blade up front and a white outlined notch in the rear. Three 15-round magazines were supplied. The trigger-pull weight measured 6.5 pounds. The trigger movement was defined by about 0.2 inches of takeup followed by a sense of compression.
From the bench we focused on steering the front sight through the surprise break of the trigger. Frankly, we didn’t feel as though we were shooting as accurately as the paper targets indicated. The GLOCK G22 Gen 4 produced an average group radius measuring 1.58 inches when firing the 180-grain rounds, but liked our other ammunition better. Rounds topped with the 165-grain and 155-grain bullets landed an average group radius of 1.21 and 1.20 inches, respectively. In terms of producing muzzle energy, the G22 Gen4’s longer barrel didn’t seem to make a significant difference.
Velocity being the key component to figuring muzzle velocity, the GLOCK’s half-inch-longer barrel accounted for less than 7 fps on average. The GLOCK offered adequate sight radius, but some eyes may immediately prefer the front sight dot placed that half-inch further downrange.
In our action test, only two runs broke the 2-second mark. But we did land seven of ten runs with perfect results, and we learned something very important about shooting the G22 Gen 4. Fired from the bench with full support, it didn’t seem to make much difference which backstrap we applied. But when we stood up and dry fired in preparation for our first run, our test shooter realized that he needed some help getting the gun higher in front of his eyes and leveling the sights. The fact is that some shooters take to the classic GLOCK grip angle right away and others have to work at it. We found applying the medium grip panel made shooting the G22 Gen 4 much easier from the standing position. Elapsed times were slow (2.06 seconds on average with a 0.85-second average first shot), but the result was very good accuracy, especially inside the upper A-zone. Two shots were noticeably high, but the A-zone was filled with a 2.5-inch eight-shot group. Our range notes read, “Held high, the gun felt more instinctive.” We think this proves that the Gen 4 grip system is a valuable component. The lower A-zone showed a dense group that was pushed a little bit left by the shooter, but with minimal practice we think speed and accuracy would improve.
Not everyone takes to a GLOCK 40-caliber pistol the first time they handle it. But we think the alternate grip system means shooters who passed on previous generations of the G22 should give a Gen 4 model a try. Especially a slightly used model. The attractive grip pattern looked aggressive was surprisingly benign to bare skin. Those who wear gloves while shooting will notice the greatest functional improvement. Crediting reduced recoil to the new guide rod may be difficult to prove, but we’d give it the benefit of the doubt.
GLOCK G22 Gen4 40 Auto Range Data
Black Hills 155-grain JHP (new manufacture)
Average Velocity 1127 fps
Muzzle Energy 437 ft.-lbs.
Best Group 1.20 in.
Average Group 1.93 in.
Winchester USA 165-grain FMJ
Average Velocity 980 fps
Muzzle Energy 352 ft.-lbs.
Best Group 1.21 in.
Average Group. 1.86 in.
Winchester USA 180-grain JHP
Average Velocity 961 fps
Muzzle Energy 369 ft.-lbs.
Best Group 1.58 in.
Average Group. 2.33 in.
This review originally appeared in Gun-Tests.com
