Glock 20

Manufactured by the Austrian defense contractor firm Glock (founded 1963) the Glock 20 is a very special handgun. It was developed in the late 1980's and once again showed that Glock knew more about durability and reliability in pistol design than most of its competitors. The dimensions exceed that of another famous Glock product, the Glock 17 and it weighs approximately 6 ounces more than this model. However, it bears close resemblance to the Glock 17, which is still considered one of the most revolutionary pistols ever made. The Glock 17 combines the ease of use of single-action revolvers with the speed of operation of a semi-automatic weapon. The Glock 20 has, in fact, been called a big Glock17 chambered for bigger cartridges. It weighs approximately 785 grams without a magazine and measures 193 mm in length.

The Glock 20 accommodates magazines that can hold 15 10 mm Auto rounds, which is about as powerful as ammunition for hand-held weapons can get. These rounds afford a flat trajectory that is very useful in hunting larger animals. The Glock 20 also finds great favor as a self-defense weapon against wild animals, but certain law enforcement personnel prefer to carry it, too. In fact, agencies like the FBI have had special reduced-velocity 10 mm loads designed by Federal specifically for use in handguns such as the Glock 20. It can reliably deliver a 180-grain round at approximately 12,00 feet/sec.

The Glock 20 is a landmark of sorts, being one of the first handguns to be manufactured for the specific purpose of carrying powerful rounds. Up to its introduction, there were great misgivings about the 'emasculation' of handgun ammunition in order to lend lightness to the weapon. The Glock 20 can be carried with the greatest of ease, being about as large as most 9 mm handguns. It is accurate enough for competitive shooting and is eminently controllable. It has been christened the first truly practical 10 mm combat pistol.

Purists have raised some points about the Glock 20's ammunition, stating that the 10 mm cartridge causes high slide velocity. This apparently causes problems with rapid accurate shooting. Nevertheless, the Glock 20 has several advantages, not least of which is its lightness and its unique design. By designing this handgun, the Glock Company has harnessed the overall advantages of the 10 mm Auto round and tamed it sufficiently for small arms use. Nor is there a limit on the ammunition that can be used in this pistol. As long as the 10 mm cartridge complies with SAAMI specifications, it can be used in the Glock 20.

Additionally, it has a grip that fits easily into the hand and slim, functional contours to the frame and one of the trimmest butt sections available in contemporary handguns. It incorporates a Safe Action (constant double action) mode with three safeties, and has a trigger pull length of 12.5 mm. The barrel rifling is hexagonal.

The Glock 20 is definitely a breakthrough in handgun design, and it boosted the overall profile of Glock Company immeasurably. Thanks largely to the incredible sales graph this nifty and innovative pistol has generated, Glock now registers an incredible 2,500,000 handguns sold to government and civilian buyers in over 100 countries. The Glock 20 is in active use by the New York Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Additionally, over 7,500 assorted law enforcement agencies use it all over the world.

The Glock 20C is a variant of the Glock 20, with the 'C' standing for 'compensated'. It is, in fact, a compensated design. It incorporates slits near the front and top of the pistol that push gases produced during firing upwards. The upward force generated by this design minimizes recoil, and the decreased muzzle flip facilitates quicker follow-up shooting.