While it took a while for Glock to embrace the term "Baby Glock" when referring to its Models 26 and 27, that nickname for the smallest versions of the G17/22 is both apt and well-known in the shooting community. Popular with law enforcement (as backup guns) and civilians alike, the Baby Glocks offer adult-size firepower in a subcompact package. With its 4th generation pistols Glock has made a few substantive changes to its proven design, and now those changes have come to the smallest models.

The Gen4 Glock 26 is a square chunk of a gun, and is at (or just past) the outer limits of what I consider concealable in a pocket. Loaded it weighs over 26 ounces, and it's 6.3 inches long. Perhaps just as importantly, it is as wide as its big brother the G17 (1.18 inches), making it rather big-boned for a pocket gun. That said, 10+1 rounds of 9mm in a pistol small enough to hide almost anywhere is one heck of a combination--and the reason the Baby Glocks are so popular. Well, one of the reasons.

Another reason Glocks are so popular is that they are disgustingly, relentlessly, boringly reliable. Pull the trigger, it goes bang. Period. That's The author wishes that one of the supplied magazines came with a finger extension, which would allow him to get all his fingers on the grip for better control. the main reason I carry one every day. That reliability, and excellent ergonomics, meant there wasn't a lot to improve upon for the 4th Generation.

Most prominently when compared to their predecessors, Gen4 Glocks feature interchangeable backstraps designed to accommodate hands of varying size. Glock calls this the MBS (multiple backstrap) frame. With no extra backstrap installed, the grip of a Gen4 Glock is 2mm smaller than a Gen3 Glock. With the medium backstrap installed the grip size is the same as a Gen3 Glock, and with the large backstrap the grip of a Gen4 Glock is 2mm larger. The grip angle is not changed, only the distance to the trigger. The backstraps are easy to get on and off with the use of a punch, which is provided. The smaller frame makes the Gen4 Model 26 even easier to conceal than the Gen3.

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