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Glock 46: A Revolutionary Design Change (Ad-free)
🕑 Added 2024-05-31 12:00:05 +0000 UTCExcept for the .22 rimfire Glock 44, all the pistols from the Austrian powerhouse Glock have shared the same fundamental mechanical system. They use the Browning tilting-barrel action, which has been long proven by many companies. With the Glock 46, however, they completely changed, and opted for a short recoil, rotating barrel design. The 46 also includes a couple other unique features for Glock, specifically intended to suit its intended role as a German police sidearm.
In Germany, each state is responsible for selecting and procuring police weapons, but they must follow the technical standards set out by the Federal-level government. The standard Glock models do not meet these requirements, and so Glock had to develop a new model if it wanted to compete for police contracts. Most substantially, pistol disassembly must not require pulling the trigger, as this is one of the most common causes of police NDs (and this goes back at least to the Luger, which got its own police safety modification in the 1920s). The gun must also meet minimum requirements for trigger pull weigh, distance, and total force to fire.
To meet these requirements, the Glock 46 has a longer tigger travel than other Glock models, made possible by slightly reshaping the trigger itself. It also has a novel striker disconnect in the back of the slide, which allows (and requires) the striker to be rendered completely inert for disassembly. In addition, a new disassembly lever requires the magazine to be removed before the slide can come off the gun. Put together, these features make the Glock 46 fully compliant with the Federal German police standards.
The rotating barrel system is not required by any other these Federal standards, and it remains a bit unclear why it was chosen. The action itself is distinct from the disassembly safety system, and either one can be incorporated into a design without the other.
Glock has thus far won one German police contract for the 46; that of Saxon-Anhalt. That agency purchased 8,600 Glock 46 pistols for their approximately 6,000 officers. It is extremely unlikely that we will see these pistol in the US, as Glock sells them only to police agencies and not to the civilian market in Europe or the US.
Thanks to Glock for giving me access to film this pistol at their booth at EnForceTac 2024!
Specific German police trigger pull requirements:
First shot:
Minimum pull weight: 30N / 6.7 lbf
Trigger pull distance 10-15mm / 0.4-0.6 in
Minimum value for “trigger work” (Trigger travel x trigger pull weight): 0.15J / 1.3 in-lb
Subsequent shots:
Minimum pull weight: 20N / 4.5 lbf for all following shots
Minimum reset distance: 4mm / 0.16 in
Minimum trigger travel after reset: 7mm / 0.28 in
Requirements for unlocking the action:
In locked systems, the trigger mechanism must be interrupted before the initiation of the unlocking takes place. The path of the moving weapon parts until the trigger mechanism is separated is allowed not be greater than 75% of the safety path.
Comments
Tobias Prinz
In case you are wondering why someone would be willingly set their police with the crappiest trigger pull ever: In 2022 (most recent year statistics are available), the German police used 134 rounds against people. They also reported 94 negligent discharges and 7 suicide attempts (see https://fragdenstaat.de/dokumente/238756-falle-von-polizeilichem-schusswaffengebrauch-2022/). I think the NYPD does that on a Tuesday. I consider this is a friendly deal for Glock, so they get to try out some new design on a government's dime.
Clifton Ballad
~48 seconds in you say the word switch, and have already said the word glock. I'd wager the algorithm got mad about those 2 words combined and locked it out.
Kerwin Kerr
Thanks for the heads up, Mike. Also Ian mentioned that PTR, made HK clones and when I looked at their website, they had an MP5 pistol clone for $1889.00. https://www.ptr-us.com/products/firearms/
Christian D. Orr
“The worst of the Glock New York Triggers?!?!” Eff that noise!! Ach Scheißer!
Michael Baggott
Zenith makes their clone of the MP-5 and it's considerably cheaper. It's around $1800.00. Of course, there are a couple of Turkish clones on the market as well.
Kerwin Kerr
Ian, I did watch your video on the Glock 46 and found it quite interesting. I had a question about the HK MP5. I noticed that most of the MP5's on GunBroker were going for $2999.99. It was first released in '66 and so the patents have long since expired. How come no American gun company has built a cheaper clone and put it out on the market like AR15 clones?
Mrgunsngear
Thanks for the info - learned a couple things I didn't know
Guido Schriewer
berlin had a fancy expensive new training facility. some construction error unsafe building... they didn't trained for months. that said: typical cop 2trainings per year of 15rd. heck that isn't even a magazin. I don't blame officers... I blame politicians to place officers in such a bad position!
Mark H. Smith
Demonstrator gun which has been deactivated several times over and yet no blue/orange color seems like a nanny-state over-sight. HOW am I supposed to not be afraid of the inanimate object if I might well mistake it for a "scary" real gun? Yes, that was a whole lot of snark but in this particular case seems warranted.
Retired No Bad Days
My understanding (I do not own one) is that the Beretta PX4 (which has a rotating barrel) is very accurate and more durable that most pistols, but it doses not function when in a dirt or sand environment.
Glenn Miller
I had the same feeling - that if someone who carries a pistol daily can't be trained to empty the chamber and point it in a safe direction, then they have much bigger issues.
Guido Schriewer
amen. you tell me. not K but shoot revolvers only now since... 10years. 64 is a great model. I have a 27 in 3 1/2 though.
ViejoLobo
Guessing that the Beretta PX rotating barrel pistols were carefully written out of the specifications.
ViejoLobo
The answer to the requirements of a heavy trigger and low capacity is----the Model 64 NY-1 DAO Smith and Wesson K frame revolver.
Guido Schriewer
rumor about german police pistol trials: some state deceides to have trials for new guns. ok. some "politician" (uhoh) noticed the new pistols have SUCH a higher capacity than the old ones... so officers don't need a 2nd magazin for those new highcap anymore, do they. malfunction clearing... the 2nd mag is NOT about spray and pray. clint smith would rotate in his grave and , fortunately I f like the guy, he's still with us.
Guido Schriewer
poor cops. those safety features... instead of training the policemen/women well.. they buy safety features telegraphing "we don't trust you at all".
Guido Schriewer
I liked the P6 ska P225 Sig A LOT better than those walther plasticfantastic. a DA/SA... a good old S&W 1st-3rd gen or a sig P220series. ain't get not better. - what's a glock. man. berlin doesn't need pistols. they need tacair at least. rather nuke that shithole be done. it's like chicago. -- can't believe they build them that. the investments compared to the profit.... isn't exactly like the next fbi contract.
Forgotten Weapons
I have no idea. YouTube just turns the comments off sometimes. I just turned them both back on, but they may go off again without warning.
Wayne S.
I wager that they could sell some to US agencies as well.
Andreas
Why are the comments disabled on the YouTube videos? Both for the ad-free one and the public one
