The introduction of the Glock Model 38 provides an alternative that bridges the dilemma between the need for a small, easy-to-conceal, lightweight self-defense pistol, which is usually in a smaller caliber, and the need for a bigbore, powerful self-defense gun, which is usually large and hard to conceal.

Consumers of self-defense handguns have always suffered on the horns of a dilemma. On the one side is the need for a small, lightweight, easy-to-carry-and-conceal sidearm, and on the other side is the need for a powerful, decisive cartridge.

The problem being, if the gun was small and easy to conceal and carry, it was usually offered only in a midbore or smaller caliber. That meant it was less effective than the larger and heavier bigbore alternative.

Those opting for the bigbore-diameter alternative were forced to choose either a large pistol that was difficult to conceal and carry for long hours or a radically reduced version of the first that limited both its terminal effectiveness due to the far shorter barrel length and its reliability. (Tuning chopped and channeled or radically shortened bigbore wonders into reliably functioning self-defense pistols is more difficult than many will admit.)

There is now an alternative that meets the needs of both worlds, and it's the Glock Model 38 in .45 GAP. Many have questioned the need for the .45 GAP cartridge, but the truth is, it solves the size-vs.-power dilemma in a new and interesting manner.

Like all recent examples of the Glock product line in the mid to large size category, the Glock Model 38 comes with an accessory rail molded into the front, or dustcover portion of the frame. The Model 38 also comes equipped with what has previously been referred to as the "competition" slide-stop lever. The tab on its end offers the user a slightly larger area for the thumb to engage to release the slide.

Previously, many thought the introduction of the .40 S&W cartridge more than a decade ago addressed this dilemma, and it did, to a limited degree. There are still many who prefer the maximum bore diameter possible simply because they believe bigger is better. The .40 S&W round is a bigbore cartridge by a widely accepted standard, but even the most obtuse of observers will acknowledge it is the smallest bigbore cartridge available.

The big advantage to the .40 S&W round was it enabled platforms formerly built to handle the midbore 9x19mm round to chamber a full-size cartridge and deliver more power to the target. The .45 GAP round takes this process one step further because it enables manufacturers and designers the flexibility of taking handgun designs that were formerly used for midbore calibers of arguably limited effectiveness and pushing them into true bigbore territory.

The Glock 38 is a midsize semiauto pistol that corresponds exactly in size to the previously seen Glock 19, the Glock 23 and the Glock 32 semiauto pistols. The test Glock 38 came out of the box with the standard 5.5-pound trigger (it tested heavier in pull weight), standard sights, the new-style extractor and the slide-release lever that was formerly available only on Glock competition pistols.

The introduction of the .45 GAP cartridge allowed the Glock engineers to use a handgun design envelope that was formerly used for midbore calibers of arguably limited effectiveness and create a bigbore semiauto with the same overall dimensions and ease of concealment.

BASIC GLOCK DESIGN
The basic design of the Glock pistol has remained unchanged since the gun was first introduced in the mid-1980s. There have been improvements and upgrades to individual component parts, but the overall operating design is essentially the same as first introduced and is shared by all Glock models regardless of caliber or overall size. The BATF has classified the Glock as double-action-only in terms of its trigger mechanism, and as I've said in previous articles, I feel this is somewhat of a misnomer.