The Glock Gen 6 is officially here. Let’s break down the changes Glock made and answer questions potential buyers might have.
Table of Contents
Frame Update
The biggest complaint people have with Glocks has always been the ergonomics. Holding one often felt like gripping a brick. With the Gen 6, the engineers mapped the hands of hundreds of employees to find a better average, and the result is a grip that feels significantly more organic.
They’ve rounded the front strap and added a subtle palm swell that fills the hand nicely. It’s no longer just a block. The new texture, dubbed RTF6, combines the aggressive “sandpaper” stickiness of the old RTF2 with the raised squares of the RTF4, offering a secure hold without shredding your clothes if you carry concealed. The texturing also extends higher up the frame, providing more purchase.
Other geometry changes include:
- A thumb shelf is now molded directly into the frame. This gives your support hand a ledge to press against, helping you drive the gun and manage recoil without needing any add-ons.
- There’s now a significant undercut on the trigger guard. This lets you get your hand higher on the bore axis, which translates to better control. “Glock knuckle” should be a thing of the past.
- The extended beavertail protects meaty hands, which also encourages a higher grip. No more slide bites.
- The magwell is slightly more flared and refined than Gen 5, aiding faster magazine reloads without the front part used for stripping magazines in Gen 5.
- The mag release is slightly extended and reversible, improving ergonomics.
- The front slide serrations are deeper and tapered, improving press-check and slide manipulation.
- The package includes 2 backstraps (2mm and 4mm).
Trigger Update
For years, the first thing anyone did with a new Glock was swap out the trigger. The stock curved shoe was often uncomfortable during long range days. Gen 6 ships with a flat-faced trigger right out of the box. While the pull weight is still that familiar 5.5-pound combat standard, the feel is entirely different. The reach is shorter, the break feels cleaner, and the flat face gives you better leverage for a more consistent pull.
Optics System Update: No More MOS
Glock scrapped the MOS system, which relied on thick plates that sat the optic too high. The new Optics Ready System (ORS) uses a direct-mount interface. Instead of steel plates, it employs thin polymer shims.
At first, polymer plates might sound cheap, but the logic holds up. The polymer acts like a crush washer, creating friction that keeps screws from backing out under recoil. The new system also allows the red dot to sit lower in the slide.
Critically, they redesigned the extractor internals. On older models, using screws that were too long for your optic could bind the extractor and jam the gun. Now, the extractor channel is completely isolated from the mounting screws, eliminating that failure point.
Internal Changes
Under the hood, some things have been simplified. Since Gen 4, Glocks used a dual recoil spring assembly to handle the snap of the .40 S&W round. With 9mm being king, the Gen 6 has returned to a single recoil spring, much like the original Gen 3 design. It’s a simpler, proven system known for its insane reliability.
However, the barrel geometry has changed, meaning Gen 5 barrels won’t fit. The focus was entirely on reliability, with FBI testing showing these guns running nearly 4,000 rounds between stoppages. Legacy Glock parts like magazines, backstraps, and sights are compatible, but most other internal components are Gen 6 specific.
Holster compatibility with previous generations remains intact.
Glock Gen 6 Models and Availability
The initial launch, hitting shelves on January 20, 2026, will feature the core 9mm lineup: G17, G19, and G45. Also, to clarify: the V Series replaces the Glock Gen 3, 4, and 5 pistols as the new base model but doesn’t include ergonomic upgrades. The Gen 6 is the high-end flagship.
The Glock Gen 6 price is expected to be around $750 MSRP, which puts it right in line with the current Gen 5 MOS models. For roughly the same cost as a current Gen 5 MOS, you get a pistol boasting features that previously required hundreds of dollars in custom stippling and frame work.
The Takeaway
Well, it feels like Glock finally took a hard look at the civilian market and built the pistol everyone was asking for. It’s not a revolutionary pistol, but by refining the ergonomics, fixing the trigger, and improving the optics system, they have arguably perfected the platform.
- Available in G17, G19, and G45 models, 9mm caliber
- MSRP of $745
- Includes three magazines
- Includes two extra backstraps (2mm and 4mm)
Frame & Ergonomics
- Redesigned grip with palm swells and more natural contours
- Rounded front strap
- New aggressive grip texture
- Texture extends higher up the frame
- Extended beavertail
- Integrated “gas pedal” thumb rests molded into the frame
- Deep undercut trigger guard for high grip
- Traditional Glock grip angle maintained
- Includes two backstraps (2mm and 4mm)
- Flared magwell
Trigger
- Flat-faced trigger shoe
- Shorter trigger reach
- Standard 5.5-pound pull weight
- Crisper break feel
Slide & Optics
- New Optics Ready System (ORS)
- Direct-to-slide optic mounting
- Uses thin polymer spacer plates instead of metal adapter plates (compatible with RMR and DPP)
- Optics sit lower
- Deeper, angled cocking serrations
- Tapered front slide serrations
- Standard height sights included
Controls
- Reinforced border around the slide lock lever
- Ambidextrous slide stop lever
- Reversible, slightly extended magazine catch
Internals
- Single-stage recoil spring assembly
- Modified, shortened extractor system
- Extractor channel isolated from optic screw holes
- New barrel geometry (incompatible with Gen 5 barrels)
Compatibility
- Compatible with Gen 5 holsters
- Compatible with Gen 5 magazines
FAQs
The initial release includes the G17, G19, and G45 models in 9mm. While Glock has hinted that slimline models (like the G43X Gen 6) are in the pipeline, they are not part of the initial launch.
Yes. The Gen 6 is compatible with Gen 5 holsters. That new thumb rest was designed by removing material from the frame rather than adding width, so the pistol’s overall dimensions remain holster-friendly.
Yes. The Gen 6 uses standard Glock magazines, so your existing Gen 5 magazines will work.
Mostly no. While magazines are compatible, major internal parts like the barrel, slide, fire control system, and recoil spring are specific to the Gen 6 and cannot be swapped with older generations.
The Gen 6 is the new generation. The Gen V incorporates the internal changes only and is considered the “legacy” line. The Gen 6 shares the same rear slide geometry changes as the V Series. This design is intended to prevent the installation of aftermarket switches.
The old MOS plate system is gone. The Gen 6 uses a new Optics Ready System (ORS) where the red dot screws directly into the slide. It uses thin polymer spacer plates that act like “crush washers” to keep the optic secure.
No. For the 9mm models, Glock has returned to a single-stage recoil spring (similar to the Gen 3). Testing showed this simpler design is ultra-reliable and reduces potential failure points.
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