EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: The New German GLOCK 46
Last week TFB reported that German state police had adopted a new Glock pistol to replace the SIG P6 (P225). The new Glock 46, however, is no ordinary Glock, introducing some interesting new features to the classic Glock we’ve all come to know and love.
Thanks to an anonymous source, TFB can now bring you some exclusive photographs of the new pistol and we’re able to learn a little more about the new GLOCK’s design. Traditionally GLOCK pistols have used John Browning’s tilting barrel locking action, the new Glock 46, however, utilizes a rotating barrel. This was done to meet the German police’s specific technical specifications.
The GLOCK 46, like other Gen 5 GLOCKs, has interchangeable back straps and no finger grooves but also has a much more pronounced beavertail at the rear of the frame. One of the most interesting features is the new slide cover plate that projects out the rear of the slide, which one first glance looks a lot like the full auto cover plate seen on Glock 17 conversions, but in fact is instrumental to the new pistol’s take down process.
In the photograph of the pistol disassembled above we can see a couple of interesting features. First, the striker assembly is attached to the slide cover plate. It appears that in order to avoid having to pull the trigger during disassembly, the striker in the Glock 46 can now be removed through the back of the slide by rotating the catch on the slide cover plate.
Another important change we can see in this photograph is that unlike the photographs first released back in 2017, the barrel now has two pairs of opposing lugs on the barrel rather than one, no doubt to improve durability. We can also see the pistol’s small frame-mounted safety, which is likely ambidextrous, but the pistol retains the standard Glock trigger safety paddle.
While Glock have stated that the pistol was developed solely to fulfil the German police pistol requirement, the no trigger pull disassembly procedure would probably also be popular with law enforcement agencies and militaries around the world.
As a reminder, GLOCK has no plans to bring the G46 to any other markets at this time.
Check out our earlier article on the adoption of the Glock 46 by Saxony-Anhalt’s state police.
Managing Editor: TheFirearmBlog.com & Overt Defense.com. Matt is a British historian specialising in small arms development and military history. He has written several books and for a variety of publications in both the US and UK. Matt is also runs The Armourer's Bench, a video series on historically significant small arms. Here on TFB he covers product and current military small arms news. Reach Matt at: matt@thefirearmblog.com
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I like that you don't have to pull the trigger to disassemble it now- I've always preferred to disassemble my guns still loaded.
What is to be gained with the rotating barrel?
Is it just the German fascination with making anything mechanical as complex as possible?