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Glock 21


Semi-Automatic Pistol


Austria | 1990



"The Glock 21 was based on the Glock 20 but firing the large American .45 ACP cartridge."

Physical
The physical qualities of the Glock 21. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
193 mm
7.60 in
O/A Length
117 mm
4.61 in
Barrel Length
1.62 lb
0.74 kg
Weight
Recoil / Double - Safe Action
Action
.45 ACP
Caliber(s)
13-Round Box Magazine
Feed
Front; Rear
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Glock 21 Semi-Automatic Pistol family line.
Glock 21 - Base Series Designation
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/22/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Glock 21 (Glock GmbH of Austria) was essentially the Glock 20 model modified for the US market to fire the .45 ACP. The .45 ACP (or ".45 Auto") cartridge was a rimless cartridge developed by American gunsmith John Browning in 1904. The .45 ACP was featured in the legendary Colt M1911 semi-automatic pistol which became a staple of the US Army in 1911. The large cartridge proved effective enough though at the expense of its low-energy performance. Nevertheless, the Glock 21 existed to feed a market need for a police sidearm and general self-defense weapon.

The Glock 21 featured a larger frame than previous Glock iterations and appeared in production form in 1990. The Glock 20 frame was used as the starting point for the Glock 21, making room for a new magazine to take on the larger round as well as a new slide. The barrel featured an octagonal bore as opposed to the hexagonal types featured in other Glocks. The grip was enlarged to accept the new magazine which made the new Glock 21 comfortable in the grip of "large-handed" individuals. The standard magazine was of 13-rounds, this once again, due to the larger cartridges and these cartridges had to be staggered within the magazine. Like other semi-automatic pistols, the magazine was inserted into the base of the handgrip. Unloaded weight was 26.28 ounces. Length was 7.59 inches with a barrel length of 4.61 inches.

Externally, the Glock 21 looked very much like Glock 20 with the most notable exception being the enlarged grip.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Glock 21. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Glock GmbH - Austria
National flag of Greece National flag of the United States

[ Greece; United States ]
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Image of the Glock 21
Right side view of the Glock 21 semi-automatic pistol

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