As readers of this website may know, I’m a fan of polymer framed pistols such the Springfield XD, and those manufactured by Glock. This is my review of the Glock 22, which is chambered for my favorite pistol caliber, .40 S&W.
Basics
The Glock 22 is a polymer framed pistol, chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge. The Glock 22 measures 7.3 inches long, 5.4 inches tall, and almost 1.2 inches wide. Weighing about 23 ounces empty, this is a rather lightweight pistol. Magazine capacity options are either 10, 15, or 17 rounds. Rather than using a traditional hammer, such as the Springfield 1911 employs, the Glock 22 is hammerless with an internal striker. The build quality on this Glock lives up to what people have come to expect from all Glocks.
A Little Brother (The Glock 23)
The Glock 23, which is more compact, is also chambered for .40 S&W. This “little brother” of the Glock 22 shares many of the same parts as the Glock 22. Indeed, given the similarity between the various Glock models, much of this review (except the kB! issue discussed below) applies to almost every Glock pistol.
Safety Features
Like other Glocks, the Glock 22 uses Glock’s Safe Action trigger system. This system involves a trigger safety, which requires that the trigger be pulled from the center in order to fire. This way, a trigger that is caught on a holster, clothing, etc. is less likely to result in an unintentional discharge. The Safe Action system also includes a striker block, which prevents the striker from moving forward to fire the gun until the trigger has been pulled back. Finally, the striker itself is kept only partially cocked, until the trigger is pulled by the user. There is no other external safety.
Ergonomics & Grip Angle
The Glock 22’s design is similar to that of other Glocks, in that the grip angle is a bit steeper than that used by some other manufacturers. I don’t find this steep grip angle to be a problem per se, but I do prefer the grip angle on pistols such as the Springfield XD. That said, I have no problem firing the Glock 22, and there are plenty of people who feel the opposite way then me, preferring the Glock grip angle. The finger indentations on the current generation of Glock 22 don’t bother me, although I know of some people who dislike them, and prefer a grip without such indentations.
Firing the Glock 22
There is not all that much I can say about firing the Glock 22, which is a good thing, because it means the firing was uneventful. Accuracy was fine, and I’m sure that for 99% of the people reading this review, almost any handgun won’t be the limiting factor insofar as accuracy is concerned. Since this is a relatively light weight pistol, the recoil was a bit more brisk than with heavier pistols chambered for this same caliber. That is not to say that recoil was in any way a problem, and I enjoy shooting the Glock 22. Even my somewhat-recoil-sensitive girlfriend enjoyed the Glock 22.
kB! (Kaboom)
Some people have reported a “kB!” with their Glocks chambered for calibers larger than 9mm, such as .40 S&W or .45 ACP. What is a kB! ? It is a shortened form of “kaBOOM!”, which refers to when a Glock experiences a sudden and catastrophic failure in the cartridge casing’s wall, causing the hot gases to escape from the chamber. The result is often a destroyed gun, and sometimes an injured shooter. Some people blame the partially unsupported chamber in large caliber Glocks for this issue. Glock asserts that their guns are safe, and that it is users firing either hand loaded ammunition with too much gunpowder, or improper (unjacketed lead) ammunition. In any event, failures such as a kB! are quite rare, and can certainly happen to guns other than Glocks. I wouldn’t allow such a concern to prevent me from purchasing a Glock chambered for .40 S&W, 10mm Auto, or .45 ACP.
Conclusion
The Glock 22 (and Glock 23 too) is a fine pistol, chambered for .40 S&W. Those, like me, who prefer polymer framed pistols will be especially happy with the Glock 22. While I personally prefer the Springfield XD, mainly due to the grip safety and shallower grip angle, the Glock 22 is certainly worth considering.
I have a very serious question for you. I don’t know ANYTHNG about guns and would like some information. Please contact me as soon as possible. Thank You
Stephanie:
I would suggest taking a look at the articles here, as they may help answer your question: http://www.learnaboutguns.com/category/information-for-beginners/
If not, my contact information can be seen here: http://www.learnaboutguns.com/2008/03/19/contact-the-author-of-this-site/
I bought the Glock 22 .40 Handgun. I haven’t had a chance to shoot it yet. All 12 of my handguns load good.
Now this Glock magazine loader is terrible. It took me 1 day to finally get it full with the plastic loading piece and trying going to the second I can only go up to three rounds and I can’t go further. Original glock magazine along with same loading guide. What do I do about this?
All excited about trying the unit but can’t load it. Your turn.
You’ve got to be kidding!This gun’s magazine is EASY to load with your fingers.Who needs the plastic thing?Even my wife could load it by hand and she ALWAYS has major problems loading semi-auto mags.My advice is to keep trying(use thumb to hold down spring and insert bullets with thumb and forefinger of other hand).You should get it fairly quickly.Of course,I’m assuming you are experienced at loading these type mags and possess the hand strength to do so.If you are not used to it you have to build up your hand strength.
I dont OWN a glock, at least not yet. I borrowed a freinds G22 .40 to try out. Liked everything about it except it felt like I was holdind a 2×4 in my hand. Bad ergonomics. Guess thts why I call 'em "blocks" instead of "glocks. One thing you cant argue with Glock about is dependability.
The best advice I can give, is hold different guns in your hand yourself before buying. I'd say stay away from Taurus, Bersa, Hi-point, or S&W sigma. But make ABSOLUTLY sure you hold an XD or an XDM before making your decision.
I have the same issue with Glocks – the grip is just… well… ugh. After firing a magazine-full, my hand didn't like it at all. I own a PX4 in .40 and i can shoot it all day without any discomfort. I have friends with an XD and S&W MP in .40 and those are also very easy on the hand.
I just got my Glock 22 .40 and I have nothing to complain about. The recoil was nothing, the loading was easy. I shoot 125 bullets thru my gun in less than an hour and that was with loading (3) 15 round magizines and talking between rounds. It shot perfect and hit dead on everytime. Not even close to a 2×4.
The Glock22 is a good all-around combat pistol; it's reliable, accurate, lightweight, few moving parts, easy to work on. The only real disadvantages it has is the receiver is only good for about a decade as the plastics break down over time. You will not be able to store a Glock in a box for 50 years, take it out, and fire it without it breaking; if you seal the glock in a preservative such as grease then you're fine; most plastic polymers aren't self-reacting.
The big reason I bought the 22 was for round interchangeability; you can buy a Glock 22 and change out only the barrel and mag then shoot 9mm, 357 and 40. In a situation where law and order breaks down, one must use what they find. Having a gun that you can change caliber's on, that is light weight, and the mod parts are even lighter is a handy thing. Plus you can switch to your 9mm for range plinking practice. I don't know of any other handgun that can do this.
The 40 S&W Hollow points have similar stopping power to ball 45 colt, which is impressive for the recoil; they've been known to leave ash-tray sized welts in their targets.
Serious myths
I own two Glock 22's. THere is something unusual about the barrel that must be understood to avoid catastrophic failures. I am an instructor, so listen close.
From Wikipedia:
The hammer-forged barrel has a polygonal profile with a six-segment right-hand twist. Each depressed segment within the interior of the barrel is the equivelant of a groove in a conventional barrel. Thus the interior of the barrel consists of six smooth arcs of steel rather than six sharply defined slots. The stabilization of the round is not by conventional rifling, utilizing lands and grooves, but rather through a polygonal profile consisting of a series of six small arcs connected by flat surfaces. The method by which Glock barrels are rifled is somewhat unusual; instead of using a traditional broaching machine to cut the rifling into the bore, the Glock process involves beating a slowly rotating mandrel through the bore to obtain the hexagonal shape. As a result, the barrel's thickness in the area of each groove is not compromised as with conventional square-cut barrels. This also has the advantage of providing a better gas seal around the projectile as the bore has a slightly smaller diameter, which translates into more efficient use of the combustion gases trapped behind the bullet, greater consistency in velocities, increased accuracy and ease of maintenance.
So, with all of that said, why?
Easy. DO NOT EVER use lead ammunition in your Glock, regardless of caliber or date of manufacture. Lead is a soft metal and will expand, trapping the rapidly expanding gases in the barrel resulting is a catastrophic malfunction. I spoke with a police officer and fellow instructor who had a barrel rupture the week before we spoke. He was unhurt, but the possiblity of injury is huge!
I just purchased the glock 22 myself…I also have a hard time loading the clip…bought it used…im new to guns so question…you say to not use lead ammunition…How do you know if your ammo is lead? I bought one box of ammo…magtech…Im looking all over the box and dont see anywere that is says lead…if you have lead ammo will it say it on the box?
When people say lead bullets they mean unjacketed ones i.e. one where the lead of the bullet is not coated with a layer of copper. The propper ammunition to use with Glocks is full metal jacket rounds (FMJs) and jacketed hollow points (JHPs).
I didn’t know Glock had clips. Mine came with a magazine
Lead ammo isn’t covered with a copper jacket so it looks like lead a gray metal
Do not buy a .40 Glock. Mine went KaBoom. The gun was 2 months old and the ammo was new factory (not reloaded-or lead). Glock will not help or replace the gun. I'm saving up to buy another gun..won't be a Glock.
I bet you anything you had a 40 cal bullet that got a set back, I CCW this gun and realized to never chamber and unchamber the same round, eventually it'll set back into the case and double the pressure… it happens to HK's as well
I got a good friend who is a gun smith, He has
never in 26 years heard of a kabum in a glock, Im not saying it dont happen, I just never ran into that ever, I carry a model 21, 45 caliber, I never chamber a pistol, I mean never, I was also a police officer for 7 years, I carried a beretta 92f i never chambered a weapon even as a cop, Thats a accident waiting to happen
I own a 22 and I must say, the greatest gun I have EVER owned. It is very good in my hand, fires beautifully, never jams. A friend of mine and I went out shooting, his Colt 9mm kept jamming after every fire. This gun is the best! It's now my CCW weapon…
My personal protection CCW is the Phoenix HP22
I have heard that the Glock 22 Gen4 is Ambi . Which is what I'm looking for in a handgun . How do left handed people feel about it ? Are they left haned friendly ?