The Glock 47, as part of an evolutionary line of Glock’s design excellence, has earned a reputation among U.S. border agents and, as of recently, now among civilians as well. Created about four years ago in anticipation of a CBP tender, the Glock 47 took the place of the HK P2000 in .40 S&W with the Glock Gen5 models (G26, G19, and G47) in 9x19mm caliber in 2020.
The G47 features a frame accepting a 17-round magazine and a barrel length of 114 mm. As an interesting note, the weapon’s abbreviated dust cover can accept the slide of the G19, in effect allowing it to be transformed into something similar to the Glock G45 MOS or G19X. Such versatility aside, this also meets logistical needs by allowing the use of shared parts such as the G19 dual recoil spring.
The functionality of the G47 carries over to the civilian market with the pistol being capable of using a shorter G19 interchangeable slide and barrel kit, made available through third-party retrofitters although Glock does not offer it officially. This aspect highlights the universal functionality of the G47, inviting prospective owners to bring in the pistol into their current Glock ecosystem, with holster compatibility even reaching out to G17 holsters and the same price point as the G17 MOS.
For most shooters, the Glock 47 or Glock 17 decision is a tough call. Both guns have great reliability, performance, and handling, but each is designed a bit differently. If you prefer modularity and can customize your gun, then the Glock 47 is perhaps the way to go. Its compatibility with the Glock 19 Gen5 and Glock 45 Gen5 parts enables high levels of customization, and its reduced dust cover leads to ease of handling.
