HOPING FOR A GLOCK SURPRISE AT THE SHOT SHOW 2013

As much as I like shooting many other handguns, and carrying other guns for self defense, it's hard to deny the reliability and durability I've experienced with Glock. Not everyone is a Glock fanboy or girl, but so many of my friends and the professionals who are issued Glocks by their agencies have similarly wonderful experiences with Glock pistols.

Pull trigger, goes bang. That is the true perfection of the Glock. The reliability.

I've always thought it cool that a group of engineers and designers who were not, as I understand it, firearms industry folks, gathered in the early 1980's and designed what is still the basic Glock pistol.

It's been a long time since Glock introduced a new product. Really, they've made a very few pistol models in several calibers, and the only real difference other than scale and size is the Model 36 single stack .45 ACP introduced 12 or so years ago.

That's a long time.

Most Glock folks thought that perhaps a 9mm single stack might one day appear, perhaps significantly thinner than any Glock that came before it.

Likewise, lots of us have wanted to see a similarly thin .22 LR version (not a conversion from a centerfire pistol) of the Glock.

There's also been talk of Glock carbines, which is not an idea I'm opposed to. I'd hope it would be hip and happening and up to date and function with the same flawless reliability my Glocks have functioned with.

I'd love to see a Glock .22 Carbine with a 50 round staggered stick magazine. Yes, I said a .22 carbine. Everyone but Glock seems to have some kind of .22 on the market.

I'd like a .22 carbine weighing in about 5 pounds or less, and maybe in a quasi-bullpup design since the mag is behind the trigger already if using the Glock pistol firing mechanism.

And the same gun in 9mm and .40 cal with taking Glock 19/17/26 mags.

A Steyr Aug looking Glock bullpup carbine would be a mighty fine thing to see.

Or even, wait for it...some kind of tactical shotgun. Something REALLY cool and innovative and, well, Glock-like.

Instead, over the years, we get unique calibers like .45 GAP, restyled and now somewhat replaceable (but not really significantly reduced) hand grip back straps, different types of compensator's and barrel lengths and such that are modifications rather than new models really.

I was excited in the mid-90's when Glock introduced their sub-compact line, and knew that the thin-line Glocks had to be right around the corner. True, the Model 36 is thinner and smaller than the Model 21, but it's the same size as the Model 19. They fit the same holsters, or at least every holster I've tried them in. So the Model 36 is basically a Model 19 sized .45 auto.

Nothing wrong with that. The Model 36 is one of my favorite pistols, for both carry and outdoors use. Highly concealable in an IWB holster with most clothing. Shoots CCI shotshells like a dream. It's a great snake gun, and if it falls in the water, one, it's easy to take down and clean and two, it'll still fire if the ammo is well made and of good quality.

So I hope to see some cool Glock news during the next week. Something really different.