Glock 35| Authoritative Review of the Competition Shooter

The Glock 35 is a competition style pistol created for competitors in the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), National Rifle Association (NRA) competitions, and the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA). The Glock 35 (G35) is made with an incredibly light polymer frame, with an extra-long slide, to increase the line of sight to increase accuracy at further distances. On top of the slide, there is a cut-out exposing the top of the barrel to decrease the weight of the gun. All other Glock’s we’ve reviewed are 9mm pistols, and as we all know, the .40mm S&W provides much more kick than any 9mm. With this in mind, the most impressive attribute of this gun is its ability to maintain pinpoint accuracy shot after shot with a more powerful bullet.

Specs:

Pros:

• Very light trigger pull weight for a .40 S&W
• Lightweight frame
• great mag capacity
• Very accurate (designed for competition)
• Best shot after shot accuracy of any Glock and best alternative to the best competitive pistol (STI Guns)
• The cut-out on top of the slide is a great weight saving addition

Cons:

• On the expensive end for a Glock
• The gun is too big to conceal

Features:

• Interchangeable Backstraps
• Enlarged Reversible Magazine Catch
• Dual Recoil Spring Assembly
• Rough Textured Polymer Frame with Flate Dark Earth Finish
• Three 15-Round Magazines

Why You Should Buy the Glock 35

The G35 would be an amazing gun for anyone to own, but I think competitive shooters and law enforcement are its target consumers. The G35 is very big and difficult to conceal and wouldn’t be comfortable or even feasible for many civilians to conceal carry this gun. Law enforcement pros are switching to this gun over the standard Glock 22 due to it’s follow up shot accuracy and stopping power. One thing to consider is the G35 is a much bigger gun but has its upside, which we discuss below.

Where Can I Buy the G35?

The G35 is best purchased from a licensed dealer who can offer a warranty and assure you the legality is met from this sensitive purchase. I would normally recommend Palmetto State Armory because they offer great warranties, veteran, and law enforcement discounts on all of their products. Another great option is RK Guns, especially if you live in a rural area and want to order and pick it up at the store. If you’d like to take your chances with a used gun, I would go with Armslist or Gun Broker. If I had to choose between the two, I’d go with Armlist every time over Gun Broker, but you could find some great deals on both websites.

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Glock 35 VS. Glock 22

The Glock 22 has historically been known as the go-to for service pistols in law enforcement worldwide due to it’s stopping power, weight, and performance.  The Glock 22 is only a Gen 4 pistol, so it doesn’t include all the great modifications that the Gen 5 pistols have. The G35 is a newer, bigger pistol that has all the features of the Gen 5 with a weight-reducing slide cut-out. The G35 is one full inch longer than G22 and weighs more than 1/10 of a pound more than the G22. The G35 is probably not going to replace the G22 for most officers due to its increased size and lack of concealed carry options. However, I urge all officers and military to try this gun out and give it a chance, because of the performance and reliability of it.

Specs:

What is the Best .40mm S&W Ammo?

The best ammo in .40mm S&W  is going to depend on the gun you use and if your gun operates better under a heavier or lighter bullet. For a .40mm S&W, I wouldn’t recommend anything other than a 168gr or 180gr bullet because it could affect the feeding of the rounds into the chamber if it’s too light of a round. In my .40 S&W, I normally shoot with Federal or Winchester and prefer to go heavier in Federal and lighter in Winchester.

FEDERAL 40 S&W 180GR FMJ CHAMPION AMMUNITION

The Federal Champion Ammunition is my go-to for the shooting at the range and plinking, while I would go with the Winchester for personal defense and competition shooting. Federal is known as one of the best and most trusted ammunition companies in the world, so you can never really go wrong with their brand. This 180 Grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) has a symmetrical expansion upon impact and can be accurately fired up to about 35 yards before significant bullet drop. I strongly believe that you often get what you pay for in just about anything in life, but especially ammo.

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WINCHESTER USA READY .40 S&W 165 GR 50 ROUNDS AMMUNITION

Winchester is one of the most storied gun manufacturing companies in our nation’s history, and one of the big reasons for their success is Customer Service. My absolute favorite thing about Winchester ammo is every box of ammo comes with a Lot Number that you can look up right here. It Gives all data on ballistics, velocity, pressure, and accuracy-related to your box of ammo. I would use this type of ammo for competition because the match-grade primer and flathead FMJ increases the accuracy of the shot for every round fired.

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WINCHESTER 40 S&W 165GR PDX1 PISTOL AMMUNITION

I currently carry this ammo in my Glock 22 and would recommend this to anyone as a self-defense bullet, carried as a concealed weapon. At 1140 fps and 476 ft. lbs., this round is designed to hit like a sledgehammer and destroy anything organic in its path. Specially designed for added velocity and less felt recoil, this round will help you stay accurate in the most stressful moment of your life. I can ensure you that nobody will be left standing after being hit with this bullet without advanced body armor.

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Glock 35 Accessories

As with any gun you could ever own, making it fit you and your personal comfort is incredibly important to maximizing your effectiveness as a shooter. Luckily, Glock can accommodate as many owners as possible with the selection of sights, lasers, and hand grips. Anytime you’re going to carry a .40mm S & W  pistol, you’re excepting the amount of power and recoil. If you can add an accessory to your pistol that will help with control and maintaining accuracy, then you should do what you have to do.

Foxx Grips -Gun Grips

I like the Fox Grips for my bigger handguns because they fit so tight that it doesn’t increase the width of the pistol grip and only takes a few minutes to install. This grip is designed to add maintained comfort with your hands by making it non-abrasive. You don’t have to worry about wearing gloves to avoid chafing your hands on a rugged pistol grip or cramping because the Fox Grip feels smooth and strong. Make sure you pay attention and order the one specific to your Glock because they are custom-fitted to each model.

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Crimson Trace LG-637 Lasergrips Red Laser Sight Grips for GLOCK Full-Size Pistols

Many pistol owners like to have laser sights on their pistols to give them better target identification and hip fire speed in a life or death situation. Personally, I find them distracting me from my fundamentals of firing a pistol, such as stance, grip, aiming, and breathing. However, if you prefer a laser on your pistol, this red laser is the brightest beam you can use by federal law. I like this laser because it sets on the grip, so you don’t have to break your grip to activate the light, and the laser turns on immediately as your pistol is held in a firing position. This light will easily reach up to 50 feet, lasts up to 4 hours, and has an adjustable windage and elevation knob to adapt to any environment you find yourself in.

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TRUGLO Tritium Handgun Glow-in-the-Dark Night Sights

I don’t care what company it is, replacing your stock sights with TRUGLO Night Sights is a good idea for any time of day in any environmental condition. I have night sights on all 3 of my pistols and wouldn’t go back to regular standard-issue stocks if I had to. My favorite part is the glow in the dark dot on the rear and front sights that require no charging or battery. As someone with bad eyes, this illumination factor is incredibly helpful to me as I have harder times seeing in low-light than I used to. For those who want this as your primary care pistol for LE or for concealed-carry, it’s designed to be completely snag-proof on any holster rated for the Glock 35.

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Conclusion

The Glock 35 is chambered in a .40mm S&W and is specifically designed for competition shooters and law enforcement officers. For anyone carrying the Glock 22, the G35 is a larger version that has all the features of the Gen 5 models and built with less weight and felt recoil. Using Federal or Winchester ammo for your competition or self-defense purposes will get you the most out of your experience. You’ll notice the G35 is easier to handle under fire than the G22, and adding a Fox Grip and TRUGLO Night Sights will give you better control and vision for your moment.