Released in early January, the Glock X Aimpoint collaborative project kind of took the industry by storm. It was a pistol and optic combination, where the optic was integrated into the slide via Aimpoint’s new A-CUT interface. Glock offered the G43X, G48, G19 Gen 5, G45, and G47 models with the COA optic and A-CUT interface. This was actually a smart and innovative move. It’s also something I expect to see more of in the future. However, recently, Glock has announced via its social channels that “all Glock COA models have been canceled for the civilian market indefinitely to fill military orders.” Interesting.
But Why?
Since this announcement, speculation has spread widely about the reasons behind it. At the forefront of that speculation is the troubled history of the Sig P320 series of handguns used by the military under the M17/18 designations. I won’t go into those details here, but a quick Google search will get you up to speed (if anything, this situation shows a tragic and gross mishandling of public affairs by one of the largest and most powerful players in the game). Glockstore, one of the biggest Glock customization companies and Glock dealers in the nation, posted this on their Instagram account:
“BREAKING NEWS: We’ve received news that all Glock COA models have been cancelled for the civilian market indefinitely to fill military orders. We don’t know if this means the US military or elsewhere but have heard rumors this could be related to the M17/P320.
We expect the limited remaining supply to go very quickly and that no new COA models will hit the market any time soon.”
Other outlets note that the joint agreement between Aimpoint and Glock ends in 2026, which means that different manufacturers could come to a licensing agreement with Aimpoint to mill A-CUT slides. The moral of the story is that it is doubtful this is a coincidence.
Zooming Out
The Glock COA shows real innovation for the first time in years. While many manufacturers constantly race to outdo each other, Glock focuses on improving its own products. Although we may find it difficult to label their pistol platforms as particularly innovative, the integration of an optic definitely marks a step forward. However, uncertainty surrounding the M17 and M18 platforms raises questions about whether Glock would discontinue a product intended for the public in favor of military contracts. Although we haven’t confirmed which military is involved, many people connect the dots. Ultimately, it seems that Glock may have the last laugh after all.
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