The Mysteriously Outlawed Glocks

No, I' not referring to the fully automatic G18 or even the infamous Glock 7 from the movie Die Hard 2. I'm talking about the G25 and the G28. The two production Glock models that are only available to Law Enforcement in the United States.

If you look at the chart of production models Glock has on their website, you'll notice the G25 & G28, chambered in .380 ACP, are grayed out and listed "Law Enforcement Only." That has never made any sense to me. Why is a .380 ACP Glock off limits to civilians in the United States?

That is a common question on the Glock ID forum. So common, in fact I have a reply saved on my computer so I can copy and paste it and save the typing. It was also the very first question I asked when I joined the forum.

Seems weird don't it? Glocks ranging in caliber from 9mm to 10mm are available to any one in the general public who can legally own a handgun, but the .380ACP can only be sold to Law Enforcement. The lowly .380ACP? A caliber that many people consider to be on the extreme low end of what should be considered acceptable for a self defense round, only suitable for LE. Doesn't make much sense does it.

The reason is because of BATFE (ATF) import laws. Basically firearms imported into the U.S. need to meet a"points" requirement before they can be allowed into the country. Here is a link to the "scoresheet" the ATF uses for handguns. The G25 scores just a mere 2 points shy of being legal with a73 and the G28 scores a 68. In fact, the 9mm "Baby Glock" G26 just squeaks by with the minimum required 75 points.

Now there are some people who think if the G25 and G28 were made in the Glock facility in Smyrna, Georgia, so the import laws would not apply, they would be a huge seller here in the States. I just don't see it.

Here is my canned reply to that: There would really be very little demand. The whole advantage of a .380ACP is they can be fired from a smaller, more concealable gun. The .380ACP Glocks are the exact same size, capacity, and price as the 9mm Glocks. Since the G25 & G28 are a blow back design, the recoil is pretty much the same too. If one got a .380ACP Glock they would only be shooting a weaker yet more expensive round than the otherwise identical 9mm Glock.

The Case of the Mysteriously Outlawed Glocks is an outstanding example of some of the stupidity on our gun laws. The whole "points" system came about to try to stop the import of cheap throw away guns, thinking it would curb gun violence. The Glock models 25 and 28 are targeted for civilians in country where it is illegal to own handguns in a military caliber, like the 9mm.

So what this law does is ban basically the only Glock some people who live in countries with stricter gun control laws can legally own. Brilliant!