The Allentown Police Department in Pennsylvania has moved its patrol and duty sidearm from Sig Sauer to the Glock 19 Gen5, according to a Glock's press release dated June 20, 2019. The department had carried its Sig Sauer pistols for 12 years before making the switch.
What Was Announced
Glock said Allentown PD transitioned to the GLOCK 19 Gen5 after testing and evaluating several options. Chief of Police Tony Alsleben said the old service pistol was heavy, outdated, and hard to train with, which led the department to research alternatives. Glock notes that Allentown is Pennsylvania's third-largest city, with a population over 120,000, and that its police academy has trained more than 2,850 officers from 187 municipalities.
Key Details
- Pistol: GLOCK 19 Gen5
- Replaced: Sig Sauer pistols, carried for 12 years
- Stated reasons: Lower weight, easier training, and better qualification scores
- Gen5 features cited by Glock: GLOCK Marksman Barrel with enhanced polygonal rifling and an improved barrel crown, removal of finger grooves, and an ambidextrous slide-stop lever
- Design lineage: Glock says the Gen5 is a variation of the M pistol the FBI selected
What It Means for Gun Owners
Glock's release presents this as a training and performance story. Officers at the Allentown Police Academy reported that shooters who scored lower with their previous pistols were shooting near-perfect scores with the Gen5, including many who had never fired a Glock before. Those claims come from Glock and the department, and the release does not include independent data or the actual qualification numbers. Still, the account suggests that a lighter, simpler-to-run pistol can change results for mixed groups of shooters.
Bottom Line
A large Pennsylvania department choosing the Glock 19 Gen5 after a formal evaluation is a notable data point for the duty-pistol market. The release is a manufacturer announcement, so treat the performance praise as the company's account rather than verified results.
