Gun Of The Week: Davidson’s Exclusive Gunsite Glock Service Pistol

by
posted on October 27, 2023
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Watch the above video to a closer look at the Gunsite Glock Service Pistol, Davidson's Exclusive Glock that’s been specially outfitted with features and accessories chosen by the elite team of trainers and shooters at Gunsite Academy.

TEXT ON IMAGE "GUN OF THE WEEK AMERICAN RIFLEMAN X" title screen dark background showing gunsite glock g45 davidson's exclusive pistol 9 mm

Davidson’s is one of the largest firearm distributors in the country, and it works with manufacturers to bring unique designs to market that you just can’t find anywhere else. For the Gunsite Glock Service Pistol, though, Davidson’s took a different approach. Instead of working just with Glock, Davidson’s also worked with Gunsite Academy, the famous firearm training facility founded by Col. Jeff Cooper, and the trainers there contributed their expert knowledge to the building of this service-ready sidearm.

Jeff Cooper vintage photo gunsite academy man drawing 1911 from holster text on image "GUN OF THE WEEK"

The Gunsite Glock Service Pistol is built on the Glock 45 format, which is billed as a “crossover” design. In short, this means the gun pairs a full-size frame like that found on the Glock 17 with a compact slide similar in dimension to that on a Glock 19. This allows for a full, generous grip frame and means the gun accepts flush-fit magazines with a 17-round capacity. The slide measures just under 7” long and houses a 4.02” barrel, the same barrel length found in the G19. Ultimately, this means the Gunsite Service Pistol will fit in all holsters sized for the Glock 19.

left-side view of Glock G45 exclusive pistol Holosun 509T red-dot closed emitter optic black 9 mm pistol

Another important note on this Davidson’s Exclusive is that it includes all of Glock’s Gen5 improvements, notably the Glock Marksman Barrel, which features tightened chamber specs and improved polygonal rifling that’s designed to make the gun more accurate. The pistol also includes bilateral slide-stop levers, no finger grooves on the front strap, a flared magazine well to speed reloads and interchangeable backstraps. Glock also fine-tuned its Safe Action system to produce a smoother trigger pull and shorten the trigger reset point.

Nine images arrangement tiles men shooting Glock G45 Gunsite Service Pistol closeup details 9 mm pistol

In this Davidson’s Exclusive, though, you’ll get all those features and more, because Gunsite’s instructors insisted on several enhancements to make this a fighting pistol. The slide is milled to accept micro red-dot optics, and each pistol ships with a Holosun HE509T X2 red-dot sight mounted directly to the slide and ready for use. This enclosed-emitter design is built for durability and longevity, thanks to a titanium housing and a 50,000-hour battery life, thanks to Holosun’s Super LED design and Solar failsafe. Gunsite also selected a Glock “minus connector” to reduce trigger-pull weight down to 4.5 lbs. The guns also come with a rounded magazine release used by the FBI on its service pistols, as well as a lanyard ring.

left-side view Davidson's Exclusive Glock 45 Gunsite Service Pistol MOS

Love them or hate them, Glock’s handguns are a proven design that just runs on the range, even in less-than-ideal conditions, and that was the case with ours. We certainly noticed the difference in trigger pull, and the Holosun red-dot sight made it easy to get on target and transition. One nice touch is the “API” serial number prefix, a nod to Cooper’s original American Pistol Institute. What’s more, this Gunsite Glock Service Pistol is a limited run, so it’s worth getting now before they’re gone.

Gunsite Glock Service Pistol Specifications
Distributor: GalleryofGuns.com
Action Type: recoil-operated, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Slide: steel; nDLC matte finish; optic-ready cut
Barrel: 4.02"
Frame: black polymer
Magazine: 17-round detachable box
Sights: Ameriglo tall adjustable, Holosun 509T
Overall Length: 7.44"
Weight: 21.73 ozs
MSRP: $1,274.99

Latest

Spandau Arms RL
Spandau Arms RL

Review: Spandau Arms RL

The Remington Model 700 lives on in the form of this RL bolt-action rifle produced in Turkey by Huglu and imported into the U.S. by Spandau Arms.

NRA Outstanding Achievement Youth Award Applications Open

The NRA is accepting applications for the 2027 NRA Outstanding Achievement Youth Award from junior shooting sports participants who demonstrate active involvement in their communities and in shooting sports.

The (Not So) Gray Man: Tips to Avoid Tacti-Cool & Blend into the Background

Being a true "gray man" is not flashy. It won’t get you followers or likes or nods from across the room. What it will get you is something far more valuable in the real world: freedom of movement. Reduced attention. Lower probability of being selected, targeted or remembered.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 28, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

How to Accurately Measure a Gun Barrel's Length

Measuring the actual length of a barrel might seem like a simple task, but there's an industry-standard (and legally required) method to accurately measuring the length of your firearm's barrel.

Winchester Ammunition Named Second-Source Provider for U.S. Army

Winchester Ammunition has once again been selected by the U.S. Army as the second-source provider for small-caliber rifle ammunition. The most recent contract covers 5.56 NATO, 7.62 NATO and .50 BMG cartridges.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.