GForce Arms is most widely known for its Turkish manufactured and imported affordable shotguns. These shotguns can be seen everywhere these days and seem to occupy at least half of the shelves at your favorite firearms retailer. The GF9 Rapture, though, is not a shotgun and is made right here in the USA by GForce Arms in Reno, Nev.
The Rapture is polymer-frame, striker-fired clone of a Glock G26. For those who don’t know, the Glock G26 is the subcompact 9 mm offering from the Austrian juggernaut and is affectionately referred to as the “baby Glock.” The uniqueness of this pistol is what intrigued me the most, along with the feature set and price point. There aren’t many baby Glock clones out there, so I wanted to see how this one performed.
The GF9 is a feature-packed little back-up pistol. It comes in your choice of black or two-tone with a very nice brushed-nickel-colored slide. The stippling on the GF9 is aggressive and travels all the way up the frame instead of stopping short like so many others. That same aggressive stippling also carries towards the front of the pistol in the form of ambidextrous thumb rests or finger indexing points. The grip of the GF9 itself is designed with a more 1911-style, 90-degree angle for those who prefer that over the Glock's aggressively canted grip shape. It also seems to be a slightly longer grip, with ample room for your pinky finger.
Be aware that the angle of the grip is what makes the GF9 NOT compatible with G26 magazines. You will have to purchase GForce magazines, which are constructed of steel and seem very durable. I can confidently state that I had no issues concerning quality or function with these magazines. Slide serrations both forward and aft are deeply cut for more positive racking of the slide or press-checking. Both the reversible magazine release, and the disassembly levers are extended and textured, which are very welcome design choices. Ergonomically, this pistol feels good in the hand, has positive grip and features controls that are easy to use.
Let’s talk about the trigger. On the website, the “Rapture” is pictured and listed as having an ergonomic “flat-faced” trigger shoe. While that would be a very welcome feature, my pistol came with a classic curved Glock trigger with those strange ridges that I’ve always found to be uncomfortable. When I reached out to ask about that discrepancy, I was informed the GF9 would no longer come equipped with the flat trigger. So, if you buy this pistol with hopes of a flat trigger, be aware that you will likely not receive one. Luckily though, the GF9 is compatible with most GEN3 G26 parts, so a trigger can be dropped right in.
Aside from the form of the trigger, the function is not much better. Both the trigger itself and the trigger safety lever are heavy. With my Lyman trigger gauge, I measured a 6-pound average break. Depressing the trigger safety lever itself was a chore, measuring at about 1 pound, 12 ounces. The only issue I had with the function of the trigger was with the safety. Because it was so heavy, it caused several occasions of trigger freeze, which led me to believe there was a malfunction when there wasn’t. I just wasn’t depressing the safety all the way. This is something that can be trained through but was still a bit annoying. If I had to describe this trigger in four words: worst Glock trigger ever.
The Sighting Set-Up
The steel front and rear sights contain red and green fiber-optic tubes. I have no qualms with the basic sights; they worked. The GF9 Rapture also comes factory-cut for an RMR or RMSc pattern optic. I chose to mount a Holosun EPS Carry with the RMSc cut, and it fit perfectly in place as it should with no plate needed. The problem arose when I tried to secure it to the slide. None of the screws included with the Holosun would work. Any other screw I tried was much too large in diameter.
I contacted GForce's customer service, and they informed me that the thread pitch was 4-40. I then ordered a pack of assorted length 4-40 screws, and to my surprise, they were all much too large again. Somehow, they provided me with the wrong information. After weeks of back and forth with their customer service, I finally was notified the true thread size “M 2x0.4” which are the tiniest little screws for optic mounting I’ve ever seen. I was graciously sent a pack of those size screws, which worked, and I was finally able to mount my optic. Because of the obscurity of the screws, I was informed the mounting screws would be included in the box, moving forward.
Function Testing
The gun was snappy, and after 100 or so rounds, it began to hurt my hand. I personally had some hot-spots, but that might not be the case for everyone. My initial groups were fairly large and erratic, even from a rest. Something about the GF9 was really beating my hand up. I used a glove to finish my groups, and that helped my shooting performance significantly. Over the course of about 500 rounds and different trips to the range, I only had two early malfunctions: one light-primer strike and one failure to fully extract. The gun was not the most enjoyable to shoot, but it was reliable, and that is important. GForce Arms recommends a 200 round break-in period, but I found the pistol to perform almost flawlessly right out of the box.
All in all, for the price-point, the GF9 is an absolute value. If you’re shopping on a budget, the Rapture would suffice as a reliable back-up or even a main carry. Parts and accessories are easy to acquire for upgrades or repairs. Holster compatibility would not be an issue either. Don’t forget, it’s also optic-ready, although I do worry somewhat about the durability of those tiny optic mounting screws. I would make sure to co-witness with the back-up sights for peace of mind. If you don’t mind a heavy trigger and some snappy recoil, the GF9 Rapture is a great option for a baby Glock on the cheap.
GForce Arms GF9 Rapture Specifications
Manufacturer: GForce Arms
Action: locked-breech, delayed-recoil, centerfire pistol
Caliber: 9 mm
Capacity: 10+1 or 12+1 rounds
Barrel: 3.25 inches long, black nitride
Sights: Steel with fiber-optic inserts/RMSc optic cut
Trigger Pull Weight: 6 pounds
Length: 6.6 inches
Width: 1.1 inches
Height: 5.1 inches
Weight: 22.4 ounces (empty)
Accessories: 10-round magazine, extra backstrap, pin punch, sticker, optic cover plate, owner's manual, lock
MSRP: $240
