Glock 35 pistol history, upgrades, and why you should buy it

Glock 35

The Glock 35 is Glocks Competition/Duty model chambered in .40 SW. The G35 features a long slide at 8.15” which gives you a longer sight radius. The longer sight radius is more accurate that the standard full-size Glock slides. This is coupled with a 5.31” barrel to make one of the most inherently accurate Glock pistols available. The Glock 35 slide comes with a top window cut into the slide to reduce the total weight of the slide and Glock OEM adjustable sights. The trigger system on the G35 is also upgraded with a lighter trigger to make it an even better option for competition shooters. All of these features may sound familiar because it is the .40 SW version of the Glock 34 which is one of our favorite Glock models.

Why .40 SW

The .40 SW is one of the most popular pistol calibers, but it is also maybe the most hotly debated. The best way to understand .40 SW is to take a quick look at the history of this caliber. The .40 SW was created at the request of the FBI when they were looking to upgrade their service weapon to a Semi-Automatic handgun. Their biggest concern was to achieve the terminal ballistics of a larger round, 10mm, without the hard to shoot recoil of this high-powered round. Smith and Wesson took on this challenge and created a smaller 10mm cartridge that would fit in their 9mm sized handgun but maintained the terminal ballistics that were very important to the FBI.

This new round was perfect for the FBI’s handgun needs and was quickly adopted by Glock and other handgun manufacturers. Surprisingly, even though Smith and Wesson were directly responsible for this new cartridge, Glock was the first manufacturer to bring a firearm to market utilizing the .40 SW. These new firearms were quickly picked up by law enforcement departments and individual shooters looking for a ballistic advantage in their handgun. For over 20 years .40 SW was the favorite amongst law enforcement agencies but with new advances in bullet technology the lower recoil 9mm has taken over the top spot. What does this mean for the individual shooter who is looking for a reliable and effective handgun?

The 9mm is an easier to shoot but less powerful round that has benefited from better ballistic technology in modern bullets. This has made it a favorite for many shooters but the .40SW still has the same benefits that made it the kind for 2 decades. While bullet technology has advantaged the 9mm it has done the same for the .40 SW. If you are a good shooter and have good recoil control the .40 SW is very controllable and still has a ballistic advantage over 9mm.

Why the Glock 35

The Glock 35 is our favorite .40 SW handgun due mainly to its size. The full-size gen 4 Glock frame is an easy to shoot and control grip. This frame also has a great capacity for .40 SW with 15 round flush magazines and plenty of options for extended magazines and magazine extensions. The most important aspect of the G35’s size is the long slide and barrel. The added weight of the slide and barrel helps to reduce muzzle flip and felt recoil, which is a great feature on a .40 SW handgun. The G35 also benefits from the vast aftermarket options for the G17/22 firearms. Parts for these models except for the barrels will fit a G35 making it a very easy to customize and improve handgun. From Compensators to Magwells and sights, the options for the G35 are virtually endless.

The Glock 35 does have its deficiencies to go along with the long list of benefits though. The size of the handgun does make it a one trick pony of sorts. Apart from duty and competition use it is unlikely that this would be the handgun of choice. You are much more likely to find the G35 on someone’s nightstand than carried regularly in a holster. We constantly talk up the G19/23 as the best all around handgun that Glock (or anyone else) makes, the G35 is not a contender for that position. Rather the G35 is very good at the purpose it was built for, better shot accuracy and recoil control. When you are looking for your next full-size handgun, we would highly suggest taking a look at the G35.