Glock G21 Gen5 MOS .45 ACP
Model: PA215S203MOS
Glock G21 Gen5 MOS .45 ACP
Model: PA215S203MOS
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Glock G21 Gen5 MOS is a full-size striker-fired .45 ACP built for duty use and home defense. It is the Gen5 version of Glock’s double-stack .45, and the MOS slide is cut at the factory for a red dot. It holds thirteen rounds, weighs 29.1 oz, and comes with three magazines in the case.
The MOS cut works through adapter plates, so the plate has to match the sight footprint before anything mounts. The Gen5 frame takes modular backstraps to change trigger reach, and the dust cover carries a rail for a light. Safety is passive throughout, with no manual lever anywhere, and the trigger breaks at 5.8 lb on every shot. At 8.07 inches overall and 1.38 inches wide it is a big gun in the hand, and the width is set by the double-stack .45 magazine.
If you're cross-shopping, the FN 545 MRD holds two more rounds on a shorter 4.1-inch barrel and arrives with four optic plates and a case, at an MSRP of $930. The Smith & Wesson M&P 45 M2.0 is the used-market striker-fired .45, with ten rounds, four palmswell inserts and a plain slide, so a dot there is machine work.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- At 29.1 oz it is lighter than both the FN 545 MRD and the Smith & Wesson M&P 45 M2.0.
- The barrel uses a 1:15.75 twist, Glock’s pitch for the .45 guns, in a carbon steel barrel finished the same as the slide.
- The frame is polymer over hardened steel guides, so the sliding surfaces that wear are steel.
- A dot sitting on an MOS plate rides higher than one in a milled slide, so the factory sights will not show through the optic window.
- No manual safety, which rules the gun out at ranges and workplaces that require one.
- With a magazine in place the gun stands 5.51 inches tall, and that height prints at the belt.
Category Rankings
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many magazines come with it?
Three 13-round magazines in the United States, along with the backstraps, loader, cleaning rod and case.
Does the MOS cut need an adapter plate?
Yes. The slide is cut for plates, and the plate has to match the sight footprint. An optic designed to bolt straight to a milled slide will not sit on it without the right plate.
What safeties does it have?
Three, all passive. A trigger safety, a firing pin safety and a drop safety, which release as the trigger is pulled and reset when it returns.
Is the frame the same as a 9mm Gen5 frame?
No. The .45 uses its own larger frame and magazine, so grip parts and magazines from the 9mm Gen5 guns do not carry across.
