The rumor mill is at full tilt.
GLOCK quietly rolled out a new “V” series back in April, a handful of legacy models are being sunset, and California is moving to block new GLOCK sales after July 1, 2026.
Cue the internet outrage machine.
On a recent U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) discussion, Ed Combs and Kevin Michalowski tried to slow the stampede, separate facts from fury, and answer the big question: is GLOCK actually in trouble – or just evolving under political and market pressure?
Their answer leaned heavily toward the latter.
California’s Ban Lights The Fuse
Michalowski opens with the headline-grabber: California’s plan to ban the sale of new GLOCK pistols after July 1, 2026.
He calls it exactly what it is – a political move dressed up as a public-safety fix. The trigger was the spread of illegal “GLOCK switches,” tiny devices that can convert a semi-auto pistol into a machine gun. Those devices are already illegal. The criminals using them already ignore the law.
“So the state’s solution,” Michalowski says, “is to block new GLOCK sales – as if on July 2nd the switches magically vanish from gang hands.”
Combs agrees. If the goal is to curb criminal misuse, target the criminals and the importers of illegal parts. Don’t kneecap a brand that overwhelmingly sells to lawful owners and law enforcement. He notes we’ve seen this movie before: regulate the thing, not the behavior.
My view: California’s gambit won’t reduce the existing stock of pistols or switches. It will, however, punish compliant buyers and dealers while doing little to deter the people who treat laws like speed bumps.
The Internet Meltdown, Minus The Facts
From there, the hosts pivot to the other spark: GLOCK’s low-key announcement on April 25, 2025 introducing the “V” line and trimming a few SKUs. The news barely rippled then. Months later, paired with California’s ban, it exploded.
Combs has a simple refrain: we don’t know everything yet.
That has never stopped the internet, of course. Forums filled with betrayal narratives. YouTube thumbnails screamed that “GLOCK sold out.” Comment sections became dopamine dispensers for the chronically outraged.
Michalowski’s reminder is timely: anger is addictive, and it’s easier to rage than to read. A design refresh from a major manufacturer is not a moral failing. It’s business.
The gun world has a nostalgia reflex. When a legacy brand nudges a control surface or tweak internal geometry, Some People Online™ interpret change as capitulation. Sometimes it’s just engineering.
What “V” Actually Means (And What It Doesn’t)
Here’s what the USCCA hosts lay out – and what the industry chatter backs up.
“V” = Gen 5. It’s just a Roman numeral. No mystery there.
The V-series introduces internal updates – think trigger housing, ejector, striker/firing pin components, internal slide milling, rear striker plate – with two goals: improve parts commonality across models and reduce the legal surface area in states arguing that GLOCKs are “easily convertible.”
Crucially, current magazines remain compatible, and support continues for Gen 3, Gen 4, and Gen 5 – parts, springs, service. GLOCK isn’t orphaning millions of owners.
That last bit matters. Michalowski actually holds up a decades-old duty gun to make the point: GLOCKs have remained functionally consistent across generations. Frames evolved. Slides got milled differently. Triggers changed feel. But the core mission never shifted: reliable, simple defensive pistols.
Combs adds perspective: companies iterate. Ruger transformed after Bill Ruger’s passing. Smith & Wesson weathered its “Hillary hole” era and kept building hits. The market moves, and smart brands move with it.
Lawfare, Switches, And Design Tweaks
Combs and Michalowski place the V-series in a bigger context: lawfare.
Anti-gun attorneys general and big-city plaintiff’s firms have been suing manufacturers, pressing theories that certain pistols are too easy to convert or too available to bad actors. Even when these suits trip over federal preemption, they still cost time and money. They also create PR fog that states like California weaponize into bans and “roster” games.
So what does a global brand do? It hardens designs, standardizes internals, and minimizes points of legal attack – without abandoning its user base.
That’s what the V-series looks like.
Michalowski emphasizes a missing step in California’s logic chain: enforce existing laws on illegal switches. The videos are everywhere.
The social accounts flaunting contraband aren’t exactly stealthy. Yet the state opts to restrict new retail sales to the compliant instead of prosecuting the noncompliant.
In my opinion, this is classic “do something” politics. It produces headlines, not safety. Meanwhile, manufacturers adapt so they can still sell into the world’s fourth-largest economy – because staying in business is how you serve customers tomorrow.
The Clone Squeeze And Market Math
Politics aren’t the only pressure.
Combs notes the surge of GLOCK-pattern pistols flooding shelves at half the price. Some are surprisingly competent. Some are blatant me-toos. Either way, they erode the price umbrella that kept original GLOCKs cruising.
That’s another reason to debut a cleaner, more unified internal architecture. Lower SKUs, fewer unique parts, faster production, consistent quality – all of it helps a legacy brand compete with budget bangers and still justify “GLOCK money.”
Michalowski points out the obvious but overlooked truth: nobody inside GLOCK is trying to make the gun less reliable. If anything, commonized internals tend to improve reliability and serviceability across the line.
My read: this is the adult answer to a crowded market. Different extractor, revised striker geometry, smarter optics cuts – those are normal upgrades for a brand that plans to be here in 2050.
Is GLOCK Finished? Not Even Close
The hosts don’t sugarcoat California’s new law. They call it “dubious,” “onerous,” and “a terrible precedent.” And they’re right.
But GLOCK isn’t done. It’s adapting, and in a way that preserves backwards compatibility while future-proofing the platform.
The company has also promised continued support for earlier gens – a key reassurance for agencies and civilians with deep inventories.
Combs brings perspective by recalling past panics: Interdynamic/TEC-9 design changes under federal pressure; Smith & Wesson’s 2000 deal with the Clinton administration; Ruger’s post–Bill Ruger pivot.
The community got mad, swore off brands, and then quietly bought the next great model because it worked.
Gun culture remembers slights. It also rewards performance.
What Gun Owners Should Watch Next
So where does this go?
Expect a formal reveal from GLOCK detailing the V-series changes and the SKU plan. Expect agency test & eval pipelines to hum. Expect plenty of Gen 3–5 support to continue for years – no one strands police departments or millions of private owners.
Meanwhile, California’s ban will almost certainly face legal challenges – roster fights, equal-protection angles, preemption arguments, the whole tool kit.
Even if the ban stands short term, it won’t reduce existing illicit switches. That requires targeted enforcement, not retail theatrics.
For buyers, the homework is simple:
- Don’t panic-buy off rumors. Wait for GLOCK’s tech notes.
- If you love a legacy model, this is a good time to grab a spare and stock routine wear parts.
- If you’re curious, the V-series is likely to be the most refined iteration yet—and your mags should still work.
My bottom line: GLOCK isn’t finished. The V-series looks like smart modernization shaped by politics, lawsuits, and real competition. And if California wants fewer illegal machine pistols on the street, it should go after the criminals making and using them, not the citizens buying factory semi-autos.
Until the day a GLOCK stops going “bang” when you need it most, don’t expect America’s most ubiquitous duty pistol to yield the crown.
UP NEXT: “Heavily Armed” — See Which States Are The Most Strapped
Image Credit: Survival World
Americans have long debated the role of firearms, but one thing is sure — some states are far more armed than others. See where your state ranks in this new report on firearm ownership across the U.S.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
