Gunsite Glock Service Pistol is the Ultimate Fighting Handgun (Photo courtesy of Gunsite Academy)
February 27, 2023
By Jack Oller, Digital Editor
Founded by the late, great Col. Jeff Cooper, Gunsite Academy sets the gold standard for firearms safety, training and the defensive mindset. Teaching with firearms take more than being “a good shot.” Gunsite instructors are world-class, and they’ve turned firearm instruction at any experience level into a science. While they know and teach rifles and shotguns well, it’s safe to say handgun training is what makes Gunsite Academy most famous. So, when the staff at Gunsite created their own fighting pistol, they have my attention.
GGSP Built from the Glock 45, the GGSP has the best features to perform as a fighting handgun. (Photo courtesy of Gunsite Academy) The Gunsite Glock Service Pistol (GGSP) is a unique, custom handgun built to be the ultimate “fighting pistol.” This isn’t some competition “Gucci Glock” that looks cool but fails in the field. The GGSP is purpose-built for the defensively minded and has the necessary features to excel in a defensive fight.
Gunsite started with the Glock 45 pistol, which is well-known for reliability, performance and shootability. While a base G45 is a solid gun, it lacks some moderns touches that improve performance in the field. The first thing most people change when they buy a Glock is the iron sights. Sure, they work, but factory Glock sights are nothing to write home about, so Gunsite added some Ameriglo suppressor-height steel sights , which co-witness through the installed Holosun HE509T-RD X2 red-dot sight . It’s a great red dot, but you must have excellent iron sights to start, which is a fundament tenet of Gunsite training.
Red-dot sights on pistols are becoming the new standard, and the Holosun red dot was a smart choice for the GGSP. It’s a closed red dot, so you don’t have to worry about blocking the dot emitter inside the housing. It has a remarkable 50,000-hour battery life and a “shake-awake” battery-saving feature. Gunsite is seeing more and more students attend class with a pistol red dot, so they’re embracing the “red-dot revolution,” but they know iron sights have to be taught first, hence the included Ameriglo sights.
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The GGSP includes suppressor-height steel sights from Ameriglo. If you purchase a GGSP from the Gunsite Academy Pro Shop, it includes a custom raven backplate. (Photo courtesy of Gunsite Academy) Also on the slide are some personal Gunsite touches, which include the famous Gunsite Raven toward the front sight with GUNSITE spelled out after it. You’ll also notice that all the serial numbers start with the letters API. This is a nod to Col. Jeff Copper’s original school, the American Pistol Institute, which evolved into Gunsite Academy. For those that purchase a GGSP from the Gunsite Academy pro shop , they include a Gunsite Raven on the backplate, too.
Frame Features The GGSP comes with a Holosun HE509T-RD X2 closed pistol red dot installed. It also features an FBI-style mag release and a lanyard loop behind the flared magwel. (Photo courtesy of Gunsite Academy) Working down into the frame, another unique feature is the FBI-style mag release, which is a bit larger than the factory release and has rounded edges. It’s a fine touch that speaks to the “fighting pistol” enhancements on the G45 base model. The magwell is flared for quick mag changes, and it also features a lanyard loop at the rear of the magwell. The lanyard loop isn’t used extensively today, but it does add a “coolness” enhancement to the gun, which speaks to the extensive LE and military background of the creators of the GGSP. The “Fighting Pistol” was always a forethought in the development of the GGSP.
After the sights, the Glock factory trigger is probably the second change most people perform. The phrase “shoots like a Glock” isn’t thrown around glibly. Yes, Glocks are arguably one of the most reliable handguns on the market, but the triggers need some love. The GGSP includes the Minus connector, bringing the trigger pull to a reasonable 4.5-pounds, which is a sweet spot for defensive handguns.
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Retail for the Gunsite Glock Service Pistol is $1,275 . That’s not a bad deal at all when you factor in the Holosun red dot, Ameriglo suppressor sights and other custom features. Also, this is the “real deal” fighting pistol. Its sole purpose is to win a defensive fight, and Gunsite Academy has built exactly that. The GGSP is available exclusively through Davidson’s Gallery of Guns or at the Gunsite Academy Pro Shop. Even if you don’t get the gun, a course at Gunsite needs to be on your to-do list. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend several courses, and I learn something new each time.
The Gunsite Academy Glock Service Pistol is available exclusively through Davidson's Gallery of Guns or the Gunsite Pro Shop. (Photo courtesy of Gunsite Academy) Gunsite Glock Service Pistol Specs Type: Striker-fired, semiautomaticCartridge: 9mmCapacity: 17+1 rds. (3 magazines included)Barrel: Glock Marksman, 4.02 inOverall Length: 7.4 in. Grips: Glock, interchangeable backstrapsTrigger: Minus connector, 4.5 lbs. Sights: AmeriGlo Tall Steel suppressor-height sights, Holosun HE509T-RD X2 MSRP: $1,275Manufacturer: Gunsite Academy , Davidson's Gallery of Guns About the Author Jack Oller is a U.S. Army veteran, having served in the Military Police with one deployment to the Camp VI Detention Facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He has extensive firearms training from military and civilian schools and is a passoniate shotgun shooter and hunter. Jack has an English degree from Illinois State University, and he started his career in the outdoor industry as Associate Editor for Guns & Ammo magazine. After Gun & Ammo, he worked as Brand Manager for Crimson Trace and now is the Digital Editor for Firearms News.
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