CANADA

Many of Canada’s law enforement agencies are following the U.S. trend of transitioning to 9X19 models, such as this G19 Gen4.

GLOCK CONTINUES TO GROW IN CANADA

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CONSUMERS ALIKE IN AMERICA’S BORDER PARTNER TO THE NORTH FLOCK TO GLOCK FOR THEIR HANDGUN NEEDS.

■ ARTICLE BY JAMES CASSELLS ■ PHOTOS COURTESY OF GLOCK PHOTOS COURTESY OF GLOCK

G19 Gen4s made for Canada’s consumer market have a laser-engraved maple leaf on their slides.

LOCK pistols

Ghave been in use in Canada since Gaston GLOCK first introduced his pistol to the U.S., and the popularity of GLOCK in America’s northern-border partner has grown steadily since. Canada is a vast country spanning 9,985 million square kilometers (more than 6,200 square miles), but one with a relatively small population for its size of 36 million.

HIGH DEMAND FOR THOSE WITH A BADGE

Last year set a record for law enforcement sales in Canada. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of Canadian law enforcement agencies use GLOCK pistols, and, once adopted, agencies simply don’t look back. Why is that? Because GLOCK operations in Canada provide full availability of all parts for complete service and support anywhere in the country. This is critical for law enforcement officers who maintain their pistols for upwards of 20 years or more, but even more important as this country’s officers don’t carry a backup pistol; they must be able to rely totally on the one GLOCK they carry.

Law enforcement agencies in Canada are fewer but generally tend to be larger than those in the U.S. In fact, four of the 10 largest city agencies in North America are Canadian. Today, many of those agencies that originally adopted the .40 AUTO are, like their compatriots in the U.S., looking to transition their GLOCKs to 9X19 models.

The Abbotsford and Calgary Police Service was one of the first large agencies to spearhead the move to 9X19 when it adopted the GLOCK 17 Gen4. British Columbia’s Delta Police and New Westminster Police recently adopted the GLOCK 17 Gen5. The New Westminster Police became the first agency in Canada to purchase G17 Gen5 MOS for its entire agency and believes the addition of optics is the way of the future.

In the Province of Ontario, where there is the largest concentration of police in Canada, Ontario Provincial Police and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry officers closely followed U.S. FBI testing and adopted the GLOCK 17M and GLOCK 19M. This was a large contract win for GLOCK, with both agencies switching over from competitors’ pistols. Several smaller Ontario agencies, including Guelph, Barrie, Shelburne, Port Hope, and Stratford Police Services, are also continuing the 9X19 trend with the adoption of the G17 Gen4 and Gen5 and G45 pistols.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is Canada’s largest police agency. The RCMP adopted the GLOCK 19 Gen4 several years ago for its Air Marshal program after extensive testing. That testing involved the firing of 30,000 rounds in each of five sample pistols.

There are still many agencies in Canada that are more than satisfied with their current GLOCK 22 and GLOCK 22 Gen4 pistols, including the Toronto Police Service. In central Canada, the newly formed Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, in an exception to the 9X19 trend, has been equipped with GLOCK 22 Gen4 pistols, as this area of the country is mandated to use .40 AUTO until the provincial regulation is changed. For all these agencies, the quality maintenance program put in place by GLOCK and GLOCK’s great performance ensures their officers continue to see many more years of service from their sidearms.

“It is estimated that more than 80 percent of Canadian law enforcement agencies use GLOCK pistols—and once adopted, agencies simply don’t look back.”

An interesting fact about Canada: government law enforcement agencies provide their officers with all their equipment, including their pistol. However, agencies are prohibited from trading in or selling their old firearms, which must be destroyed. (They are permitted to give or sell them to another government agency.) It is one of the contributing factors to the commercial market in Canada for GLOCK being as strong as it is and continuing to grow each year—and it speaks to GLOCK’s reputation as the brand to which so many turn.

SUPPORTING AN ACTIVE SPORT SHOOTING COMMUNITY

GLOCK set a record for consumer sales in Canada during 2018 as well, and that’s in spite of the fact that there is no concealed carry for Canadian citizens; firearm ownership is allowed only for sporting and recreational shooting. Citizens must have a valid firearms license to purchase, and passing a safety class and a thorough background check is required before a person can receive their Possession and Acquisition License (PAL). Once they have their PAL, individuals are checked on the police database every 24 hours to ensure they still meet the legal requirements to hold that license. Canada does not consider this an inconvenience, but rather a safety measure.

Firearms ownership in Canada is not a right but a privilege, and it is something many Canadians have taken great lengths to protect. It is unlikely we will see concealed carry anytime soon in Canada, but firearms and GLOCK pistol sales continue to grow in the sport-shooting community; all indicators are that 2019 will be another record year.

Here’s another interesting fact: In Canada, firearms can be purchased over the internet and are shipped directly to the customer’s door. Because the status of a person’s PAL is checked prior to shipping, there is no need to pick up a firearm at the dealer. Still, many do prefer to work directly with a dealer, and to meet that demand, GLOCK sells its pistols through distributors who in turn sell to dealers all across the country.

Recently, GLOCK has made a strong show of support for its Canadian customers. It has manufactured dedicated models for Canada by increasing the barrel length from 102mm to 106mm on two of its most popular models, the G19 Gen4 and GLOCK 19X. Pistols in Canada are classified as either “Prohibited,” when barrels have a length less than 105mm, or “Restricted,” when a barrel length is greater than 105mm. Only law enforcement can purchase new “Prohibited” pistols. The new consumer-available G19 Gen4s wear a laser-engraved maple leaf on the slide, and sales of both models are very strong. The most recent show of GLOCK’s commitment to its customers in Canada arrived in the GLOCK 48, sporting a new, standard, 106mm barrel. Other new made-for-Canada versions are being considered for 2020.

This level of commitment to a relatively niche market, combined with full GLOCK warranty support and parts availability in Canada, has resulted in a strong and loyal market for GLOCK, Inc., in Canada. And it is one GLOCK looks forward to continue to serve for years to come.