Two years ago, I found myself tight on funds and in need of a .45 ACP suppressor host for my work with Silencer Shop. Now if you’re a handgun enthusiast, you probably know that threaded .45s come at a premium. In fact, it isn’t unusual for people to drop $1,000 or more on such a firearm. My budget was far more limited but I still wanted something that I could count on to work reliably during my suppressor reviews.
After weeks of shopping, I kept coming back to the same few options, but was mostly drawing blanks. I previously tried to add a threaded barrel to my 1911 and the results were less than satisfactory from a reliability perspective. Still, at the top of my very short list was the Glock 21. As with many models of Glocks, police trade-in examples of the 21 are rather common at gun shops and online dealers. These used pieces are typically in good working order, but might feature moderate holster wear. Former police Glocks frequently fetch less than $400.
Knowing that I wouldn’t like the bulky grip of the standard 21, I sought out the “Short Frame” 21SF. The primary difference between the two is that the 21SF’s grip is shorter from backstrap to frontstrap, making it more manageable for those of us with average-sized hands. The SFs are less common as the trade-ins than full Glock 21s, but I did manage to find one in very good condition from Shoot Straight in Florida for around $420. After years of hipster-esque resistance, I finally hopped on the Glock bandwagon.
