The Drive recently reported on General Austin Miller’s Glock pistol. The writer correctly identified several pistol components, but I think it’s worth performing a more lengthy dissection. I’m a gun nerd, and it’s what I do. General Miller was famously seen carrying a 1911 in the past but seemed to have transitioned to a Glock-style pistol. Which model?
What Model Is General Miller’s Glock?
Well, several reports have called it a Glock 19. I believe that’s incorrect, and it’s either a Glock 45, 17, or Glock 22. The 17 and 22 are full-sized firearms that are nearly identical, except for caliber. The Glock 45 has a full-sized grip with a compact slide. The Glock 19 is the compact model, and it’s obvious that General Miller’s Glock is a full-sized or the Glock 45 variant. General Miller was a Delta Force guy, and Delta did use G22s for a short period, but what really gives it away is the compensator and holster.
That’s a ZEV Pro compensator, and it’s only made for 9mm guns, so that eliminates the 40 S&W Glock 22. Beyond that, you can see the slide extend past the holster. The holster is a Comp-Tac QB Holster. When a Glock 19 or Glock 45 sits in the same holster, the slide does not extend past the holster’s bottom, so that only leaves us with the Glock 17. Specifically, a Gen 5 Glock 17.
Dissecting General Miller’s Glock
Several pictures show General Miller’s Glock in various configurations with several different add-ons. The red dot is a Delta Point Pro from Leupold. It seems to be the Military’s favorite optic and is what the new SIG M17 and M18s are cut for. This optic has proven itself quite tough with a wide window for a good review field.
Red dots on handguns offer a lot of potential. Once you’re trained with a red dot handgun, you will shoot faster, shoot with greater precision, and extend your overall effective range. Red dots on handguns are the future of handguns as seen here and by the fact that optics-ready pistols will now dominate military sidearms.
We covered the Zev Pro Compensator, but not what it does. The Zev Pro Compensator provides both recoil reduction via its side ports and muzzle rise reduction due to its top port. These ports redirect gas to reduce both recoil and muzzle flip. The result is the ability to shoot faster due to less recoil. This requires a threaded barrel, but I cannot confirm the threaded barrel’s source, and dozens of companies make them.
What Does He Carry It in?
General Miller’s Glock lives in a Comp-Tac QB OWB holster. This is a competition holster, so it’s an odd choice for a duty weapon. However, it does allow for modularity for various mounts, including the ability to mount it to a vest or thigh rig. It will also allow for rapid draws. The open bottom design also accommodates the compensator.
The gun is fitted with a magazine well. I cannot confirm for sure, but I’m 80 percent positive it’s a ZEV One Piece magwell for Gen 5 guns. It carries the same large set screw in the rear of the mag well for attachment to the weapon. It also has the same general shape and design. A magwell creates a funnel for magazines. This speeds up your reloads and gets you back in the fight.
General Miller’s Glock 17’s magazines are fitted with magazine extensions as well. These look to offer more than five rounds. I cannot for the life of me find who makes them. They do look like Glock store brand mag extensions. The set screws on the sides, smooth design, and grey finish are the only clues. However, it’s tough to be 100 percent sure.
Not a Roland Special
Almost every venue has tied it to Chuck Pressburg’s Roland Special concept. I get why, and if you aren’t in the gun world, it would seem pedantic to say it’s not. However, it’s not. Calling every Glock with a comp and optic a Roland Special is like calling all AR 15s with variable optics DMR rifles.
Plus, the Roland Special requirement is a weapon-mounted light, which General Miller does not have. To be a Roland Special, you need Glock 19 fitted with a Surefire X300, a Trijicon RMR06, and a KKM comped barrel and suppressor height sights. It’s a very specific design with specific accessories, and General Miller’s Glock doesn’t fit the mold.
However, he still has a very competent fighting pistol. It’s on the cutting edge of fighting handguns. It’s certainly not a Roland Special, but it’s not a lesser gun because of it. Guns like this are the future of fighting handguns, and these accessories wring as much performance as possible out of the gun. I wonder if small controls are updated, like the magazine release, the trigger, and general lower parts kit. It’s a well-thought-out design, and you can tell General Miller is a competent handgunner.
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