A few hours ago Glock publicly announced the release of their new G44. The gun is based on the G19 size and is in .22LR. The info release was long on hype and short on detail but looks quite promising, especially if your a Glock user already.
https://us.glock.com/en/pistols/g44The G44 has clearly been designed as a complete gun and not as a conversion kit. I doubt that you can fit the slide to your existing gun. That's both a plus and a minus depending on your needs.
Unlike existing aftermarket conversion units, the ejector is mounted in the frame. The slide is a 'steel polymer hybrid' ie steel base/action rail with polymer body. The rear sight appears to be mounted in a dovetail on the polymer section. This may mean that it couldn't be milled for an optic and an MOS version hasn't been announced. An extended thread barrel is available.
For my usage, the lack of an MOS optic option is a deal breaker. The barrel length is an issue given my country's laws but the extended barrel may resolve that. If not, then I'm sure a good smith could easily make an extension to suit.
Will it prove itself a good hunting tool? I think we need to wait for evaluation by actual handgun hunters rather than carefully selected firearm media types. At the moment the reporting is mainly hype.
