by Scott Smith | Contributing Editor
The Glock G41 MOS in its box with extra magazines, grip panels, cleaning rod and paperwork.
The 2017 SHOT Show is well over now and new products are hitting the shelves from various manufacturers. There was one notable exception: Glock (Phone: 770-432 1202; Online: us.glock.com). The past few years Glock has introduced numerous pistols, including the diminutive 42 and 43 as well as the hugely successful MOS series. These products have been so dominant that Glock has been playing catch-up to meet the demand.
So what did I decide to write about from Glock? The G41 MOS. This is a Gen IV 5-inch .45 ACP pistol. The Gen IVs use a slip-on frame addition to make the frame larger for those with hands the size of a professional basketball player. The biggest change I noticed is the larger but flusher ambidextrous magazine release. This makes magazine changes easier without shifting grip. I did sand down the protective hump, making it easier to feel/find the release in the blind. The Gen IV has the fit and feel of the SF frame and all G21 magazines will fit and function in the G41 MOS.
The G41 MOS in its “stock” configuration with OP DAT Trigger, new sights and Tac Tack installed.
While the original 9mm G17/19s still drive the market, the Glock’s MOS—Modular Optics System—has become a big part of the business. The MOS is a set of four plates that replace the top of the slide from the rear of the ejection port to the front of the rear sight. These plates attach to the slide and then you can mount a variety of mini red dot sights to the pistol. I found plate 1 worked perfectly for the Burris Fast Fire II sight I had.
Before mounting the Fast Fire II, I took the pistol to the range to test its accuracy. Not surprising: the pistol was dead on at 25 yards. It showed no preference for ammunition type or manufacturer. This is a trait of most Glock pistols; they just shoot and shoot.
Once it was shown that this pistol shoots, I mounted the red dot. To mount the sight you first remove the factory look plate. Then screw down the mounting plate. Lastly, attach your choice of mini red dot sights.
The pistol was zeroed with mil-spec 230-grain hard ball at 15 yards. I was shocked that the sight was nearly dead on and it was zeroed in five shots. I must have slept just right to get that to happen. Some may wonder why I didn’t zero the optic at 25 yards; truth is I wanted to be able to see bullet impact. What I did find was the pistol was nearly POA/POI from seven out to 25 yards with the 15-yard zero. It will be more than adequate for use in USPSA, PCC or 3-Gun Nation PCC divisions.
Overwatch Precision DAT Trigger assembly, ready to install in a large frame Glock.
Since this pistol was going to be used mainly for action shooting, it would have a few other changes. These changes would include a new trigger, swap out the way-too-big factory sights, texture the grip and add a Tac Rack. By making these modifications I could make the G41 MOS a perfect competition pistol, at least for me.
I replaced the factory sights with a set I had from another Glock project. I hate to say it, but I’m not sure who the manufacturer was; just that they had a nice narrow fiber optic front sight. The rear sight would have to have a portion of the leading edge removed to accommodate removing the Fast Fire II and its mounting plate. I found the pistol to be dead on at 25 yards with these new sights.
To improve the performance of the MOS, it needed a better trigger. While Glock’s factory trigger is sufficient for personal protection and duty, it lacks when it comes to being a clean breaking match trigger. This was solved by installing a three and a half pound Ghost Connector that I purchased from Brownells (Phone: 800-741-0015; Online: brownells.com) and a trigger group from Overwatch Precision.
The Ghost Connector is one of the more bullet proof connectors on the market and a hard use pistol cannot go down in the middle of match because a fragile “match” connector failed. Many trusted voices use Ghosts and they all have launched thousands of rounds down range without a failure to go bang.
The Overwatch Precision (Phone: 623-322-4590; Online: overwatchprecision.com) DAT Trigger was something my buddy Mark told me about. He has been using them and selling them for a good while. When I checked them out online, all I could say was SOLD. The DAT is a flat trigger that gives you a straighter pull like a 1911. Unlike the OEM trigger this one is machined from 7075-T6 aluminum. This ensures the trigger will not torque or flex during use. As advertised, it is a drop-in part. I did have to use the factory transfer bar because I was having trigger reset issues. I didn’t notice this in a Gen III G21SF. Mark tells me he did not have reset issues, so it may have just been my luck.
Close-up of the Tac Rack and after market rear sight with its wide notch.
What I did find with the Overwatch DAT was one of the crispest triggers I have ever felt in a Glock. That includes vast numbers of full house custom Glocks. The shorter trigger reach and slight change in trigger geometry makes the Overwatch Precision a trigger I will install in other Glocks I own. One of the really cool intangibles of the DAT is color combination; mine is a burnt red and burnt gold…it just looks cool. We all know that looking good in a match counts for style points, if you are not in the running for the win.
On the range I found the DAT/Ghost to be wicked awesome. I was shooting splits comparable to my custom 1911s. The reset was positive and in nearly 1,000 rounds the pistol has not missed a beat. You can purchase the DAT Trigger as an assembly or just the trigger from Overwatch. The assemblies will set you back $135 and the trigger $115. Whichever you choose, you will not go wrong.
Bright red fiber optic front sight for fast target acquisition.
The other addition to the pistol was a Tac Rack (Online: wrightshooting.com). GunMag readers will have seen this piece in other Glock and M&P articles I have written. This small piece is the brainchild of my buddy Brandon Wright who works/shoots for Smith&Wesson. I have found it to be a great piece of kit that makes it easier to rack the pistol and it gives you a much better grip on the boxy slides when you have wet hands. It is a direct replacement for the back plate of the slide. At $29.99, if you shoot a Glock, M&P or XD pistol; this is one small accessory I cannot suggest enough.
The last change I made was to texture the grip. I have experimented enough on AR pistol grips and have done enough of my own polymer pistols that I did my grip. I used a multipurpose heat tool to do the work. Thanks to the interchangeable tips I devised a triple style texture. Some folks may not like the look, but I have had a number of folks who do; so I leave that to the reader. To me what is important is it gives me a solid purchase in wet cold conditions. The other big selling point to me is it was free.
Close-up of my texturing of the grip; it works well in all conditions.
With all the alterations done to the G41 MOS, I have shot the daylights out of it. The pistol just will not stop and it is wicked accurate. I have run all the common .45ACP bullet weights, ojive designs and all loads imaginable through it. As long as you run major power factor (bullet weight in grains X velocity/1000 over 165 PF) POA/POI variance with iron sights or the Fast Fire II is negligible. I am sure there are folks who will scream that the 1/8” variance is a lot, but on a USPSA/IDPA target at 25 yards why argue? You can remove the mini red dot and it installs back to zero allowing one pistol to serve in a number of match capacities.5 The more I shoot the G41 with Overwatch Precision DAT the more I like it. Having been weaned on custom 1911s with 5lb triggers, this one feels the same. It breaks clean, reset is short and crisp and it just feels right. I have shot a number of aftermarket polymer pistol triggers that all claim to be just like a 1911, but they are not. Maybe it’s because I do have 4.5-5lb triggers on my 1911s, but the DAT feels and resets the same. I have no doubt the Ghost Connector also contributes to this. I will be transitioning my other Glocks and Timberwolf to this combination; that is just how impressed I am with the DAT.
G41 MOS in author’s well-traveled custom-finished Safariland GLS holster mounted on leg shroud.
To carry the G41 MOS I use a Safariland GLS Pro (Phone: 800-347-1200; Online: safariland.com) that fits other pistols of this size that I own. Like the DAT Trigger, the GLS is a piece of kit I cannot speak highly enough of. I have been using one for 3-Gun and USPSA competition for two years and if I was still a uniformed LEO, it would be my duty holster. This holster is a one size fits over two hundred handguns holster that actually fits like a custom holster thanks to the tension screw and wide/long models. Unlike other variable fit holsters, this is a true level two retention holster. It works because the designer is Bill Rogers, a legend in the training world and FBI. At $55, you cannot beat this holster.
If you are not a 45 kind of shooter, Glock offers their 9mm and .40S&W pistols in the MOS family. For those who prefer a lot of oomph, you can get the 6” barreled 10mm 40MOS. My best friend has this beast and raves about it. Since its birth Glock has been an innovator in the handgun market. The MOS family has nailed it and kept Glock on the cutting edge. Whether you want to run your Glock stock or customize it as I have done with my competition 41MOS, you cannot go wrong.
