The Glock G44 is a great learning tool for young shooters. It works almost exactly like the Glock 19, with a few minor changes. If you’re looking for a reliable, accurate semi-automatic pistol fit for anyone young, you might be interested in the G44.

The G44 features the traditional polymer front post and u-notch rear sights that Glock users are familiar with, with slight adjustments for easy attachment to the slide. The rear is adjustable for both windage and elevation, and both sights give you a workable, consistent sight radius. It’s easy to hit the mark from short/medium distances; my average five-shot group from 10 yards was just 1.4”. There’s also an accessory rail if you’d like to add your own optics.

Throughout over 2,000 rounds, I experienced just a couple of failures to eject and one failure to fire. It shot pretty consistently for me overall, but other users have reported some reliability issues. Cleaning your pistol more often may help if you experience any failures or jams.

The G44 features an innovative steel/polymer hybrid slide, which lightens the weight and allows for the use of a stronger recoil spring. It also includes Glock’s Marksman non-fixed barrel, a unique feature on a rimfire pistol that really improves accuracy. There are four different grip adapters included with the pistol, so you can use whichever one fits the size of your hand best

The trigger is pretty much identical to other Glock triggers, which could be good news or bad news depending on how you feel about them. The pull is just around 6 lbs, with the average amount of take-up, and the release is relatively crisp.

The beveled magazine has a 10-round capacity and includes an easy-load tab. The pistol only weighs 30 oz fully loaded (14.6 oz unloaded.), but there’s almost no recoil whatsoever thanks to the double-captured recoil spring. The barrel is 4” long, making the overall length just over 7.25”. Because it’s so lightweight and small, the G44 is an excellent pistol for young shooters just learning how to navigate a handgun.

The G44 retails for around $430. There are better .22 plinking pistols available for the price, but this one will really be useful if you want to learn more about shooting Glock pistols. It’s great for camping and varmint hunting, but can also be used for defensive purposes in a pinch. As a bonus, it fits most G19 holsters if you’d like to learn how to concealed carry.

Richard Douglas writes on firearms, defense, and security issues. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at The National Interest, 1945, Daily Caller, and other publications.

Image: Reuters.