Introduced to much fanfare in December 2019, the Glock Model 44 is the same size as the company's famed 9mm G19 but is a lot easier to find ammo for these days. 

Featuring a hybrid steel-polymer slide and a degree of modularity via backstraps supplied with the pistol, the G44 is Glock’s first rimfire handgun. It uses a 4.02-inch barrel and has an overall length of 7.28-inches – almost the exact size as the G19. Likewise, they have the same 5.04-inch height, a factor that means most G19 holsters will work for the G44.

The big difference between the two, other than the caliber, is the weight, with the rimfire pistol only hitting the scales at 15.94-ounces, rather than the G19's 30 ounces. 
 

Another – and to many a confusing – difference between the two guns is that the G44 comes standard with a 10-shot magazine vs. the 15-round 9mm pistol. At Glock's launch event for the gun, the company explained it was to make the G44 as reliable as possible. Folks are quick to point out that the Taurus TX22 and others have a more robust capacity. To be fair, other popular full-sized rimfire pistols like the Ruger Mk IV and S&W Victory also bring 10 rounds to the plinking party. 
 

Does it work?

Speaking to the reliability, the G44 in my safe was one of the first runs from Glock, delivered originally as a T&E gun just a couple of weeks after its announcement. I quickly ran 2,200 rounds through it in the space of about three weeks back when ammo was deep and cheap, having good luck with the pistol. At the end of the testing period, I bought it and have gone on to drop at least that many rounds through it since then. For those keeping count at home, that is pushing – if not exceeding – 5,000 rounds. 

Yes, there have been malfunctions and jams. Probably about two dozen or so throughout the gun's lifespan. This is largely due to the massive inconsistencies with inexpensive bulk pack rimfire ammo and not the Glock. I have recognized that CCI Blazer has proven to be the most reliable in the pistol, typically running a light primer strike or misfeed an average of once or twice per brick of 500. This is where I should point out that at the launch event with the G44, 10 production guns shuffled through 12,000 rounds of Blazer bricks in two hours with no jams.

On the downside, Aquila's Standard/Super Extra and Remington's Golden Bullet loads were the crankiest, producing a stoppage sometimes every other mag or so. 
 

Purpose

Is it a good plinker that is fun to shoot? Yes.

Accurate enough to maintain decent groups even in offhand fire, it is ready for "pop can" style informal shooting and other purposes that a .22 LR pistol is pressed into service with. Likewise, it is capable of drilling spent shotgun shells in knockout games on the range. It is not a Bullseye match gun, but then, nobody is advertising it as such. 
 

Is it a great sub-caliber trainer, especially for those with a G19 or G23? Absolutely. 
 

About the worst I can say about it is that the manufacturer, for whatever reason, did not make the G44 standard with a threaded barrel as many other makers have done with their rimfire semi-auto pistols. Seems like a huge opportunity missed. 

Nonetheless, at the end of the day, it is a .22 LR Glock. What more can you say?