Revealed at SHOT Show 2019, the Flux Defense GLOCK brace caused quite a stir. It is a stabilizing brace made for GLOCK with automatic deployment installed on the back of the pistol. Was it legal? Would it actually do anything besides look cool? Was it a range toy or a legit stabilizing brace? Would the new company be able to produce the product quickly enough to satisfy demand? We ordered one directly after SHOT because we thought the thing just seemed too damn cool not to and received it five weeks later. Currently, Flux Defense has a two- to four-week lead time on orders.
The Flux brace fits GLOCK 17, 19x, 22, 31, 43 and 35 Gen 4 & 5 frames only. Its original intent is to stabilize your GLOCK by using it as a cheek weld or propped up against your forearm. Stamped on the back of the brace are the words, “not a stock.” Whether you shoulder it or not is not our business.
It is constructed of high-strength, impact-resistant polymer and chromoly steel with a black Cerakote finish adding only 7.9 ounces of additional weight to your gun. It feels durable enough and Flux Defense has a video of them running over it without incident.
Installation takes literally only a few minutes using your GLOCK tool, an Allen wrench and the two tools that come with the Flux brace.
- Remove the pin from the back of the GLOCK’s grip.
- Put the brace on your gun aligning the pin holes.
- Insert the Flux pin and using the Flux tool, push the pin all the way through.
The brace automatically deploys with the push of the button located on the right side of the brace. We had no issues with it fully
deploying and locking in place every single time. Closing the brace, on the other hands, is a different story. The red spring we had installed in ours is very strong—which is comforting, but you gotta put a lot of oomph into pushing it back into place. My weenie arms had difficulty, but the actual owner of the brace had enough practice to do it correctly. (You need to use the palm of your hand as leverage against the top solid piece of the brace to get it fully closed.)
The GLOCK we had the brace installed is outfitted with just iron sights and we very quickly learned that Flux’s recommendation of a red dot is spot-on. The brace doesn’t add any height to your gun, but it sure does cover the sights and make them very difficult to see. In a way, this does help you on one of the fundamentals of shooting—focusing on your front sight—yet its distracting, difficult to aim and inaccurate.
We started out at eight yards. At first, the brace is quite awkward. Do you shoulder it? Bring it close to your face (but not too close) or do you stretch out your arms and rest it against your forearm. It wasn’t immediate for me to find a natural position. But finding a comfortable position of the brace against your…ahem…cheek…you get used to it and its actually pretty fun.
I couldn’t get it to sit right against my forearm using it as a standard brace, but my shooting partner did and found it legitimately more stabilizing. After switching back and forth between using it as a traditional brace, a cheek weld and then a “cheek weld,” he found that the cheek weld was definitely more comfortable and did steady the GLOCK more.
Curious to see if it would make a difference shooting longer distances as we suspected, we moved our target out to 20 yards. This distance, with the iron sights, turned into a crap shoot and we quickly concluded that a reflex or red dot is absolutely necessary to be accurate at distances any longer than self-defense.
Designed and made in the U.S.A., the Flux Defense brace adds 1.5 inches to the total length of your GLOCK and 0.5 inches to the width. Flux Defense has a holster you can buy separately if you find a comfortable way to carry the brace.
Pros:
Super cool range toy
- Holsterable
- Flux Defense guys and customer service are top notch. They have their shit together and care.
- Suck it, ATF!
- Reliable and durable
Cons:
- Accuracy sucks with iron sights
- Difficult to close
- Price
Now, there are probably plenty of you asking if the GLOCK brace is legal. We refer you to the FAQ page on Flux Defense’s website to answer this question.
What do you think of the Flux Defense GLOCK brace? Tell us in the comment section.
Buy the brace by clicking here.