Whenever a new striker-fired pistol is released, it’s forced to live in Glock’s world. However, that’s not to say that a new striker-fired gun—like the IWI Masada—will never be as good as a Glock.
New guns often are just as good as Glocks, and frequently better in certain ways.
But, and this is a spoiler, none of the new striker-fired handguns (including the Masada) will be the new Glock. At least, not for a long time.
We’ll explain why shortly.
For now, let’s talk about why the IWI Masada is actually better than a Glock in many ways.
One thing to note before we start: the Masada is not as easily upgradeable as a Glock because there’s not as much aftermarket support, yet. But that’s not really a fair comparison point, since the Masada is far newer. So we’re not going to hold that against the Masada.
Onto the discussion.
Grip
It’s no secret: Glocks have a very particular grip shape. People typically either love it or hate it.
The Masada grip shape isn’t quite as unique as a Glock grip. But it will probably be more comfortable for more people, on average. Those who find the Glock grip to be the most comfortable thing ever will probably label the Masada as slightly less comfortable than a Glock.
However, the rest of us might prefer the Masada grip. The palm swell is fairly subtle and well placed. And the grip texture offers good traction without being too aggressive.
Also, the grip is a couple degrees more upright than a Glock. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a more natural angle, which is nice for those who want a plug-and-play type of gun. Also, the Masada is more versatile for those who shoot multiple handguns, since the grip angle is more consistent with other models.
Trigger
There’s no way we’d get away with comparing anything to a Glock without mentioning the trigger.
Here’s the juice: the Masada’s trigger is better than a Glock trigger in almost every way.
The break is cleaner. The pull weight is more consistent with IWI’s stated weight. And it feels like there’s slightly less travel in the trigger press.
So where is the Glock trigger better? The reset, of course. Very few triggers reset as positively as a Glock trigger.
But the Masada’s trigger has a nice tactile and audible reset. It’s just that the reset is a bit long. It takes a bit of finesse to get really clean strings of rapid fire.
For accuracy, though, the Masada trigger is a step up from many striker-fired pistols, including Glocks.
Standard features
The Masada comes with more creature comforts and practical upgrades than a bone stock Glock.
The most obvious is steel sights. Glock basically loses every stock sight comparison because they use plastic sights, which are a known issue during one-handed weapon manipulations.
But there’s more.
The Masada also comes with front cocking serrations.
It also comes standard with an RMR cut.
There’s a Picatinny rail.
And the grip is cut so that you can grab and strip magazines for malfunction clearance. It’s a subtle cut. But it’s better than the notch on the front of the Gen 5 Glocks or none at all.
One thing to consider
The Masada does have one fairly unique drawback that’s worth mentioning, even though we’re not here to bash on the Masada: the slide heats up fairly quickly.
If you’re wearing gloves, it’s not a huge issue until you’ve fired five or six magazines in quick succession.
But if you’re not wearing gloves, the slide can be a bit hot to handle after two or three magazines. It’s not dangerous. You’re not going to burn your flesh off or anything. However, the slide gets hot faster than most other handguns.
The Masada is a duty-sized gun. So they may have designed it with a lighter slide to enhance the performance, assuming that the ideal consumer would be armed professionals who usually wear gloves when they shoot.
It’s not a deal breaker. But it’s something to be aware of when you pick this gun up.
Answer: no, the IWI Masada is not the new Glock
Overall, the IWI Masada is a great gun. It’s very comfortable. It shoots well. It seems reliable based on what we’ve seen so far. And it retails for about $400, which is an excellent price.
If you purchased a Masada instead of a Glock, you’d be making a fine choice.
But here’s why the Masada is not the new Glock:
First, it only comes in one frame size. It’s similar to the Glock 19x. It’s impossible for a single, duty-sized gun to replace an entire line of guns that includes smaller, concealed carry options.
Could the Masada be the new Glock 19x? Maybe someday. But that’s not the question we asked.
Glock 19X with TALON Rubber-Black Grips
However, the real reason the IWI Masada is not the new Glock is because it’s better than a Glock in several ways. So it doesn’t really compete directly with Glock pistols.
Glock has become the baseline handgun. If a new gun does anything worse than a Glock—if it’s less reliable, if the trigger is worse, if it’s less comfortable, or anything else—that gun will probably be viewed pretty critically by the firearms market.
Being as good as a Glock is the minimum standard these days, not the gold standard.
The Masada is better than a Glock on multiple fronts. Given enough time, maybe the Masada will become the new measuring stick.
But right now, the Masada is an affordable handgun that’s a bit better than a Glock in a handful of aspects. And you’re wise if you’re considering buying the IWI Masada.