1990s Pistols Ranked by Empty Weight

This section covers eight pistol models introduced from 1990¹ to 1998, ranked by recorded empty weight. In the catalogue order shown below, the set runs from the 907 g² SIG Sauer P229 at the top to the 341 g³ Taurus PT-25 at the bottom.

The ranking is:

1. SIG Sauer P229, 907 g
2. Heckler & Koch USP, 715 g⁴
3. Glock 29 Gen5, 690 g⁵
4. Glock 30 Gen4, 675 g⁶
5. Glock 23 Gen5, 668 g⁷
6. FN Five-seveN, 618 g
7. Glock G26, 615 g
8. Taurus PT-25, 341 g

What the figures show at once is a set with clear anchors and a less certain middle. The top and bottom positions are distinct, with a 566 g⁸ spread between the P229 and the PT-25. By contrast, several middle entries sit much closer together.

That matters because the catalogue marks four empty-weight records as under review: the Heckler & Koch USP, Glock 29 Gen5, Glock 30 Gen4 and Glock 23 Gen5. The chart below is therefore most reliable for the confirmed separation at the top and bottom, while conclusions that depend on the exact order within that disputed middle group need caution.

Source: GET /v1/firearms/compare?ids=fn-five-seven,sig-sauer-p229,glock-g26,hk-usp,glock-g30,glock-g23,taurus-pt-25,glock-g29

The data in this chart

Firearm	Empty weight (g)
SIG Sauer P229	907
Heckler & Koch USP	715
Glock 29 Gen5	690
Glock 23 Gen5	687
Glock 30 Gen4	675
FN Five-seveN	618
Glock G26	615
Taurus PT-25	341

What separates the heaviest from the lightest

The widest confirmed gap in this set is between the SIG Sauer P229 and the Taurus PT-25. The P229 is recorded at 907 g² empty, while the PT-25 is 341 g³, a difference of 566 g⁸. In relative terms, the heavier pistol exceeds the lighter by 566 g, and the lighter record is well outside the mid-weight cluster shown elsewhere in the ranking.

That spread matters because it is not an isolated weight figure. It comes with clear differences in the other recorded dimensions and capacities. The P229 is 180 mm long with a 99 mm barrel and a 15-round magazine. The PT-25 is 127 mm long with a 64 mm barrel and a 9-round magazine. The overall length difference is 53 mm, the barrel length difference is 35 mm, and the magazine capacity difference is 6 rounds.

The catalogue also records different effective ranges: 50 m¹ for the P229 and 10 m for the PT-25, a gap of 40 m. Taken together, these figures show that the heaviest and lightest pistols in this 1990 to 1998 sample are separated by more than mass alone. They also sit at different points in size, capacity and recorded range.

The middle of the ranking is compressed

The middle of this ranking is notably compressed. From the recorded 715 g⁴ Heckler & Koch USP down to the 615 g¹ Glock G26, six pistols fall inside a 100 g⁸ span: 715 g, 690 g⁵, 675 g⁶, 668 g⁷, 618 g and 615 g. In catalogue order, that band contains the USP, Glock 29 Gen5, Glock 30 Gen4, Glock 23 Gen5, FN Five-seveN and G26.

That clustering matters because it shows where most of the set actually sits. The outliers are at the ends, not in the middle. The SIG Sauer P229, at 907 g², stands 192 g above the USP. At the other end, the Taurus PT-25, at 341 g³, sits 274 g below the G26. The chart below therefore has a dense centre with one distinctly heavier pistol and one distinctly lighter one.

A caution is needed here. The USP, Glock 29 Gen5, Glock 30 Gen4 and Glock 23 Gen5 all have empty-weight records under review, so the existence of the mid-weight cluster is clear, but fine distinctions inside that cluster should be treated carefully.

Weight does not track one figure alone

The ranking does not line up with any one secondary figure. Empty weight, magazine capacity and overall length move independently across this set.

The clearest example is the FN Five-seveN. At 618 g¹ empty, it sits near the lower end of the ranking, yet it has the largest magazine capacity here at 20 rounds and the greatest overall length at 208 mm. By contrast, the SIG Sauer P229 is the heaviest pistol in the group at 907 g², but it is shorter at 180 mm and carries 15 rounds.

A second comparison shows the same pattern within closer dimensions. The Glock 30 Gen4 is recorded at 675 g⁶ and 177 mm overall length, with a 10-round⁹ magazine. The lighter Glock G26 is 615 g and shorter at 163 mm, yet it also carries 10 rounds. Length alone therefore does not predict either weight or capacity.

The figures also resist a velocity-based reading. The chart below shows the Five-seveN at 650 m/s, well above the 351 m/s P229, even though the Five-seveN is 289 g⁸ lighter. At the other end, the 675 g Glock 30 Gen4 records 251 m/s, while the 615 g G26 records 360 m/s. In this sample, weight is best read as one design outcome among several, not as a stand-in for size, capacity or recorded muzzle velocity.

Source: GET /v1/firearms/compare?ids=fn-five-seven,sig-sauer-p229,glock-g26,hk-usp,glock-g30,glock-g23,taurus-pt-25,glock-g29

The data in this chart

Firearm	Muzzle velocity (m/s)
FN Five-seveN	650
Glock G26	360
Glock 29 Gen5	360
Heckler & Koch USP	360
SIG Sauer P229	351
Glock 23 Gen5	305
Glock 30 Gen4	251
Taurus PT-25	229

Cartridge dimensions help explain some of the spread

Cartridge dimensions help explain part of the spread in empty weight and overall package, although they do not determine it on their own. In this set, the .45 ACP combines a cartridge overall length of 32.39 mm¹⁰ with a typical bullet weight of 14.9 g. The 9x19mm Parabellum is shorter at 29.69 mm¹¹ and has a typical bullet weight of 7.45 g. The 5.7x28mm FN is the longest of the three at 40.5 mm¹², yet its typical bullet weight is 2 g and its case is bottleneck rather than straight or tapered.

Those figures matter because the pistols here pair these cartridges with notably different recorded weights. The .45 ACP Glock 30 Gen4 is listed at 675 g⁶, while the 9x19mm Parabellum Glock G26 is 615 g¹. The FN Five-seveN, chambered for 5.7x28mm FN, is 618 g despite using the longest cartridge shown below. That combination, longer overall cartridge length but much lighter typical bullet weight, helps explain why a pistol can be long and high capacity without being among the heaviest examples in the ranking.

Source: GET /v1/calibers/45-acp, GET /v1/calibers/5-7x28mm, GET /v1/calibers/9x19mm-parabellum

The data in this chart

Cartridge	Overall length (mm)
.45 ACP	32.4
5.7x28mm FN	40.5
9x19mm Parabellum	29.7

What the set says about 1990s pistol design

Across these pistols, the introduction dates run from 1990¹ to 1998. The actions represented are blowback, delayed blowback and short recoil. Short recoil is the clear majority, appearing in 6 of the 8 models here: the SIG Sauer P229, Glock G26, Heckler & Koch USP, Glock 30 Gen4, Glock 23 Gen5 and Glock 29 Gen5. The exceptions are the blowback Taurus PT-25 and the delayed blowback FN Five-seveN.

The dimensions also show that there was no single 1990s pattern for size or weight. Barrel lengths in this set run from 64 mm³ on the PT-25 to 122 mm on the Five-seveN. Among the compact and subcompact service-type pistols, the spread is still broad, from the 87 mm⁹ Glock G26 to the 108 mm⁴ USP and the 99 mm² P229. Empty weights range from 341 g to 907 g, while magazine capacities range from 9 rounds to 20 rounds.

That combination matters because it shows parallel design paths rather than one formula. In the same decade, makers produced very light pocket pistols, heavier compact service pistols and lighter high-capacity designs in different chamberings.

For the wider catalogue view behind this sample, see the rankings and pistol records at The rankings.

Source: GET /v1/stats

The data in this chart

Decade	Firearms introduced
1850s	12
1860s	16
1870s	8
1880s	6
1890s	17
1900s	48
1910s	104
1920s	68
1930s	53
1940s	34
1950s	39
1960s	42
1970s	53
1980s	77
1990s	178
2000s	107
2010s	245
2020s	298

Sources and methods

Figures under review. The catalogue's own data checks still question 4 figures in this post, given here as the record states them. How the data is checked.

Footnotes

1. GunSpec catalogue record for the FN Five-seveN, which cites fnamerica.com, fnamerica.com, fnamerica.com, en.wikipedia.org. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

2. GunSpec catalogue record for the SIG Sauer P229, which cites sigsauer.com, craftholsters.com, weaponsystems.net, sadefensejournal.com. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. GunSpec catalogue record for the Taurus PT-25, which cites taurususa.com, handgunhero.com, guns.com, gunsandammo.com. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. GunSpec catalogue record for the Heckler & Koch USP, which cites hk-usa.com, heckler-koch.com, old.weaponsystems.net, hk-usa.com. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. GunSpec catalogue record for the Glock 29 Gen5, which cites us.glock.com, en.wikipedia.org. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩²

6. GunSpec catalogue record for the Glock 30 Gen4, which cites us.glock.com, en.wikipedia.org. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

7. GunSpec catalogue record for the Glock 23 Gen5, which cites us.glock.com, en.wikipedia.org. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩²

8. Method, comparisons: a difference is one catalogue figure minus another of the same kind, in the same unit. Comparisons. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

9. GunSpec catalogue record for the Glock G26, which cites eu.glock.com, web.archive.org, bravoconcealment.com. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩²

10. GunSpec catalogue record for the .45 ACP, which cites bobp.cip-bobp.org. In the API: calibers reference and ammunition reference. ↩

11. GunSpec catalogue record for the 9x19mm Parabellum, which cites bobp.cip-bobp.org. In the API: calibers reference and ammunition reference. ↩

12. GunSpec catalogue record for the 5.7x28mm FN, which cites bobp.cip-bobp.org. In the API: calibers reference and ammunition reference. ↩