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For those of us who love guns and haven't been living under a rock for the past 3 decades or so, the name Glock has become a household word in the shooting world. People who may never have held a gun (let alone a Glock) recognize the name. An estimated 65% of US police agencies use some form of Glock or another. Time to dive deep into everything you need to know about the Glock 9mm and the various models. We will check:
Glock 9mm Pistols
The history of the Glock is quite remarkable given that the man who designed the gun knew nothing about pistol design. Gaston Gluck sold curtain rods and knives to the Austrian army and was familiar with injection molded parts. His team designed the Model 17 pistol to help the Austrian army in need of a new sidearm, and a weapons legend was born. An interesting fact is that the "17" represents the 17th patent issued to the Glock company, and this numbering system continues to this day.
Glock 43x 9mm Pistol Black Cherry Slide & Lower Px4350201
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Shooters are either Glock fans or detractors - there isn't much of a middle ground. I'm one of those rare birds who is in the middle of my opinion of Gaston's wunderkind. I had a model 30.45 ACP for a while and had an aftermarket barrel so I could shoot my cast bullets. It performed well without being overly flashy. Gun eye candy it was not. I called out the Glocks in another article I wrote about the Chevy Impala of the pistol industry. The Impala is a good mid-priced car that's a popular choice among car buyers—reliable and well-designed without being overly flashy.
The Glock, like the Impala, operates in a utilitarian manner. It works without spending an arm and a leg. And, they are very reliable. All these police agencies buying the Glock system is a very good proof of this.
Narrowing it down a bit, let's look at Glock's best sellers. In terms of caliber, the 9mm dominates the Glock. And, of the more than fifty pistol models that Glock sells, their best-selling model is the 19 in 9mm. This compact pistol packs 15+ 1 rounds into a small package. I know many people who carry this model as it seems to have the perfect middle ground between concealed size and capacity. Now, if that's not for you, you have another 19 main Glock 9mm models to choose from.
Glock 17 Gen 5 Review
I've put together a specs comparison chart for the most popular models and an extended version comparing all twenty, for all you die-hards out there. Certainly, some of these models are very rare in gun shops, as they serve a very specific purpose (example: long-range competition, which the Model 34 excels at). So, before we crunch all the numbers on the chart, let's look at the most popular Glock 9mms in some detail.
This is a summary list. Are you a numbers person? Here is an expanded version of all the available Glock 9mm and you can click on the headers to sort them (the table is best viewed on a computer or tablet):
Now, let's look at individual models, but before that, a little explanation is necessary. If you take a look at the table above, you'll see "MOS" and "FS" listed after some models. MOS stands for Modular Optic System. Glock modified the frame on these guns by fitting a slot in front of the rear sight to accept a red dot or other sight mounting plate. It is covered with filler when not in use.
FS means the gun includes front serrations (slide). These FS-marked pistols have serrations at the front of the slide in addition to the standard rear serrations to aid in slide handling. Many shooters have asked Glock to include forward serrations on all of their new guns. So far they have marked those weapons as FS.
Test: Glock 19 Gen4 In 9x19 Caliber
An explanation of the Glock generation is necessary if we want to keep this article as useful as possible for those of you thinking of buying a Glock. "Generation" in Glock parlance equates to other companies coming out with "Mod 2", "2.0" etc. This basically indicates a major overhaul of the features in their weapons. Feature changes (commonly called upgrades) can be very minor, some "big" majors, or a combination of both to qualify for the next generation. So here we go, this write-up from the original Glock (now called Gen1) to the new generation, the Gen5.
This is the original, bare bones Glock Model 17. We can identify this gun by its relative lack or texture on the frame and finger grooves. This is the same Glock that armed the Austrian army in 1983 when 25,000 pistols were ordered. Here's an interesting note: in addition to the Model 17 pistols sold to the military were Model 18s—a selective-fire Model 17 firing between 1100-1300 RPM. . Glock also offered an offset version of this gun (Model 18C). It was technically a submachine gun, and as such, was subject to the same regulations and taxes imposed on owning a machine gun, as people looking to buy one discovered.
They gave the Model 22 RTF2 (.40 S&W) a rough, textured finish and fish-shaped serrations and new checkering around the grip in 2009. Other models available with the RTF2 treatment included 31, 32, 23, 21, and 19, although not all had gill-shaped serrations.
Starting with the Model 17, we see a full-sized frame and a longer barrel than the smaller models. This gun was the first Glock to go mainstream. This is mainly due to its adoption by the Austrian army and some police units starting in 1982. I remember when the gun came out - the first "plastic pistol" was released worldwide (the H&K VP70 was technically the first polymer pistol, introduced in 1970 for the German market).
Rock Island Armory Stk100 Striker Fired 9mm Pistol Review: B
All anti-gunners thought this "plastic gun" would be invisible to airport metal detectors, and some in the shooting community believed the gun would fail due to concerns about the durability of the gun's frame. No worry did anything - they just didn't happen. On the contrary, the pistol's reliability and innovative design endeared it not only to army and police units but also to civilians. A weapon, on average, has only 35 parts... talk about simplicity! My brother has a Gen 4 Model 17 which he really likes. I gave it a spin and was impressed. Because of its size, the 17 isn't really made for concealed carry. It is more at home in a level 3 police officer's containment holster or on a tactical platform at the feet of an SOE military agent.
The Model 17 comes in Gen 3, 4 and 5. So if you like fingers (or not), you're in luck - just buy the generation you want. Need a racing gun? Pick up a Gen4 or Gen5 MOS and put a red dot on it. Want a simple all-around shooter? Get the Gen3 and save money (if you can still find it). The Model 17, as mentioned above, started it all.
Ok...now let's look at a compact 9mm. Being the best-selling Glock brand, the Model 19 has its share of enthusiasts out there. Also, don't forget the aftermarket parts industry. The Model 19 has more third party parts available than any other Glock. That said, the Model 19 is perfect for IWB or OWB concealed carry with its 4-inch barrel, slim one and one-quarter inch width, and 15 rounds in the magazine. As I've written before, this pistol is the benchmark for other compact 9mms.
I know a lot of people who carry the Model 19 and love it. It's no coincidence that Glock chose to release the Model 17 and Model 19 in Gen5 configuration first. 17, with law enforcement pursuits, and the Model 19, Glock's best-selling.
Custom 9mms & Gun Parts
The Gen5 Model 19 was generally well received. The only complaint I've heard about the Gen5 Model 19 is about the notch on the bottom front of the frame. Some shooters say it hurts their hands, because the heel and palm of their hand are in contact with the frame. Sharp edges are the culprit, they say. This does not appear to be a problem with the Model 17 due to its long grip frame. Fortunately, they have addressed this issue in the new Model 45 (below).
As with the Model 17, there are several versions available
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