Glock is perhaps the most popular and recognizable pistol, one of the most reliable, invariably in high demand both from law enforcement agencies and the armed forces around the world, and from ordinary citizens who buy weapons for shooting sports and self-defense. Because of this, it is often shown in movies and computer games.

History of creation

In 1980, the Austrian military decided to upgrade their weapons and announced an order for the development of a new pistol to replace the Steur model. The future star of Austrian gunsmiths, engineer Gaston Glock, at that time owned a small company Glock GmbH, which he himself founded back in 1963 in the town of Deutsch-Wagram near Vienna. Initially, Glock was engaged in the production of machine tools for completely peaceful purposes, and later retrained as a manufacturer of military products - combat knives, trench tools, sapper shovels, spare parts for machine guns, hand grenades and machine gun belts. In the course of his activities, Glock graduated from the Ferlach Higher Weapons Technical School and decided to try his hand at the weapons field. He did not himself design a pistol under the order of the military, but recruited a team of gunsmiths from all over Europe.
After 3 months, a prototype 9-mm pistol was ready, called the Glock 17 (since the magazine had a capacity of 17 rounds). After passing the tests, in 1982 the pistol was adopted by the Austrian army. After some time, Glock was already in the service of the armies of Norway and Sweden, and in 1985 Gaston Glock's company began to take an active interest in the American market. In the same year, a company manufacturing Glock GmbH products was created in Georgia, and in January 1986, final approval was received to import the pistol into the States.

Design

The automatics of the Glock 17 pistol work according to the scheme of using recoil with a short barrel stroke. The design used a modernized system Colt-Browning (Brauning Cam), which is a modernization of the Browning earring. Under the breech, a tide is made with an inclined groove, coinciding with the guide ledge of the frame. The groove is made at such an angle that, moving along the ledge, it causes the moving barrel to decrease, due to which the latter disengages from the shutter-casing, and then stops, allowing the shutter to roll back unhindered.
The barrel bore is locked with the help of a descending breech breech, which enters with its rectangular ledge located above the chamber into the window for ejecting spent cartridge cases of the shutter-casing. The reduction occurs when the bevel of the lower tide of the breech breech interacts with the protrusion of the frame. After the shot, the bolt, moving backward, bends the uncoupler, thereby releasing the thrust, which then rises under the action of the thrust spring. When the bolt moves forward, the striker's hook encounters the thrust hook and returns the trigger through the thrust to the forward position. In this case, the drummer is pre-cocked. Pistols of the latest releases are equipped with an ejector, which also acts as an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.
The trigger mechanism (USM) of the striker type with a preliminary partial cocking of the striker when the shutter-casing moves back and additional cocking when the trigger is pressed. When the trigger is pressed, the firing pin block is first removed, then the sear releases the combat platoon, and a shot is fired. Glock calls the trigger of this design only self-cocking (DAO). However, this system is in fact a classic single-action trigger with an additional firing pin.
In Glock pistols, the drummer is cocked by moving the shutter-casing back, and the relatively long trigger stroke and slightly more than a conventional single-action trigger, the force required to cock the drummer, replace the manually controlled fuse. To ensure maximum ease of handling weapons in the design of this pistol, it was decided to abandon the use of manual safety catches, only automatic ones were left, which made it possible to significantly reduce the time interval from the moment the pistol was removed to the moment the fire was opened.
In the absence of cartridges, the shutter delay is turned on, fixing the shutter in the allotted position. The length and force of the stroke in this case prevent an accidental shot in the absence of a safety lever. The trigger pull is 2.5 kg and can be adjusted from 2 to 4 kg. A small effort required to pull the trigger allows you to increase the accuracy of fire even for a poorly trained shooter.
The gun is equipped with three independently operating automatic safety locks. Glock called this system Safe Action. The safety lever, which is equipped with the trigger, blocks its movement back and releases it only when the shooter is consciously pressed. The automatic fuse of the striker makes it impossible for the striker to hit the primer of the cartridge in the event of an accidental failure from the cocking sear. The trigger rod, with its special protrusion, raises the fuse, which is a cylinder with a groove, and opens the way forward for the drummer. The shockproof fuse is a protrusion of the trigger rod, which has a cruciform shape, which is included in the groove of the shutter-casing. It prevents the combat platoon from falling off the sear during an external impact.
The sights of Glock pistols, made of plastic, are removable and are installed in transverse dovetail grooves, consist of a rear sight with the possibility of making horizontal adjustments by shifting it and a front sight, which can be replaced with another one with a different height for vertical correction. For ease of aiming in low light conditions, a luminous dot is applied to the front sight, and a luminous frame is applied to the rear sight. The rear sight can be adjustable, but this is not usually the case in military models. Since 1988, pistols of this model in most cases are equipped with a special guide for attaching a laser target designator (LTC) or a tactical flashlight.

Overall rating

Many experts in the field of personal weapons and its combat use consider Glock pistols to be the best in the world due to the excellent combination of such qualities as reliability in the harshest operating conditions, more than sufficient accuracy for combat shooting and self-defense, both aiming and high-speed "instinctive" offhand shooting, high safety, convenience, comfort with constant concealed or open wear, maximum ease of use, ease of maintenance, huge service life, interchangeability of parts, very high strength and resistance of the coating of steel parts to corrosion and wear, and finally, relatively not high cost.
This is a really great weapon, which is preferred by professionals involved in real combat and special operations, fighters of the best special forces in the world. The Glock is also very much loved by those who simply love guns and shooting, and especially those who prefer guns with no problems. People living in countries where personal handguns are allowed to be sold to civilians are guided by the same principles as the military and police when choosing a Glock for shooting or for self-defense. It's always better to own a gun that won't let you down on the range or on the street. It is better to have a weapon that is convenient and easy to use than difficult to handle, which is especially true for people who do not have the opportunity to regularly train with their pistol in the use of weapons in extreme situations. It is no secret that owners in such conditions, where there is simply no time to think, and all actions are performed automatically, simply forget about whether the safety on their gun is on or not, and often about its location. Of course, this is not a problem for a trained professional, but for an ordinary person who is not used to often face extreme situations, the simplicity of his pistol is vital.

1. High wear resistance of units and mechanisms. The barrel before burning out allows you to make 300-350 thousand shots (for other pistols, on average, this value is 40-50 thousand shots).

2. An interesting feature of Glock pistols is the ability to fire underwater. In this case, not only rupture, but also swelling of the trunk does not occur. However, for stable triggering of the primer, a special striker with transverse grooves or a set of Spring cups amfibia is required: the mainspring of the striker with a plastic tray with holes. Available only for pistols chambered in 9 mm Parabellum. However, for firing under water without the risk of barrel swelling, the use of cartridges with FMJ-type full-shell bullets is recommended. Glock pistols allow shooting underwater at a depth of up to three meters. The bullet retains great energy at a distance of up to two meters when fired at a depth of one meter. Shooting at close range from under the water is also effective, while the sound of the shot is not audible.

3. There is a widespread misconception that due to the extensive use of polymers in pistol construction, the Glock 17 is not detectable by metal detectors. In reality, this is not at all the case. This misconception was personally refuted by Gaston Glock when he passed through the frame of a metal detector several times with a pistol, and each time the weapon was correctly detected. This is due to the fact that, despite the widespread use of polymers, the mass of metal components in it is about 400 g.

4. The Glock 17 is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the pistol that was subjected to the most severe tests and retained its combat effectiveness after that. The Glock 17 is capable of firing from under water, in heavily dusty conditions, in mud, in conditions of any humidity, after being removed from liquid mud and sand.

5. Since January 31, 2009, the Glock 17, among other pistols chambered for 9 × 19 mm Parabellum, has been included in the list of weapons allowed in Russia by investigators and employees of the prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to use as a weapon of self-defense.

9 Work principles : recoil of the barrel with its short stroke Muzzle velocity, m/s: 350-360 Sighting range, m: 50 Type of ammunition: magazine for 17 (standard), 19 or 33 rounds Sight : removable open Pictures on Wikimedia Commons: Glock 17

History of occurrence

Using the existing experience in the use of polymers in the manufacture of weapons, the Glock 17 pistol was created. The fundamental innovation of this model was the widespread use of polymer materials in its design, mainly impact-resistant polyamide was used. In 1982 according to the results of military tests, the Glock 17 pistol was adopted by the Austrian army under the designation P.80. Glock was ordered 25,000 pistols, production facilities were not ready for such a significant order, so subcontractors were involved until the full deployment of their own production facilities. Soon after the arrival of the new pistol to the troops, this model gained considerable popularity, which prompted Glock to further expand and improve the model range, but the design of existing models of pistols from this company still retains those successful technical solutions that were first successfully used during development of the Glock 17 pistol.

Design

This type of pistol is a fairly simple and reliable design, consisting of 33 parts and can be disassembled without the help of special equipment.

Pistol automation

Schematic diagram of the operation of the Colt-Browning Cam system

The automatics of the Glock 17 pistol work according to the scheme of using recoil with a short barrel stroke. The design used a modernized system Colt-Browning (Brauning Cam), which is a modernization browning earrings. Under the breech the barrel is made tide with an inclined groove, coinciding with the frame guide. The groove is made at such an angle that, moving along the ledge, it causes the moving barrel to decrease, due to which the latter disengages from the shutter-casing, and then stops, allowing the shutter to roll back unhindered.

Design features

The gun has a simple and reliable design. When completely disassembled, it consists of 33 parts, including a magazine. Maintenance can be carried out without the use of special equipment using improvised means, which greatly facilitates the maintenance and repair of this weapon model.

Equipped as standard with a magazine for 17 rounds, it can also use magazines with a capacity of 19 and 33 rounds.

Partial disassembly of the Glock 19 pistol

In addition to the generally accepted design features, the Glock 17 also has a number of specific technical solutions that were then used in pistols of subsequent models.

Many parts of the pistol were created using polymer materials, including the frame (except for the barrel and bolt cover), which made it possible to reduce the weight of the weapon to 900 g in running order, compared to a pistol Beretta 92 with a magazine of 15 rounds, the mass of which is 950 g in an unloaded state. Moreover, the weight of the equipped store in the Glock 17 is 250 g, that is, about 25% of the weight is ammunition.

Also, a distinctive feature of Glock pistols is the high survivability of components and mechanisms. If, on average, a pistol is considered wear-resistant, if about 30-40 thousand shots can be fired from it, then 300-350 thousand shots can be fired from the Glock 17. Such superiority in wear resistance is due to the extensive use of polymer parts and the unique barrel manufacturing technology patented by Glock.

The outer body and frame can be made of plastic in various colors. The most famous is classic black, there is also a Glock 17 in camouflage. In the production of parts that are subjected to the greatest load, plastic is reinforced with metal plates. The guide frames along which the shutter casing moves are reinforced with steel inserts. A small metal plate is installed at the bottom of the frame, on which the serial number of the pistol is stamped.

There are latches on the pistol frame above the trigger guard on both sides, when pressed, incomplete disassembly of the pistol, removal of the bolt barrel and return spring from the frame becomes available.

Shooting underwater

An interesting feature of Glock pistols is the ability to fire underwater. In this case, not only rupture, but also swelling of the trunk does not occur. However, for stable operation of the primer, a special striker with transverse grooves or a set of Spring cups amfibia is required: the mainspring of the striker with a plastic pallet with holes. Available only for pistols chambered in 9mm Parabellum.

However, for firing under water without the risk of barrel bloat, the use of cartridges with full-shell bullets of the FMJ type is recommended. Glock pistols allow shooting underwater at a depth of up to three meters. The bullet retains great energy at a distance of up to two meters when fired at a depth of one meter. Shooting at close range from under the water is also effective, while the sound of the shot is absent. This method of shooting is taught in many special forces.

Existing modifications manufactured by Glock

The Glock 17 pistol served as the basis for the entire range of pistols manufactured by Glock. Glock pistols, which have the “C” index in the model designation, are equipped with a built-in compensator, made in the form of several upwardly directed holes located at various intervals in the muzzle of the barrel, and an elongated cutout in the upper part of the casing-bolt. The presence of this device made it possible to reduce the recoil when fired, which somewhat increased the accuracy of fire.

The following derivatives of the Glock 17 pistol currently exist:

  • Glock 17L - the target version of the model with an extended barrel, appeared in 1988.
  • Glock 17C - a modification equipped with a compensator cut in the barrel and casing.
  • The Glock 17R is a variant of the pistol with a red plastic body.
  • Glock 17T - blue body variant.
  • Glock 18 - a modification adapted for firing bursts.
  • Glock 19 is a compact model with a short barrel (102 mm). Originally called the Glock 17 Compact, with 1990 acquired its current designation.
  • Glock 20 - modification of the Glock 17 chambered for 10 mm Auto, has a magazine for 15 rounds and a built-in compensator.
  • Glock 21 - modification chambered for .45 ACP, in this regard, it has a number of design differences. The profile of the barrel has changed, which has become octagonal with right-hand cutting, the magazine capacity has decreased to 13 rounds.
  • Glock 22 - modification chambered for .40 S&W. This model was released in 1990. In May 1997 This model was adopted by the FBI as a service weapon. It is a standard weapon for duty officers.
  • Glock 23 - a shortened version of the Glock 22, is a standard weapon for field officers.
  • Glock 24 - target modification of the Glock 22 with an elongated barrel and increased accuracy of fire.
  • Glock 25 - modification of the Glock 22 model chambered in .380 ACP, a compact, low-powered civilian self-defense weapon. First presented to the general public in 1995.
  • The Glock 26 is a compact variant of the Glock 17 with a magazine capacity of 10 rounds and a weapon length of 160mm.

  • Glock 27 - compact modification chambered in .40 S&W. Much like the Glock 26, but has a 9-round magazine due to the somewhat thicker ammunition used.
  • Glock 28 is a compact modification of the Glock 25.
  • The Glock 29 is a compact version of the Glock 20 with a magazine capacity of 10 rounds.
  • The Glock 30 is a compact version of the Glock 21.
  • Glock 31/31C - modification of the original model chambered for .357 SIG .
  • The Glock 32/32C is a slightly shorter version of the Glock 31 pistol with a smaller magazine.
  • Glock 33 - a significantly shortened and reduced modification of the Glock 31, positioned as an "ultra-compact pistol".
  • Glock 34 - target modification of the Glock 17 pistol with an extended barrel and increased accuracy of fire. Presented to the public in 1998.
  • Glock 35 is a target modification of the Glock 22 pistol, it has an increased accuracy of fire, it is specially designed for clay target shooting and personnel training. Presented to the public in 1998.
  • Glock 36 - a compact modification of the Glock 21, the magazine capacity is only 6 rounds, due to their single-row arrangement it has a small thickness, which facilitates covert carrying.
  • Glock 37 - modification of the original model chambered for .45 GAP magazine capacity of 10 rounds.
  • Glock 38 - slightly shorter and with a smaller magazine capacity (8 rounds) modification of the Glock 37 pistol chambered in .45 GAP.
  • Glock 39 - a significantly shortened and reduced modification of the Glock 37 chambered in .45 GAP, positioned as an "ultra-compact pistol" (SUBCOMPACT).

Usage

Due to its successful design, the pistol has become widespread throughout the world. Various modifications of the Glock 17 pistol are in service with the army and police in more than 30 countries, for example, Austria, Sweden and Norway, this model is also approved by the NATO leadership as one of the main models of personal small arms, Glocks of various modifications are in service with the police and special services USA, Canada, Mexico, India, Philippines, Saudi Arabia and many other countries.

This pistol is a typical self-defense weapon. The maximum effective firing range is 50 m, effective shooting at such a distance requires good shooting training and experience in handling the weapon from which the fire is fired. On average, the Glock 17 is most effective at a distance of 20-25 m, due to the fact that even a poorly trained shooter is able to hit a target at such a distance. The muzzle velocity of a bullet fired from a Glock 17 at the muzzle is 350-360 m/s. The muzzle energy is about 500 J. These characteristics determine the scope of this weapon model.

In law enforcement forces, the Glock 17 is used as the main weapon on peacetime patrols.

In army structures, the Glock 17 is an additional weapon for officers, in some cases sergeants. They can also arm crews of vehicles. In combat conditions, the Glock 17 is effective for self-defense when it is impossible to use the main weapon.

In civil security structures and for private individuals, this pistol, as well as for the police, is a weapon of self-defense and a means of protecting entrusted property.

It is thanks to the fact that the Glock 17 effectively copes with the tasks in all three main areas of its application that it has become so widespread in the world.

Advantages and disadvantages

This model, like any other weapon, has its pros and cons.

Advantages

Flaws

Curious facts

A widely advertised feature of the Glock 17 is its ability to fire underwater when retrofitting the pistol with a special reinforced recoil spring. This effect is achieved due to the strength of the barrel and simple and reliable automation that does not use complex gas exhaust systems, and replacing the standard return spring with a reinforced one allows you to return the bolt back to the firing position even with a significantly increased environmental resistance. The practical value of this ability is low - this is due to the fact that in water the energy of the bullet is very quickly extinguished due to the high density of the medium, and the effective firing range does not exceed 1-2 meters. But despite the low efficiency of the pistol in this situation, the very presence of this ability indicates the high reliability and wear resistance of components and mechanisms, the preservation of the combat capability of the Glock 17 in conditions of any, arbitrarily high humidity, and even the ability to fire when there is water in the barrel bore , which for many other models of pistols can lead to barrel deformation or serious damage to the components and parts of the weapon.

There is a widespread misconception that due to the extensive use of polymers in pistol construction, the Glock 17 is not detectable by metal detectors. In reality, this is not at all the case. This misconception was personally refuted by Gaston Glock when he passed through the frame of a metal detector several times with a pistol, and each time the weapon was correctly detected. This is due to the fact that, despite the widespread use of polymers, the mass of metal components in it is about 400 g.

There is a myth about the high fragility of pistols in this series: supposedly if you drop a pistol on a hard surface, it can split or crack. The falsity of this myth is easily refuted: just look at the conditions for passing the competition, formulated by the Austrian army, for a new pistol. Among others, there is a clause - without consequences for combat effectiveness and spontaneous shots, withstand a fall onto a metal plate from a height of 2 m. If the pistol did not meet this requirement, it would not have become the winner of the competition.

In fact, cracks and deformations of plastic components can occur under mechanical stress, but usually at temperatures below -40 ° C or under severe mechanical stress, which would lead to deformation and destruction of guns made of conventional materials.

The theoretical wear resistance of the Glock 17 is 300-350 thousand shots, but the record for the number of shots fired from this pistol belongs to the American Chuck Taylor, who, having decided to check the veracity of the technical description, fired about 100 thousand shots over 3 years. At the same time, the pistol retained the accuracy of the battle and combat effectiveness. The only weak point was the stores, which had to be changed every 5-10 thousand shots. Before that, not a single serial pistol showed such combat survivability.

Usage in popular culture

Cinema

Pistols "Glock-17" were armed with many heroes of Hollywood films.

  • Ashton Kutcher in "Killers"

This is not a complete list of films where the Glock 17 and its modifications appear.

Computer games

Due to its popularity, the Glock 17 has become widespread in computer games that display modern reality or myths based on it. Most often, a pistol of this type is found in shooters and tactical simulators. Below are examples of some of the games in which you can meet the Glock 17 or its modifications.

Conclusion

The Glock 17 pistol is the ancestor of a new, previously non-existent, design tradition of the widespread use of polymer materials in the manufacture of weapons. Despite the lack of experience of the Glock company, which had not previously produced pistols, this model turned out to be very successful. It combines a number of positive qualities, such as lightness, high wear resistance, reliability, satisfactory accuracy of fire, simplicity and ease of maintenance, resistance to corrosion and harmful environmental factors. It is thanks to its successful design and the presence of undoubted advantages that the Glock 17 gained worldwide fame and became so widespread.

Notes

  1. Special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia are armed with a Glock-17 pistol (Russian). Press service of the Logistics Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (11.12.2009). Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  2. Hogg, I., Wicks, D."Glock" (Austria) // All pistols of the world. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Pistols and Revolvers = Pistols of the World. The definitive illustrated guide to the world "s pistols and revolvers. - M .: ZAO EKSMO Publishing House, 1997. - S. 142. - 384 p. - 25,000 copies -

Glock brand pistols, with their birth, revolutionized the production of small arms. What legends about them did not go - and go so far. Bruce Willis, as hero cop John McClain in Die Hard 2 (1990), authoritatively explains to an airport security officer that the Glock is a German porcelain pistol that is not caught by metal detectors and costs a lot of money.

In fact, the Glock is not at all German, but an Austrian pistol, porcelain and ceramics are completely absent in its design, but plastic is present in a considerable amount, and plastic has always been cheaper than steel.

Previously, gunsmiths have already tried to create small arms with plastic elements. Back in the late 1960s - early 1970s, the designers of the German company Heckler & Koch developed pistols of the VP 70 and P9S models, some of the parts of which were made of plastic, or rather, of plastic reinforced masses. However, then the idea was not approved - there was an opinion that the weapon should be made of steel, and other materials only reduce the strength of the unit.

In 1980, the Austrian military decided to upgrade their weapons and announced an order for the development of a new pistol to replace the Steur model. The future star of Austrian gunsmiths, engineer Gaston Glock, at that time owned a small company Glock GmbH, which he himself founded back in 1963 in the town of Deutsch-Wagram near Vienna. Initially, Glock was engaged in the production of machine tools for completely peaceful purposes, and later retrained as a manufacturer of military products - combat knives, entrenching tools, sapper shovels, spare parts for MG74-3 and MG42 machine guns (7.62 mm NATO), hand grenades and machine gun belts. In the course of his activities, Glock graduated from the Ferlach Higher Weapons Technical School and decided to try his hand at the weapons field. He did not himself design a pistol under the order of the military, but recruited a team of gunsmiths from all over Europe.

After 3 months, a prototype 9-mm pistol was ready, called the Glock 17 (since the magazine had a capacity of 17 rounds). After passing the tests, in 1982 the pistol was adopted by the Austrian army. After some time, Glock was already in the service of the armies of Norway and Sweden, and in 1985 Gaston Glock's company began to take an active interest in the American market. In the same year, a company manufacturing Glock GmbH products was created in Georgia, and in January 1986, final approval was received to import the pistol into the States.

Glock pioneered the production of "plastic" pistols. The use of plastic in the manufacture of most parts turned out to be logical in a world where plastic was steadily gaining ground in industrial production.

First of all, the plastic body significantly reduced the weight of the pistol - the Glock 17 with a full magazine weighs only 870 grams. For comparison, the weight of the Beretta 92 with 2 rounds less magazine is 950 grams.

For the manufacture of the frame and magazine of the pistol, a high-strength polymer is used, like a monocoque, which is able to withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees. True, severe frost remains a threat - if the frozen Glock is unsuccessfully dropped, then it can simply split.

Plastic is an order of magnitude more durable than steel, and the steel parts of modern Glocks are processed using Tennifer technology, which is a unique development of Glock GmbH. As a result of such treatment, the surface to a depth of 0.05 mm acquires a hardness of about 69 Rockwell units (the hardness of technical diamonds is 71-72). Even the Americans assemble Glocks in their factories only from parts sent from Austria, since this technology is a closely guarded secret of the company.

The special processing of the parts makes the gun exceptionally resistant to corrosion. He is not afraid of salt water and sand. Unlike many other pistols, the Glock can shoot even underwater, though not far and slightly.

The tale about the Glock's elusiveness for a metal detector was refuted by Gaston Glock himself. He personally paraded several times with a pistol in his hand through the arch of a metal detector at the airport in front of US Secretary of Defense Kasper Weinberger. The metal detector honestly pointed to the presence of weapons with each pass.

In addition to the above, it should also be noted that other advantages of Glocks, which were also appreciated by civilians. All pistols of this brand consist of only 34 parts, including the magazine. Parts from one model are mostly suitable for other Glock models. The plastic frame provides unusually soft feedback. Glock shoots accurately and accurately, while the barrel can withstand up to 350 thousand shots.

Modifications of Glock brand pistols differ mainly in caliber, barrel length and sights.

There is a heated debate about the safety of Glocks. Proponents of this weapon claim that in the US, in 99.9% of cases, the cause of the "crossbow" with the participation of Glock pistols is mishandling it. This is motivated by the fact that the pistol uses the Safe Action system - a proprietary development with a DAO (Double Action Only) trigger, consisting of three independent fuses. However, according to official statistics, there are too many accidents. The Glock 21 is especially famous in this regard. It is this model that takes the first place in the statistics of misfires and spontaneous shooting, and Glock GmbH is on the list of 15 weapons manufacturing companies that have been sued for damages.

Gaston Glock's website reports that in the US alone, 65% of government agencies use his weapons, the largest of which are the FBI, the DEA and the New York City Police Department. At the same time, the Glock company is actively promoting supported pistols to civilians. And they get used pistols from the same policemen in exchange for newer models. Here's a marketing ploy. One trouble. Weapons that have already served their time fall into the hands of civilians, which again leads to new victims - this time among a peaceful, but weapon-loving population. Naturally, Glocks are also spreading among the criminal community. Perhaps that is why the Glock appears so often in American action films. It is Glocks that are armed with Michael Douglas in Basic Instinct, Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Eraser, Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive, etc.

It should be noted that Mr. Glock himself turned out to be no less stable than his famous weapon. In March 2003, an attempt was made on his life. 70-year-old Glock received 7 blows to the head with a rubber mallet, rested in the clinic and returned to the post of head of his company. The attacker turned out to be Charles Ewert, a stealing Glock financier.

The performance characteristics of the pistol Glock 17

Cartridge 9×19 mm "Parabellum"
Work on the principle of recoil with a short stroke of the barrel, self-loading
Shutter locking method barrel descending with cams
Nutrition box magazine with a capacity of 17 rounds
Weight of unloaded pistol 620 g
Empty magazine weight 41 g
Loaded magazine weight 250 g
Length 188 mm
barrel length 114 mm
rifling hexagonal profile, right hand cut
sights fixed or movable; front sight and rear sight
starting speed about 350 m/s
muzzle energy about 500 J

And I would take the Glock-18, it has the ability to conduct automatic fire ...

". Instead, an ordinary engineer with experience in polymer materials wanted to design a pistol that met the strict criteria of the Austrian army, to replace the obsolete models that were in service.

The first version of the pistol project called "Patent No. 17", now known to all gun lovers as Glock 17 caliber 9×19, won in 1982 and soon became the most sought after pistol in the world. Glock 17 still remains the standard weapon of NATO troops.

Millions of people around the world trust their lives to the quality of handguns. Glock but are usually mutually exclusive.

There are no perfect ways to satisfy every customer, but thanks to Gaston Glock, every gun owner Glock can, based on its polymer platform, assemble its own, unique pistol to suit its needs. There are a huge number of modifications Glock 17, from adding a night sight to changing the trigger pull. People create their own "perfect gun" in parts, like a plastic surgeon restores the face of a patient after an accident.

While some modifications require the input of an experienced gunsmith, most upgrades are available to even the average gun wielder in a matter of minutes. Knowing this, I article author, Dusty Gibson — ed.) eagerly set out to find and test the most popular modifications for pistols Glock that improve this polymer "miracle".

Aim

So, the first thing I thought about was the scope. Standard front sight and rear sight Glock 17 made of plastic, which in itself is not so bad, but if you are a shooter or a person who constantly carries a weapon, this option is not suitable for you. Plastic sights quite suitable for shooting, but with frequent removal of the pistol from the holster and during transportation, they wear out over time, which can become a problem. In addition, at night, standard plastic sights with not very bright paint is practically useless.

Well, there is a way out: on the right you can see the metal sights from company Trijicon; the model in the photo is called GL11. Trijicon sights with bright tritium marks are made of metal, have good resistance to mechanical stress and are clearly visible in the dark, just what a shooter needs.

Installation of such sights usually does not require the use of a gunsmith, you can install them yourself with the usual tools and a steady hand.

The next thing I noticed was...

Trigger

Regular trigger, which is factory installed, is very comfortable and meets the requirements of most shooters for weapons to be worn all the time. The trigger pull is 2.5 kg, which is quite reasonable and safe.


The site GlockTriggers.com presents several systems for various purposes for modifying your Glock 17. Including the system EDGE approved by sport shooting associations IDPA and USPSA. This system features a trigger load of just 1.6 kg and greater durability, allowing you to achieve the best results in shooting competitions. There are 7 parts in the kit, but it is quite possible to install it in just 15 minutes.

pistol grip

Different arrows improve in different ways pistol grip. Make the handle wider or rougher for a more secure grip. Someone uses ordinary self-adhesive skateboard skin, cutting it into shape. But a more suitable option are special granular or rubberized pads, such as from the company Talon. These covers are easy to install with a regular hair dryer.


To avoid injury from improper grip by firm Grip Force Products adapter is produced GFA, which is installed directly on the pistol grip using a special clip.

And now…

Trunk

Usually shooters have no complaints about the quality of factory trunks companies Glock but if you want to install muzzle compensator, muffler, or use a different caliber, you will definitely have to replace trunk, and in the case of a change in caliber, often a store.


Some shooters also use stainless steel barrels such as Lone Wolf and Storm Lake, which improves barrel durability and accuracy when using other ammunition.

Replacing the barrel does not require special skills and is easily done by anyone.

Shutter Reset Button

Usually shutter release button very tight, especially on new pistols, and has a low profile that can be uncomfortable.


It is quite easy to replace it with a high-profile one, such a button is included in the standard package. Glock 34 and Glock 35. Since the main components of pistols Glock identical in all models, you can easily buy a spare shutter release button from Glock 34 or Glock 35 and install it on your pet Glock 17 th model.

Magazine reset button

In the first 3 generations of pistols Glock magazine reset button was low-profile, which did not always suit. Noting this, the company Glock used a high profile button in the 4th generation of pistols, which also did not please everyone, and some owners complained about its sharp edges. You can’t please everyone, and if you are unhappy with the regular button, then you should pay attention to magazine reset buttons from firms TangoDown or JP.


Score

This seems to be the simplest modification to your pistol. For Glock 17 there are many different stores: high capacity, increasing the grip area of ​​the handle, as well as with increased weight, for easy falling out of the shaft shop, which saves important fractions of a second in shooting competitions.


So, we come to the last improvement in our list today and it is installed on underbarrel rail.

Lantern and LCC

Such rails appeared in the 3rd generation of pistols. Glock in the late 90s.

All sorts of flashlights and laser sights can be mounted on the rail-bar, and the installation of a mini-knife has become a recent fashion.


One of the options for a multifunctional device for rails is a complex device Viridian C5L, including a fairly powerful lamp at 100 lumens and bright 5 mW green laser pointer, which is visible during the day at a distance of 90 meters, and at night for all 1.6 kilometers.

All this many improvements can be useful for you, so without wasting time, buy and install what will make your Glock more perfect.

In the 80s of the 20th century, the Austrian military department announced a competition for the creation of a new pistol model. The new weapons were supposed to be more practical and better in all respects than the old weapons. Important criteria were reliability and ease of use.


appearance of the Glock-17 pistol

Several large arms companies took up the right to fulfill the departmental order. When demonstrating various models of small arms, the Glock GmbH company provided a model of its Glock-17 pistol for public viewing and, by the 82nd year, it was recognized as the best of the best, and subsequently adopted by law enforcement agencies.

Firearm Features

Small arms were so well thought out that they contained all the qualities necessary for the defense department. The main distinguishing feature is the materials used. The frame of the pistol with the handle was made of a polymer material that could withstand temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius, and was also not afraid of physical impact. All this gave the firearms the necessary margin of safety, despite its low weight.

A design feature of the Glock-17 is the presence of a special valve in the chamber from below. Thanks to him, in the event of excessive pressure, due to the influence of powder gases, they are removed through the pistol grip. The design feature of the casing is a U-shaped design.

On the surface of the gun there are the following factory markings:


on the casing - shutter and frame on the right on the casing - shutter on the left

A standard firearm magazine holds 17 rounds of . They are arranged in two rows in a checkerboard pattern. There are modifications of magazines for 33 or 10 ammunition. The latch that holds the magazine at the base of the handle is located at the point where the trigger guard and the handle of the weapon join.

Glock-17 firearms do not have a standard system fuse. Safety when using a pistol is ensured by a special system that has three independent automatic type fuses. The entire system is turned off during the application of force on the trigger. There are several types of fuses in the security system:

  • trigger;
  • combat;
  • shockproof.

As an aiming system in small arms, an open type of sight is used, the main elements of which are fixed on the flat surface of the bolt. The sighting system consists of a front sight and an interchangeable sight. The front sight has a special luminous marker, the slot in the sight also has a pleasant illumination.

The main performance characteristics of the Glock-17 pistol are presented in the table


As mentioned earlier, the frame of the firearm and the outer part of the body is made of a special polymer material - plastic, which can have different color shades. As a rule, the main color is black. However, it can be replaced with other colors. In places of heavy load, special iron inserts are mounted in the body of the pistol, which increases the strength of small arms.

The work of parts and mechanisms of weapons inevitably leads to the formation of unique traces of a shot on the ammunition. Traces characteristic of the Glock-17 pistol are presented below:

trace: 1 - reflector, 2 - the edges of the window in the shutter under the striker, 3 - ejector hook,
4 - striker (shape - rounded rectangle)

On the one hand, an additional dynamic trace from the tip of the striker adjoins the striker trace, which is displayed in the form of traces, the specified trace is formed when the barrel swings in a vertical plane.

Advantages and disadvantages of firearms

The assembly of the Glock-17 uses a large number of polymer parts, which avoids the adverse effects of corrosion. Also, the barrel undergoes a special processing technology. Polymer parts make it possible to achieve smoothness during firing, which, of course, increases accuracy.

The characteristics of the material make it possible to use small arms without much difficulty in any climatic conditions, with the exception of the far north and areas with sharp temperature fluctuations.

The weight of the Glock-17 is slightly less than that of short-barreled weapons of a similar class. This makes the new weapon a bargain, practical and easy to handle. The process of disassembling the gun does not require special tools.

The disadvantages include the fact that the ingress of various debris between parts of the mechanisms can lead to jamming of the gun during firing. Some experts do not consider the probability of jamming due to small debris to be too great. In order to avoid this, it is enough to periodically clean small arms.

The characteristics stated high rates of temperature effects on the Glock-17 pistol. However, at -40 degrees, small arms become brittle. And at a temperature of more than 200 degrees - parts and mechanisms can be deformed.