The Glock 17 pistol was first produced in 1982, starting what would become a revolution in the gun and military industry and forever changing the world of modern combat pistols.

Number of Glock 17s on hand civilians, police departments and army units, is stunning and second only to its little brother Glock 19. And for good reason: in the absence of a classic spirit and style, the Glock 17 pistol is a workhorse that will serve you faithfully for a lifetime.

With such a story, I can freely use the term "long-term operation". And I can guarantee that to this day, the first generation samples are used, thirty years old and hundreds of thousands of shots fired.

My third generation pistol has only 7000-8000 shots in five years. And again, there is nothing outstanding in these numbers, but I cannot remember what else I carried with me almost every day for five years and what other of my pistols can boast of such a record.

Comfort and appearance

Manufactured in 2009, this Glock 17 features a Tenifer finish, widely known for its corrosion resistance and surface hardness. Sometime in 2012, Glock switched to using a nitride coating on their guns, which drew criticism from some fans who claimed it wore out faster and was less resistant to corrosion than the Tenifer. But even with the well-proven Tenifer coating, my Glock 17 still has holster scuffs on the slide edges.

I would probably be disappointed if there were no individual marks left on my pistol: this is a tool, not a sample from a display case.


The resin frame, aside from my choice of dot-knurled overlay, is nearly flawless. While I've always been good with my pistol (I'm not a SWAT operator), it's seen climates ranging from the dry and dusty plains of Colorado to the hot and humid summers in New England. But there are no signs of fading, cracking or deformation on the frame.

The guides and internal parts of the gun are also in perfect condition. It will be difficult for you to distinguish this sample from the one that left for last week assembly line in Smyrna.

A cursory examination of the chamber and rifling also reveals nothing out of the ordinary, except that I should be more diligent in cleaning. This barrel will outlive me and will continue to serve.

Functioning

After 7000+ shots, I can honestly say that this Glock 17 never failed.. And we, who carry weapons every day, sometimes take this quality on faith, but we should not. If your trust and hopes are tied to any mechanism, its reliability must be supported by real (and personal) evidence.

Basically, my pistol was on a constant diet of Winchester Ranger 147gr JHP, Federal HST 124gr and 147gr JHP, and Army +P FMJs. This Glock 17 is truly omnivorous when it comes to ammo types and has yet to choke on anything.


Perhaps the most controversial feature of Glock pistols is their trigger. I can guarantee that the trigger of the Glock 17 doesn't even come close to the smooth action of a redesigned trigger. And rightfully so, since the Safe Action System used by Glock negates the need for external fuses.

That being said, I like the Glock trigger; it's crisp and has a distinctly felt reset that allows for quick and accurate bursts of shots. Of course, trigger pull and feel is a matter of personal preference, but for myself I still haven't found a trigger that's as comfortable as the Glock trigger. with a force of 2.49 kg.

The second controversial point in Glock pistols is the angle of the handle. And here I will be softer and agree that the criticism of the handle is quite legitimate. The curvature (and angle) of the handle is quite steep. Many owners, when shooting Glock pistols for the first time, hit a little higher, slightly lifting the muzzle when aiming. Having to lower the muzzle of the gun down makes me tense my wrist and makes the stance stiffer and more stable.

Being completely open, I decided to switch to professional grips from Business End Customs, which will allow me to more comfortably position my giant palms around the handle. But I wouldn't have to do that if I bought a fourth generation Glock 17 with interchangeable rear grips.

The longer length, added weight of a larger pistol, and 9x19 caliber make the Glock 17 a reasonably stable pistol, with very little muzzle flip even when firing in rapid bursts. There is nothing unusual for me in three accurate hits three well-aimed shots, with the pistol drawn from its holster, in less than two seconds. I am not an athlete, but this is a decent indicator for a similar series when firing full power cartridges.

Wearing a Glock 17

I don't think the Glock engineers were thinking about concealed carry when they created the G17. It was designed for open wear and official use, mainly due to the length of the bolt and handle. Although with the right holster and body type, the Glock 17 is very comfortable for concealed carry.

And if you're a bit petite, the equally popular Glock 19 is a better fit, as it's 2.5 centimeters shorter in both dimensions. My pistol is even bigger due to the built-in flashlight, the Surefire x300, which, in my opinion, is a must-have on any combat pistol.

The entire life of my Glock 17 has been spent in a Raven Concealment Phantom holster, with the exception of rare trips in the open hip Safariland. There are hundreds of holster options on the market now, but Raven is still at the top of the list and is a great fit for the Glock 17. Someday I will talk about Raven products, because they are really high-quality things.


Aside from the large size of the pistol, the Glock 17 is an excellent choice to carry as a self-defense weapon. With a standard capacity of 17 plus one in the chamber, I rarely feel the need to carry a spare magazine with me.

And in my case, the Taran Tactical Innovations (TTI) magazine heel adds two or three more rounds. This is great ammo for a concealed carry pistol. And another advantage of TTI heels is their smooth aluminum surface, which will not cling to a shirt or jacket.

conclusions

I strongly believe that there is no perfect pistol for self-defense. Each shooter will have their own priorities, and everyone will have to compromise based on their life situations. For me, the Glock 17 is probably the all-time favorite. This opinion is based on the feeling of confidence when you pick up a Glock 17 or just know that it is strapped to your hip.

In any case, this is a classic pistol with a good reputation and every weapon fan should have one in their arsenal, no matter if it will be used every day.

Take care of yourself!

Characteristics:

Price: $539+

Caliber: 9×19

Length: 20.3 cm

Height: 13.7 cm

Width: 2.99 cm

Weight (unloaded): 710 grams

Weight (charged): 910 grams

Magazine capacity: 17 rounds

Descent force: 2.49 kg

Modifications/Accessories:

Sights: Trijicon Night

Handle pads: Business End Customs

Shop heels: Taran Tactical Innovations






PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Caliber, mm9
Cartridge9x19 mm "Parabellum"
Weight (equipped), kg0,87
Weight (without magazine), kg0,62
Length, mm188
Barrel length, mm114
Sighting line length, mm165
Muzzle velocity, m/s350
rifling6, right hand
Magazine capacity, cartridges17

Pistol Glock 17(17 - from the capacity of the magazine for 17 rounds) was developed by an Austrian company glock for the Austrian army, while this was the first experience of creating pistols for this company. Nevertheless, the pistol turned out to be extremely successful, reliable and convenient, and was adopted by the Austrian army under the designation P80. In addition, the Glock 17, and then his younger brothers, took their place among the most popular pistols for police and self-defense.

Currently, there are several families of Glock pistols for all major pistol calibers (9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, 10mm Auto, .357 SIG, .45 ACP, .380/9x17mm Kurz).

The frames of all pistols are made of impact-resistant plastic. The valves are made of steel by high-precision casting and subjected to special treatment to improve corrosion and wear resistance. Early releases of pistols had handles with flat cheeks and corrugated front and back surfaces.

Later release pistols have finger grooves on the front side of the grip and small thumb "shelves" on their sidewalls. In addition, on the frame of full-size and semi-compact models, now fashionable guides for attaching accessories (a laser designator or a flashlight) appeared under the barrel.

For most modifications, versions with an integrated barrel toss compensator are available. The compensator is made in the form of a group of holes in the upper muzzle of the barrel, and corresponding cutouts in the bolt next to the front sight. The compensator is designed to reduce barrel vibrations. For such models, the letter "C" is added to the name. The following models are equipped with a compensator: G17C, G19C, G20C, G21C, G22C, G23C, G31C, G32C.

All families (except caliber .380) consist of a full-size, compact and sub-compact model and are built according to the scheme with a short stroke of the barrel and locking with a lug on the barrel that enters the window of the shutter for the extraction of cartridge cases. The lowering of the trunk is carried out by a curly tide made under the trunk.

.380 caliber pistols are built according to the blowback scheme. All pistols have a striker trigger of the so-called "safe action" (Safe Action), with 3 automatic fuses, including one on the trigger. A feature of the “safe action” trigger is that during the reloading cycle of the pistol, the drummer is cocked only partially, while it is blocked by an automatic safety lock. The cocking of the drummer occurs only when the trigger is pressed, while the drummer remains blocked from moving forward until the trigger is fully squeezed out.

Thus, it is possible to achieve a uniform force on the trigger from the first to the last shot, which has a positive effect on the accuracy of shooting. The trigger force is adjustable from 2.5 to 5 kgf by replacing the spring.

The disadvantages of this design sometimes include the inability to re-fire a cartridge that misfired. Another unfortunate consequence of the design without manual safety is a fair number of accidents among American police officers, with enviable regularity shooting themselves in the legs in the process of holstering a pistol.

In the absence of proper skills, they often try to holster the pistol without removing their finger from the trigger, the finger bumps into the edge of the holster, squeezes the trigger ... and urgently call 911. However, this is of course more a question of lack of skills than the design of the pistol.

The sights of the Glocks are made removable and are installed in transverse grooves of the dovetail type. Non-adjustable sights with applied white or luminous (tritium) dots are installed as standard for ease of aiming in poor lighting conditions. On "sports" models (for example Glock17 L) adjustable rear sight and front sight can be installed.

Another widely advertised feature of the Glock 17 pistols (and only the Model 17) is the ability to fire underwater. To do this, a special return spring is installed on the gun. By itself, such an opportunity is not of particular value, since shooting can only be carried out at small (on the order of several meters) depths and at ultra-small ranges (a meter or two).

On the other hand, such tricks firstly demonstrate high structural strength and, secondly, allow the weapon to be used in the presence of water in the barrel (in the rain, for example), which in some other pistols can lead to swelling or even rupture of the barrel.

The performance characteristics of the Glock 17:
Caliber, mm - 9x19 Parabellum
Length, mm - 204
Barrel length, mm - 114
Height, mm - 138
Width, mm - 30
Grooves - right-handed, hexagonal, pitch 250 mm
Weight without cartridges, gr - 710
Curb weight, gr - 910
Shop, cartridges - 17, optionally 10; 33

In the early 1980s, the Austrian military department, in order to replace obsolete pistol models in service with Austria, announced a competition for the development of a new, as simple as possible, efficient and reliable model of short-barreled weapons.

Such well-known arms manufacturers as Beretta, Fabrique Nationale, Heckler & Koch, Sig-Sauer took part in the struggle for a promising order, among which was, previously unknown in the field of production small arms, firm "Glock GmbH".

On that moment small firm Glock GmbH was owned by the engineer Gaston Glock, who himself founded it 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. In the mid-1970s, Gaston Glock set his designers the task of creating the perfect pistol, which should be as easy to handle and maintain as possible, have a small mass, have high reliability and firepower.

As a result, Glock GmbH presented a sample of a 9-mm pistol, called Glock 17, to the competition for a new pistol for the Austrian army. In May 1982, according to the results of tests, the Glock 17 pistol was adopted by the Austrian army under the designation P80.

The new pistol turned out to be extremely reliable and convenient, light and durable, with a simple design. It consists of only 34 parts and can be completely disassembled in less than one minute with a hairpin or nail. Main Feature Glock pistol 17 was that its frame, together with the handle and trigger guard, as well as a number of small parts, were made of high-strength, heat-resistant (up to 200 ° C) polymer plastic. The second feature was the absence of a fuse box and a trigger.

However, in fairness, it should be noted that the pioneer in this area was the company "Heckler & Koch GmbH", which in 1973 released a pistol with a polymer frame VP 70. But the use of an inertial method of locking the bore with a shutter mass in this weapon when using a fashionable 9x19 mm cartridge required to make the shutter very heavy, which did not give a gain in weight, and the VP 70 pistol was discontinued. Gaston Glock, having studied the experience of Heckler & Koch and appreciating the future role of plastics in the production of personal weapons, reoriented his company to the development and further production of pistols for powerful cartridges using plastics, choosing the Browning system for locking the channel for his pistol trunk.

Currently, there are several families of Glock pistols for all major pistol calibers (9 mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, 10 mm Auto, .357 SIG, .45 Auto, .380 Auto and .45 GAP).

Glock 17 automatics work due to the recoil of the barrel during its short stroke. The barrel bore is locked by entering the upper protrusion of the barrel into the window of the casing-bolt. The barrel bore is unlocked by lowering its breech down with the help of the lower tide of the breech and the axis during the recoil of the barrel. The shutter is made of steel by high-precision casting and subjected to special treatment to increase corrosion and wear resistance with a special tenifer coating (Tennifer). As a result of such treatment, the surface to a depth of 0.05 mm acquires a hardness of about 69 Rockwell units (for comparison, the hardness of technical diamonds is 71-72).

The barrel inside has a hexagonal cut and a chamber, outside it has a cylindrical surface and a square breech, which has a protrusion at the top in the shape of the upper part of the casing-bolt window for removing spent cartridges, and at the bottom there is a tide with a figured cutout for contact with the axis of the frame and a bevel for guiding the cartridge from magazine to chamber.

In the lower part of the chamber there is a valve that ensures the removal of powder gases that have broken through into the pistol grip when the pressure in the barrel is exceeded by 150-200%. The shutter casing has a U-shape.

The frame of the pistol, together with the handle and the trigger guard, is made of high-strength polymer material (plastic) like a monocoque, which ensures structural strength and some softening of the recoil action. The guide frames along which the steel shutter-casing moves are reinforced with steel inserts.

The pistol grip is part of the frame, which ensured its relatively small size and convenient shape with a high-capacity double-row magazine. The angle of the handle to the bore axis is 108°. Early releases of pistols had handles with flat cheeks and corrugated front and back surfaces. Pistols of later releases received notches for fingers on the front side of the handle and small "shelves" for the thumb on their sides, as well as guides for attaching accessories (laser pointer, flashlight, etc.) to the frame under the barrel.

The shape of the front bend of the trigger guard is designed for imposing the index finger of the second hand when shooting from two hands. The front edge of the trigger guard is knurled for better stability of the weapon in the hand when firing.

The pistol is fed with ammunition from a detachable box magazine with a two-row arrangement of 17 rounds in a checkerboard pattern. Although regular stores are designed for 17 rounds, magazines with a capacity of 10 and 33 rounds can also be used.

The magazine latch is located at the junction of the trigger guard with the handle and is pressed forward.

When the cartridges are used up in the store, the casing-bolt remains in the rear position on the slide delay, the head of which is displayed on the left side of the frame above the handle. The barrel lock with its lever is located on the left side of the frame above the trigger.

The pistol does not have manual safety catches, but is equipped with an integrated safety system consisting of three independently acting automatic safety catches, which are switched off only when the trigger is pulled. It includes the following fuses: trigger fuse. It is located on the trigger, blocks it and does not allow you to move back. It turns off only when the trigger is pressed hard with a finger; combat fuse. He blocks the firing pin. It is turned off by a special protrusion on the trigger rod when the trigger is pressed; anti-shock fuse. It is designed in the form of a cross-shaped protrusion on the trigger rod, which on one side lies in the figured window of the bolt body in the upper position. Before the shot, a special protrusion on the back of the striker is pinched with a tooth at the end of the trigger rod.

Striker-type trigger mechanism with pre-cocked striker of the so-called Safe Action (safe action), with 3 automatic fuses. A feature of the USM safe action (Safe Action) is that during the reload cycle of the pistol, the drummer is only partially cocked, while it is blocked by an automatic fuse. The cocking of the drummer occurs only when the trigger is pressed, while the drummer remains blocked from moving forward until the trigger is fully squeezed out. The trigger force is adjustable from 2.5 to 5 kgf by replacing the spring. Thus, it is possible to achieve a uniform force on the trigger from the first to the last shot, which has a positive effect on the accuracy of shooting.

The trigger mechanism works as follows. When you press the trigger, the trigger safety is first squeezed out. When the trigger is pressed further, a special protrusion on the trigger pull raises the combat fuse up and releases the channel through which the striker moves. The rear end of the trigger rod has a cruciform shape and one side of the "cross" lies in the figured window of the bolt body in the upper position. When the weapon is ready to fire, a special protrusion on the back of the striker is engaged with a tooth on the end of the trigger rod. When you press the trigger, the trigger rod moves back and cocks the firing pin with the mainspring. At the last stage of the movement, the trigger pull rests on the uncoupler and lowers to the lower position, the striker is released and goes forward under the action of the mainspring and breaks the primer. There is a shot. During the working cycle, excavation for inside the bolt moves and disengages the trigger rod from the disconnector, allows it to rise to the upper position under the action of the trigger spring, and the tooth at its end again engages the protrusion at the end of the striker. As the trigger rod moves forward, the striker spring returns to its normal state and the safety resumes its action.

Sights open type mounted on a flat upper surface of the shutter-casing and include a front sight and a replaceable permanent sight mounted in a transverse dovetail groove. The front sight is equipped with a luminous dot, and the rectangular slot of the sight is framed by a luminous frame. The sight can be replaced by an adjustable one, but this is not practiced for military pistols. On "sports" models (for example Glock17L) adjustable rear sight and front sight can be installed.

The outer body and frame of the gun can be made of plastic in various colors. The most famous classic black, there is also a variant 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. At the bottom of the frame is a small metal plate stamped with the gun's factory serial number.

For most modifications, versions with an integrated barrel toss compensator are available. The compensator is made in the form of a group of holes in the upper muzzle of the barrel, and corresponding cutouts in the bolt next to the front sight. The compensator is designed to reduce barrel vibrations. For such models, the letter "C" is added to the name. The following models are equipped with a compensator: G17C, G19C, G20C, G21C, G22C, G23C, G31C, G32C.



  • - High resistance to corrosion due to the use of Glock's special patented barrel processing technology and a large number of polymer parts.
  • - Effective use of weapons in almost all climatic zones, with the exception of the far north and areas with sharply continental climate where the air temperature can drop below −40 °C.
  • - Smooth recoil and high accuracy of fire due to the use of a large number of polymer parts.
  • - Less than pistols of a similar class, weight due to the manufacture of the body and frame of the pistol from plastic.
  • - High wear resistance of units and mechanisms. The barrel before burning out allows you to fire 300-350 thousand shots (for other pistols, on average, this value is 40-50 thousand shots).
  • - Bringing into combat position does not require switching any fuse.
  • - Declared by the manufacturer, the possibility of firing in the aquatic environment without damaging the gun when changing the return spring.
  • - The gun can be easily disassembled for cleaning and maintenance without the use of special equipment.
  • - The small area of ​​the guides becomes the reason for their relatively rapid wear, which leads to the appearance of lateral play in the shutter casing, and as a result, to a decrease in the accuracy of fire.
  • - There is a possibility that when carried in a pocket for a long time without regular maintenance, small debris can jam the firing pin release lever, making it impossible to fire. But, according to individual sources, this event is too unlikely to affect the actual combat capability of the pistol.
  • - Due to the use of polymer materials, the pistol becomes more brittle at temperatures below -40 ° C, which can lead to cracks in the receiver and frame under mechanical stress. At high temperatures - over 200 °C - deformations of the plastic components of the pistol may occur. The technical recommendations of the Glock company indicate the operating temperature range from -40 to +200 ° C, and the use of a gun outside this temperature range can lead to failure of its main components and structural components.
  • - With prolonged use, microcracks appear due to the "fatigue" of the plastic.
  • - The coating from the casing-bolt is erased, which gives the weapon a sloppy look.
  • - The disadvantages of this design sometimes include the inability to re-fire a cartridge that misfired.

A widely advertised feature of the Glock 17 pistol was its ability to fire under water when retrofitting the pistol with a special reinforced return 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 not great - this is due to the fact that the energy of the bullet is very quickly extinguished in water 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 weapon 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 assemblies of the weapon.

There is a widespread misconception that due to the extensive use of polymers in the Glock 17's construction, the "plastic gun" is not detected by metal detectors. This misconception was refuted, including personally by Gaston Glock himself. Despite the widespread use of polymers, the mass of metal components in a gun is about 400 grams.

There is also a false myth about the high fragility of the gun: supposedly if you drop the gun on a hard surface, it can split or crack. 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 pistols made of conventional materials.

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. He is able to fire from under water, in conditions of heavy dust, in mud, in conditions of any humidity, after being removed from liquid mud and sand.

This pistol is a typical self-defense weapon. The maximum effective firing range is 50 meters, for effective shooting at such a distance, good shooting training and experience in handling the weapon from which the fire is fired are required. 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.

1. Remove the magazine, pull the bolt back and make sure there is no cartridge in the chamber by pointing the weapon in a safe direction, pull the trigger.
2. Move the bolt to its rearmost position and press down the barrel lock lever.
3. Remove the bolt with the barrel and return mechanism from the frame forward.
4. Turn the bolt over and remove the return mechanism (return spring with guide rod) from it.
5. Remove the barrel from the bolt by lifting it by the breech.
6. Assembly is carried out in the reverse order.



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Glock 17 is the original creation of the Glock small arms company, released for the new needs of the Austrian army in 1979. The main goal was to replace obsolete samples with fundamentally new sample.

As a result, the Glock 17 turned out to be a very high-quality and comfortable-to-use development, thereby earning the recognition of the Austrian army and many policemen in the world. Also, thanks to its technical characteristics, the gun received great popularity among the civilian population, as an excellent means of self-defense.

History of creation

Glock GmbH was founded in 1963 by an engineer named Gaston Glock. Based in Austria, the company manufactured steel and plastic parts. In the 70s, Glock began to produce knives, training grenades and other products for the Austrian military.

Thanks to his connections, which Glock maintained and constantly strengthened with the military, led him to new opportunities. In 1980, he received an official proposal from the Austrian military, which proposed the development of a new pistol.

The army wanted to replace their old World War II models (Walter P38).

The Austrian Ministry of Defense has formulated a list of a number of criteria for a new generation pistol:

  1. The design had to be as simple as possible.
  2. The pistol was to use NATO-standard 9×19mm parabellum rounds.
  3. Magazines should not need any means of loading.
  4. Stores were required to have a minimum of eight rounds.
  5. The gun should be comfortable for shooting with the left and right hand.
  6. The pistol must be absolutely safe from accidental firing due to impact from a fall from a height of 2 m onto a steel plate.
  7. Disassembly of major parts for maintenance and reassembly must be possible without the use of any tools.
  8. Maintenance and gun cleaning were performed without the use of tools.
  9. The design of the pistol must not exceed 58 individual parts (P38 equivalent).
  10. sensors, measuring instruments and precise testing devices should not be necessary for long term service pistol.
  11. The manufacturer had to provide the Ministry of Defense with a complete set of engineering drawings. They had to be provided with all the necessary explanations for the manufacture of a pistol.
  12. All components are fully interchangeable between guns.
  13. During the first 10,000 shots, no more than 20 delays were allowed, even the most minor ones, which could be eliminated without the use of any tools.
  14. After firing 15,000 rounds of standard ammunition, the pistol had to be inspected for wear. The gun would then be used to run an overpressure test rig generating 5,000 bar (500 MPa, 73,000 psi). Normal operating pressure for 9mm NATO is rated at 2520 bar (252 MPa, 36,500 psi). Under this test, critical components must continue to function properly and meet specifications or the gun will be rejected.

Gaston Glock had no experience in designing firearms, but nevertheless accepted the order and set about creating a new pistol for the Austrian military. Glock put together a team to pinpoint the traits and qualities that make up the perfect pistol.


A few months later, Glock developed a prototype. The company introduced the semi-automatic model no. 17 for approval and review by the various committees of the ministry.

The model was so named because it was Glock's 17th patent.

The tests carried out by competing firms were rigorous and very demanding.

In the end, the Austrian Ministry of Defense decided to choose the Glock variant, and the Model 17 became the pistol for the Austrian military. Thus, Mr. Glock and his team became winners in the competition to create a new pistol, ahead of many Austrian and international companies.

Video - history of creation

Since 1982, the Austrian military and police began to massively use this firearm, and after just a few years the brand has spread throughout the world. So, soon after the appearance of the Glock, the Norwegian and Swedish armed forces wanted to adopt it. To date, the army and police in more than 30 states are armed with this pistol.

Generations of Glock

The Glock 17 has gone through various modifications over the years. Glock users simply gave the nickname "generations". Since then, the company itself has adopted the term of generations and also released its latest Glock 17 as "Gen 4" meaning "Generation 4".


Temporary list:

  • 1982 - Glock releases the Glock No. 17. hallmark became evenly distributed roughness on the handle. This is a model known as Gen 1. About 500 thousand samples were produced.
  • 1988 - Gen 2. One major change is that the recoil spring is now one instead of two as on the Gen 1. The grip is also different, as Glock added knurling that forms vertical and horizontal lines, which greatly improved grip pistol in hand. In the second generation, the pistol was adopted by the FBI, as well as the armies of the Scandinavian countries.
  • 1996 - Gen 3. In addition to the corrugations, the pistol received the ability to mount tactical flashlights and laser designators. For better grip in the hand, the company made a notch in the upper part of the handle for the thumb.
  • 2010 - Gen 4 is released. This generation has changed the most in relation to the previous pistols in this line. In the corrugated handle, the distance between the points has increased, now there are 25 of them per square centimeter. Such a corrugation is called RTF2. The magazine latch button is made larger and more convenient. Also, on the fourth generation Glock 17, they began to install two springs of different diameters (on the same guide rod with a separator between them), instead of one return. Thus, the company has achieved a reduction in the effect of pistol recoil when firing and an increase in the survivability of each individual spring.

Specifications

Weight650 gr., (without cartridges)
900 gr., (equipped)
Length186 mm
barrel length114 mm
Width33 mm
Height138 mm
Cartridge9×19 mm Parabellum (+P, +P+)
Caliber9 mm
Work principlesrecoil of the barrel with its short stroke
starting speed
bullets		375 m/s
Sighting range50 m
Type of ammunitionmagazine for 17+1 (standard), 19+1 or 33+1 rounds
Aimremovable open

Design features

Most parts of the Glock are made of high-strength nylon-based polymer. The rest of the pistol is made of steel. The polymer (called polymer-2) in the weapon is an invention of Gaston Glock himself. The substance was unconventional when it was first introduced.


Over time, it became clear that Glock knew what he was doing when the company released this revolutionary new pistol. Polymer-2 is a substance that is primarily stable. It is more elastic than most of the various steel alloys. This substance can withstand very high temperatures, impacts and various liquids.

The pistol is treated with Tenifer, a substance that is also extremely resistant and is the standard in the gun industry.

Once finished, the gun has a matte gray appearance to its surface, and that is when the final finish is applied to the gun to give it its final look.

Tenifer treatment of the pistol helps to protect the steel parts that are inside. This means that you can even technically fire these weapons underwater. Glock steel parts using the Tenifer treatment are more resistant to corrosion than similar parts of the gun with other finishes or treatments, including Teflon, blue, hard chrome or phosphate.


During 2010, Glock switched from the Tenifer nitriding process to a salt bath. After completion of the nitriding process, a black decorative surface is applied. The nitriding treatment will remain, protecting the parts of the gun, even if the decorative surface wears off. Due to the simplicity and reliability of the design, the gun can be completely disassembled and assembled and carried out a technical inspection without improvised means.

The disassembled pistol has 33 parts, along with a magazine.

The pistol is equipped with a standard magazine for 17 rounds, but if necessary, it is possible to use enlarged magazines for 19 and 33 rounds.

Thanks to the innovative solutions of Glock in the field of polymers, it was possible to significantly reduce the weight of the pistol. For comparison, at 15 rounds it weighs 950 g unloaded, while the Glock 17 has a clean entire pistol at 650 g, and with a full magazine 900 g. The pistol is so light that 25% of its total weight is ammunition.


The Glock 17 pistol has earned worldwide fame and respect due to its high reliability of all components and mechanisms. At the end of the 20th century, it was believed that if a pistol could fire up to 40,000 shots without any problems, then it could be considered durable and reliable, but the Glock pistol exceeded all expectations, firing up to 350,000 shots, which is many times higher than the standard indicators. This advantage is due to the widespread use of polymer components and the unique barrel manufacturing technology patented by Glock.

In parts that are subjected to the greatest load, plastic is reinforced with special metal plates.

Steel inserts are inserted in the guide frame along which the shutter casing moves. To carry out incomplete disassembly of the pistol (disconnecting the bolt barrel together with the return spring from the frame), there are special latches that are located on the pistol frame, near the trigger guard.

Possible additional gadgets and tuning

The Glock 17 pistol has a wide range of magazines that have increased ammo capacity and weight for quicker removal of the magazine from the shaft of the handle, which can save important fractions of a second at critical moments.

One of the most common pistol upgrades is the installation of flashlights or laser designators on it by attaching them to a bar under the barrel. Such devices began to appear in the 3rd generation of Glock pistols. It has become a modern fashion to install a knife rail bar.


There are several complex tuning models for the Glock pistol line.

Viridian C5L is a device that includes a flashlight with a power of 110 lumens and a green laser pointer, its brightness and clarity is determined by 5 mW. Thanks to this device, you can point the target at a distance of up to 100 meters during the day and at night up to 1500 meters.

Tactical buttstock GRL-400, thanks to the buttstock, the pistol will become more comfortable to wear and stable during assault operations. Clear Benefits this device are as follows:

  • improve accuracy over long distances
  • perfectly adapted to concealed carry
  • folds easily and quickly
  • polymer construction provides the necessary strength.

Stock compatibility is possible with all generations of Glock pistols, except for the fourth and other subcompact models.


Tactical kit Kpos G2. Such a device, weighing almost 1 kg., Will make a gun great weapon for special operations, turning it into a real carbine. This layout is used elite special forces to maximize the intensity and accuracy of shooting at medium and short distances, without a significant increase in the length of the weapon. The advantages of this design:

  • durable aluminum frame made from a single sheet;
  • fire transfer handle;
  • removable flame arrester;
  • ease of removal and installation, no additional tools or modifications to the gun are required;
  • all parts are on the same frame.

Various modifications

Glock 17 laid the foundation for the development of the entire line of Glock pistols. All models, on the designation of which there is a symbol "C", were produced with a recoil compensator.


Thanks to this, it was possible to improve the accuracy of fire and, of course, reduce recoil.

  1. Glock 17L - A model that appeared in 1988 with an extended barrel. Used in sports competitions
  2. Glock 17C - Model equipped with built-in compensator
  3. Glock 17R - Model designed for shooting practice without cartridges
  4. Glock 17T - Model with case of blue color, was also intended for training purposes. When shooting, uses blue balls
  5. Glock 17A - Model designed for the Australian market to meet local barrel length requirements. The only differences between the Glock 17 and the Glock 17A are that the 17A has a 120mm barrel that protrudes noticeably from the frame and the magazine capacity is 10 rounds.
  6. Glock 17Pro- special version, released only for the Finnish market
  7. Glock 17P80 - used by the Norwegian Armed Forces

A distinctive feature of Glock pistols was the ability to shoot under water. Fire can be fired without fear for the barrel itself, it does not inflate and, moreover, does not break. But for practical effectiveness, a striker with transverse grooves is required in order for the primer to fire constantly. This problem can also be solved by installing the amphibious Spring cups kit.


The peculiarity lies in the fact that shooting can be carried out exclusively with a 9 mm Parabellum cartridge. Bullet energy efficiency is highest when fired to a depth of one and a half meters, but the practical threshold is 3 meters. If you shoot at close range from under the water, then you will not hear the sounds of shots.

There is an erroneous stereotype that, allegedly due to the widespread use of plastic components in the Glock 17 pistol, it poses a threat to society, since metal detectors do not fix it. In fact, everything is completely different, because the gun used a lot of metal parts, with a total weight of 400 grams. Gaston Glock himself dispelled this myth, passing through a metal detector with a pistol, and he was detected in a timely manner.


The second common myth is that supposedly Glock pistols have increased fragility due to the predominance of plastic parts. However, people who claim this are simply ignoring the fact that during state tests, the pistol withstood a two-meter drop onto a metal surface.

If the gun broke, then it would not have been adopted by the Austrian army.

The Glock 17 pistol was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as a pistol that passed extremely tough tests while maintaining full combat capability.

Glock 17 has unique opportunity shooting under water, with heavy dust, in high humidity, and even after complete immersion in liquid mud or sand. According to these criteria, it can be compared with a Kalashnikov assault rifle. We can say that the Glock 17 is a Kalashnikov in the pistol world.

Video

First generation Glock 17 pistol


second generation Glock 17 pistol


third generation Glock 17 pistol


fourth generation Glock 17 pistol


Glock 18 pistol (automatic)


9mm Glock pistols. The .357 and .40 families of weapons look the same and have similar dimensions


.45 caliber Glock pistols


9x17 caliber Glock pistols (.380)


Glock 17 pistol on x-ray. All bright, contrasting details are made of steel, and only the plastic frame and trigger are visible as a faint outline.

TTX pistolsglock caliber9x19

Glock 17

Glock 19

Glock 26

Glock 34

with hammer preload

Length, mm

Barrel length, mm

Capacity, cartridges

performance characteristicspistolsglock caliber9×17

performance characteristicspistolsglock caliber.357SIG

performance characteristicspistolsglock caliber.40S&W

Glock 22

Glock 23

Glock 27

Glock 35

with hammer preload

40S&W (10x22mm)

Length, mm

Barrel length, mm

Capacity, rounds

performance characteristicspistolsglock caliber10mm Auto

TTX pistolsGlock caliber .45gap

performance characteristicspistolsglock caliber.45ACP

Glock 21

Glock 30

Glock 36

Glock 41

with hammer preload

45ACP (11.43×25)

Length, mm

Barrel length, mm

Capacity, rounds

In 1980, due to the moral and physical obsolescence of the pistols in service in Austria, a competition was announced for a new army pistol called the Pistole 80. Pistols from such experienced manufacturers as Beretta, Heckler-Koch, Steyr took part in the competition, but in 1982 the Austrian The army officially adopted the pistol of the hitherto practically unknown company Glock model 17 under the designation P80. Before the start of the competition, Glock was known mainly as a manufacturer of army knives and sapper shovels. Its ambitious owner, Gaston Glock, recruited a team of experienced gunsmiths specifically to participate in the competition and gave them the opportunity to create a pistol “from scratch”, and they succeeded. Using a few unorthodox, but in principle not new ideas, the Glock team managed to create an exceptionally simple, reliable and inexpensive pistol to manufacture.
Building on the existing positive experience the use of polymers in the creation of small arms in pistols (VP-70 of the German company Heckler-Koch) and assault rifles (AUG of the Austrian company Steyr), Glock engineers created a pistol with a polymer frame. This decision made it possible to reduce the cost of production, increase survivability and corrosion resistance, and lighten the weapon. To ensure the most simple handling of weapons, the Austrians abandoned manual fuses, leaving only automatic fuses. USM striker design with pre-cocking drummer was inherited from the Austrian pistol Roth-Steyr model 1907, automatic safety on the trigger - from German pistol Sauer 1930, modified Browning barrel locking system - from the SIG-Sauer P220 pistol. The total number of parts of the new pistol, including the magazine, was only 33.

For more than 30 years since the appearance of the first Glock model 17 pistol, the company has created several dozen models on its basis in all the most popular pistol calibers(9x17, 9x19, .357SIG, .40SW, .45ACP) and even tried to create her own cartridge .45GAP (Glock Auto Pistol), which turned out to be not so successful. Glock pistols have gained worldwide popularity as an army weapon (they are in service not only in Austria, but also in the UK, Sweden and many other countries). In addition, these pistols are popular as police weapons (particularly in the United States), as well as civilian weapons for self-defense and sports.

Over the years of the release of Glock pistols, they have changed four generations of models.

The first generation of Glock pistols consisted of the Glock 17 / P80 pistol itself, which had smooth handles with fine corrugation “in a circle”.

The second generation of Glock pistols, which appeared in 1988, additionally included the first compact Glock 19 model and was distinguished by the presence of larger notches on the front and back of the handle.

The third generation of Glock pistols, which appeared in 1998, received a guide for attaching a lantern or laser sight under the barrel, notches for fingers and a "shelf" for the thumb on the handle of the weapon and a new ejector, which additionally serves as an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.

Fourth generation of Glock pistols, launched in 2010 and produced in parallel with the 3rd generation models, received pistol grips of a reduced cross-section with interchangeable pads on the back of the handle, allowing the weapon to be adapted to shooters with a wide variety of palm sizes. In addition, the 4th generation pistols received an enlarged magazine ejection button, which can be rearranged on both sides of the weapon, and a number of smaller design improvements.

Standing apart from this entire line of weapons is the Glock 18 automatic pistol. Designed for law enforcement, this pistol was never commercially available and was produced in small numbers.

As mentioned above, the main advantages of Glock pistols are ease of construction and use, high reliability, significant resource, and relatively low weight. The disadvantages of these pistols are usually not the most convenient shape of the handle (corrected in the current 4th generation of pistols), as well as the absence of any manual safety catches, which, with insufficient user training, periodically leads to accidental shots.
Widely exaggerated in the media mass media The “plastic” design of the Glock pistol, which allegedly led to the fact that the pistol was invisible in x-rays and not detected by metal detectors, is nothing more than a fabrication of the press. In fact, any Glock pistol consists of metal for more than half of its mass and is perfectly detected by any special means.

The automation of all pistols of the Glock series (except pistols of models 25 and 28 in 9x17 caliber) is based on the Browning scheme with a short stroke of the barrel and a rigid locking of one protrusion in the breech breech behind the window for ejecting cartridges in the bolt. The skew of the breech for its unlocking and locking is carried out by the interaction of the figured tide under the barrel with a steel insert in a polymer frame. The gates are made of steel by precision casting and have a special coating highly resistant to external influences. Trunks have polygonal rifling. The trigger mechanism is a striker, with a preliminary cocking of the mainspring and its additional cocking by the shooter's muscular strength at the moment the trigger is pressed. To pre-cock the mainspring, it is enough to pull the bolt back about 15mm and release it. The gun does not have non-automatic (manual) fuses. The system of automatic fuses (safeaction) includes a safety on the trigger (blocking its movement if it is pressed incorrectly), blocking the drummer when the trigger is not pressed and blocking the drummer from breaking off the sear when strong blows. The frame of the pistol is made of high-impact plastic in black or (more recently) olive green. Steel guides for the slide are integrated into the frame when it is cast, as well as a small metal plate on which the serial number of the weapon is engraved. In front of the frame of modern pistols there is a guide for attaching a combat flashlight or a laser designator. Sights are open, with white contrasting or luminous inserts. Glock pistols with the index "C" after the model number have a barrel toss compensator, made in the form of upward holes in the muzzle of the barrel and the shutter casing. On the frame above the trigger guard on both sides there are sliders, when pressed down, incomplete disassembly pistol (removing the barrel, return spring and bolt from the frame). Cartridges are fed from box-shaped double-row plastic magazines with cartridges exiting in one row (with the exception of the most compact models 36 and 42, which have single-row magazines).

The Glock 18 automatic pistol differs from the basic Glock 17 model by the presence of a fire mode translator on the left on the shutter. For this pistol, extended magazines with a capacity of 33 rounds have been developed and are being produced, also compatible with 9mm Glock pistols models 17, 19 and 26.