III. Firearm Information by Type

C. Semi-Automatic Pistols

2. Models and Manufacturers

g. Glock

2. Pistols

Revised by Chris Luchini (luchini@scrye.com)

Table additions by Lonnie Martin (lmartin@uclink.berkeley.edu)

By David Putzolu

By far the best semi-automatic pistol every made. The Glock has the best pointability, best finish, highest capacity, and most durability of any semi-automatic pistol in every calibre it is chambered in. The superiority of the Glock is confirmed by the lack of articles by proponents of other semi-automatics, who are too embarrassed of their guns to have the courage to write about them, particularly Sig Sauers and Berettas. ;-)

As the heading states, this section is dedicated to the Glock line of semiautomatic pistols. The Glock pistol has been around since 1984 when Gaston Glock, an Austrian plastics manufacturer, decided he wanted to make a gun. Gaston knew almost nothing about pistols. He studied existing designs for ideas, added some of his own, then produced what has turned out to be one of the best lines of firearms available today.

Throughout this article, I will say 'many', 'several', 'numerous' and other general terms. Since this is my first attempt at writing for the FAQ, I may not have all of the actual figures available. Maybe someday I will find the fact and figures to include by until then, sorry.

The Glock pistol is known for starting the "plastic gun" frenzy in the news media and the government. They claimed the "plastic gun" could evade airport metal detectors. This point has been disproven many times since the Glock slide is made of steel, which a metal detector will easily detect.

Owner of Glocks have had to put up with phrases like "built my Mattel/Lego/Tupperware/Rubbermade". Just remember... these people are jealous.

Actual specifications are:

Model	17	17L	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27
Caliber	9x19mm	9X19mm	9x19mm	9x19mm	10mm	45 ACP	40 S&W	40 S&W	40 S&W	.380 ACP	9mm	40 S&W
Overall Length (in.)	7.21	8.85	?	6.74	8.27	8.27	7.40	6.94	?	?	6.29	6.29
Overall Height (in.)	5.16	5.16	?	4.92	5.16	6.16	5.16	4.92	5.35	4.88	4.17	4.17
Maximum Width (in.)	1.18	1.18	?	1.18	1.24	1.24	1.18	1.18	1.18	?	1.25	1.25
Sight Radius (in.)	6.47	8.07	?	5.98	6.77	6.77	6.50	5.98	?	?	?	?
Barrel Length (in.)	4.49	6.02	?	4.02	4.60	4.60	4.49	4.02	?	?	3.46	3.46
Barrel Profile (r.h.)	hexag	hexag	?	hexag	hexag	octag	hexag	hexag	?	?	hexag	hexag
Rifling Twist (ipr)	9.84	9.84	?	9.84	15.75	15.75	15.75	15.75	?	?	9.84	15.75
Magazine Capacity	17	17	?	15	15	13	15	13	?	?	10	9
Empty Weight (oz.)	21.91	23.35	?	20.99	36.35	25.22	22.36	20.67	?	?	19.30	22.00
Loaded Weight (oz.)	31.41	32.85	?	29.54	38.27	37.00	32.95	30.02	?	?	25.60	29.00
Muzzle Velocity (fps)	1180	1180	?	1180	1230	820	984	984	?	?	1180	984
Muzzle Energy (J)	500	500	?	500	750	460	520	520	?	?	?	?
Trigger Pull (N) (-safety)	10	10	?	10	10	10	10	10	?	?	?	?
Trigger Pull (in.) (discharge)	0.2	0.2	?	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	?	?	?	?
Trigger Pull (N) (discharge)	20-30	20-30	?	20-30	20-30	20-30	20-30	>?	?	?	20-30	20-30
Trigger travel (in.) (discharge)	0.5	0.5	?	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	?	?	0.5	0.5
Suggested Retail	$554.00	$612.00	?	$554.00	$612.00	$554.00	$554.00	?	?	?	$608.00	$608.00
Notes			1						2	3	4

Notes

1. Full Auto, Similar to Glock 17
2. Long Barrel in .40 S&W
3. .380 ACP Model
4. 10+0 Rounds of Federal HydraShock used in measuring loaded weight

Magazine capacity reflects the standard magazine. Baseplates that add 2 rounds in capacity are available both from Glock and from aftermarket manufacturers.

[Model 26 & 27 information courtesy of Oliver Schrinner]

The oddballs of the table are the model 17L and model 24. These pistols are designed as a competition guns as opposed to a general purpose firearms. The early Model 17L had a ported barrel which vented gasses though an opening in the slide. These ports were prone to cracking, so the later versions of the 17L and the 24 do not have ported barrels.

It should be noted that at the time of this writing, higher capacity magazines are no longer available for the Glocks from the factory. You can still find magazines and magazine extensions at gun shows, but the prices have increased considerably.

Glock Chronology

• 1963 Glock GesmbH established in Deutsch-Wagram; first product: plastic curtain rods.
• Late 70s plastic kitchen boxes, machine gun ammo belts, shovels, and utility knives are offered.
• 1980 company founder Gaston Glock starts developing a gun.
• 1982 the Austrian army (Bundesheer) decides for the Glock 17.
• 1984 with service in the Norwegian army, the Glock leaves Austria.
• Late 1985/early 1986 Glock Inc. in Smyrna, GA, established.
• 1988 Glock 17L, 18, and 19 added to the product line; all Glocks get serrated frontstraps and backstraps on the grips, and a corrosion-resistent coating on the barrels' outer surfaces.
• 1990 Models 20 (10 mm auto) and 21 (.45 acp), soon followed by 22 and 23 (.40 S&W) on the market.
• 1991 metal "core" of the magazine tube is enlarged in 9 mm and .40 models.
• 1994 metal "core" is enlarged once more, giving more stability to the magazines; model 24 launched.
• 1995 Model 25 launched: a 19 chambered for the .380 acp (why the hell does Glock build so much gun around this cartridge? I thought they make reasonable guns!).
• Late 1995 Models 26 and 27 launched.

Disassembly

Step 1:

MAKE SURE THE PISTOL IS NOT LOADED!!!!!!!

MAKE SURE THE PISTOL IS NOT LOADED!!!!!!!

Step 2:

MAKE SURE THE PISTOL IS NOT LOADED!!!!!!! then pull the trigger. This releases the hammer cocking mechanism.

Step 3:

While pulling back on the slide about 1/4", pull down on the takedown lever. While holding the takedown lever, remove the slide from the frame. Note: If you pull the slide back too far, the hammer mechanism will reengage adding a little difficulty to the disassembly.

If one side of the slide comes off, that's OK. The recoul spring has started to come off and makes disassembly a little harder. This is not a problem.

Step 4:

Remove the recoil spring. To do this requires very little effort. There is not a lot of tension on the Glock recoil spring compared to other guns.

Step 5:

Slide the barrel forward enough to clear the extractor and remove it. You now have 5 pieces. The frame, the magazine, the slide, the barrel and the recoil spring.

Cleaning

Reassembly

Insert the barrel in to the slide. Use some care as you can lodge the barrel in crooked an have some trouble getting it out to reinsert.

Step 2:

Insert the recoil spring. The ends of the recoil spring are different and can be identified by the size of the plastic circle. The end with the small plastic circle fits into the end of the frame. After inserting the small end, pull the large end to compress the spring about 1/2" so it fits against the barrel. If you can't do this, you might have it in backwards.

Step 3:

Put the slide on the frame. To do this, line the guides on the frame up with the groves on the slide then pull the slide all the way to the rear of the gun. You will hear some clicks. The loudest is the takedown lever snapping back into place.

Step 4:

This step is optional, depending on what you intend to do with the gun. Insert a loaded magazine. You my chamber a round if you choose, depending on your skill and training with handling a Glock.

The entire process of disassembly and reassembly can be done in less that 30 seconds once you get to know the gun.

Shooting

The biggest key to safety with a Glock is:

Never put your finger on the trigger unless you are ready to shoot.

The Glock has several safeties. They are all associated with the trigger. The trigger has a small lever on it designed to prevent the operation of the trigger without the lever being disengaged. You must also be careful of objects getting in the trigger guard. This can disable the trigger safety possible resulting in an accidental discharge.

After inserting a loaded magazine, pull the slide all the way back then release it. This will put a round in the chamber. Try not to ease the slide forward. This may result in jam if the round going into the chamber is not the proper size (2 or 3 thousandths too large). The only time I have had this problem is when I am using reloads made using the El Dorado Starfire brass. It is still a good idea for regular ammunition, though.

Note from Chris: Some people who don't like the feel of the stock Glock, it's kind of boxy, and slick. If you have this problem, try the Hogue or Pachmar slip on grips. These look like a piece of motorcycle inner tube with finger grouves moulded in. These grips help tremendously with the feel of the Glock.

Another note:

Anytime you choose to fire a gun, you should wear good shooting glasses and good hearing protection. Even though modern firearms and ammunition are excellent, accidents can happen. Also, the noise from a gunshot can cause permanent damage to your hearing and the hearing of those around you.

Point the gun at the target and slowly squeeze the trigger. On regular Glocks (with the standard triggers) you will notice little resistance during the first stage of the trigger pull. Towards the rear, the trigger will appear to stick. What has happened to this point is the trigger pull has cocked the hammer. Normally the hammer is not cocked.

Pulling the trigger past the point where it stuck will release the hammer and fire the gun.

Also, during the first part of the trigger pull, the trigger mechanism releases another safety. This safety prevents the firing pin from striking the primer should the gun be dropped.

Reliability