Glock 17
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Glock 17[1] | |
|---|---|
 Glock 17 |
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| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | Austria |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1980- |
| Used by | Austrian Army, armies and law enforcement worldwide |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Gaston Glock |
| Designed | 1980s |
| Manufacturer | Glock GmbH |
| Produced | 1980- |
| Variants | 17C / 17L / 17A |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 625 g / 22.04 oz (unloaded) |
| Length | 186 mm / 7.32 in |
| Barrel length | 114 mm / 4.49 in |
| Width | 33 mm / 1.18 in |
| Height | 138 mm / 5.43 in |
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| Caliber | 9 mm Luger Parabellum |
| Action | Safe action |
| Feed system | 17 / 19 / 33 round magazine |
| Sights | Fixed front and rear |
The Glock 17 was the first pistol designed and manufactured by the Austrian company Glock. It is a locked breech, short recoil 9 mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol with a standard magazine capacity of 17 rounds of ammunition. It uses a modified Petter/Browning barrel locking system. The G17 showed up in the early 1980s for the Austrian Army weapons trials. It entered service under the designation P80. In 1988, it entered service in the Swedish Army under the designation Pistol 88. It is also used by the Norwegian Army and police. The designation 17 is derived from the gun's being Gaston Glock's 17th patent, rather than its magazine capacity. The Glock 17, like all Glock pistols, has a well known reputation for being extremely rugged and reliable.
The Glock 17 and all others that Glock has since produced use the "safe action" fire control system, a single-action mechanism utilizing a striker instead of a hammer and firing pin. Like most other striker-fired pistols, the Glock pistol requires the trigger to pull the striker back the rest of the way, and to release it. In its ready-to-fire state, the pistol could be considered to be "half-cocked". This arrangement translates to consistent trigger pulls which some claim makes training easier. Notably absent is any manual user safety, although a trigger safety and additional internal measures prevent accidental discharge. Its frame is made out of an advanced polymer.
Contents |
[edit] About
The Glock stirred up quite a scare when it was revealed to have a polymer frame. Some people thought that - based on early reports - the whole gun was plastic, and therefore undetectable by metal detectors. In fact, the slide, barrel and many other internal parts, comprising about 80% of the gun's mass, are made out of metal. The slide and barrel are QPQ Tenifer treated, a process that makes their steel more durable to wear and tear as well as to corrosion.
The Glock 17 has become very popular because of its simple controls, high durability, and moderate price along with better than average accuracy. It is also reported to be highly reliable in extreme environments like desert, jungle, and arctic regions.
The Glock 17 has undergone two major revisions since its introduction, so the current model is called the 3rd generation Glock 17. The latest generation includes a more ergonomic grip with finger grooves and side grooves that contour the inside of the thumb and forefinger.
The Glock 17 enjoys widespread use in law enforcement, but is also a very popular military, sports, and self-defense pistol. More than 50 countries use it for law enforcement or military service.
[edit] Variants
Glock has produced several variants on the 17:
- The Glock 17C (for "compensated") has a ported barrel and slide to reduce muzzle climb while shooting the pistol.
- The Glock 17L is a competition version with a longer barrel and slide. Early versions also had a ported barrel to combat muzzle flip. The 17L has been largely replaced by the Glock 34 due to post-introduction restrictions on overall length in many popular competition categories.
- The Glock 17A is a variant produced for the Australian market, to conform to local laws regarding barrel lengths created after the Monash University shooting. The only differences between a Glock 17 and a Glock 17A is that the 17A has a 120mm long barrel which protrudes from the frame visibly and the magazine can only hold 10 rounds.
- The Glock 17Pro is a special version produced only for the Finnish market. It has the following improvements over the standard Glock 17:
- Glock factory tritium night sights
- Glock factory threaded barrel, about 1/1" longer than the standard one
- Factory marine spring cups
- Factory modified magazine release
- Extended slide release, (factory standard in newer models)
- Extended +2 magazine base plates
- Glock factory gun pouch
- 3.5 lbs connector
- The Glock 17P80 is used by the Norwegian armed forces
- In 2006 Glock made a special 20th Anniversary edition of the model 17. On the slide Gaston Glock's signature is engraved above a unique number "XXXX of 2006" and besides the words "20 Years of Perfection 1986 to 2006". Only 2006 were made that year.
[edit] In fiction
The Glock 17, and Glock pistols in general, are a very common sight in: films, TV series, video games and comics, due to their popularity in the real world.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Glock's website
- The Pistol 88 at SoldF.com (Swedish)
- Review of a first generation G17.
[edit] Glock models
| Standard | Compact | Subcompact | Competition | Slimline | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9mm | 17* / 18* | 19* | 26 | 34 | ~ | |
| .40 | 22* | 23* | 27 | 24 / 35 | ~ | |
| .357 | 31* | 32* | 33 | ~ | ~ | |
| .380 | ~ | 25 | 28 | ~ | ~ | |
| 10mm | 20* | ~ | 29 | ~ | ~ | |
| .45 | 21* | ~ | 30 | ~ | 36 | |
| .45 GAP | 37 | 38 | 39 | ~ | ~ | |
| * Also available as C (compensated) variant ~ Not made in this combination |
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