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Glock

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Caligvla (talk | contribs) at 21:02, 27 January 2008 (RV, look at the magazine, it's clearly and airsoft, http://www.tokyo-marui.co.jp/products/09/g18/index.html its a Tokyo Marui for sure, not a real gun). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Glock[1]
Glock 17 (recent production model)
TypeSemi-automatic pistol
Place of origin Austria
Service history
In service1980–present
Used byAustria, Canada, Finland, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Malaysia, Latvia, United States, Norway, Portugal, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom
Production history
DesignerGaston Glock
Designed1980
ManufacturerGlock GmbH
Produced1980–present
VariantsSee variants
Specifications
CartridgeSee overview
ActionShort recoil operated, locked breech, tilting barrel
Feed systemBox magazine, see variants for capacities
SightsFixed, adjustable, and illuminated night notch sights

The Glock is the name for a family of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by the Austrian company Glock GmbH from Deutsch-Wagram, founded in 1963 by engineer Gaston Glock to manufacture high-strength synthetic and steel components.

Development

In May 1980, the company was invited to bid on a contract to supply the Austrian military with a new duty pistol (it was to replace the WWII-era Walther P38 service pistol). Samples were submitted for assessment trials and, after passing all of the exhaustive endurance and abuse tests, Glock emerged as the winner with the Glock 17 model. The handgun was adopted into service with the Austrian military and police forces in 1982 as the P80 (Pistole 80). Shortly thereafter, the weapon was accepted into service with the Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish armed forces. The Glock 17 would also serve as the basis for a series of variants designed for different applications, with alternative caliber chamberings, variable external dimensions and weights. The Glock proved overwhelmingly successful and as of 1992 sold approx. 350,000 pistols in over 45 countries, of that 250,000 to the USA.

Design details

The Glock 17 (so named because it was the 17th patent of the company) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that uses a modified Browning locked breech short recoil operating principle. The firearm’s locking mechanism has a vertically tilting barrel with a rectangular breech that engages a guide in the slide, on the breech face and a cut in the top front of the ejection port. The barrel recoils rearward, locked together with the slide approx. 3 mm until the bullet leaves the barrel and pressures drop to a safe level. The ramped lug at the bottom of the barrel then mates with the angled locking block in the frame, camming the barrel downward, while the slide continues back in a straight line. The slide also contains a spring-loaded claw extractor, while the fixed ejector is a steel protrusion in the trigger housing. The striker firing mechanism has a firing pin that is cocked in two stages, powered by the firing pin spring. The firing pin remains only partly tensioned upon the forward return of the slide, it's fully cocked and released after the trigger has been depressed all the way to the rear. This is known as a pre-set trigger mechanism, referred to as the “Safe Action” trigger by the manufacturer. A connector ensures the pistol can only fire in semi-automatic mode.

The Glock features a triple safety system against accidental discharge that consists of three independent safety mechanisms: an external trigger safety[2] and two automatic internal safeties – a firing pin safety[3] and a drop safety[4]. The external safety is a small inner lever contained in the trigger. Pressing the lever activates the trigger bar and sheet metal connector. One of the internal safeties is a solid hardened steel pin which, in the secured state, blocks the firing pin channel (disabling the firing pin in its longitudinal axis). The firing pin safety is only pushed upward to release the firing pin for firing when the trigger is actuated and the safety is pushed up through the backward movement of the trigger bar, the second, drop safety guides the trigger bar in a precision safety ramp that is only released when a shot is triggered by pulling the trigger right back. The safeties are systematically disengaged one after another when the trigger is squeezed and then automatically re-activated when the trigger is released. This triple safety system guarantees safe handling of the pistol with a cartridge introduced into the chamber, reducing the time required to deploy the weapon. This allows the user to concentrate on tactical considerations, rather than manipulation of levers, hammers or external safeties found in other, conventional handguns. This design however does not allow the pistol to be decocked in case of a squib round.

In 2003, Glock announced the Internal Locking System (ILS) safety feature. The ILS is a manually activated lock that is located in the back of the pistol's grip. It is cylindrical in design and, according to Glock, each key is unique. Group key hierarchic solutions are available for law enforcement agencies. When activated, the lock causes a tab to protrude from the rear of the grip. This is done to give both a visual and tactile indication as to whether the lock is engaged or not. When activated, the ILS renders the Glock unfireable as well as making it impossible to disassemble. When disengaged, the ILS adds no further safety mechanisms to the Glock pistol. The ILS is available as an option on most Glock pistols.

The Glock 17 feeds from a double-column box magazine with a 17-round capacity or an extended 19-round magazine. After the last round has been fired, the slide remains open on the slide stop. The slide stop release lever is located on the left side of the frame directly below the slide and can be manipulated by the thumb of the shooting hand.

The Glock 17 has a fixed sight arrangement that consists of a ramped front sight and a notched rear sight with white contrast elements painted on for increased acquisition speed – a white dot on the front post and a rectangular border on the rear notch. The rear sight can be adjusted for windage as it has a degree of lateral movement in the dovetail it is mounted in. Adjustable and illuminated night sights are also available.

The cold hammer-forged barrel has a polygonal (hexagonal) bore with a right-hand twist. The weapon’s frame, magazine body and several other components are made from a high-strength nylon-based polymer. The frame also contains hardened steel guides molded into the internal surfaces. The slide is milled from a single block of ordnance-grade steel. The barrel and slide are finished with a proprietary nitriding process called Tenifer.

A Glock 19 field-stripped

Current production Glock 17’s consist of 34 parts. For maintenance the pistol disassembles into 5 main groups: the barrel, slide, frame, magazine and recoil spring assembly.

The firearm is designed for the NATO-standard 9x19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge (bullet weight – 7.5 g, muzzle velocity – 350 m/s), but can also use high-power (increased pressure) +P and +P+ ammunition with either full metal jacket or jacketed hollow point projectiles.

Glock pistols come in three main sizes, all modeled after the original full-size Glock 17. The "Standard" full-size models are designed for open carry, ease of shooting, and magazine capacity. The "Compact" models are a slightly smaller weapon with lower magazine capacity and lighter weight, but maintaining a useable grip length. The "Subcompact" models are designed for easier carry being lighter and shorter; the subcompact models are intended to be used with two fingers on the grip below the trigger guard. Models for the .45 ACP and 10mm calibers are slightly larger than other calibers and are not available in the 'compact' size. Glock also offers a special single-stack, "Slimline" .45 ACP pistol, the Glock 36. "Competition" versions are also offered and generally offer extended slides, adjustable sights, and extended slide and magazine release.

All "Standard", "Competition" and some "Compact" Glock pistols are available as "C" models (for "compensated") which add a ported barrel and slide to reduce muzzle climb while shooting the pistol.[5]

The Glock was modernized several times throughout its production history. In 1991 a modified version of the recoil spring and recoil spring tube was introduced that is now a single integrated recoil spring assembly that does not disassemble. Additionally the magazine was slightly modified (the magazine floorplate was changed and the follower spring was fitted with a resistance insert at its base) and the trigger pull was increased (optionally). The factory standard trigger is rated at 25 N, but by using a modified connector it can be increased to 35 N. In response to a request made by American law enforcement agencies for a two-stage trigger Glock introduced the so-called NY (New York) trigger module, which features a flat spring in a plastic housing that replaces the trigger bar’s standard coil spring. This trigger upgrade is available in two versions: New York and New York Plus that are rated at 34-40 N and 41-50 N respectively, which require approx. 20-30 N of force to disengage the safeties and another 10 N in the second stage to fire a shot.

A mid-life upgrade to the Glock series involved the frame’s grip, which received checkering on the front strap and serrations to the rear (these pistols are sometimes called the generation 2 models). In the late 1990s the pistol’s frame was further modified with a Universal rail adapter (used to mount laser pointers and tactical flashlights), thumb rests on both sides of the frame and finger grooves on the front strap of the pistol grip (generation 3 upgrade). The extractor has also been changed twice and the locking block was enlarged along with the addition of another pin.

The Glock pistol accessories include several devices for tactical illumination, such as front rail mounted lights with optional lasers and an adapter to mount a flashlight on the bottom of a magazine. Polymer holsters in various configurations and matching magazine pouches are also available. Glock also produces optional sights, triggers, recoil springs, slide stop levers, and underwater spring cups.

Variants

In 1996 the Glock 17C variant was introduced, equipped with a compensator that increases controllability during rapid fire, located near the muzzle end. Many other Glock pistols now come with this option. The Glock 17L is an action and competition model of the Glock 17 introduced in 1988. Compared to the base model it incorporates a longer slide and extended barrel. The standard version has a connector that provides a trigger pull of around 20 N. Initially the pistol was supplied with a recoil compensator, with three cuts made in the barrel to vent gases upward, located in a window cut into the top of the slide. In later production pistols the compensator was abandoned. The Glock 17L has been discontinued 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 length, created after the Monash University shooting. The only differences between a Glock 17 and a Glock 17A is that the Glock 17A has a 120 mm extended barrel which protrudes from the slide visibly; they are supplied with pinned, 10-round magazines.[6][7] The Glock 17T is a training weapon that fires paint or rubber rounds for "force-on-force" training scenarios. There are two versions and they are both easily recognizable from their bright blue frames: the Glock 17T 9 mm FX, which fires Simunition FX cartridges and the Glock 17T 7.8x21 AC, which fires paint and rubber rounds with replaceable air pressure cartridges. The Glock 17P is a training weapon for practicing hand-to-hand combat, loading and unloading of the weapon. The G17P is identical to a standard Glock 17 except for its red frame, an inert barrel (without a chamber, thus preventing the accidental chambering of a live cartridge) and no firing pin hole in the breech face (thus preventing someone from using a live barrel with the training slide). The Glock 17Pro is a special version produced exclusively for the Finnish market. It has the following improvements over the standard Glock 17: factory tritium night sights, an extended, threaded barrel, marine spring cups, modified magazine release, extended slide release (factory standard in newer models), extended +2 magazine base plates, 3.5 lb force connector and factory Glock pouch. The Glock 17DK is a special version for Denmark, where handguns must, by law, be at least 210 mm long. The Glock 17DK has a 122.5 mm barrel, making the gun 210 mm long overall.

The Glock 18 is a selective-fire variant of the Glock 17, developed in 1987 at the request of the Austrian counter-terrorist unit EKO Cobra. This weapon is not available to the civilian market. This machine pistol-class weapon has a lever-type fire-control selector switch, installed on the left side of the slide, in the rear, serrated portion (selector lever in the in the bottom position – continuous fire, top setting – single fire). The weapon is typically used with an extended 33-round capacity magazine. Early Glock 18’s were outfitted with a dynamic gas compensator used to reduce muzzle rise during automatic fire. Another compensated variant was also produced, known as the Glock 18C. It has a keyhole opening cut into the forward portion of the slide, not unlike the opening on the Glock long-slide models, although the G18 has a standard-length slide. The keyhole opening provides a venting area to allow the four, progressively-larger (from back to front) compensator cuts machined into the barrel to accomplish their job, which is to afford more control over the rapid-firing machine pistol. The compensator cuts, of varying widths start about halfway back on the top. The rear two cuts are narrow, while the front two cuts are wider. The slide is also hollowed, or dished-out in a rectangular pattern between the rear of the ejection port and the rear sight. The weapon’s rate of fire in fully automatic mode is approx. 1100-1200 rounds/min. Most of the other characteristics are similar to the Glock 17.

The compact Glock 19.

The Glock 19 is effectively a reduced-size Glock 17, called the “Compact” by the manufacturer. It was first produced in 1988, primarily for military and law enforcement. The Glock 19 has a barrel and pistol grip that are shorter by approx. 12 mm (0.5 in) compared to the Glock 17 and uses a 15-round magazine (the pistol remains compatible with standard and high-capacity factory magazines). To preserve the operational reliability of the short recoil system, the slide's mass was not reduced. With the exception of the slide, frame, barrel, locking block, recoil spring, guide rod and slide lock spring, all of the other components are interchangeable between the models 17 and 19. In 1990 the Glock 19 was accepted by the Swedish Army and entered service as the Pistol 88B.

The Glock 20 is a semi-automatic pistol developed with American security forces in mind and introduced in 1991. The pistol was designed from the ground up around the 10 mm Auto cartridge, but can also fire Federal 10 mm Auto FBI rounds with a reduced muzzle velocity. Due to the more powerful chambering, the pistol is dimensionally larger than the Glock 17, approx. 2.5 mm wider and 7 mm longer but shares a close to 50% parts commonality. The pistol’s bore has a hexagonal profile.

The Glock 21 is based on the Glock 20 model, introduced alongside it, chambered for the .45-caliber ACP cartridge (11.43x23mm Auto Colt Pistol) primarily for the American market.[8] It features a barrel with an octagonal bore. The Glock 21 magazine is of the single-position-feed, staggered-column type with a capacity of 13 rounds. The Glock 20 and 21 frames and slides are not compatible. The Glock 21’s locking block has been altered to prevent this. Glock has also released the Glock 21SF (“Short Frame") model.[9] The pistol was originally designed to compete in the now canceled US Military trials for a new .45-caliber pistol to replace the Beretta M9. Initial Glock 21SF's designed for the military featured an ambidextrous magazine release and a MIL-STD-1913 rail system (which replaces the standard Universal rail system on other Glock pistols), along with the frame reduction designed to make the grip more universal. The grip reduction removed material mainly from the backstrap of the grip. The Glock 21SF is currently available with a Picatinny rail or Universal Glock rail.

The Glock 22 is a .40-caliber variant of the Glock 17 and is in series production since 1990. The pistol uses a modified slide, frame, barrel (polygonal, hexagonal rifling with a right-hand twist) and magazine that are required for the pistol to safely chamber the .40 S&W cartridge (10x21.6mm Smith & Wesson). It has a standard 15-round magazine capacity.

The Glock 23.

A .40-caliber variant of the Glock 19 is the Glock 23, developed and released parallel with the Glock 22. It is dimensionally identical to the Glock 19 but is slightly heavier and uses a modified slide, frame, .40 S&W barrel and 13-round magazine.

The Glock 24 is a competition variant of the .40-caliber Glock 22, the concept is similar to the target Glock 17L model. The Glock 24 was officially discontinued upon the release of the Glock 34 and 35.[10]

The Glock 25 is a derivative of the Glock 19, adapted to use the .380 ACP (9x17mm Browning Short) cartridge. Due to the relatively weak cartridge, the pistol features an unlocked breech and operates via straight blowback of the slide.

A 9 mm variant designed for concealed carry is the Glock 26, available since 1995, mainly for the civilian market. This is considered a subcompact weapon and features a small frame with a pistol grip that supports only two fingers, a short barrel, slide, and a short, 12-round double-stack magazine. A small extension can be added to the base of the magazine in lieu of the standard base-plate, this makes for a more comfortable hold on the abridged grip of the subcompact Glock, without seriously compromising concealability. The Glock 26 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.

The Glock 27 is a Glock 26 modified to fire .40 S&W ammunition. It uses a modified slide, frame, .40 S&W barrel and magazine. It has a magazine capacity of 9 rounds. Additionally, the Glock 27 can use 11, 13, 15 and 17-round magazines. Aftermarket 29-round magazines are available. The Glock 27 was introduced in 1995.

The Glock 28 is a subcompact variant of the Glock 25 adapted to use the .380 ACP round. It is blowback operated.

A subcompact Glock 29 in the powerful 10 mm Auto cartridge.

The Glock 29 is a 10 mm Auto equivalent of the Glock 26. The pistol has a 96 mm barrel and a 10-round magazine. The pistol was first introduced in 1997.

The Glock 30 is a compact Glock based on the Glock 29 and is chambered in .45 ACP. It uses a .45 ACP barrel, modified slide and 10 or 9-round magazine. The Glock 30 was developed simultaneously with the Glock 29.

The Glock 31 is a variant of the Glock 22, modified to use the .357 SIG (9x22mm) round. It features a polygonal (hexagonal) bore and comes with a standard 15-round magazine.

The Glock 32 is based on the Glock 23, redesigned to use the .357 SIG cartridge. The standard magazine has a 13-round capacity.

A subcompact model of the Glock 26 chambered for the .357 SIG round is the Glock 33. It has an 11-round standard magazine.

The Glock 34 is a 9 mm combat competition shooting pistol with a standard magazine capacity of 17 rounds. It is similar to the now-discontinued Glock 17L. The frame and magazine are interchangeable with those of the Glock 17. The slide and barrel, however, are shorter than those of the Glock 17L. It was developed and produced in 1998.[11]

The competition-oriented Glock 35.

The Glock 35 is a practical/tactical target variant of the Glock 22, and Glock 34 counterpart, in .40 S&W. The gun sports an extended slide to accommodate a 21 mm (.8 in) longer barrel over the standard service models. It also has an extended magazine release, extended slide stop lever, 4.5 lb trigger pull, and adjustable rear sight. The top of the slide is milled out, creating a hole designed to reduce front-end muzzle weight to better balance the pistol. The Glock 35 has a standard 15-round magazine capacity.

A "Slimline" version of the Glock 30 is the Glock 36 that features an ultra-compact frame and is chambered for the .45 ACP round; the barrel, slide, and magazine, are unique to the model. It has a 6-round capacity, and is the first Glock to be manufactured with a single-stack (as opposed to double-stack) magazine.[12]

The Glock 37 is a Glock 17 modified to fire the proprietary .45 GAP round. It uses a different slide, frame, barrel and magazine but is otherwise similar to the Glock 17, having only a wider slide. It has a 10-round magazine capacity. The Glock 37 first appeared in 2003, and is mainly available in the U.S. It was designed for law enforcement and self-defense use where its large caliber offers superior single shot stopping power, while avoiding the large frame size problems of the Glock 21.

The slim-frame Glock 36 in .45 ACP.

The Glock 38 is a compact model based on the Glock 19 frame. It was the first weapon to use Glock's newly designed .45 GAP ammunition.[13]

The Glock 39 is a sub-compact version of the Glock 38 model with a standard 6-round magazine capacity.

Template:Glock models

Users

The popularity of Glock pistols can be attributed to a number of factors. They are said to be very reliable, being able to function under extreme conditions and to fire a wide range of ammunition types. The simplicity of the Glock design contributes to this reliability, as it contains a relatively small number of components (nearly half as many as the typical handgun) making maintenance and repair easy. Disassembly for the Glock pistol is simple, making it easy to detail strip without expensive tools.[19] The polymer frame makes them lighter than typical steel or aluminum-framed pistols, which is attractive for police officers and civilians who carry firearms for extended periods of time.

The popularity of Glock pistols seems to have inspired other manufacturers to begin production of similar polymer-framed firearms, including the Springfield XD, Smith & Wesson M&P, and Walther P99 pistols. The Smith & Wesson Sigma so closely resembled Glock's design that it resulted in a patent infringement lawsuit, with Smith & Wesson settling out of court and paying Glock an undisclosed amount.[20]

References

  1. ^ Technical data on the G17 from Glock.com
  2. ^ "Glock Trigger System". Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  3. ^ "Firing Pin Safety". Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  4. ^ "Glock Drop Saftey". Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  5. ^ http://www.glock.com/english/pistols_c-models.htm
  6. ^ http://glockfaq.com/nonus.htm#g17a
  7. ^ http://www.rpgfirearms.com.au/HI%20RES/GLOCK%2017A.jpg
  8. ^ Dougherty, Martin Small Arms: From 1860 to the Present Day Barnes & Noble (2005) ISBN-10 0-7607-6329-1.
  9. ^ http://www.glockworld.com/ShortFrameGlock21.htm
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ Ayoob, Massad. "The Glock 34", Guns magazine, September 1999
  12. ^ Ayoob, Massad. "Glock 36 And Kahr P9: Slim, Light And Powerful", Shooting Industry, August 2000
  13. ^ James, Frank W. "The Glock Model 38", Handguns magazine
  14. ^ http://www.glockfaq.com/rare.htm#g17s
  15. ^ http://www.safeguardingaustralia.org.au/News/30_Nov05.htm#_Toc121126309 Safeguarding Australia reference concerning the issue of Glock pistols to Customs officers]
  16. ^ http://www.soldf.com/pistol88.html Unofficial Swedish Army Homepage
  17. ^ Guns Magazine article referencing FBI-issue sidearms
  18. ^ Ayoob, Massad. "American Handgunner: 9mm dead?". Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  19. ^ Youtube detail strip video
  20. ^ S&W and Glock settle suit

Literature

  • Boatman, Robert H. Living With Glocks : The Complete Guide to the New Standard in Combat Handguns . Paladin Press, Boulder. 2002. ISBN 1-58160-340-1.
  • Kasler, Peter Alan. Glock : The New Wave In Combat Handguns. Paladin Press, Boulder. 1992. ISBN 0-87364-649-5.
  • Sweeney, Patrick. The Gun Digest Book of the Glock: A Comprehensive Review : Design, History, Use. kp books, Iola. 2003. ISBN 0-87349-558-6.
  • Taylor, Robin. The Glock In Competition, 2nd edition. Taylor Press, Bellingham. 2005. ISBN 0-9662517-4-1.
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