GLOCK 17

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GLOCK 17
Image:GLOCK 17.jpg GLOCK 17
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Austria
Service history
In service	1980-
Used by	Austrian Army, armies worldwide and law enforcement worldwide
Production history
Designer	GLOCK
Designed	1980'S
Manufacturer	GLOCK
Produced	1980-
Variants	See Below
Specifications
Weight	625 g (unloaded)
Length	186 mm (7.32 in)
Barrel length	114 mm (4.49 in)

Cartridge	9 x 19 mm
Caliber	9 mm (.354 in)
Action	Recoil operation
Feed system	detachable magazine capacity; 17 rounds (9 mm)
Sights	Adjustable three-dot iron sights

The GLOCK 17 was the first pistol designed and manufactured by the Austrian company Glock. It is a locked breech, short recoil 9 mm Luger 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. The designation 17 is derived from the gun's being Gaston Glock's 17th patent, rather than (as sometimes erroneously stated) its unusually large magazine capacity. The GLOCK 17, like all GLOCK pistols, has a well known reputation for being extremely rugged and reliable.

Unlike other pistols, the GLOCK 17 and all others that GLOCK has since produced use a "safe action" semi-double action trigger system along with a striker instead of a hammer and firing pin. Its frame is made out of an advanced polymer. GLOCK pistols operate similarly to a conventional revolver in that there is no manual safety. The double-action-only firing mode results in consistent trigger pull which some claim makes training easier.

1 About
2 Variants
3 The GLOCK and the XM-9 trials
4 In fiction
5 Technical data
6 External links

[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. Recently, CCF RaceFrames, LLC announced that they will be offering alloy frames compatible with most GLOCK OEM parts. 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 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 is the most widespread pistol used 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 Port Arthur massacre. The only differences between a GLOCK 17 and a GLOCK 17A is that the 17A has a 120mm long barrel which protruds from the frame visibly and the magazine can only hold 10 rounds.

[edit] The GLOCK and the XM-9 trials

The GLOCK 17 was not accepted to take part in the trials because of its lack of visible hammer and manual safety. The GLOCK 17's high strategic materials content was also viewed as problematic in times of war. Also, its creator (Gaston Glock) was unwilling to make his patents for the pistol available for open bidding per DOD regulations. An additional complication is the requirement that the weapon be produced in the United States; the Tenifer process used to treat the steel components is prohibited by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which would make US-based manufacture impossible.

[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] Technical data

Caliber: 9 mm Luger Parabellum (9x19 mm)
Action: Safe Action (constant double action mode)
Dimensions:
- Length: 186 mm / 7.32 in
- Height, w/magazine: 138 mm / 5.43 in
- Width: 30.0 mm / 1.18 in
- Barrel length: 114 mm / 4.49 in
- Sight radius: 165 mm / 6.49 in
Rifling: Hexagonal profile with right-hand twist of one turn in 250 mm / 9.84 in
Weight, w/o magazine: 625 g / 22.04 oz
Empty magazine weight: 78 g / 2.75 oz
Full magazine weight: ~280 g / ~9.87 oz
Magazine capacity: 17 rounds
Standard trigger pull: ~2.5 kg / ~5.5 lb
Trigger pull length: 12.5 mm / 0.5 in