The fourth generation of the best known among polymer guns, the one which paved the road for all other competitors, can still be considered “new” as it dates from the year 2010. However, Austrian company decided to mix the cards on the table and offer an additional evolution of its famous model, which resulted in the fifth generation of Glock pistols.

The news attracted the attention of Glock’s fans who are already accustomed to these legendary models, like the full size  9mm model 17 or the compact 9mm model 19; and so the other Glock models are also expected to get the upgrade treatment within the next few months. But what are the novelties compared to Generation 4? They’re truly numerous, as each main component of the gun was processed: from the barrel to the slide, from the frame to the shooting and locking mechanisms.

Millennium Success

It was a year 1981 when the Austrian headquarter of Gaston Glock’s company released the first generation of the legendary model 17 – the very next year, it was adopted by the Austrian Army. Of course, Glock was not the first high caliber striker fired gun with the high capacity magazines and polymer frame (ten years earlier Heckler&Koch VP70 appeared), but it was the first gun with the short barrel adopted by a western army.

During the nineties, the second generation of that model was produced, recognizable by the new texture on the grip panel and improved mechanics.

The third generation appeared in 1996, with the finger grooves on the front strap, extra cross-pin, as well as the accessory rail and some other modernized technical solutions.

Since 2010, generation 4 model 17 has been produced, equipped with new grips which can be changed in order to ensure maximum comfort for different hand sizes, as well as the new telescopic system of gas exchange that equipped the model Subcompact 26.

Throughout this period, Glock 17, alongside its compact version model 19, has became the official gun of many police forces, government agencies and military units – even the elite ones. Together with Beretta 92, Glock basically conquered the world of handguns for both official and private usage.

It is important to emphasize that the quick jump from generation four to generation five was not the result of the former’s generation’s problems, but came out as the Austrian producer’s desire to offer innovation introduced with models 17M and 19M in a commercial package, recently adopted by the FBI as well.

The New-old Grip Panel

The typical silhouette of Glock pistols is clearly distinguishable at first glance, so Gen 5 might not appear to be as innovative as it was expected. The dimensions and aesthetics of the previous series were retained, but if you take a closer look you might notice the updates made on the most favorite polymer gun in the world.

The great experience in designing Gen 5 obviously came from the experience with __(modelima jednorednim kompaktima)__ 42 in caliber .380 and the model 43 in caliber 9 x 19 mm, since many solutions from those compact models can be seen on the new models.

You may notice that the grip no longer has finger grooves in the front part of the outer side – we are back to the configuration of generation two, but with maintaining the RTF texture (Rouge Textured Frame Finish) typical for Gen 4.

The replaceable grip frames came directly from the generation four as well (two for standard grips, two for large ones), which makes the ergonomic weapon adaptation easier. You can also notice wider floor plates (usadnik okvira?) in order to allow its faster replacement.

On the widening there is a semicircular tray, useful for grabbing the bottom of the magazine for forceful extraction in case of getting stuck, or in situations where ice and/or dust appear inside the pistol. For that purpose, the magazine in generation five, although replaceable by any other past generations’ magazine, is equipped with an enlarged bottom in order to facilitate pulling in special situations.

For maximum safety, the magazine is equipped with orange-colored polymer follower, which allows better overview of weapon’s condition. Such grip design was desired by the FBI itself, and it is the basic shape from generation one, except that in this case it was additionally improved when it comes to agronomy and, above all, practical functioning thanks to the double-sided button for magazine removal – another element common with Gen 4.

In fact, generation 5 contains many solutions from the pistols that equip FBI, as well as the new slide’s front profile (prednji profil navlake?) with blunt edges, as seen on Glock Subcompact model 26. Such solution derived from the need to put the gun quicker and easier back into the case. This might seem unnecessary as we were thought that the speed is important when pulling the gun out of the case, but you should keep in mind that a policeman or an FBI agent needs to liberate his or her hands quickly in order to place handcuffs or search someone, so the speed of returning the weapon in the case might be important, too.

On the outer side you may also notice the introduction of double-sided and low profile slide stop. Considering the fact that Gen 5 kept the dimensions of generations three and four, although it’s got a “hold-open” on both sides, Gen 5 is compact with cases already on the market. This makes the job easier for specialized gun stores, since these can be used for the new gun generation as well.

Innovations on the Slide

As we disassemble the pistol to its slide, barrel and __(šipka povratne opruge sa teleskopskim oprugama)__ and we take a look inside the cover plate (zatvarač?), we can instantly notice the introduction of the new __(kočnice na udarnoj igli)__, which isn’t a round-shaped wedge anymore, but ellipse-shaped one – as seen on model 43.

slika?

This element was intentionally crafted to additionally improve reliability in harsh weather conditions, such as arctic region, deserts or tropical conditions, and new lock configuration showed as the most reliable in the case of blockage due to ice, sand or mud. In addition to this, the striker was modified as well.

Triggering works the same as on models 42 and 43, as __(opruga na razvlačenje)__ was replaced with more robust __(opruga na kompresiju)__. This innovation doesn’t change much on the first touch, however, in a professional sense, it brings additional resistance and ease during replacement. Normally, the gun becomes unusable in case of spring breakage, but if the __(opruga s kompresijom)__ breaks, since it is carried by __(šipka vođica)__, event though the triggering force would vary the gun will keep up functioning.

The trigger bar was additionally strengthened and equipped with two channels for easier acceptance of dirt and shooting remains.

The trigger is still the same, as the lock is retained within, and it is connected to the needle which carries the bar for cover blockage. As mentioned before, the needle is double-sided and inside the frame it is Y-shaped.

Model 19 Blockage

To make model 17 more accurate on greater distances, and on FBI requests, it was decided to implement __(blokada pokretača bravljenja)__ used in model 19 – this is why the latest generation of model 17 can’t use older generation guns’ barrels.

In accordance with that, the barrel was changed as well, especially regarding the rifling. Ever since its beginnings, Glock implemented semi-polygonal barrel rifling, but generation 5 makes a transition to more traditional ones. New rifling is hexagonal and it carries the label Glock Marksman Barrel (GMB).

Such system implies greater theoretical accuracy and better results with all types of ammunition, so it can be concluded that such result came from the test with polymer ammunition or the easily fragmented one, which is being increasingly used in anti-terrorist actions inside aircraft. However, new rifling promises better results with lead or copper bullets, commonly used for sport or training shooting.

The profile of the muzzle was changed as well, so the new barrel protection can actually be spotted and the Marksman barrel recognized.

Alongside the barrel, the recoil spring has been renewed as well. The system consists of __(šipke vođice)__ to which two twisted springs with additional __(teleskopska vođica)__ were mounted. On the practical side, moving the cover feels more straight-lined compared to the last generation, and throughout shooting generation 5 feels more stable.

The reason for this might be the grip without finger grooves which allows higher and more natural grip, but the overall feel in the course of shooting is positive.

The final change is the closing surface finish that was also renewed, and the previous coating replaced by new exclusive NDLC coating, whose purpose, as stated by the producer itself, is not only to mitigate atmospheric impacts, but also to improve movements of the sliding parts in conditions of poor lubrication.

Our Test

For __(vareni)__ test we used commercial ammo with FMJ bullets of 124 __(grejna)__ made by Magatech company and Fiocchi JTC of 124 __(grejna)__, as well as soft charging of also 124 __(grejna)__ but with smaller amount of charging of 4.0 __(grejna)__. We remembered that the previous generation had troubles with the ammunition of weaker charging, so we intentionally wanted to start our test with such ammo.

It didn’t seem to mark down any halt or problem. We spent two magazines with quick shooting from the range of 50 ft with different shooting groups, precise shooting and double-handed grip. The outcome was definitely satisfying.

Then we shifted to JTC ammunition and made a better group of hits, and noticed a good reaction during firing as well. The gun lends well in hand, new grip allows easier handling, while the new trigger practically overlaps with last generation’s, with triggering force of about 85 oz.

With good triggering and Magatech ammo we had no problem to accomplish a group of hits within 3 inches on 50 ft during precise shooting.

New grip design additionally improved with four covers and the front part without finger grooves both contribute to even better ergonomics. The same stands for the double-sided __(ručicu za vađenje okvira)__, though it’s still low-profile, while mechanical improvements and contemporary barrel contribute to overall gun reliability.

Poslednja rečenica mi nije najjasnija, tj. nisam uspela da uhvatim smisao da bih imala ideju kako da prevedem:
“Takođe, konstatujemo da je tržište polimerskih pištolja prepuno oružja sa jednostrukom akcijom, poludvostrukom akcijom Glocka 17, a za one koji, kao deo redakcije, nose oružje sa metkom u cevi radi samoodbrane, uliva dodatnu sigurnost.” ???

Images courtesy of: PersonalDefenseWorld, Sportsman’sGuide, RECOIL, GlockTalk,

Gunslinger

Derek Finegan is a web designer who likes to shoot his stress out in a shooting gallery. Descended from the finest Irish immigrants of the 19th century, he ended up in the god-forsaken, Americana-at-its-finest mid-western town. Deciding to move on and see the world, he packed his bags and went on a roller-coaster ride. He has gotten as far as the Internet, and he intends to stay there for a while. Derek is a fan of firearms, but his favorite is the cold, cold blade. One might disagree with him, but it is tough to contradict a man with that big of a machete collection in the living room.

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