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Differences Between the 19X and 45 – It’s Not Just the Color!

Glock logoI’ve seen some people posting that the Glock 45 is just a “black 19X”. But that’s not really true. There are a number of differences between them that make such a comment somewhat silly. I’ve compiled a list of differences that I’ve noticed and included it below. Let me know if you notice any others. Those differences are:

  1. Gen 5 G45 has a flared magwell, G19X doesn’t.
  2. G19X has the overbite at the bottom of the front strap. G45 doesn’t.
  3. G19X has the nPVD slide finish, 45 has the nDLC finish
  4. G19X is coyote (NOT FDE), G45 is black
  5. G19X uses maritime spring cups, G45 uses normal spring cups (although they’re both interchangeable)
  6. G19X won’t take “Gen 5” mags unless you swap the floor plates. G45 will. I put quotes around “Gen 5” because mags aren’t really generational like the pistols are. There have been more than 20 versions of mags just for the G17.
  7. G19X has a removable lanyard loop, G45 doesn’t (although Glock does make a black lanyard loop).
  8. Current production Gen 5 G45 has front serrations, G19X doesn’t.
  9. G19X comes with 2×19 round mags and 1×17 round mag (although you can add ‘+’ floor plate, which is Glock part #7151, and insert, which is part #7165 to 17 round mags to make them 19 round. Also would require the #33601 11 coil mag spring). G45 comes with 3x G17 mags.
  10. G19X doesn’t have the newer breech cut that the newer Gen 5 pistols like the G45 have (which aids in ejection)
  11. G45 is available in MOS, 19X isn’t
  12. G45 is available with factory threaded barrel and Ameriglo suppressor sights. (There was a very limited run of 19X with threaded barrel for a special contract, but I’m only aware of 2 in private hands)

In reality, the G45 has far more in common with a Gen 5 G19 or G17 than it does with the G19X

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Case Label Colors – What Do They Mean?

Shooters in the United States have often noticed that the label on the Glock pistol case comes in different colors. Why? Well, with everything Glock, there’s a reason. Let’s dive into the meaning of the various colors.

It should be noted that the various colors discussed here really only started when Glock went to the clam-shell style cases. This occurred after the beginning of the Gen 3 pistol production. Early Gen 3 pistols still came in the old Tupperware style cases that were updated to fit pistols with finger grooves.

There are at least seven pistol case label colors used on Glocks seen in the U.S.:

  1. White: Low capacity magazines (mags do not exceed 10 rounds)
  2. Red: High capacity magazines (high capacity mags hold 10+ rounds)
  3. Blue: High capacity magazines. Buyer must meet blue label requirements to be eligible (see https://us.glock.com/en/buy/blue-label-program). Can also be govt/mil contract guns.
  4. Purple: Contract overrun guns. Can be sold to anyone, and are not required to meet MAP pricing. Could be just overseas/export contract overruns. These also don’t usually show the quantity or capacity of the magazines on the label in the normal middle lower space. And they often don’t show the type of sites or trigger weight in the upper middle space.
  5. Orange: Factory rebuilt guns. Can be sold to anyone, and are not required to meet MAP pricing
  6. Green: U.S. manufactured for export. These also don’t usually show the quantity or capacity of the magazines on the label in the normal middle lower space.
  7. Yellow: Rebuilt (in two cases I’ve seen, Gen 4 MOS, and cutaway). I’ve heard that yellow labels are just faded orange labels, or just maybe a different supplier of labels for the rebuilt guns. That’s certainly plausible.

For Gen 3, white and red label come with 2 magazines, blue label come with 3.

For Gen 4 and later, all guns regardless of label color come with 3 magazines. An exception to this are the slimlines, which come with two magazines.

I’ve written before about how the SKU number in the upper right is broken down to signify the details of the pistol. See that info at Product SKU Number Breakdown.

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Product SKU Number Breakdown

Here is a breakdown of the product/SKU numbers found in the upper right corner of the case label. These only appear on pistol cases seen in the U.S., regardless of where they were manufactured. Label formats are different outside the U.S. There are plenty of deviations from this list from Glock, which should be no big surprise. I’ve documented over 500 600 different SKUs just since Glock went to this format with the Gen 3 guns. Note that this is constantly evolving, and I’ve even seen some new info pop up just since the 43X and 48 were announced. If you have a label that has characters other than what is listed here, let me know. I’d love to see a case label and info so I can investigate.

Note that it’s common to see SKUs listed that start with ‘GL’. Best I’ve been able to determine is that is a prefix that distributors like Lipseys add for internal use. The ‘GL’ is not part of the true Glock SKU number.

In the sections below, I break down the various characters, using the example SKU of PI2350202T. The bold items are the ones that are most common.

Prefix 1 – PI2350202T

E = US manufactured for export (green label)
F = Federal
G = Rebuilds FET IN (orange label)
M = Military
P = AU manufactured
U = US manufactured for domestic/Canada

Known anomalies are:

The U.S. manufactured Gen 4 17T, with a SKU of PG1050202, which would indicate Austrian manufacture.

Prefix 2 – PI2350202T

2 = SF ES 1913 Rail Military
3 = SF 1913 Rail Military
4 = ES 1913 Rail Military
5 = 1913 Rail Military
7 = SF GR MB
9 = SF 1913 MB
A = Gen5
C = Cutaway
D = Practice
F = SF GR
G = Gen4
H = 21SF RTF2, 30S
I = Fxd or Adj Sight / Gen 3
L = Reset
M = M Series
N = Night sight
R = Rebuilds FET OUT
T = RTF2
X = Crossover (used on the 19X and 43X)

Pistol Model – PI2350202T

This is just the numbers in the model of the pistol. A Glock 17 would be ’17’, as would a 17C, 17TB, 17R, 17P, 17T, 17L, etc. Known anomalies to this logic are:

10 = 19T
12 = 17R
15 = 17T
16 = 17L

Trigger Pull – PI2350202T

2 = 4.5+NY1
3 = 4.5lb
5 = 5.5lb
6 = NY1
7 = NY2
8 = 8lb

Pistol type – PI2350202T

0 = Standard
1 = Standard with lock
2 = Standard C with lock
7 = Green
8 = Green C
9 = Standard C
A = Threaded BBL
B = Flared Magwell/Practice
D = RTF/SP1
F = Flared Magwell
P = M Practice Series
R = M Reset
S = Serrations – seen on newer production Gen 5 pistols with front serrations (still being confirmed)
SL = Silver Line – used on the 43X and 48
T = M T-Series

Sight type – PI2350202T

0 = No sights
1 = Adjustable
2 = Fixed
A or 3 = AmeriGlo sights
4 = Steel Fixed
5 = TALO / Export Lumi.
6 = TNS
7 = GNS
8 = Non-Glock sights

Strange anomaly – PA455S3G03TB (only seen on one SKU so far)

G – unknown – maybe an indicator of suppressor sights

Options – PI2350202T

0 = Standard
1 = XSS
2 = XMC
3 = XSS, XMC
4 = Steel front only
6 = Screw on TNS
7 = Screw on TNS / XSS
M = Maritime Spring cups

Magazine – PI2350202T

0 = 3x 10rd mags / LE Domestic (blue label)
0 = Special mag Config Export
1 = 10rd or less commercial (white label)
2 = LE (blue label)
3 = Hi-Cap / Commercial (red label)
4 = Unique Special Order Export Cerakoted Order Domestic; Distributor exclusive
5 = FBI POW Program
6 = Engraved/Special Serial #’s (Glock U.S.A.)
7 = Engraved/Special Serial #’s (Glock Austria)
8 = Unique Special Orders Domestic
9 = FBI / ATF special configuration
A = Orange follower w/TFP

Unique Identifier – PI2350202T

2 = (no sure, but used on the G48)
A = Orange follower w/TFP
AB = AmeriGlo Bold
AC = AmeriGlo Cowitness
AM = Arabic Manual
B = 15rd 9mm Magazines
BA = 9rd 9mmm Magazines
BC = (not sure – used on battle-worn & slide cuts model by Chattanooga)
BFG = Battle Field Green
BT = Bold TALO
CS = G23 mag w/10 coil spring
CSN = Consecutive Serial #
D = Dark Earth
DE = Dark Earth
EM = Extended Magazines
ESB = Enhanced Signature Barrel
FGR = Finger Groove & Rail
FM = French Manual
FS = Front Serration
GF = Grey Frame
GMB = Glock Marking Barrel
H = Holster
L = Nickel
M = Mag Pouch (also see this on some ‘C’ models)
MB = Mag /Bag Combo
MOS = Modular Optical Sight
MS = Manual Safety
PM = 2+ & 1 Standard mag
PN = 1+ & 1 Standard mag
T = T Pack
TB = Threaded Barrel
TBF = Tactical Brown Frame
U = UID Frame
UTM = Ultimate Training Munitions
X = 4 mags each case

Legend

C = Compensated
ES = External Safety
FET = Federal Excise Tax
GNS = Glock Night Sight
GR = Glock Rail
MB = Ambi Mag Catch
NY = New York
POW = FBI Personally Owned Weapon
RTF = Rough Texture Frame
SF = Short Frame
TNS = Trijicon Night Sight
XMC = Extended Mag Catch
XSS = Extended Slide Stop Lever
XXX = Non-Glock firearms
1913 = Piccatiny Rail

UPDATE: By the way – I wrote a quick Excel calculator to break down an entered product SKU. Just enter your SKU in the colored field and hit ENTER. The spreadsheet does use macros, but only for the functionality of the buttons. Download it here.

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The Glock 19X is NOT part of the Gen 5 family

Glock logoI see people commenting on some sites and in some social networking sites that the Glock 19X pistol is part of the Gen 5 line. It’s technically not, and for some very valid reasons. I’ve compiled this list of more than a dozen reasons why it’s not:

  1. No “Gen 5” on left side of slide
  2. No “Gen 5” on case label
  3. It doesn’t have a Gen 5 sku number (second digit would be an ‘A’ for Gen 5).
  4. Not listed as Gen 5 on individual product page (https://us.glock.com/products/model/g19x)
  5. Not listed as Gen 5 on full product page (https://us.glock.com/products/)
  6. Not listed as Gen 5 on 19X page (https://19x.glock.us)
  7. Not listed on the Gen 5 family page (http://gen5.glock.us/)
  8. Doesn’t have Gen 5 front strap cutout
  9. Doesn’t have the flared mag well of the Gen 5
  10. Can’t use Gen 5 mags in it without replacing base plates or modifying frame
  11. Comes with black followers in mags, not orange like Gen 5
  12. Comes with maritime spring cups, not normal spring cups like Gen 5
  13. Comes with newer ejector design (although this is starting to show up in newer Gen 5 pistols)
  14. Different slide finish process (nPVD) than Gen 5 (nDLC)

While there are a lot of common parts between them (an argument that can be made about other generations, too), the 19X is not a Gen 5 pistol.

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Glock 19X Coming January 22nd

The Glock 19X, which is basically the civilian version of the 17MHS pistol submitted to the Army, will be available starting January 22nd. Here’s a quick blurb about what’s included:

  1. Rounded mag catch like the Israeli guns
  2. Same slide stop lever, trigger safety, and slide lock spring as used in Gen 5.
  3. Black mag followers – not the orange ones seen in the Gen 5 magazines.
  4. Non-extended mag base plates (like Gen 4) – not like the Gen 5 mag base plates.
  5. No cutout on front strap – frame actually extends down further than Gen 4 style. This is known as the ‘toe’ of the frame, and often jokingly referred to as the ‘camel toe’ on the 19X.
  6. Coyote brown, which is more brown (darker) than current FDE.
  7. Mags match the frame color.
  8. Slide color matches the frame color (more or less) – first time Glock’s done a slide color other than black. Finish is referred to as nPVD, and leaves a deep purple like color on the inside of the slide.
  9. Lanyard hole is part of a removable grip plug and will support the Gen 4/5 style back straps.
  10. No manual safety as seen in the 19MHS and 23MHS guns submitted to the Army. That’s no surprise since Glock has said they wouldn’t release a pistol with a manual safety.
  11. Full size G17 grip length frame with G19 length dust cover, and compact G19 slide.
  12. No finger grooves, and same texture, RTF3, as Gen 4/5.
  13. Glock Marksman Barrel (GMB) just like the Gen 5.
  14. Shipped with Glock night sights. I have NOT seen a sku for a version without night sights.
  15. Looks like they’re made in Austria.
  16. New ejector design (part # 47021) that’s also coming to the Gen 5 guns (no details on what’s different, yet). This is to address the BTF (brass to face) issue that some have experienced.
  17. Gen 5 style trigger assembly.
  18. Slide and frame are beveled like the Gen 5 (Note: early Gen 5 frames were not beveled). That changed in later production in 2017.
  19. MSRP is $750, which is exactly the same as a Gen 5 pistol with night sights. I’ve seen plenty of Blue Label prices, with $533 being common. Again, this pistol ships with night sights, so that’s why the Blue Label price is higher than some other pistols.
  20. I’ve only seen indications that they are made in Austria. I’ve yet to see pictures or skus that any are made in the U.S.
  21. The 19X is not marked with a ‘Gen 5’ on the slide, nor is the product number in the Gen 5 range.
  22. Spring cups are the Glock marine spring cups.
  23. 19X comes with a true spec 1913 rail.

A lot of the following photos are from Glock.

 

For more info, see http://g41.glock.us/

edit: Glock has removed the original page of content, including the video, from that page. Here’s the basic announcement that originally appeared there:

New link: http://19x.glock.us/

Announcing Glock 19X
 
GLOCK, Inc. introduces their first ever “Crossover” pistol, the GLOCK 19X, which combines the best features of two of its most popular and most trusted field-tested platforms. The full-size frame and the compact slide have joined forces to produce the ideal pistol for all conditions and all situations.
 
“The G19X was developed for the military and is a practical everyday pistol that will do what you need it to do, when you need it to; every time, in every condition,” says GLOCK VP Josh Dorsey. “The pistol was developed for the military using GLOCK’s combat proven experience with consideration to efficiency, dependability and durability. Through rigorous testing, the G19X stands out above the competition and has the ability to function in all situations with ultimate reliability and accuracy. Our goal was to meet the demanding needs of the military while maintaining our standard of perfection. With proven results, the G19X delivers maximum efficiency and trustworthiness.”
 
Confidence now comes in the coyote color with the first-ever factory colored slide. The nPVD slide coating of the GLOCK 19X prevents corrosion, resists chemicals, and stands up against the elements. Additional design features of the G19X include the GLOCK Marksman Barrel (GMB) with enhanced polygonal rifling and an improved barrel crown for increased accuracy, ambidextrous slide stop levers and no finger grooves for better versatility, and a lanyard loop for retention. The pistol includes a standard 17-round magazine and two 17+2-round extended magazines along with a coyote-colored pistol case.
 
The aggregate effect of all the G19X design enhancements gives any user the assurance to succeed and survive in all situations. A perfect “Crossover to Confidence”.
 
The G19X will be available beginning January 22nd, 2018 at select dealers.

Trademark info for the 19X is available on the Justia site.

I’ll update this as I get more info.

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Glock Factory Colors and Finishes vs. Aftermarket

Glock logoWith the exception of the Glock 19X pistol’s coyote slide, the 43X and 48’s gray slide, Glock only makes guns with black slides. If you see one with a slide of any other color, including NiBX, it’s done after the gun leaves the factory – usually by a distributor who does a special run.

Glock has only ever made color-molded frames in

 

  1. black
  2. OD (‘Olive Drab’)
  3. BFG (‘Battle Field Green’) – exclusive distributor is Amchar in N.Y.
  4. FDE (‘Flat Dark Earth’) – exclusive distributor is Lipsey’s in LA
  5. gray – exclusive distributor is Lipsey’s in LA
  6. red
  7. blue
  8. coyote (only with the Glock 19X)

Red and blue are only used in training guns (17R, 22P, 17T, etc.). Any other colors (purple, burnt bronze, red & blue, pink, white, Robin’s egg blue, ‘battle worn’, American Flag, dessert sand, etc.) are aftermarket.

If the serial number plate is the same color as the frame and not silver, or the back straps are not the same color as the frame, it’s aftermarket (although some cerakote shops will also do the back straps).

Some gun shops will tell you that these aftermarket guns are factory colors. Best reason I’ve seen for that is because that’s how they receive them. But gun shops get their guns from distributors – who are generally the ones who do these special runs. They don’t typically get them directly from Glock. The gun shop staff just don’t know any better.

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Differences between Gen 3 and Gen 4 pistols

Glock logoAs for the differences between Gen 3 and Gen 4 pistols, as a generalization:

Gen 4 pistols have the different grip texture (known technically as “RTF3”), dual spring Recoil Spring Assembly unit (with frame and slide changes to accommodate), larger & reversible mag catch (not ambidextrous as some claim), and four back straps. Gen4 guns are built on the SF frame, resulting in a shorter trigger reach and shorter heel depth than the Gen 3 guns (about 2mm). The SF frames also use a smaller trigger housing mechanism. Gen 4 guns use a “dot” connector instead of the Gen 3 unmarked connector. Gen 4 guns have an updated trigger bar. All Gen 4 guns come with 3 magazines, whereas only the blue label Gen 3 guns came with 3 – white and red label come with 2.

Some Gen 3 models are available in a factory threaded barrel version (to support compensators and silencers). Some Gen 3 and 4 models are available in a factory ported version – although not all models are available in both generations. Some Gen 4 pistols are available in a MOS (“Modular Optic System”) version to support optics. Some Gen 4 pistols are available in a few more factory colors (including Gray, and BFG) than Gen 3 pistols. Both are available in black, FDE, and OD. These are all color molded frames with black slides (the only color Glock makes), trigger, mag catch, slide lock, and slide stop lever. Gen 4 includes color molded back straps. Some Gen 4 guns are available with front slide serrations and extended controls (mag catch, slide stop lever) as well as steel sights.

From a maintenance perspective, the recommended replacement threshold for the Gen 3 recoil spring assembly (RSA) is every 2500-3000 rounds. For the Gen 4, it jumps to every 5000 rounds.

Some will point to the fact that the Gen 3 has been around for years, and thus, is proven. Well, so has the Gen 4. Production on Gen 4 guns began in 2009. I think that’s sufficient time to be considered “proven”.

Some will say the “finish” is different. Glock made a change to the metal treatment process (which is applied to the bare metal, before the finish), starting in 2007 (and that transition was completed in 2010). That original process was known as “Tenifer”. The change to the newer Melonite process caused subsequent guns to have a finish with a slightly different appearance, but a higher HRc rating, which is good. It’s not about the generation of the gun that dictates the finish, but WHEN the gun was manufactured. A Gen 3 gun and a Gen 4 gun both manufactured on the same day will have the same finish.

To see more technical data for each specific model, including both current Gen 3 and Gen 4, see https://us.glock.com/products/all.

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Differences between Gen 4, Gen 5, and FBI M pistols

Glock logoHere are the differences in the ‘M’ pistols used by agencies such as the FBI, DOS/DSS, ATF, DEA, and USMS, as well as the consumer Gen 5 guns vs. the Gen 4 pistols:

  • No finger grooves.
  • Flared mag well.
  • Ambidextrous one-piece slide stop lever – on many of the ‘M’ guns, it’s also an extended ambi slide stop. That extended ambi slide stop lever is part # 33797, and is available for sale to certified armorers. It now appears that the extended ambi slide stop lever is on the Gen 5 G34.
  • Front of the slide is rounded to match the Gen 4 subcompacts and long slide models. When first introduced, the Gen 5 and ‘M’ frame weren’t beveled to match. That has since been resolved in newer Gen 5 pistols.
  • Land and groove rifling instead of polygonal
  • Gen 5 GMB (Glock Marksman Barrel) barrel has a target match crown (FBI ‘M’ guns don’t). G17 barrels cannot be swapped with other generation guns – mainly due to the differences in locking blocks and newer, longer, RSA.
  • Same style firing pin safety (angled instead of flat) as the Glock 43
  • Return to two-pin frame due to a redesign in the locking block area of the frame that removes the need for the third pin.
  • Slide lock spring similar to Glock 43 (coil vs leaf), and the slide lock is moved slightly rearward.
  • Return of cutout on bottom of front strap to assist with stripping magazine (such as due to a double feed) that were originally in Gen 1, Gen 2, and early Gen 3 full sized guns. Early prototypes did not have this cutout, which is why it’s not visible in some early pics. This cutout is on the 17, 19, and 34, but not the 26. The 26 has the extended toe similar to the MHS and 19X frames. It is also not on the Gen 5 MOS guns. Note that this was eventually removed from the Gen 5 pistols in summer 2019.
  • Tougher finish applied to the same Melonite metal treatment process. This finish is dubbed nDLC (diamond like coating) that is similar to the black nitride finish. Glock refers to it as an ion bonded finish, and will only be available on Gen 5 and M guns.
  • The upper cartouche, the flat area on the upper right grip area that show where the pistol was made, has been moved down and combined with the lower one, which contains the patent number
  • Mags have an orange mag follower
  • Mags have extended front lip to aid in reloading
  • Mags have a slightly rounded base plate (bottom front edge)
  • Initially, there were no front serrations on the regular 17 and 19, as some people claim, or as some photoshopped pictures suggest. Glock added an LCI to the guns many years ago to negate the need for press checks. Front serrations were eventually added to all Gen 5 pistols except the 19X in summer 2019.
  • ‘M’ guns come with 6 magazines. Gen 5 guns come with 3.
  • Gen 5 is available with polymer sights or several night sight variations, including factory and Ameriglo ‘Bold’ night sights. The new sights are narrower than previous models. ‘M’ guns have slightly different sights than the Bold sights. These are called the ‘Agent’ sights. Differences being FBI sights have a ‘U’ shaped notch in the read sight, whereas the Bold have a square notch. Both rear sights are serrated, and the night sights don’t have a white or colored ring around them (this is often referred to as ‘blacked out’). Both the Gen 5 Bold sights and the FBI sights are available with  a .125 orange front sight as well as a more traditional .140 width sight.
  • Glock had originally said no plans for MOS guns, but they have released the Gen 5 G17, G19, G34, and G45 in MOS configurations.
  • Glock said originally that the Gen5’s will only be offered in 9mm, but São Paulo Police Department (Brazil) has deployed the Gen 5 G22, which includes a manual safety like the 17S and MHS pistols.
  • New striker, but same spring cups, spring, and sleeve
  • New extractor
  • New slide cover plate
  • New trigger mechanism housing
  • New trigger bar, but the Gen 4 dimple is removed (since the Gen 5 went to the angled trigger safety, the dimple is no longer needed)
  • Gen 5 doesn’t use the ‘S’ shaped coil trigger spring, like the previous generations, instead going to a setup like the slimlines
  • G19 and G26 come with a smooth trigger (like the 17) instead of the previous grooved trigger.
  • FBI ‘M’ guns have the nDLC finish on some internals including the trigger bar, connector, and slide stop lever,  Gen 5 guns do not. Also, ‘M’ guns that went to a select few agencies do not have the nDLC treated internals. It’s easy to spot the difference, as the nDLC finished internals are jet black. Not gray.
  • ‘M’ guns appear to have an extended and rounded mag catch as stock, vs. a normal mag catch for the Gen 5 guns
  • Gen 5 are currently available in black, FDE, and gray, although the FDE and gray guns were early Gen 5 with the non beveled frame, and front cutout. ‘M’ guns are available in several color molded frames.
    • Black is standard issued to all agents.
    • BFG is issued to FBI SWAT
    • FDE is issued to FBI HRT
  • Gen 5 guns have a ‘5’ rollmark on the top of the barrel. ‘M’ guns have an ‘M’ or ‘5M’.
  • Gen 5 G34 doesn’t have the cutout on the top of the slide like previous version, yet still maintains good balance due to a re-engineering of the materials used in the slide.
  • Gen 5 pistols have a rail that uses the 1913 picatinny dimensions.
  • Gen 5 G19 and G45 are available in TB versions, with factory threaded barrels and Ameriglo suppressor sights.
  • Newer production Gen 5 pistols have an enhanced breech cut that greatly improves ejection of spent casings. I’ve not seen this new breech cut on any of the ‘M’ guns.

The new mags will work in previous generation pistols, and vise versa, with the exception of the 21SF with picatinny rail & ambi mag catch, and the 19X.

Keep in mind that the ‘M’ pistols are Glock’s specific response to the FBI requirements for a new pistol. Just because any of these features exist on these guns does not mean that they will appear in any other non-‘M’ guns in the future.

The following pictures of the Gen 5 G26 and G34 are from Glock.

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Roll marks on slides and/or frames

Glock logoThis is a living post and will be updated as I get more info.

Here is information about the various roll marks you may see on Glock barrels, slides, and/or frames.

The pentagon indicates polygonal rifling, which all Glocks use. A pentagon without a dot in the middle means the barrel is from grade 5 steel. Pentagon with a dot in the middle indicates grade 6 steel. Neither symbol has anything to do with +P and/or +P+ compatibility. For +P and +P+ info, see https://us.glock.com/customer-service/faq. The Austrian government eventually required the 3D in the oval, which replaced the pentagon symbols. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) created a 3D ballistics database for research to positively identify bullets fired from specific barrels. The 3D database will help draw positive matches between a fired bullet and the barrel it was fired from. Barrels marked with a 3D are in the database. Ballistic experts can strategically identify the correct source, but it’s not 100% accurate. For more info about the database, see https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2016/07/nist-3d-ballistics-research-database-goes-live. It’s important to note that the evolution of these symbols should not be interpreted as there are issues with the components with previous marks.

The “AT” indicates it was made in Austria. Newer barrels made in Smyrna, GA have a “US” and a little outline of the state of GA.

From 1982 to 1991, Glock 17 pistols were assembled & test fired in Austria. (Later pistols were also assembled and test fired at Glock Inc. in Smyrna, GA.) Those barrels have an eagle roll mark. The eagle with the number 2 in the center is Austria’s coat of arms. The number 2 in the center of the coat of arms means it was proofed at the firing proof house in Vienna, Austria. You’ll also see this mark on frames from the same period.

The ‘NPv’ is the Vienna proof house roll mark for ‘smokeless powder proof for parabellum pistols’. The pistol was tested using a round loaded to at least 130%. Normally, Glock guns are tested with 120% loads. The markings are proof marks and inspectors marks as required on Austrian pistols that they met the 130% requirement. Many of those NPv marked guns have “Glock Inc, Smyrna GA” stamped on the bottom of the trigger guard.

Sometimes, you’ll see three letters after the NPv on Austrian made barrels. Those are date stamps to indicate when the BARREL was test fired (note that does NOT necessarily mean when the pistol was built). Eventually, Glock did away with those three letter codes. Unofficial information I have to decipher those three letter codes that are on the barrel (not the serial number) are:

The first letter is for the month:
E…Jan
L…Feb
N…Mar
B…Apr
S…May
Z…Jun
G…Jul
P…Aug
I…Sep
C…Oct
V…Nov
A…Dec

The last two letters are for the year:
O…0
W…1
K…2
R…3
F…4
M…5
H…6
Y…7
T…8
D…9

For those with the ‘CIP over N’ roll mark, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_Internationale_Permanente_pour_l%27Epreuve_des_Armes_%C3%A0_Feu_Portatives and http://www.mdwguns.com/cip.html

Gen 5 pistols have a ‘5’ to the right of the ‘3D’ mark on the barrel. ‘M’ guns have a ‘5M’ to the right of the ‘3D’ mark.

 

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Glock MHS features

Glock logoWhen the Army solicited guns for consideration for the next military sidearm, Glock submitted the 19 Modular Handgun System (MHS) pistol. Unfortunately, the Army went with Sig’s pistol. When you look at the Glock MHS pistol in detail, we see the following:

  • A full size, G17 length grip, on a G19 frame for 9mm, and a .40 version with a G22 length grip on a G23 frame.
  • No finger grooves, similar to the Gen 5 and ‘M’ guns. Same texture as the Gen 4 guns.
  • 18 round magazines in FDE. Only the 2nd time we’ve seen FDE mags from Glock.
  • Ambidextrous thumb safety.
  • Ambidextrous slide stop lever – it appears to be the same part as what’s in the Gen 5 pistols.
  • Lanyard hole (I bet it’s part of a butt plug).
  • Back to two pins (from three) due to a redesign in the locking block, just like the Gen 5 pistols.
  • The rounded snout on the slide – just like the 17M and 19M, and the long slides and subcompacts. That’s always made more sense to me than the regular flat nose we typically see. And apparently, just like the Gen 5 and ‘M’ guns, the frame is NOT beveled to match.
  • And, for the first time, Glock Cerakoted a slide.

Also, kinda surprised we don’t see the circular cutout at the bottom of the front strap, like we do on the Gen 5 and ‘M’ models and older generation pistols.

For Glock’s response to losing to Sig, see GAO Denies GLOCK, Inc.’s MHS Pistol Protest.