SAR 18#6

Glock
Generations:
Detail and Feature Evolution
By Aaron Brudenell
Introduction: Serial Numbers
According to company literature,
the first Glock pistols imported into the
U.S. came in January of 1986. These
guns had serial numbers beginning with
a two letter alpha prefix of “AF” followed
by a three digit number. This means
for every two letter combination, there
were up to 1,000 pistols produced with
numbers from 000 to 999. As of this
writing, current new production Glock
pistols bear serial numbers with a four
letter and three number combination, a
testament to the brand’s success and
longevity over the past quarter century.
Most firearm manufactures who employ
sequential serial numbering systems
would not guarantee the sequence
of numbers exactly matches production
order but on the longer time frame they
generally follow that trend. That is to
say, a firearm bearing the serial number
ABC001 may not have been completed
prior to the same model numbered
ABD001 but it’s a fair assumption that
they were made around the same time
and that EFG001 came later. Notable
exceptions to the standard serial number
structure are firearms ordered with
specified serial number ranges and formats
for law enforcement agencies and
commemorative models.
Using this assumption as a framework,
this article will seek to identify
changes in individual Glock cosmetic
and design features and identify their
sequence in the model history. While
a strict serial number sequence is an
inexact assumption, an accurate time
line of importation for serialized firearms
can be dated through records
available from Glock.
Overview of Glock Generations,
Terminology and Associated Models
Because of the nature of the firearms
manufacturing industry, terminology
can be inexact due to the influence
of non-anticipated design changes,
marketing language, and customer terminology
not originating from the manufacturer.
In some cases, this post production
vernacular sets the standard for
terminology in use by most. This stands
to reason given that the number of people
buying, using, and writing about the
firearms far out numbers those within
the company that might otherwise like
to control the terminology. This is how
distinct Glock generations came to
be understood.
Glock pistols are categorized into
four distinct generations (with a 4th ultimately
being officially acknowledged
by the gun’s markings). The first generation
guns had a relatively uniform
grip texture around the entire handle
of the frame behind and below the trigger
guard and consisted of the original
Glock model 17 and a few scarce early
model 19 pistols. The second generation
guns had rectangular checkering
on the front and back grip surfaces and
can safely be counted on to include the
models 17 through at least 24.
Third generation guns are described
as those with finger grooves
superimposed on the front strap checkering
and an accessory rail forward
of the trigger guard on models large
enough to incorporate this feature. The
addition of a slight “thumb rest” at the
upper edge of the grip is also among
these third generation features and
this particular feature relates to U.S.
importation criteria.
SAR Vol. 18, No. 6 50 Nov., Dec. 2014