For the longest time I did not care for Glock pistols. I just did not get caught up in what folks were raving about. I was at a gunshow and found a brand new Gen 4 17 at a deal, so I picked it up. You can see that review by following this link.  I began to shoot a few local matches with it and in short order I began to really like the pistol. I have thousands upon thousands of rounds through that pistol and never had a single issue. That is enough to convince me.

When I get wind Glock was introducing a Gen 5 17, I emailed Glock right away and secured a test sample and got started immediately. The new Gen 5 is strikingly similar to the Glock M series, currently issued to the FBI.

Initial Impressions 

The new Gen 5 features and ambidextrous slide stop, this one being a bit wider allowing to easily release the slide stop with your thumb to load a fresh magazine. The trigger is noticeably improved, breaking just under five and a half pounds. Notice the muzzle is slightly tapered, I figure this is to aid in holstering the pistol. The accessory rail is still standard.

No finger grooves on this generation and a new incorporated magazine well. The mag well is not very intrusive but still aiding in getting a fresh magazine into the pistol in a hurry. Another benefit I have found with a mag well is it helps center my hand on the pistol grip when going for a hasty draw. The grip area uses a different stippling.

 

Ameriglo night sights are now available from Glock as a factory upgrade. The rear sight is serrated to cut down on glare, and there is an incorporated tactical ledge for racking the slide single handed.

The new magazines incorporate an orange follower, which allows for quick identification when the slide is locked open and the mag is empty.

The pistol ships with three 17-round magazines and four interchangeable backstraps.

The target on the left is ten rounds fired offhand at twenty five feet. The right target is a three round group shot from a rest at twenty five yards.

This Glock field strips same as any other, and over the 500+ rounds shot through the review there was no noticeable wear on the innards.

Three shot groups shot from a rest at twenty five yards.

Range Time

Conclusions 

The new Gen 5 was 100% reliable through some 500 rounds of standard ball and several popular defensive rounds. This pistol would serve well as a defensive carry pistol and/or a duty gun as well as a home defense pistol. .  The reason Glocks are so popular are they are a simple machine that works as it should and plenty accurate for a defensive sidearm. Throughout my review I carried the pistol for a couple of months on my daily activities, while I agree that is a short period of time in the grand scheme of things it was enough time for any issues to crop up. Accuracy testing proved, to some extent, the new Marksman barrel in the Gen 5 is more accurate than my Gen 4 17. It was not the difference between night and day but it generally shot about a half inch or so tighter at twenty five yards from a rest than the Gen 4 17.  Is there enough difference between the Gen 4 and 5 to justify buying a Gen 5 if you already have a Gen 4 pistol? Well, truly that is a decision you have to make but I will say it is worth considering.

Another change on the new Gen 5 is a new barrel, the Glock Marksman. There are no finger grooves on the front strap, which I liked better than I thought. The muzzle end of the slide is tapered and this gives a bit more forgiveness when trying to reholster. It incorporates an ambidextrous slide stop, that is extended off the receiver enough it can be used as a slide release with your thumb. They incorporated a flared magazine well. Not only will this help with hasty reloads but it helps center your hand on the grip area. They used nDLC finish that is listed to be tougher than the old finish. The pistol can be had from Glock with Ameriglow Glock Spartan night sights, which is a worthy upgrade. The included three magazines have orange followers. Different stippling on the grip area. It is now a single takedown pin design. The firing pin is redesigned with more of a square edge. The trigger return spring has been moved inside the housing. So, as you can see there are a lot of small changes that really sets the Gen 5 pistols apart from the Gen 4.

We used the Glock 17 Gen 5 many times when working with and training with the MantisX system, you can read that review by following this link. 

Specifications 

Caliber: 9×19

Length: 7.95″

Height: 5.47″

Width: 1.34″

Sight Radius: 6.49″

Weight 25.04 ozs

Trigger pull: 5.5 lbs

Trigger travel: 0.49″

Barrel length: 4.49″

Twist: right 1:9.84

Rifling: hexagonal

Standard Capacity: 17+1

Acknowledgments 

GLOCK 

Hornady 

Defender Ammunition 

Cor Bon Ammunition 

Ammo For Sale.com

SIG Sauer ammunition 

By Hunter Elliott

I spent much of my youth involved with firearms and felt the call early on to the United States Marine Corps, following in my father's and his brother's footsteps. Just after high school I enlisted and felt most at home on the rifle range, where I qualified expert with several firearms and spent some time as a rifle coach to my fellow Marines. After being honorably discharged I continued teaching firearm safety, rifle and pistol marksmanship, and began teaching metallic cartridge reloading. In the late 1990s I became a life member to the National Rifle Association and worked with the Friends of the NRA. Around that time my father and I became involved with IDPA and competed together up until he passed away. I began reviewing firearms for publications in the mid 2000s and have been fortunate to make many friends in the industry. Continuing to improve my firearms skills and knowledge is a never ending journey in which we should all be committed. I am also credited as weapons master on a few independent films.

5 thoughts on “GLOCK 17 Gen 5, a solid pistol.”
  1. Like the review, as always, and this is the gen I’ve been waiting for. I have a gen 3 with aftermarket XS night sights, the rear factory sight sheared off during a boot drill. and this sight system is for close in work. Are the Ameriglo sights steel?

    Is the gen 5 more of a natural pointer than previous gens?

    I’m already over budget and my wife is throwing darts at me, if she really knew???…but this might be worth the recovery time. 🙂

    Thanks Hunter!

  2. I enjoyed this review and really enjoyed shooting this one. If more testing needed on this one pls call.

    Barbara

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