Offering over 50 pistols in different sizes, styles, and calibers, Glock is an industry giant.
Although they weren’t the first company to develop a polymer handgun, Glock did make a model that proved successful in the market.
There’s no doubt about it…Glock is one of, if not, the most popular handguns in the world. With a history that touches back to the 1980s and different generations of each model, shopping for Glocks may seem a bit daunting.
But that’s why you have us! We’re going to cover Glock Gens 3, 4, and 5.
We’ll look at when each generation got its start and the unique features the Glock Gen 3, Gen 4, and Gen 5 offers.
If you’ve got your heart set on a Glock model but don’t know which generation to go with, then read on.
Table of Contents
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Glock Gen 1
Everyone knows the legend of Gaston Glock by now. If you don’t, you’re about to find out.
Founded in 1963, Glock did not start out as a firearms company. It was initially a wood, steel, and plastic manufacturing company. In the 1970s, Glock began manufacturing military products such as knives, grenades, machine gun belt links, and similar items.
Though they hadn’t produced a firearm yet, the wheels inside Gaston’s head were turning. He had expertise with synthetic polymers and big ideas for what would eventually become the Glock 17.
Glock created a working prototype of the Glock 17 that would eventually win the Austrian military contract. It was the most innovative and cost-effective option.
Under the name “P80” (not to be confused with polymer80), Glock was accepted as the new Austrian sidearm. Thus the first generation was born!
After that, Gaston’s namesake exploded in popularity. Agencies around the world adopted the new pistol. Glock didn’t hit the U.S. market until the late 1980s, but it took America by storm in both law enforcement and commercial markets.
Glock Gen 2
In 1988, Glock released the second generation Glock. With no rail and no finger grooves, it was no-frills by today’s standard.
Most importantly, that’s when the dubious Glock 19 made its debut! In addition to the G19, the company also added larger framed Glocks in .45 ACP and 10mm, the Glock 22 and 23 in .40 S&W came to be, and “Baby Glocks” (Glock 26 and Glock 27) all debuted.
Glock Gen 3
The Gen 3 Glock was released in 1998, but despite its age, some gun owners swear by it over the newer generations. Generation 3 was groundbreaking for the times.
At the time of its release in 1998, the third generation offered new features such as an accessory rail, loaded chamber indicator, thumb rest, and the ever-controversial finger grooves.
It has been over 20 years since the Gen 3 hit the market, and it’s not going anywhere any time soon — a true testament to Glock’s longevity.
It’s still an extremely popular model and arguably the most customizable out of all generations.
Food for thought: Not every manufacturer that makes Gen 3 Glock parts makes Gen 5 parts, but most Gen 5 parts manufacturers make Gen 3 parts.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Glock Gen 4
Born in 2010, the Gen 4 Glock didn’t feature anything particularly groundbreaking. That said, the Gen 4 boasted a few new updates.
When compared to the Gen 3, the Gen 4 introduced more ambidextrous parts — which is always a plus for the left-handers among us. It also saw an upgrade to its magazine release button, offering a larger version that was easier to manipulate.
The Gen 4 brought with it a new grid-like grip that improved the shooter’s grip on the gun and unveiled a modular backstrap system that better accommodated different hand sizes. Finally, the Gen 4 version switched to a double recoil spring. This made recoil a little more manageable than the Gen 3.
The Gen 4 feels like a true half-step between the Gen. 3 and Gen. 5 models…still rocking those controversial finger grooves, though.
Ultimately, Glock chose to discontinue the Gen 4 in 2020.
Glock Gen 5
In 2017, things got a little weird with the release of the Gen 5. This new generation brought a blast from the past, also a step forward for Glock.
With the Gen. 5, Glock reintroduced a lot of goodies they had previously taken away. In true Glock fashion, they marketed it as new and innovative. Kinda like the whole “Coke Classic” thing. The Gen. 5 model received a lot of hype leading up to its release.
Its new-old features adhere to the “Glock Perfection” slogan. That is to say, they listened to the consumers. There are two different Gen. 5 iterations out there: the original and the Front Serrations (FS).
Both versions use nDLC coating, fully ambidextrous controls, improved triggers, flared magwells, and a barrel that Glock calls “a Glock Marksman Barrel.”
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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The Glock Marksman Barrel is a step back from the polygonal rifling that Glocks used to feature. It features traditional rifling and a thicker wall than previous generations. Both of these updates allow for a more accurate barrel, according to Glock.
Originally, the Gen. 5 came with a half-moon cut in the grip and no front serrations.
The half-moon was meant to help when/if magazines got stuck during a reload. It was later removed because well, they were kind of ugly and useless.
On the other hand, the FS model features front serrations to help with those high-speed press checks. However, the trade-off is that now you can’t mill the front half of your Glock with all the cool designs.
Ultimately, the Gen 5 represents Glock’s pursuit of perfection over the pursuit of novelty. They looked at what works and built a Glock that is up-to-date and good to go straight out of the box.
But what if you want more? After all, you can never have too much good stuff.
Other Glock Models: Slimline and MOS
The Mini Glock
There are a few Glocks that seem to exist outside of the realm of generations.
Designed with concealed carry in mind, the Slimline Glocks are not technically Gen. 4 or Gen. 5. Available in .380 Auto and 9mm, the Slimline line of Glocks includes G42, G43, G43x, G43X MOS, G48, and G48 MOS.
(Check out our review of the Glock 43.)
These models come with most of the bells and whistles of the Gen. 5, but in a smaller, single-stack package.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Slimline Glocks are perfect for summertime or super covert, ninja-spy concealed carry.
Pro tip: Throw a Shield Arms S15 kit in the G43X or G48 to maximize the capacity and practicality of the noisy cricket.
Glock MOS
Admittedly, Glock is not always at the forefront of innovation. Like aother companies, they make small adjustments over time.
Not overly ambitious, but just enough to differentiate between generations.
Enter the Glock MOS, another Glock line that exists outside of the constraints of generations.
You can now get Glocks that can accommodate red dot sights right out of the box!
There’s more!
Instead of sending your slide out to get milled and waiting 6 to 12 weeks, you can now just slap a plate on it, and it’s ready to mount. Want to change your optic? Just use a different plate!
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Final Thoughts
The truth is, no matter which Glock generation you buy, these pistols are rugged and reliable, across the board.
Does Glock make small adjustments with each new generation? Sure, but the aftermarket support keeps it fresh and up to date.
The best part? It does not matter which caliber tickles your fancy, Glock has one for you with uniform controls across all models. If you have been on the fence about whether your first gun should be a Glock, here’s your sign….
Which Glock generation/model is your fave? Share your thoughts in the comments! Read up on the Best Glock Upgrades to take your Glock to the next level or settle on a model with the Best 9mm Glocks or Best Glocks (Across All Calibers).
Latest Updates
July 6, 2024: Added information on Glock generations 1-2 as well as supplemental data and media to the existing Gen 3, 4, and 5.
21 Leave a Reply
Love all my Glocks, but my fave is the 43X.
I like my guns like I like my women. Thicc n slippery down low. Gen 3 for life!
My first glock is a gen 2 g22. Its been so reliable. I have no problems with the way it looks or feels.
I bought a 9mm conversion barrel for it and love it. Ended up buyin a gen3 g22 next. It is a bit more accurate then the gen2.
Since then, have acquired and g42, 43, 44, 23.
All shoot great, but dont care much for the 43. Just doesnt fit hand very well, but my wife loves it.
Ive just built 2 poly80s, one as a g19, the other a g23. Have a another coming soon as a g17.
My only complaint with the glock is the trigger pull. Very inconsistant from one model to the other. The best fix was to remove all sharp points and burrs, polish all friction areas. I then added Taren tactical spring kits. Wow, what a difference. Trigger break is now down to 4.5lbs from the 6-7lbs that some of these had.
One thing i suggest if you go out to the range with multible calibers is paint or mark your mags a different color. I made the mistake of putting a 9mm mag in my g22 and fired it. It made a small thud sound and shoved the case halfway down the barrel...not fun
Hahaha. I can relate. I was at the range with my 7.62x39R AR15 and a 5.56 NATO round somehow made it into my ammo can. It did fire and the case swelled up to fit the chamber. Needless to say the case did not eject and I had to run a rod down the barrel to get it out. When the case landed on the bench a little voice in my head said, "Well there's your problem!". Anyway, I love both my G3 G17 and G22 and yes my magazines are clearly marked. I used a paint pen to fill the caliber etching marks in on the back of the mags. White for 9 and orange for .40.
I had one of the first Glocks in the US. It had a 1 letter 3# serial number.
I'm a small female and found the grip on my Gen 3 was just too big for my small hands. Even my firearm instructor told me to find a Semi Auto with smaller grips.
There are custom shops/Glock "tuners" that can fill the "dead" space in the grip with epoxy, and then shave it down add stippling to make it more comfortable for you, if you like the gun otherwise and don't want to switch
Glock 43
Man I get you have to focus on SEO and stuff but this is such a frustrating article to read through. For an article about glock generations why do I have to scroll past history and generic statements that I did not search for? Additionally the info that WAS about the generations lacked so much focus and often went off on tangents. I got the feeling that whoever wrote this does not really know much about glocks so tried to substitute expertise for word count.
Oh and just trying to read through this trainwreck there was like 3 pop ups asking me to join or sign up for some email list. Hard pass
You need some vagasil for that pussy of yours?
One of the funniest things ive ever read lol!
Just about every generation has had a recall
I always have been and will continue to be a massive Beretta 92FS fan, however I carry the Glock 17 Gen 5.2 as my duty weapon, only because my agency wrote the Beretta out of policy. I very much like the Glock 17 and I have no problem with it. It remains ahead of its time in ingenuity and design. This article was great, full of great data, and highly entertaining.
Content was fine, but all the GIFs drive me crazy. I really wish you guys would rethink all that unnecessary fluff.
Got my Glock 19 as my first handgun last year and have learned a lot about handling it along with maintenance and modifications. Have done the recommended easy modifications and found Glocks to be reliable and versatile. Have also gotten Browning BuckMark and a classic Colt NM .45 ACP for my collection. The foundation of my Glock for my introduction to firearms was solid footing. Am interested in also getting a Glock 35 for the 40 S&W caliber and can get a conversion barrel for 9 mm. I appreciate your article about the Glock generations, gives me perspective on their history.
Having fired a Glock gen 1 years ago. I was just not wowed by it. It felt off to my hold, like I need to point it down to see the sights. Moved in hand with recoil.
So, I have always been a Glock hater. I just never liked them. Look like squirt guns. Then my son's department retired all of their G22s and he bought his duty weapon for a song and gave it to me. Bought a conversion barrel and some mags and put hundreds of 9 mm and .40 cal through it. I'm sold, but now I'm wondering what else I've been wrong about all these years because I'm a dumb-ass.
I am one of those die-hard Glock lovers almost from the beginning. I still have the generation 1 Glock 17 I carried as my duty gun in the late 80's or early 90's. I also have my generation 2 Glock 22 I replaced my Glock 17 with when the .40 S&W round was new and considered much less effective than the .45 auto. Both of these guns served me well both in law enforcement and competition, way before this gun would achieve the popularity it enjoys today., The Glock is still my preferred gun for Concealed Carry and Home Defense. I have purchased several since then. I do like other brands, but always return to my Glock. The Glock is still a gun you either love to the exclusion of many, or you hate it. To each his own.
Hahahahaha. I hear you.....me, too.
If you want to know what else you've been wrong about, just ask your kid. This works for me.
Why blame the gun for a weak grip?