We have written 13 different Glock blogs so far and for whatever reason, we haven’t written one about one of the original striker-fired Glocks that got it all started in America, the Glock 17. Let’s chalk that up to my own poor planning or organization.
However, the day has come to write a complete review of the first-ever Glock that I shot 12 years ago and one of the most popular pistols in the world. There are currently 7 different models of the Glock 17 that are sold on the market today.
For the sake of this blog, I’ll discuss the Glock 17, Glock 17C Gen 4, Glock 17 Gen 5, Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS, and the Glock 17L. Each of these Glock 17’s is slightly different; some with minor modifications and some with major differences in height, weight, length, and purpose.
A U.S. Navy SEAL fires custom Glock 17 pistol at a range during exercise Sea Breeze 21 in Ochakiv, Ukraine, July 8, 2021. Sea Breeze 21 is a U.S. and Ukraine co-hosted multinational maritime exercise held in the Black Sea designed to enhance interoperability of participating nations and strengthen maritime security within the region. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Patrik Orcutt.)
We’ll also discuss some of the newest and most unique attachments made for the Glock 17 that are sure to pique any Glock owner’s interest.
The Glock 17 is the pistol that changed the way the world looks at striker-fired pistols. With an overall length of 8.03", this pistol isn’t necessarily the best option for a CCW. I’d recommend going with the Glock 19 if you’re looking for a great CCW.
The primary purpose of the Glock 17 was designed to be a Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) sidearm for a high-capacity pistol with excellent durability and range.
Each Glock 17 below is based on the original with some modifications to meet different purposes other than law enforcement. With a standard magazine capacity of 17 rounds, this pistol is perfect for an open carry with an Outside the Waistband (OWB) holster.
The Glock 17 Gen 4 MOS is designed to be fitted with an optic, such as a Trijicon RMR or Leupold Delta Point Pro. The overall length is a little less than the standard gen 4 but has a longer line of sight for enhanced accuracy. The MOS model also has a shorter trigger distance (2.76"), which gives the MOS a shorter crisper trigger pull than the standard model. For the most part, in my opinion, the only reason I’d buy the MOS model is if I wanted to mount a red dot sight.
The price is negligible and you get the ability to easily mount almost any red dot sight you can think of without the hassle of using extra tools or paying a gunsmith to do it for you.
The Glock 17C Gen 4 is a compensated pistol, meaning the barrel of this Glock has a parallel port compensation system to reduce recoil and increase accuracy, especially for follow-up shots. The barrel has two small ports that straddle the centerline and exhaust through 2 vents cut into the top of the slide. The whole point of this port system is to reduce muzzle flip and felt-recoil, which allows you to get back on target quickly for follow-up shots.
The biggest difference between the 17C and the standard Glock is the compensated barrel that improves accuracy and reduces the felt recoil. Normally the compensated pistol is going to be much more expensive as well, but you get what you pay for with this model.
The Glock 17 Gen 5 is the most updated and most complete of the Glock 17 pistols with the newest editions of the Gen 5. The addition of the front serrations gives you a better option to pull the slide back for a quick reload. The nDLC finish gives the Gen 5 models more durability and extends the life of the pistol by years by preventing any corrosion or scratching on the pistol. The ambidextrous slide lever really helps out the lefties who are often overlooked by gun manufacturers.
The Glock 17 Gen 5 also has a softer trigger pull weight and no finger grooves and it’s easier to add an aftermarket grip to the pistol. The Gen 5 to the Glock 17 make it an incredible pistol to own by anyone in the market for a self-defense pistol in an open carry situation.
The Glock 17L is a competition-style Glock built with an extra-long slide for better recoil control, accuracy, longer line of sight, and better range than the standard Glock 17. The Glock 17L is hands-down the easiest Glock to shoot that I’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting. However, this gun is impossible to use as a CCW due to the overall length of 9.53" and 6" barrel.
The coolest thing about the Glock 17L is the lightened trigger pull down to 5.4 lbs of force. if you like to shoot Glocks, this pistol will blow your mind on how incredibly accurate and easy to shoot it is. I recommend this pistol for a competition shooter or as a home defense pistol, especially with the addition of the 33-round magazine that fits perfectly inside.
Upgrading pistol sights is one of the first Glock upgrades, and most important, shooters make to new handguns. If you’re using that handgun for concealed carry or home defense, then upgrading to some type of night sights is your best course of action.
The Modlite PL350 pistol light is a fully modular, user-configurable rail-mounted pistol light. This package combines the PL350 switch and body assembly with the OKW head, providing a blinding 680 lumens of output optimized for outdoor use with a long-reaching 69,000-candela beam with extra throw.
The PL350 features convenient tool-free, out-the-front battery loading allowing you to quickly change out the included 18350 rechargeable battery without removing the light from the host weapon. The PL350 includes a full set of PHLSTER ARC enhanced WML switches, allowing the user to fine-tune their light’s handling.
Faxon Pistol Barrels for the Glock 17 are machined 100% in-house from stress-relieved 4150 CMV steel (Duty Series) or 416-R stainless steel (Match Series).
Faxon Glock 17 barrels are given a black Nitride or PVD coating to increase lubricity, resistance to surface wear, and barrel life. The barrels are conventionally rifled to allow for a wider range of compatible ammunition, including cast lead.
Don’t worry about gunsmithing, as these barrels easily drop into factory-spec slides. Faxon ensures a consistent tighter lockup than OEM with better-than-factory tolerances.
I’ve been using Talon Grips on my Glock 26 and Glock 17 for about 4 years now and can confidently say they feel great and are worth the small investment.
When speaking with Talon Grips, they mentioned to me that they are also in use by a few Army Special Forces units (the exact number of units and which units is not public record according to Talon Grips). I thought that was a cool bit of information and also adds to the reputation of the company and product.
The CMC Triggers Drop-In Trigger for the Glock 17 takes advantage of CMC’s patented flat trigger design. The overall geometry is downsized, creating an excellent fit in your GLOCK pistol. This high-quality trigger offers a pull weight approximately 1 lb lighter than standard.
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