The gunternet is in a bit of an excited state because it has been announced (sorta) that Glock is changing the design of their pistols in order to make them less ‘convertible’ to full-auto using the slideplade-mounted ‘switches’ that are all the rage in certain places.
Here’s the part that has me scratching my head. The Gen3 version of the Glock pistol has hit the stage where manufacturers can make, generally, copies of it. Trademark protections are still there so you can’t make the gun look like a Glock, but you can copy it down to the smallest part. We see this in the Ruger RXM, Palmetto Dagger, and a few other off-brand importers and manufacturers. Additionally, Glock-style frames are 3D printed easily enough, and aftermarket Gen3 slides and components are also well represented in the market.
So, if Glock brings out this model that is designed to be incompatible with the already-illegal ‘switches’, why wouldn’t a potential bad guy simply switch to a Glock clone that apes the Gen3 design? Or will this be the ‘camels nose under the tent’ to create a rubric where a gun has to meet some sort of arbitrary ‘convertability standard’ to be permitted into commerce? (Much like California’s current ‘approved handgun’ scheme.)
Beats me. I’ve a dozen Gen3 17’s and 19’s sitting here, as well as a dozen clones from Palmetto. I’ve never been interested in a full-auto Glock so my only dog in this fight is about the precedent it sets. If there ever comes a time I actually need a full-auto firearm..there will probably be plenty of them laying around.
But…. this is a good example of how, for totally unexpected reasons, your logistics can shift. I’m a devotee of the Gen3 Glocks…and as such I stocked all sortsa parts. Most parts are not generation-specific….Part X from a Gen3 will most likely be identical to a Part X from a Gen4 which is probably going to be identical to a Part X from a Gen5, etc, etc. Not for every single part, but for enough of them to make logistics pretty easy. Now, the man who buys a ‘V’ series Glock may discover that the last five generations of trigger bar…or striker cover…or locking block….may not work in his new pistol.
The moral here is that whatever boomtoy you plan on running through Ragnarok with should have as complete and well-thought-out logistics as you can afford – spare parts, spare mags, etc, etc. And most of the time it won’t be a problem, but sometimes something will happen and the ‘tweak’ made to a particular boomtoy suddenly renders future logistics a bit uncertain. So…don’t hesitate to buy the support material (and materiel) as soon as possible when you introduce a new gun into your life.
Probably a liability and/or “PR” thing. If Glock knows there are switches out there and does nothing, some aggrieved party could go after them. By doing this, they lessen the chance that they can get sued out of existence or have severe government “helping” placed on them. As to the copycats and aftermarket people, I guess they have been warned.
I believe Glock is headed towards the sig fire control group… so you can mix and match uppers and lowers… not a fan but whatever… a lot of the parts in gen 3 and 4 are compatible but the gen 5 changed that…a few select parts are the same or close but they are different…trigger parts especially… and if i remember correctly, gen 5 barrels won’t work in other gen pistols…even the dagger has parts that aren’t “Glock” and you would need to buy those parts from PSA… overall you are correct CZ, buy the spare parts you need for what you have…
Following. Concur. With the amount of gen 3 glock patterns in circulation to include the additional psa or other aftermarket guns and parts and accessory suppliers out there it will ensure that particular gun pattern design iteration will soldier on for probably another hundred years or more. A parallel would be the small block chevy from the muscle car Era that has commonality and ease of use that car and trucks running them are continuously being restored and rebuilt and the power plant is being outfitted into many other vehicular platforms by hobbyists and mad scientists everywhere. Probably right now as we speak, in a lot of different locales, many, many schizo autist gun culture fanatical adherents are quietly and discreetly gathering glock gen3 guns and related accoutrements and vacuum sealing them up and storing them away in a sarcophagus storage module. Just because.
(Kinda like those ruger p95 chads have done)
Stay frosty.
I wondered about all the clones also when I saw this.
I wonder if they will honor the warranties and parts replacement on the old ones? Giving in to CallyCommies again, what a surprise because the savages illegally modified a weapon. Funny how nothing EVER happens to the savages,eh?
They probably figured this is a good way to try get everyone to support “SAFE and APPROVED” guns by buying all new guns from them.
Once you give in to this crap, all Semi rifles and handguns MUST be made safe or banned since the whole class can be made auto if you know how, what a great excuse. Banning for Safety because you know, Full Auto is double plus bad……
But will this piss off the gun folks enough to say fuck your company and your guns since this is another Ruger/Colt surrender moment.
Doesn’t matter what they do. I’ve just never been a Glock fan. I do have a CZ 82 which has the same type of rifling in the barrel. There my fascination ends.
I read today that the patents on existing Glocks have expired. That is why we’re seeing a plethora of Not-A-Glock in name only clones sprouting this year. The New Glock (same great taste as the classic Glock) have different internals covered by new patents supposedly.
Im not Glock conversant enough to know what those changes are, and I’m not sure what it’ll do to their market share.
The ease of Conversion of almost any Semi-Automatic Firearm has always been there, so it won’t surprise me to see that the next communist ‘anti-gun’ Propaganda Effort will lead with “Glock Switches” and progress to the AR-15 Platform Guns. It’s possible that Glock has some info that this might happen, and is trying to ‘get ahead of the Curve’ by introducing models that are difficult to Convert. And Patent Expiration’s are always a reason for Companies to do the “New and Improved” (with a new Patent) for Marketing purposes.
“ where a gun has to meet some sort of arbitrary ‘convertability standard’ to be permitted into commerce?”
This is why you haven’t been able to get new open bolt semiautos for nearly forty years.
Didnt Gun Jesus do a video a while back about how open bolt /= easy convertability. I’ll try to look it up, but, if I recall correctly, the gist was that there is no prohibition of open bolt guns per se, but rather prohibition of easily convertible guns…if you have an open bolt that is not easily convertible to full auto….might not be prohibited. At least, I think thats how I remember it. I’ll see if I can find it.
ETA: Hmm. I recall seeing it ..maybe in one of his Q&A videos. But Im quite certain it was something about how open-bolt doesnt always equate to being prohibited. However, I may be remembering this wrong.
I have no idea what Ian’s done videos about. I’ll check.
But that doesn’t matter, because “I was there, Gandalf. I was there 3,000 years ago.”
In point of fact, designing an open bolt semiauto that was *not* within the criteria of “readily convertible” would negate most of the cost advantages that made open bolt operation attractive.
If 3D printing and Temu had been around in the early ‘80s, the BATF likely would have ruled the Gen1 Glock as “easily convertible” and the history of handguns since then would have been very different.
Went to a gun class hosted by atf last winter, best part was where they printed a glock switch in about 20 minutes right there during a presentation on 3d printed guns and accessories. I will say they were all very friendly ! Guy next to me was a Boston cop who had worked on my little island at the coast guard station, he said they’ve been dealing with the 3d primred glock triggers way more than you hear in the news.