Glock’s New 17M to be Adopted by Indianapolis Police
August 17, 2016According to a post over at Soldier Systems, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) will be the first to adopt Glock’s new made-for-FBI 17M. Based on all the information available right now, the changes from Glock’s G17 Gen 4 are fairly incremental, but some are features that the market has desired for many years.
Most notably, the hotly contentious finger grooves have been removed from this version of the pistol. Since the Generation 3 pistols were introduced in 1998, handgun enthusiasts have been torn over the pistols’ grooved grips, but most seem to be opposed to them. The 17M appears to be a response to this dispute.
Glock has also decided to change the finish used on the pistol’s slide. This is important because many have noted that the finish on newer Glock handguns lags behind the Tenifer used on older examples. Speaking from my experience with my G21SF, I can say that the Tenifer held up very well, but the process produces hazardous byproducts that aren’t exactly good for the environment. I’ll be interested to see how the new finish compares to the previous two types.
Other major changes include an ambidextrous slide release, a slightly streamlined slide profile, a longer recoil spring assembly, button rifling, and a flared magazine well. None of these are groundbreaking in any way (and I’m not sure what prompted the rifling changes), but taken as a whole, the 17M looks like a solid improvement over the Gen 4 pistols.
It’s not yet clear whether all of these changes will make it into the commercial Gen 5 guns that are supposedly on their way, but my guess is that they will. There really wouldn’t be any reason for Glock to deviate from this pistol for upcoming releases, and from what I’ve seen, the reception for the 17M has been warm enough that there are likely plenty of buyers ready with cash.
An information security professional by day and gun blogger by night, Nathan started his firearms journey at 16 years old as a collector of C&R rifles. These days, you’re likely to find him shooting something a bit more modern – and usually equipped with a suppressor – but his passion for firearms with military heritage has never waned. Over the last five years, Nathan has written about a variety of firearms topics, including Second Amendment politics and gun and gear reviews. When he isn’t shooting or writing, Nathan nerds out over computers, 3D printing, and Star Wars.