The Glock 18 is among the most popular handguns on the market for its purposes.
The weapon was originally developed in Austria and introduced in 1982. I first bought a Glock in the early 1990s, after persuasion from a friend whom I’d been visiting the shooting range with frequently.
Granted, it wasn’t an 18, because they’re near impossible to get.
But it was a Glock, and my buddy had been using one for a few years and loved it. He noted that I would see an increase in enjoyment and accuracy during my shoots.
Let’s take a look at why the Glock 18 is such a legendary piece of equipment, and what separates it from guns that are actually available in the US.
What is the Glock 18?
The Glock 18 is a 9mm chambered gun. Made to be full size, these babies are fully automatic and thus fully illegal for the average citizen to buy.
The full-auto component is the main thing separating the Glock 18 from the Glock 17. Anyone who tells you they’ve shot an 18 is probably full of it and has probably only shot a 17. Unless, of course, they’ve got military or police experience.
Basically, the Glock 18 is one of the most badass pistols ever produced. If you’ve never seen one fired before, check out this video. It will get your heart pumping!
What are the Glock 18’s characteristics and purposes?
The Glock originally was built to meet the needs of the Austrian army after World War II.
Photo from video of TheFirePowerSolution
They were looking to upgrade their standard issue pistol to be self-loading and have a capacity of eight rounds.
The Glock, as it is commonly referred to as, is specifically designed to be one of the safest pistols available. It can be dropped from a height of over 4 feet without firing.
Additionally, the gun is built to resist just about any type of accidental fire. If you are have a glock pistol, I recommend you buy the best pistol safe for the money to keep it safe.
The 9mm Glock 18 automatic can fire 1200 rounds minute – not going to be easy to acquire that one! There have been different models and multiple generations of Glock guns produced over the years, none as legendary as the 18.
- Recoil. As far as recoil, Glock 18s are the best pistol for a short-recoil operated semi-automatic. The barrel is hammer-forged and offers one of the past behind-ammo gas seals ever developed. For quick fire and ease of use, I’ve found my Glock 18 to be an absolute stunner. When I first started using it, it only took one trip to the range for me to feel comfortable with the process of prepping, loading, shooting, and handling the weapon. Because of its size, storage is no problem either
- Feed. The gun feeds double stack magazines. The magazines used can be swapped out with just about any of the same caliber
- Sighting. The sighting arrangement on the Glock 18 is a combat ready fixed polymer piece. The front is ramped, the rear is notched, and I have found windage adjustment is much less of an issue here than with other pistols
- Fire. 1200 rounds per minute, fully automatic. Here’s a video of a kid shooting a Glock 18
Glock 18 add-ons and upgrades
Because of its popularity spanning four decades now, Glock 18 shooters have the luxury of being able to modify their gun rather easily.
I’ve got a tactical light on mine that was easy to put on the front rail and has made accuracy and line of sight a non-issue in most situations.
My buddy that got me into the Glock 18 has upgraded his magazine capacity. All this took was a trip to the gun store and a quick consult with the guy behind the counter. He’s also got a real nice pouch that he bought at the shop which fits the increased magazine capacity with no discomfort.
The manufacturer has released upgrades for release levers, trigger upgrades, and even spring cups that prevent the day being ruined by water getting into the firing pin assembly channel.
Not a bad list of ways to ensure you’ve got the best pistol available. Most of this stuff is a bit much for simple range practice. But us gun fanatics can never have enough toys to complete the setup and increase our leg to stand on in weapon conversations.
How easy is it to buy a Glock 18?
The simple answer here is: not very easy, at least for the Glock 18s of lore. Here is a quick rundown:
- Glock 18s that were registered before May 19, 1986 are very rare, so I wouldn’t encourage you to count on finding one of those that is actually legitimate, for anything less than what you’d pay for a timeshare
- Most Glock 18s automatics made after that date are only available to the military, law enforcement agencies, and specified dealers
The moral of the story here is that you’re not going to get one. Unless you’ve got a lot of money, power, or are in a law enforcement or military profession. But hey, we can all dream. Right?
Conclusion
I’m guessing that this article has you pretty excited about the prospects of shooting a Glock 18.
If you ever get the opportunity to do so, definitely take advantage of it. I’m a Glock enthusiast and can’t recommend it any higher.
Please help us share the stoke – share this article on your social media channels and encourage people to check it out.
Do you have a story to tell about shooting a Glock 18? Go ahead and leave a comment below and tell us all about it. I bet we can get a diary’s worth of stories here. Bonus points to anyone who has a story of using it professionally in the field – thank you for your service and we look forward to hearing your story.
