The Glock pistol line is a benchmark in innovative design and dependability, having redefined the category of service pistols since their introduction in the early 1980s. Practically unmatched in popularity among civilian, law enforcement, and military communities alike, Glock now serves as the gold standard for polymer-framed striker-fired pistols, with contemporaries such as the SIG Sauer M17/M18 Modular Handgun System following in its wake.
In spite of the American military’s general standardization on the M17/M18, the higher echelons of troops like the Special Operations Command have moved to the Glock 19. The small but effective variant has proven itself to be the weapon of choice among different branches of SOCOM troops like the Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, and the Army Rangers, who call it by various names like the Mk27, L131A1, and M007, when the majority just call it the Glock 19.
The Glock 19’s journey into the hands of these elite warriors wasn’t straightforward. During the mid-2000s, there was a perceived requirement for a concealable sidearm, and Army Special Forces developed requirements specifically for the Glock 19. Adoption of the compact pistol was a reflection of adept requirements management to arm operators with the Glock – an action that led SOCOM’s 2016 mass adoption of the Glock 19, along with the Trijicon RMR red-dot sight.
While the Glock 19 gained popularity with SOCOM, another Glock model proved difficult for the public to access. The Glock 18 was first brought out as a 9mm sidearm for military and police applications in 1986. It was designed to be used against terrorism in Austria. The primary distinction from its predecesor is the inclusion of a control switch that acts as a lever. Indented dots on the switch denote the firing mode: one dot for semi-automatic and two dots for automatic. This rare model has a selective fire switch to switch between semi-automatic and fully automatic modes.
The attraction and functionality of the Glock 18 are clear, but so too are the reasons for its strict restrictions in the United States. As a consequence, the Glock 18 is an automatic firearm and is very easy to handle. It is simple to understand why the Glock 18 is an efficient sidearm.
