History
In 1988, only a few years after Glock released the G17 as the new sidearm for the Austrian military, the 17L came along. The “L” stands for long slide and was a response to demand for a longer sight radius and barrel for competition shooting.
To my surprise, the 17L preceded the Glock 34, which was released 10 years later and has enjoyed much more widespread popularity. In the early ’90s, many competition shooters lobbied for change as the longer-slide plastic guns started taking home championships. Thus, the infamous IDPA “box” was produced. The L no longer fit, and the 34 replaced it.
Today, long-slide versions of the 17 are still done as limited runs. While not exactly unicorns, they can be more difficult to find. Glock is said to have discontinued them once the 34 was introduced, but it appears that Glock still produces them at times. It's exciting when one pops up for sale, and I found this one in the Guns.com Certified Used section.
First Impressions
At first glance, this 17L looks brand-new. There’s almost no evidence of use, and the black surfaces are pristine. Since these are somewhat collectible, that isn’t surprising, but Glocks largely tend to hold up well over time despite heavy use.
For all intents and purposes, the L is simply a 17 stretched by 1.5 inches in the slide and barrel. It features all the standard Glock parts, pieces, and compatibility with its shorter brother, making these highly customizable. The change to this model is the installed blackout rear and hi-vis yellow AmeriGlo aftermarket sights.
Related Review: Glock 17 – Are Full-Size Carry Guns Too Big?
On top of looking cool and adding interest, the slide port keeps the L’s weight within 2 ounces of a standard 17. Initially, some of these models came with some porting as well. If you have a 17, 45, or 47, the L might be a great complement to add some accuracy and velocity. In my mind, this may be the best Glock to customize as you are able to maximize the performance of a better trigger and sights with its longer barrel.
My personal preference is an all metal, hammer-fired gun, but a striker-fired platform is the easiest manual of arms to learn and to clean or work on. Glocks work well as a first handgun or carry gun for most people. The 19 is hard to beat as a do-it-all pistol, while the 34 is still my favorite and arguably the “best” version. Fans of the 17L will likely debate this forever, and after handling and shooting one, I can understand that perspective.
Features
The Glock 17L seems large but is only about an inch longer than a standard government 1911. It shares all the same dimensions of a full-size Glock, so you really don’t get any additional bulk aside from its longer 6-inch barrel. It has the same cutout we know from the 34 to lighten the slide and cycle faster. The Glock 34 has always been my favorite Glock. Having owned one and shot well with it, I wasn’t sure I’d get much more performance out of the L.
For competition or bullseye shooting, the barrel length and longer sight radius is advantageous. Some will be able to eke out slightly more ballistic performance with the L over a standard 17. The odd part about the long-slide 17 is that it wears standard plastic Glock sights. One would think it is a perfect candidate for upgraded sights; however, an upgrade in terms of standard or adjustable sights is highly subjective. The good news is that Glocks are highly and easily customizable, so finding a set of hi-vis or cutting the slide for an optic is a piece of cake.
This model is a Gen 3 with finger grooves on the frame and the classic zig-zag stipple. My preferred setup is a Gen 4 frame, but I like the third-generation blocky slides. With this platform, options are endless until you hit the latest models and lose some of the ability to cross-configure. All other parts and pieces are standard fare for Glocks, which by and large results in a reliable pistol that will cycle just about any ammo and works when you need it.
Personally, I think the L is the ugliest Glock overall, due to its odd proportion of barrel to grip. The familiar size and feel of a standard full-size grip, though, makes it a fun addition if you are a Glock shooter. If not shooting IDPA, you’d be able to skip the 34. This Gen 3 features the Tenifer finish. Rather than the smooth PVD-like deep black on the fourth and fifth-generation pistols, this is more of a frying pan texture. It is quite classic as far as the Gen 3 goes, which many say is the best generation.
Specs
- Overall Length: 9.53 inches
- Barrel Length: 6.02 inches
- Weight: 26.63 ounces
- Width: 1.2 inches
- Height: 5.47 inches
- Caliber: 9mm
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Capacity: 17+1
Field Notes
I have always found it wonderful just how good Glocks feel in hand. There is a low recoil impulse, and I am able to run these flat and fast without any changes. The first thing I do with most pistols is to judge how naturally they point. Glocks, no matter the model, have always brought the sights totally in line and right to my eye immediately, without any messing around.
The 17L was no different. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to acquire my sight picture with a rather large gun. These are easy to handle with the overall size and weight, and my familiarity with Glock tends to help.
A Glock is a Glock. They tend to feel and shoot about the same no matter the model. In the past, I have found I can shoot a 19 nearly as well as a 34. I’m no great shooter by any means, but I tend to group well with the Gs even at speed. I was interested to see how the reciprocation of the slide would affect my speed, since I tend to perceive less recoil with compacts.
Range Results
As usual, I started with running one mag through at 10 yards shooting slowly to get a feel for where the point of impact would be. At 10 yards, I initially put my grouping a bit high and right, but realized I was not getting the right sight picture with the irons. Once adjusted, I got a more centralized cluster.
Moving it back to 15 yards, a distance I do not shoot often, my first three shots were in or touching the 1-inch bullseye. I could hit at distance quite easily, even with some speed, and might have produced a better target.
Recoil impulse was light. It was about what I remembered from any full-sized Glock I’ve shot. Using a tight master grip, the gun stays on target well, making it easy to pick up the iron sights and shoot fast. From a practical shooting standpoint, these are effective hits. No doubt a more skilled or competitive shooter could harvest even more precision with just the stock version.
I used several different boxes of ammo to see if there would be any cycling issues. I used Igman, Sellier & Bellot, Belom, and PMC – all 115-grain. There were zero feeding issues, as expected.
I shot the last 100 rounds at 7 yards. I started with three “Bill Drills” and ended my session with a mag dump for good measure. I was immediately reminded how fast I can run even a stock Glock. Overall, my experience was pleasant. The gun is certainly accurate. I had too much fun, and for all my fancy steel, hammer-fired gats, I think I need to adopt another Glock.
Pros & Cons
