Glock 18
Glock Ges.m.b.H. · Pistol · In Production · 1986
Also known as: Glock 18, G18
Overview
The Glock 18 is a select-fire machine pistol variant of the Glock 17, capable of both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire at approximately 1,200 rounds per minute. Developed in 1986 at the request of the Austrian counter-terrorism unit EKO Cobra, the G18 was Gaston Glock's second pistol design. Externally nearly identical to the G17, the G18 features a fire selector switch on the left rear of the slide - up for semi-automatic, down for full-automatic. Despite the visual similarity, the G18 slide and G17 frame are not interchangeable due to internal modifications required for the select-fire mechanism. The G18 accepts standard Glock 17 magazines but is commonly paired with extended 19, 24, or 33-round magazines to better accommodate its high rate of fire. An improved compensated variant, the G18C, was introduced in 1996 with four barrel ports and corresponding slide cuts to reduce muzzle climb during automatic fire. Sales are restricted exclusively to military and law enforcement agencies worldwide; no transferable examples exist on the civilian market.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 625 g (22.0 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 940 g (33.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 204 mm (8.03") |
| Barrel Length | 114 mm (4.49") |
| Height | 155 mm (6.10") |
| Width | 34 mm (1.34") |
| Sight Radius | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Safe Action |
| Trigger Pull | 25 N (5.6 lbf) |
| Magazine Capacity | 19 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 375 m/s (1230 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 524 J (386 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1800 m (1968 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 1200 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Tenifer |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Trigger Safety, Firing Pin Safety, Drop Safety
- Features: Polymer Frame, Safe Action Trigger, Hexagonal Rifling, Accessory Rail, Fire Selector Switch, Select Fire
Variants
- Glock 18C — Compensated
Base model
Service history
Operators
- EKO Cobra · adopted 1986
- Austrian Armed Forces · adopted 1986
- South Korean Special Forces
- Indonesian Special Forces (Kopassus)
- Georgian Special Forces
- Malaysian Special Operations Force
Conflicts
- War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)
- Global War on Terror (2001-present)
Production
Production years: 1986-present
Exact production numbers are not publicly available. The G18 is produced in extremely limited quantities exclusively for military and law enforcement customers. No civilian transfers are permitted.
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Gaston Glock
Notes
Gaston Glock originally developed the G18 partly as a durability testing platform - the extreme stress of full-automatic fire allowed rapid assessment of component wear, heat resistance, and service life that semi-automatic firing could never replicate. The fire selector is a simple sliding switch on the left rear of the slide, positioned where it can be operated by the shooter's thumb. At 1,200 RPM, a standard 17-round magazine empties in under one second, making extended magazines essentially mandatory for practical use. The G18C compensated variant (1996) features progressively larger keyhole-shaped ports machined into the barrel and matching slide cuts, directing propellant gases upward to counteract muzzle rise. Despite its fame in movies and video games, the G18 is exceptionally rare in real-world use, with most operators preferring submachine guns for automatic fire roles.
Background
The Glock 18 gained legendary status largely through pop culture despite being one of the rarest production handguns in the world. Featured prominently in films including The Matrix Reloaded, Terminator 3, and Skyfall, as well as in the Counter-Strike franchise where the 'Glock-18' is the default Terrorist-side pistol, the G18 is arguably more famous in fiction than in any real-world conflict. The irony is that most people who recognize the name will never see one in person - there are zero transferable examples on the U.S. civilian market, and Glock's official policy states they will never sell them commercially.