Umarex has made a GLOCK 17 Gen 5 paintball gun, you have no idea how excited I am!
Just to start off, the GLOCK 17 is the original GLOCK. The model 17 was named the 17 after GLOCK had 17 different patents made for the first pistol. It was not well received in the beginning, who wants a polymer gun? The answer now, EVERYONE. It is one of the most popular pistols and the GLOCK fan base continues to grow every day, me being one of them.
If you’re like me, you might think of paintball players as using a weird-looking gun with the paintball feeder on the top and the CO2 tank on the back which can be used as a stock. My question has always been “How are you supposed to aim with a feeder in the way of your target?” Because I shoot USPSA, target acquisition is very important to me. If I am going to play paintball I want to win (or lose) because I or other competitors had the skill set to win, not just win with luck. No offense intended to paintball players, especially magfed paintball players who do use sights!
Similarities of Different GLOCK Pistols
Today I had the opportunity to shoot the first officially licensed GLOCK 17 Gen 5 paintball gun, and I can tell you that it is amazingly similar to the GLOCK 17 firearm. The basic function, the weight, the looks, it is a near-perfect match. The CO2 and the paintballs are all housed in the magazine. Now, I know what you are thinking, if it doesn’t have a paintball feeder and all of the paintballs are in the magazine then it must not hold much. You would be correct. It holds eight .43 caliber paintballs, but back to what I said earlier, if I am going to play I want to know that I or my competitor had the skill set to win. So what is more realistic than having to change mags during the middle of a competition?
Since this is the GLOCK 17’s fun twin, they can share almost everything. Sights, holsters, backstraps, lights, and lasers. The First Edition Glock 17 Gen 5 paintball gun comes in a GLOCK case and with extra backstraps. If you are not one of the lucky few to receive the first edition and you like to add the back straps to your pistols for a larger grip you will be happy to know that if you have extra backstraps or you know someone who might and they don’t mind sharing, you will be able to adjust your grip size accordingly. They will fit!
This GLOCK is made in Germany from top-grade materials. The slide is aluminum and goes through a series of CNC machines. It starts as a solid block, the first machine gives a rough cut, it cuts out the inside of the slide making space for the barrel and internals, then gives a rough shape to the outside of the slide. The next CNC does all the final cutting such as the serrations, sight cuts, and curves the sharp edges. This gives the look and feel of the Gen 5 slide. Next, it is assembled by one person before moving on to the laser department to get the final markings and finally to quality control. Here’s a cool video that shows the slide manufacturing in action. The slide release is ambidextrous and magazine release can be switched to the other side as well. With only a few ounces difference, it will be a great way to practice for USPSA or compete in paintball.
So if you aren't convinced by the pictures or this article alone, then take my word for it, this is a must-have. Who wouldn’t want to shoot paint out of a GLOCK? You should try it for yourself and leave a comment below, let us know what you think about it as well. Be safe and shoot straight.
By Breanna Garvey
Competitive shooter, wife, and lover of shooting sports and the outdoors.