UMAREX GLOCK 17 Gen5
The meaning of Glock is perfection, simplicity, security, lightness, precision and power. In the last decades, this company has become the top pick for millions of people and one of the chosen by hundreds of security forces around the world. "Perfection is our promise" is the phrase with which Glock introduces itself.
GEN5
But can the Glock be further improved? Yes, in this new generation several modifications and improvements have been incorporated into the Glock 17:
Slide
This model has a slide made in CNC with a different bezel end part compared to previous generations and also two-point sights, which, to our amazement, have Glock markings.
Body
The Glock17 Gen.5 has a pistol grip without the usual shape of the fingers, which enables it to adapt to any shooter. In the lower part of the grip the body has a kind of outwards "lips” that simulate a kind of magwell and that would help us when reloading.
Double safety
It must be said that these series do not incorporate a visible safety mechanism, just like their real counterparts, this is because Glock developed an integrated safety system in the trigger and needle-firing pin called “Safe Action”, the firing pin isn’t necessary in airsoft, but the safety mechanism has been reproduced properly and the magazine catch is oversized for ease of use purposes.
Markings
It is undoubtedly one of the strengths of this model and for which many opt for these models manufactured by VFC; the official licenses and markings which the pistol boasts where we can clearly read “Officially Licensed Product of GLOCK”.
Ambidextrous Controls
You have read correctly, for the first time we find a Glock pistol with ambidextrous controls, but do not get too excited either since we will only have the retaining button of the slide in ambidextrous mode, apparently we will have to wait for generation 6 to have the magazine release too... damn capitalism!
Performance
With green gas, in a room at 23ºC and using 0.20g BB, it fired at an average of 300 FPS. We have unloaded the 22 BBs of the magazine an a few seconds and the cycle that the pistol has is really fast. Many people fear the gas issue, especially in cold weather conditions, but as a Umarex Glock 19 user let me tell you that I fired at 4 degrees with Abbey Predator Ultra and I had no problem with the dreaded cold down.
New generation of internal parts
Surprise, surprise! The new generation comes with the new hop up design and the new spring guide by VegaForce Company. In this case we have a hop up that can be adjusted without removing the slide, I know, it's wonderful! We will only need an allen wrench that comes inside the box, insert it from the front under the barrel and turn the entire spring guide and the hop-up wheel. This new system seems much safer than others, since it is hard to move from its position and is quite well fixed.
As for the spring guide, one of the great modifications and improvements to the internals of this generation is the new double spring guide. This has two positive impacts: first, it increases the sense of recoil and recovery of the gun (the slide returns to its position with much more power, and with a sharp and more realistic blow). And the second positive effect is that it adjusts better the set of the slide.
Another improvement within this new generation is the new nozzle assembly, which has been lightened by making the BBU much lighter and skeletal, which will make the slide much lighter as a whole compared to former generations.
Conclusions
Ignoring the romanticism for the model that I personally feel and with the experience that I have had of a Glock 19 for more than a year, I can tell you that if you are looking for a gas Glock which is simple, easy to use and if paying a little more for having an official Glock product is not an issue, then this is undoubtedly your pistol. A great performance at the same level as TM and with aesthetic finishes that any Glock lover will fall in love with.