Value guide
What is my Glock worth?
Glocks are working pistols made in enormous numbers, and for years nobody thought of them as collectible. That has changed at one end of the range: the earliest guns, the ones that arrived before anybody took the polymer frame seriously, are now genuinely sought after — and they look almost identical to a pistol worth a quarter as much.
No page can price your gun, and any page that offers to is guessing. What this one does is show you the things that decide the number, so you can look at what you have and know whether you’re holding something ordinary or something worth a proper look.
Which generation, and whether it is still in its original box
Glock has run through five generations, and the visible differences are small. The first guns have a smooth, pebbled grip with no finger grooves and no accessory rail. The second added grip texturing. The third brought finger grooves and a rail, which is the version most people picture. The fourth changed the recoil spring and added interchangeable backstraps, and the fifth dropped the finger grooves again. A first or second generation pistol still in its original Tupperware-style box, with the papers and the early magazines, is a collector's item. The same pistol without the box is a used Glock.
The models that turn up, and what they mean
| Model | Made | What it means for value |
|---|---|---|
| Glock 17 (Gen 1) | 1982–1988 | The original. Smooth grip, no rail, no finger grooves. In the box with papers it is the one collectors chase. |
| Glock 17 (Gen 2) | 1988–1998 | Grip texturing added, still no rail. Early production and boxed examples are well ahead of ordinary used guns. |
| Glock 19 | 1988–present | The compact that became the default carry pistol. Early generations follow the same collectible pattern as the 17. |
| Glock 22 and 23 | 1990–present | The .40 police guns. Traded in by the crate when agencies moved back to 9mm, which is why used ones are everywhere. |
| Glock 20 and 21 | 1990–present | 10mm and .45. Smaller production than the 9mm guns and steadier demand. |
| Factory long-slide and competition models | various | Made in smaller numbers than the service pistols and priced accordingly. |
What to check before anybody makes you an offer
- The generation: look for finger grooves and an accessory rail on the frame, and grip texturing.
- Whether the original box, manual, cleaning rod and spare magazines are still with it. On an early gun that is a large part of the value.
- The magazines themselves, and whether they are the earlier higher-capacity ones.
- Any department markings or import marks, which identify a police trade-in.
And the two rules that apply to every gun on this page:don’t clean it, and keep the box and papers. Removing original finish is permanent, and on the right gun the packaging is a real fraction of the total.
"A Glock is a Glock"
For the last three generations that is broadly true and the market prices them as used tools. The early guns are the exception, and the difference between a first-generation pistol in its original box and a third-generation one is not something you can see from across a table. Check the frame and check the box before anybody quotes you a number.
Is a police trade-in worth less?
Usually a little, because they were carried constantly and show holster wear, and because there are a great many of them. Department markings cut both ways: they put some buyers off and are exactly what a collector of that agency's guns is looking for. It is worth identifying rather than assuming.
Model by model
- What is my Glock 17 worth? (1982–present)
Getting an actual number
Condition, originality and configuration decide it, and none of the three can be judged from a description. Send photos and we’ll make you an offer, wherever you are in the country. It comes itemized, showing what we’ll pay for each firearm, so you can see how the number is built instead of being handed one figure for the pile.
Related: what determines value on any gun ·how to sell a collection ·you inherited firearms
Worth reading alongside this
Police trade-in guns — department markings and what they do to the value. Engraved guns — factory grade or added later, and why the difference is most of the money. What determines value on any firearm.
Other makers
Winchester, Remington, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Marlin, Browning, Ruger, military surplus rifles, Beretta, Intratec, Savage, Mossberg, Ithaca, Walther and SIG Sauer.