What is my Glock 17 worth?
For most of its life nobody thought of a Glock as collectible, and most still are not. The exception is the earliest production: guns from before the pistol was taken seriously, which look almost identical to one worth a quarter as much.
Made 1982–present.
No page can price your gun, and one that offers to is guessing. What this does is show you which one you have — because that is where the money is.
How to tell which one you have
- Look at the front of the grip. No finger grooves and no accessory rail under the dust cover means an early gun.
- Feel the grip texture. The first generation is smooth and pebbled; the second added checkering; the third brought the finger grooves and rail most people picture.
- Find the original box. The early Tupperware-style case with the manual and cleaning rod is a large part of the value on a first or second generation pistol.
- Check the magazines and their capacity, and look for any department markings or import stamps.
The versions that change the number
| Version | What it means for value |
|---|---|
| Gen 1 1982–1988 | Smooth pebbled grip, no rail, no finger grooves. Boxed with papers, this is the one collectors chase. |
| Gen 2 1988–1998 | Grip texturing added, still no rail. Early and boxed examples sit well ahead of ordinary used guns. |
| Gen 3 1998–2010s | Finger grooves and an accessory rail. Made in vast numbers and priced as a used working pistol. |
| Gen 4 and Gen 5 2010–present | Later revisions with changed recoil springs, backstraps and grip profiles. Current used-gun money. |
What actually drives the price
- Generation, and specifically whether it predates the accessory rail.
- Whether the original box, manual, rod and magazines are still with it.
- Condition of the finish on the slide, which shows carry wear clearly.
- Department markings or import marks, which identify a police trade-in.
And the two that apply to every gun on this site: do not clean it, and keep the box and papers. Removing original finish is permanent, and on the right gun the packaging is a real part of the total.
"A Glock is a Glock"
True of the last three generations, which the market prices as used tools. Not true of the first two. The difference between an early pistol in its original case and an ordinary third-generation gun is not visible across a table, and families sell the early ones as plain used Glocks all the time.
Mine came from a police department. Does that hurt?
A little, usually — they were carried constantly and show holster wear, and there are a great many of them. But department markings are exactly what a collector of that agency's guns wants, so it cuts both ways. Worth identifying rather than assuming.
Getting a number for yours
Send photographs and we will tell you what we will pay for it. We buy nationwide — a single firearm ships to us prepaid and insured, and for a collection we come to you. More on what separates one Glock from another.