Why Is the Glock 18 Illegal in the United States?

If you are a handgun enthusiast in the United States, you are familiar with the Glock name and how popular Glocks are for a number of known reasons - one being the growing number of Glock parts out there. Two of the models that you are probably very familiar with are the Glock 17 and the Glock 19; however, you might be asking yourself, is there a Glock 18? Yes there is, the handgun is illegal in the United States and there is a reason why.

The Glock 18 is Illegal in the United States

The Glock 18 is a fully-sized automatic pistol. It fires 9mm; however, it is capable of firing 1200 rounds per minute. This firing rate is the biggest reason why the Glock 18 is illegal in the United States.

The Glock 18 is similar to the Glock 17; however, it has to shift between the semi-automatic version and the fully-automatic version. The biggest difference is a simple mechanical operation. There is a raised extra tab that sits on the cross of the trigger. This tab connects the trigger to a metal piece that is lowered in order to shift the handgun into a fully automatic mode.

As a result, the sear of the Glock 18 remains engaged. This allows the user to continue firing repeatedly with the same trigger pull. As a result, the Glock 18 is a fully automatic weapon and is incredibly easy to control. It is easy to see why the Glock 18 is an effective sidearm. It is also easy to see how the Glock 18 can do a tremendous amount of damage with a single pull of the trigger, prompting the United States to make it illegal.

A History of the Glock 18

The Glock 18 was first introduced as a 9mm sidearm for both military and police use. It reached the market in 1986 and was designed to be a weapon that could combat terrorism in Austria. The biggest difference between the Glock 18 and its predecessor is that it was a control switch that acts as a lever. There are indented dots that indicate the firing mode. If there is a single dot above the switch then the gun is in the semi-automatic mode. If there is a pair of dots present, then it is in the automatic mode.

The Glock 18 has a compensator that has been cut into the forward position of the slide. This cut makes the gun easier to control and prevents climbing. The slots get larger as they move from the rear to the front. They are designed to vent the gas from the Glock 18.

Finally, the Glock 18 also has a locking mechanism. When the chamber pressure is high, the gun is dangerous to fire. To rectify this situation, the barrel moves backward on the recoil stroke. It locks with the slide to reduce pressure levels. When the pressure has been reduced, the barrel and slide unlock. This is called camming action. It stops the movement of the barrel while the slide shift back, ejecting the used cartridge casing.

Can You Buy A Glock 18

The Glock 18 is illegal in the United States, making it hard to find. There are multiple laws put into place that limit the methods through which someone can get a Glock 18. Of note, these laws also apply to all machine guns. Yes, the Glock 18 is a machine gun. Remember that it fires 1200 rounds per minute.

One option to get a Glock 18 is to get a transferable gun. In this case, the Glock 18 has to be registered before May 19, 1986. Given that the gun was made in 1986, this is nearly impossible to do. If there is an actual Glock 18 that was registered before this date, it probably has a value that is comparable to many luxury cars.

Some dealers might have Glock 18s that have been dubbed pre-samples. These are guns that were imported between Jan 1 of 1986 and May 19 of 1986. Dealers were permitted to keep their models after they surrendered their licenses. Again, this version of the Glock 18 is going to be hard to find. The only other way to get a Glock 18 is to have a Class III dealer’s letter from a police department to sample one. This would mean forfeiting the license, but would save a lot of money.

Where You Can Find the Best Glock Parts

Even though we don't carry anything for the Glock 18, here at Ghost Inc. we do carry Glock parts and Glock accessories for most if not all Glock models, including Glock 43, Glock 19, Glock 48, among others. Check out our large selection of Glock parts and Glock accessories at Ghost Inc. today!

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