Numbering on new Glock

[coloradokevin]

I just received the 4th Glock I've purchased over the years, a Glock 26 which I purchased through their law enforcement program (blue label). I believe that this Glock is still considered a Gen III, though it came with 4th Generation magazines.

My other Glocks have been a Gen II model 22, a Glock 27, and a Gen III Glock 37.

While cleaning this newest member of the "family", I noticed that this particular Glock contains some type of new numbering system. Both the plastic portion of the receiver and the inside of the slide are etched with ten digit numbers, and these numbers do not match each other. None of my other Glocks have had these numbers, at least not as they are displayed on this Glock (I did notice that my Glock 37 contains ten digits printed on the inside of the slide, but these digits are etched in a much smaller font, and are printed in three different groups of numbers).

Additionally, this Glock contains the standard 6-digit Glock serial number, found in the three most obvious usual places (metal plate on the bottom front of the receiver, on the barrel, and on the slide near the ejection port). The serial number does not correspond with either of the 10-digit numbers I found on my gun.

Anyway, I was just curious if anyone knows if there is any significance to the new numbers? Why do they exist? Why don't they match? When did Glock start doing this?

I'm just wondering about it, since the difference was immediately obvious to me when I disassembled the new gun! I'm guessing that they might be placed there for quality control purposes, or something to that effect.

Thanks for the help

 

[Quiet]

Numbers are for internal inventory control purposes.
Glock is slowly setting up manufacturing in the USA.



Third generation Glocks currently are shipped with the 8th generation magazine, eventually they will be shipped with the 9th generation magazines.
Fourth generation Glocks are shipped with three 9th generation magazines.

 

[9mmepiphany]

though it came with 4th Generation magazines.

I could have sworn that there was a thread about the different generations of Glock magazine a little while back...and they were up to the 9th Gen. Are you saying that your Gen 3 G26 came with older mags?

 

[coloradokevin]

Thanks for the information guys! Actually, I guess I'm not as familiar with the Glock magazines as I thought I was

My new Glock 26 came with the same magazines that are being shipped with the 4th Gen Glocks, which are apparently 9th Gen magazines (if I'm following this thread correctly).

To clarify, in case I'm still confused on the 3rd and 8th vs 4th and 9th issue, the magazines that came with my gun look as if they were designed for the 4th Gen ambidextrous magazine release... they have the standard plastic catch on one side of the magazine body, while the other side has a catch with metal showing behind it. I was told that this was the magazine design that was being used in the 4th Gen guns, but I can't be positive (since I don't own a 4th Gen).

 

[Quiet]

Since, Glock hasn't official acknowledged the different "generations" of magazines...

Currently, there are nine generations of Glock magazines. Each generation is visual different from the next and can be used to identify "pre-ban"/"post-ban" status. 1st-4th gen = "pre-ban", 5th-9th gen = "post-ban".

Some vendors are trying to simplify the magazine generations.

1st-3rd gen magazines are NFML and are being called "Gen 1" magazines.
4th-7th gen magazines are FML and are being called "Gen 2" magazines.
8th gen magazines are FML with the ambi-magazine release cut and are being called "Gen 3" magazines
9th gen magazines are FML with the ambi-mag release cut & the reversable magazine release cut and are being called "Gen 4" magazines.


Glocks with the standard magazine release can use all generations of Glock magazines.

Glocks with the ambi-magazine release can only use the newer generation of Glock magazines (8th gen / "Gen 3" & 9th gen / "Gen 4").

Glocks with the reversable magazine release set up on the standard (left) side can use all generations of Glock magazines.
Glocks with the reversable magazine release set up on the alternate (right) side can only use the newest generation of Glock magazines (9th gen / "Gen 4").