Glock 18: A 21st Century Take on the Machine Pistol

The Firearm That Revolutionized Full-Auto Handguns

The machine pistol has always been a specialized weapon designed for those who would find carrying a rifle or full-sized submachine gun cumbersome but who needed more firepower than available with a standard pistol. One of the best-known classic machine pistols was the Mauser M1932 “Schnellfeuer” (Fast Fire), which was used by specialist troops such as motorcycle dispatch riders.

Various other machine pistols were produced during the latter half of the 20th Century, but most had the problem of being too large to really function as a pistol and too small to really be as effective as an SMG. Concealment was definitely a problem as many used a holster stock, which could be affixed to the machine pistol to allow better control when firing on full auto. Usually, the stocks did help but they also made for a holster that was bulky. In 1987, that all changed with the introduction of the fully-automatic Glock 18.

Glock 18 vs. Glock 17

The Glock 18, ironically, is the same size as the Glock 17. In fact, it can be carried in a standard Glock 17 holster. There are some slight differences between the Glock 17 and Glock 18. The Glock 18’s rails have a slightly different height and it contains 7 additional parts, which comprise the select fire mechanism. At a glance, the only noticeable difference between the Glock 17 and the Glock 18 is the selector switch located on the Glock 18’s slide. For someone not familiar with Glocks, they might assume it was a de-cocker.

The fact the Glock 18 resembles a Glock 17 can be a real advantage to close protection or counterterrorist units armed with it as in the holster it will appear to be a standard service pistol and, thus, not attract undue attention. There is also a cost factor, too, since a unit can use standard Glock 17 holsters. The standard Glock 18 magazine is an extended 33-round magazine.

Most personnel who carry the Glock 18 use a standard 17-round Glock magazine or one of the +2 magazines in the gun and carry the 33-round magazines as spares. Alan Rizzo who does training for Glock and who provided information on this article mentioned that he has had discussions with agencies that use a shoulder rig that allows the carry of two spare 33-round magazines plus one of the aftermarket Glock stocks. Actually, the 33-round magazines are popular with some operators who carry the Glock 17. Some years ago I worked with one close protection team, the operators of which carried two Glock 17s with standard magazines and carried 33-round magazines as spares.

Defense Against Terrorism

I mentioned counterterrorist units above. The Glock 18 was originally developed for Austria’s EKO Cobra (Einsatzkommando Cobra) counterterrorist unit, mainly for deployment during attacks on hijacked aircraft. This gave the Cobra operators a firearm that could be quickly deployed in smaller spaces yet would allow multiple disabling shots on a threat quickly. Russia’s FSB Alpha retained Russia’s machine pistol, the Stechkin APS, for the same purpose for decades after it had gone out of production.

Glock 18C

One reaction that is common among those who see the Glock 18 for the first time or read about it is that it must be very difficult to control. Surprisingly, it isn’t. I have not fired the Glock 18C, which is compensated to vent gases upward and help counter muzzle climb, so I don’t know how much it aids in control. I have, however, fired many rounds through the original Glock 18. I have been very impressed with how controllable it is. I don’t really know if this is true, but subjectively it seems to me that the polymer frame actually helps absorb recoil when firing bursts.

I found that if I leaned into the Glock 18 and started with my point aim at the lower midsection at 7 yards I could readily keep 3- or 4-round bursts on a humanoid target. I also found the Glock trigger fast to “get off of” to end a burst. Given that the 18’s cyclic rate is 1,100 to 1,200 rounds per minute, the ease of controlling it is even more impressive.

Training with the Glock 18

With one close protection unit that was testing Glock 18s, we tried various drills. One that raised the Glock 18 in my estimation involved doing an AOP (Attack on Principal) drill in which two team members engaged the “threats” with the 18s on full auto while the rest of the team evacuated the principal. Then, as those engaging were breaking contact we had them re-engage “other attackers” at longer distances, for which they switched to semi-auto and engaged. The Glock 18’s ability to quickly transition from machine pistol to pistol proved very useful.

I asked Alan Rizzo how Glock trainers teach their students to carry the Glock 18, and he informed me that Glock policy is to carry the pistol set on semi-auto and only switch to full if needed to break an ambush or deal with multiple close-range attackers. Given the possibility of forgetting that the Glock 18 was set on full auto under stress and losing control of it when not expecting it to go full auto, I think this is the prudent way to carry the weapon. And, since the semi-auto selector position is with the lever up, it is quite a natural motion to thumb it down if full auto is needed.

In many countries, the role that would have formerly been fulfilled by the machine pistol now falls to the PDW (Personal Defense Weapon); however, the Glock 18 still offers the option of a compact machine pistol for close protection teams and others who might need devastating close-range firepower to break an assault. As a result, many countries have a limited number of Glock 18s in their armories. Alan Rizzo informs me that at least some units in the United Arab Emirates use the Glock 18 as their sidearm and have been trained in their use by Glock instructors.

Because I have trained quite a few close protection teams over the years which have used machine pistols I have made it a point to shoot most of them that have been available over the last half-century or so. Just to digress, on some teams with which I have had contact only the VIP drivers were armed with machine pistols. Today, for a unit that has a need for the machine pistol, the Glock 18 is the likely choice, and, bearing in mind its specialized mission, I think it is a very good choice indeed.