I finally got my hands on the new Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol that was introduced at this years SHOT Show, and I have already made my Table Top Review Video so make sure to watch that video for information on specifications, details, Pro’s and Con’s and more close up video… In this Field test Shooting video I focus on the performance of the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol by testing the velocity out with my Chronograph, and I also shoot 10 rounds into a paper target setup 30 feet down range to see what the real world velocity and accuracy truly is.
Starting off with the Velocity portion the test, as always I use a brand new 12 gram CO2 along with standard 5.1 grain Steel BB’s. Temperature for the record was about 22 degrees Celsius or 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Here are the result of my multi shot Chronograph testing as it seemed to keep shooting faster and fast so I ended up using the last 5 shots for my average: 354, 349, 348, 343, 344 fps with an average of 348 fps. That was fairly close but just a bit under the 370 claimed fps. Warmer temperatures could for sure get this Blowback Airgun up to the slightly higher claimed fps.
Next I shot 10 rounds into a fresh paper target 30 feet down range using a semi-rested shooting position, with my hands resting on a sand bag up front, and sitting on a comfortable stool in the back, for somewhat stable shooting. There is always going to be a bit of human factor involved, but I seemed steady on this day, and I did get a nice result for a Blowback CO2 Air Pistol. The Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol shot good for me out of the box. The grouping spread out about 2 inches total well center up and down, just a hair above the bullseye but did wonder off to the left a little bit. Still a very good result for a blowback Airgun.
I was very pleased with the performance of the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. It had a lot more blowback action than I was expecting as the slide spring did feel kind of lazy to me when releasing it at first. The velocity was close to the mark and for sure as claimed in a warmer environment, and the accuracy was as good as you are going to get with a blowback BB Pistol. I didn't even mind the double action trigger at all as the first portion of the trigger is very light with almost no friction and even the release is not very heavy but for sure heavier than a true Single Action Trigger. I also like that you are going to get a lot more magazines worth of shots from a single CO2 out of the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol with it’s semi blowback action and magazine design that seals off the BB into the breach area of the barrel. If you are OK with a DO trigger on a Glock, then I would suggest you chose the Glock 17 MOS Semi Blowback over the Glock 19 MOS Full Blowback simply for the higher fps, better CO2 efficiency and slightly improved accuracy.
Type:Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. Manufacturer:Distributed by Umarex. Model:Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 1.5 pounds (683 grams). Total Length: 7.95 inches (20.2cm). Barrel: Smooth bore 4 inch barrel (10cm). Propulsion: CO2 x 1. Action: Semi auto blowback, double action only trigger. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 18 round drop out full size metal magazine. FPS: Claimed 370.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is very similar in most ways to a real steel Glock Pistol with the blowback action, which does engage the striker alleviating some of the trigger pull to some degree. That said the trigger is more like a double action trigger in terms of weight and length, as the trigger pull is used to shuttle a BB into the breach, which does require additional trigger length and weight making it more like a double action trigger at the end of the day. The blowback action on this version is not full, but rather partial, so it does not go back as far as the real steel slide would go. The chambering of BB’s and the partial blowback design has an upside allowing for a higher velocity and more shots per CO2.
Accuracy: At this point I have not shot the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol, so I can only quote what Umarex is saying in terms of FPS which is around 370. As mentioned earlier, the partial blowback action and the way the magazine seals the BB in the breach helps to increase the FPS to something a lot closer to what a non-blowback BB pistol generally offers in velocity. In terms of accuracy I will have to make my Field Test Shooting Video first before I know for sure, but generally a CO2 Blowback BB Pistol like this will get around a 4 inch grouping based on past similar shooting tests.
Build Quality: Being Glock licensed via Umarex, the, Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol has to be made with Glocks high quality standards in mind. I am not 100% sure who actually makes this Airgun, as Umarex is not so much a manufacturer of Airguns, but more of a distribution and licensing company. I am pretty sure that KWC is making this Airgun for Umarex and KWC has for sure improved their quality over time in terms of fit and finish, so I am happy to say that the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is a really well built Airgun.
Realism: The Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol absolutely has most of everything you would want in a Replica Airgun, like blowback action, a working slide catch release, trigger safety, magazine release, and full size drop out metal magazine. Its shortcomings would be that you can not easily field strip its and it does have a trigger closer to a double action only rather than the Glock short and very light single action trigger. I can overlook this because it is very well priced and has a nice high velocity along with a lot of shots per CO2.
Pros:
Good weight and feel to it, build quality seems excellent.
Really nice looking and full featured replica of the original Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS.
Fully Glock licensed via Umarex.
Easy to see white dot sights front and back.
Recessed barrel for added realism.
Accessory rail under barrel for adding a laser or tactical light.
MOS (Modular Optical System) on slide for adding a red dot.
Safety built into serial number under the barrel.
Full size drop out metal magazine that holds the CO2 and 18, 4.5mm steel BB’s.
Slide spring is firm, will have a nice blowback recoil effect.
Warning instruction are nice and discreet under the trigger guard.
Not an overly heavy DOA feeling trigger as the blowback pre-cocks the internal hammer/striker but the trigger does move a BB into the breach area.
Because of partial blowback action and magazine design, it has a higher fps and you get a lot more shots than a similar full blowback Airgun.
Working trigger safety like the real steel version.
Cons:
Trigger is more like a DOA trigger which is longer and heavier than a real steel Glock, but not bad.
Sights are non-adjustable which is common with low cost airguns like this one.
Blowback action is not full so not as heavy of a recoil feel as a full blowback Airgun.
Comments:
I was excited when I first saw the Glock 17 and 19 Gen 5 MOS 4.5mm Steel BB Blowback Airguns at SHOT Show this year, and I have been really looking forward to getting my hands on both of them. They both look and feel just as good as they did at SHOT Show, and now all I need to do is test them out and see how they both perform in the Replica Airguns Indoor Sea Can Shooting Range. I know the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is for sure going to have a lot more power over the Umarex Glock 19, but the full blowback action of the Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS may take a win over power from the Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS. It may come down to which one is more accurate? I will have to wait and see so keep watching to find out who the winner is in my books.
