Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns The end of "made in Austria" Glocks

I have heard from a very reliable source that "made in Austria" Glock pistols will no longer be imported into the USA. The only Glock pistols and magazines available in America henceforth will be those made in the Glock USA plant. I have seen one, and personally do not consider it the equal of an Austrian made Glock. Also, since the process that is used to create the Tennifer finish cannot be applied in the USA due to EPA prohibitions, another finish is applied to the USA made pistols.

If you come across a "made in Austria" Glock and you have been hesitant about buying one, don't pass it up. Obviously, the prices of Austrian made Glock pistols and magazines will only climb in the future.

The USA pistols are clearly marked as to where they were made and bear different serial number prefixes than do the Austrian made pistols, which, as you know, are clearly marked as to their Austrian origin.

whatever glock uses for its finish is amazing after a year of pocket carry my 26 looks like new. the lcp I carried before has all the finish on the edges worn off.

Glock has been making components and complete pistols in the US for some time now and Austrian production is not being phased out.

Tenifer is simply a trade name for a chemical process that is done in the US under the trade name Melonite. Only a materials engineer can intelligently explain the difference so that shouldn't be an issue from a consumer's standpoint. Either process is just a surface treatment to the metal - an applied finish (like Cerakote) is what gives the slide its finished appearance.

The quality of the US made pistols is indiscernible in appearance or performance.

How long have you been working for Glock USA?

Now why would you think I work for Glock?

Everything that 41magfan said is correct. The OP must have an Austrian Glock for sale and is trying to drum up a sale...

Somehow I found it hard to believe that Glock pistols will achieve some type of collector status.

Now I have been wrong a time or two before , I alwyas thought the coating was not environmentally friendly so it was not done in the US.

?????

Tenifer and Melonite are simply trade names for a process - referred to as Ferritic Nitrocarburizing - that accomplishes the same thing (surface hardening) using different chemicals. The Tenifer solutions aren't allowed in the U.S. while the Melonite process is approved. I suspect this fact had absolutely nothing to do with the decision to produce, or not produce, certain pistols or components in the States.

I never said that Austrian made Glock pistols were no longer going to be produced. Production in Austria will continue, but those pistols will no longer be imported into the USA. Only USA made pistols will be sold in the USA henceforth.

Tennifer and Melonite are NOT the same process, though they are similar in some respects. Tennifer cannot be applied in the USA, so USA made Glocks will NOT have the Tennifer metal treatment, which is the best finish I've ever seen on any weapon.

I carefully looked over an Austrian and a USA made Glock and there is a difference, IMO.

It is cheaper for Glock to make pistols destined for the U.S. market here in the U.S as opposed to making them in Austria and then importing them into the U.S. Plus, there is no import duty imposed on USA made pistols. Glock will therefore make more profit on each USA made Glock. The U.S made pistols sell for the same price as the Austrian ones.

You are correct that Glock has been making pistols in the USA for several years. However, those pistols were never sold in the USA. They were for export only. Now they will be sold in the USA and Austrian made pistols will no longer be imported.

The only positive aspect of this is that Glock can now deliver compact and subcompact pistols made in the USA with smooth face triggers as they no longer have to comply with the ridiculous ATF points system imposed on imported pistols.

Glock has apparently made no formal announcement as to this change in production and is simply slipping the USA made pistols into their USA distribution network in the hope that no one will notice. Most consumers will continue to assume the pistol they just bought is "made in Austria".

Glock Perfection, it would appear, is going to be sacrificed somewhat for Glock Profit.

No, I'm not selling an Austrian made Glock and given the current state of affairs regarding Glock production, would not do so. The purpose of my post was to give Campfire members a "heads up" if they were considering buying a Glock.

You, on the other hand, sound like the type of individual who collects bottle caps so he can get into the movies for free.

What is the difference?

Finish and fit.

OK, so made in the USA is a bad thing. Got it.

Ernie

I see you live in Illinois. Just out of curiosity, can you even own a hi-cap Glock in Illinois? I know they have some draconian gun laws there.

No state laws regarding mag cap. Cook county has some kind of BS law but I am not in Cook county so I do not know for sure what it is. In Illinois AR and AK type rifles are fine. Same for high cap pistols.
Most of Illinois is pretty sane, it is The Chicago metro area that is far left gun haters.

Ernie

Ernie;

Thanks for the info.

I recently read where a CCF law had finally passed in Illinois. Congrats!

Making Glocks in the United States is a good thing - and worthy of optimism.

Some years ago there were also concerns expressed about the quality of Beretta pistols being manufactured in the U.S. as opposed to those originally produced in Italy. One rarely hears that sentiment anymore.

I have both Italian and U.S. Beretta pistols and both are excellent - in every regard.

I feel that the U.S. / Austria Glock situation will be much the same.

Glocks don't have "fit".:)
I've seen dozens of the US-made ones and there is no difference. Glock is not trying to slip them in hoping no one would notice. You can't even see the Tenifer/Melonite finish. It's under the final coating and in the metal itself.

Glock "Perfection" is simply an advertising slogan. Glocks have shortcomings, just like every other design.