There is only one Glock in this picture.
Two of these guns have been recently seized in Western Europe this week in a multi-agency police operation, and it highlights a trend of proliferation of cloned Glocks in the black market.
I have highlighted the presence of non-Glock Glocks in the past especially in the Middle East, where Pakistani Glocks are pretty much a staple of the local arms trade since the GWOT days, however this current European trend represents a much more industrial shift.
In the picture there are actually two tiers of black market clones, a "grey" Glock and a full homemade clone. The grey clones have been in the market for a while, they are made with genuine Glock frames, obtained during a window of opportunity when polymer frames were leaked into the black market due to loose regulations regarding deactivated firearms. these Glock frames are usually Gen 4 and are traced back to Slovakian dealers.
Licensed Slovakian defense dealers legally imported authentic Gen 4 Glocks from Austria, modified them into theatrical props, and sold them over-the-counter, all according to EU regulations of the time. Illicit networks bought these examples in bulk, discarded the modified steel pieces, and harvested the untouched, pristine factory frames to pair with non-serialized aftermarket slides.
This is one of the nicest examples of grey Glocks. Following post-Crimea sanctions, genuine Glocks became incredibly scarce and highly coveted in Russia. Licensed Russian firms exploited the Slovakian distributor loop to source authentic Gen 4 frames, marrying them to custom, cleanly machined slides and modified barrels to produce the ultra-premium, luxury "Glock-T" traumatic pistol in 10x28mm. Because they can be legally registered for civilian self-defense, they fetch astronomical prices.
The second kind of black-market Glock in the first picture is the full homemade Glock. Despite the looks, this is the crudest example. All components are made in underground workshops. The frames are made with Nylon 6 or Nylon 12 in industrial injection-molding machines; in the lower-quality examples, carbon-fiber reinforced filament and 3D printing are used.
The barrels and slides are typically milled from 4140 carbon steel using CNC machines inside clandestine workshops, alongside stamped sheet-metal inserts for the internal rails. How did underground networks acquire these industrial capabilities? The trail leads to Turkey. Because of Turkey’s massive legal commercial firearms industry, precision CNC and injection-molding machinery is locally manufactured, maintained, and widely available. Criminal networks use front companies or cash to buy these machines second-hand from local factories looking to upgrade their facilities.
However, despite all the tooling, grey-market pieces, and high prices (some of these sell for up to €5,000) they are nothing like the original. The triggers are heavy, gritty, and almost painful to pull. The slides cycle roughly, and the polymers feel cheap. Operating under constant police pressure, these underground networks cut every corner. They run their CNC machines at higher speeds with looser tolerances, apply thick, uneven protective coatings, and rely on a customer base that has no taste for fine craftsmanship. The buyers aren't looking for a collector's piece; they just want a disposable, entirely untraceable weapon.
The guns in the original picture are arranged in this order:
Top: Genuine Glock 45
Middle: "Grey" Glock 19, with a Slovakian-sourced frame and homemade slide and barrel.
Bottom: Fully homemade Glock 19
Notice that the only one bearing the European proof stamps is the real one (a telltale sign of authenticity) alongside the finish quality and the distinct look and depth of the faked serial numbers.
