Tokyo Marui Glock 17 GEN4 Review

This review will cover the highly popular and excellent gas blowback handgun, the Tokyo Marui Glock 17 GEN4.

Although it's a bit late, as it's just been re-released and is now available on the market, I'll write this review in the hope that it will be helpful to anyone considering purchasing it.

The item reviewed was purchased in June 2020, so it's an early production model (it was a display model because there was no stock). I had forgotten I bought it and had left it sitting around, so it's still in its original box condition; please use this as a reference.

Let's begin the review.

Exterior Review

Let's start with the usual side view.

Other side

This is a standard Glock 17. However, compared to the company's previously sold Glock 17 GEN3, the molding and painting techniques have improved, resulting in a noticeably better feel.

Hold open.

Hop adjustment is done via a dial located inside the ejection port in this state.

Let's take a closer look at each part.

Check details

It has a prominent engraving.

This is the usual marking, and it's unavoidable since they can't get an official license. I've heard rumors that it's difficult to get a license from Glock.

Those who dislike it have no choice but to replace it with an aftermarket frame. From my personal experience, it seems like 99% of the time it requires adjustments, which makes it a troublesome and unpleasant experience.

The extractor is a separate part, which shows considerable effort.

Next, let's look at the other side.

It has a marking that closely resembles the real thing. I think it's a very well done stylization.

Next is the magazine release button, one of the major changes from GEN3.

It's significantly larger and very easy to use. There are no malfunctions or anything like that.

Next is the engraving located on the bottom of the grip.

I think the engraving is quite cleverly stylized. Also, the textured finish on the grip has changed from the GEN3.

We will measure the weight without the magazine.

The last part of the exterior is a site picture.

I don't like the usual U-shaped website layout.

I'll change the site in the next customization episode.

Next, let's look at the included accessories and the model's main feature: the interchangeable grip panels.

Accessories and grip panels

This is a complete overview of the outer box and all included accessories.

It's quite luxurious. I've been buying a lot of overseas products lately, so I'm surprised by how luxurious it is.

Let's take a closer look.

In addition to the usual ammunition, a punch and pins for changing the grip panels are included.

The inclusion of tools to allow people without tools to change the grip panels is a very thoughtful touch. However, rumors suggest that the included tools can be difficult to use, so it's probably best to simply bring your own pin punch.

Next, let's take a look at the grip panel, which is the main feature.

It comes with four different types of grips that you attach to the main body's grip. In other words, it gets progressively thicker.

The packaging is almost excessively meticulous, but it's impressive that they've managed to keep the price down to 16800 yen.

Next, I'll change the grip panels and check how they feel to hold.

Grip panel change

This is how it looks when gripped without any attachments.

I'm a very average Japanese person, 175cm tall and weighing 70kg, with normal-sized hands. The Glock 17's grip is very comfortable to hold.

Incidentally, with their Glock 19 GEN3, it's a bit cramped (my little finger gets sore).

Next, we'll attach the grip panels, but since trying them all would be a hassle, we'll start with the largest one, the Large.

I'm going to remove the pins from the photo.

The included tool probably works for removing the pins, but I used a pin punch because it was less hassle.

Next, insert the grip panel into the tabs at the bottom end of the grip on the main body.

Press down on the grip panels to lock the claws in place.

All that's left is to push the pin back in and the replacement is complete. I didn't insert the pin in the photo because it's too much trouble.

I'll try holding it.

It becomes quite thick. While the beaver tail is nice, it's far too thick, so I decided to use it as is, straight out of the box.

Next, we'll look at the field strip disassembly and the magazine.

Field strip disassembly and magazine

Now, let's remove the slide. First, cock the gun once to lower the internal hammer, then remove the slide.

Let's start by looking at the frame side.

This is the internal hammer section. A roller hammer has been adopted to reduce friction, and the thickness of the trigger bar has been significantly increased to improve the trigger feel.

Next, let's look at the front. The number of turns in the trigger return spring has increased considerably.

With these improvements, I feel the trigger feel and operability are probably at their highest level yet.

Next, let's look at the slides.

Let's take a look at the recoil spring. Just like the real gun, it has a double spring.

At the start of the slide's movement, only a weak spring is at work.

The strong spring engages once the slide has finished accelerating.

It's quite rationally designed.

When the slide returns, a strong spring acts during the initial acceleration phase, and by the time it has fully returned, only a weak spring is acting, allowing it to move quickly without putting unnecessary load on the slide.

I think this is patentable, but what do you think?

Next, let's look at the barrel.

The pushpin marks from the molding process are a bit disappointing (they're not visible when assembled), but the parts that are visible from the outside are painted in a gunmetal color.

This is the same barrel assembly used in the Glock 19. This mechanism ensures reliable short-recoil action.

The barrel has dedicated cams on the tilt-up and tilt-down sides to ensure reliable operation, which likely contributes significantly to improved accuracy.

However, disassembling it is troublesome.

Next, let's take a look at the blowback engine.

Let's try pulling the nozzle.

This is our proud 15mm cylinder. It's the same diameter as KSC's System 7 from another company.

With a 15mm diameter, you can move long bolts weighing over 250g, so this product is quite agile.

Since we're here, let's measure the weight of the entire slide assembly, which greatly affects the blowback mechanism.

It's a moderate weight. The bolts on the company's M4 series, which are known for their smooth operation, weigh around 200g, so this product is lighter and should have good operation.

Next, let's look at the magazine.

The magazine now features magazine catches on both sides, as the magazine release button can be swapped between left and right.

Let's take a look at the lip and the area around the valve.

The gas outlet is curved, which improves its seal with the main body.

However, the magazines in my Glock 17 GEN3, which I've owned for a while, were the same, so I don't know when the change occurred.

Finally, the weight is measured with no ammunition or gas loaded.

Next, let's look at the actual firing performance.

Actual firing performance

We're finally going to start firing live shots.

The conditions are: a full tank of HFC-134a gas, hop-up set to 0, and S&T 0.2g bio BBs.

The ambient temperature is approximately 25°C, and the magazine surface temperature is 28°C.

This is the initial velocity.

That's a pretty good initial velocity.

Its stability is quite high, as it didn't change much even after continuous firing. Even when firing 25 rounds in rapid succession, the final muzzle velocity was around 70 m/s, which is excellent.

If you're interested, please also check out my review of the chronograph.

Fuel efficiency

Next is fuel efficiency.

This is the weight of an empty magazine and a magazine that is full of gas.

This is the weight of a magazine after firing approximately 25 rounds.

In other words, 8g makes 25 shots, so each shot consumes approximately 0.33g. That's not particularly fuel-efficient (but not bad either).

An empty magazine weighs 284g, and it holds 14.5g of gas, so a simple calculation would suggest that you can't fire two magazines, but in reality, it was able to fire two magazines and about 13 rounds.

The measurement method might be incorrect, so please use this only as a reference.

Operation with the old magazine

Next, let's measure the muzzle velocity with the old magazine.

This is an older magazine (though not that old; I bought it about three years ago).

This is the initial velocity under the same conditions.

Even assuming the conditions are perfectly matched, the fact that it only differs by 0.06 m/s compared to the included magazine is frighteningly impressive in terms of its superior performance.

In other words, the old magazine is perfectly fine.

Finally, here's a video of the blowback action. It's being operated with the magazine included with the unit.

Tokyo Marui Glock 17 GEN4 (Normal)

Even though the temperature has risen, they are moving quite well.

Let's wrap things up at the end.

G&G Bio-Bullets 0.2g
It's inexpensive and accurate, so I use it for a wide range of purposes, from performance testing to airsoft games. It's been my favorite since it first came to Japan (around 2008). It lasts a long time for a biodegradable product.

G&G Bio-Bullets 0.25g
It's 0.25g. I generally use 0.25g BBs when playing airsoft.

Summary

In summary, this is a highly recommended gun with a great appearance and excellent shooting performance.

I think this is one of the best performing guns from Tokyo Marui (I don't own that many, but it's one of the few I do have).

I think the stability of the initial velocity and the crispness of the blowback are top-notch.

This model might hold a special place within Tokyo Marui's lineup.

I think this will become an industry standard, even more so than its predecessor, the Glock 17 GEN3.

The upcoming Glock 19 GEN4 also looks very promising.

Finally, I lined up all the Glocks in my collection.

This product doesn't need any customization at all, but I'm going to customize it for my experiment.

Our goal is to achieve the best possible initial velocity increase using easy-to-implement methods.

Also, since there are tons of other blog posts about the Tokyo Marui Glock 17 GEN4, I will proceed by touching on the manufacturing methods and materials used to create a product that is more original.

Please come along if you like.

・Tokyo Marui Glock 17 GEN4 Gas Blowback
It has amazing performance and I highly recommend it.

・Tokyo Marui Glock 17 Common Spare Magazine
I'm so happy that the magazines are cheaper compared to other companies.