Just a quick post to share pictures of a very rare early Glock 17. This pistol is an AC prefix model which is a great example of how the early design was not set. The slide finish is a greenish color of unknown original that was a predecessor of the parkerized finish that became standard. The other notable difference is the lack of finish on the barrel–it’s a stainless steel material with no coating.
The early days saw lots of change as minor kinks were worked out and improved. Small parts were changed throughout the Gen 1 production period but none so drastic as the appearance of the whole upper. Collectors have dubbed these models as “duotones” and they have only been observed in pre-US import models with serial prefixes of AB, AC, or AD. By the AF prefix, a US import channel had been established and the design had settled on black finish guns. It’s possible there are some duotone AA or AE out there, but none have been observed up to now.
The fact that all of these were pre-US import means that it’s very difficult to find one of these guns in the US. This one came from a fortunate collector who was able to track it down in Europe and have it imported into the US.
As the collector community continues to grow for these guns, we truly hope more and more of these types are variations will be uncovered and shared. If you happen to be one of the lucky collectors who comes into possession of such a prize, feel free to message me and share!
A Brief History of Glock Firearms Aimed at Collectors 