New Plastic Guns for Police

In just a few months time, Panama’s National Police force will be armed with a new regulation weapon, the Glock 17.

National Police Director Gustavo Perez said a total of 8,000 Glocks will be distributed.  If the math is correct and if Panama were paying the Glock World-listed price of $459.99 per pistol out of the special funds requested, then the guns would cost $3,679,920.

The Glock is an Austrian-made semi automatic pistol, the first handgun to be successfully designed with a polymer frame.  It weighs 22.04 ounces unloaded and 31.91 ounces with its 17 cartridges.  In addition, the 9-millimeter pistol has three safeties which means that it can fall from a third floor without going off, La Critica adds.

The pistol was first used by the Austrian military and police forces in 1982 and is the most widely used law enforcement pistol worldwide.