How Long Can a Glock Really Last? Legacy Preservation Tips

[Xcuba]

Been thinking about this lately as I plan to keep my Glock long-term, possibly even pass it down one day. We always talk about round counts and spring replacements, but I started wondering:

If someone lived forever, how long could a Glock actually last, and how would it compare to the oldest surviving firearms?

Turns out, with proper care, storage, and maintenance, a Glock could easily go 200+ years, maybe more, especially with spare parts and smart storage. I put together this little guide just for fun, kind of a thought experiment about what it would take to preserve a Glock like a legacy piece:

How to Make Your Glock Last for Centuries

1. Store it like a museum piece:
Climate-controlled safe, silica gel packs, no UV light, uncocked and unloaded.

2. Maintain it religiously (even if unused):
Use polymer-safe lube, wipe metal with rust preventive oil, clean occasionally just to keep it fresh.

3. Limit use (collector mindset):
Track round counts, clean after each firing, and log wear over time.

4. Keep spare parts:
Recoil spring, extractor, pins, trigger parts, and a spare barrel—airtight and stored with it.

5. Build a legacy folder:
Serial, round count, mod list, photos, and a note for future generations.

6. Treat it with purpose:
It’s not just a tool, it can be a family piece, a time capsule, a relic with a story.
Of course, there are definitely other firearms that could match or surpass the Glock in long-term durability:

• Steel-framed revolvers like a Ruger GP100 or S&W Model 10
• Old bolt-action milsurps (think Mosins, Mausers, Enfields)
• Even some lever guns or mil-spec 1911s that were overbuilt to begin with

But it got me thinking, how far could a modern Glock go if you treated it like a piece of history instead of just a tool?

Fun side fact: the oldest known firearm is the Heilongjiang hand cannon, a bronze Chinese weapon dating back to 1288 AD. It’s 737 years old and still intact. Granted, it’s bronze and was used a few times then shelved, but it shows how long something can last when it’s preserved right.

Would love to hear what other NES members think about this kind of long-term mindset. Anyone else thinking in terms of generational firearms or preservation?

 

[paul73]

omg, stop thinking so much.
spare parts do help, but just shoot the damn thing and stop worry.
and, it is not a heirloom. it`s a glock.

 

[seanc]

Or…..
Shoot the hell out of it, enjoy it. And replace parts as needed.. it will still out last you.

It’s a Glock.. not a Flobert!

 

[LakeTrout]

i don’t care enough about glocks to wonder how to preserve them. They’re great tools, that’s it. They’re not beautiful pieces of art or craftsmanship like some firearms. They’re just a very basic, ugly, plain, cost effective, ultra reliable tool.

 

[kalash]

Crap! I often put mine away wet and dirty if I shoot shoot a match in the rain and drop mags in mud - guess it's going to last just 199 years now

 

[kalash]

My poor gen2 looks like it won't make it a day past 198 years

 

[seanc]

i don’t care enough about glocks to wonder how to preserve them. They’re great tools, that’s it. They’re not beautiful pieces of art or craftsmanship like some firearms. They’re just a very basic, ugly, plain, cost effective, ultra reliable tool.

I have shot plenty of 75-100 year old guns.. mostly skeet and trap types. That have shot thousands of rounds and get taken out every weekend and shoot hundreds of rounds. Many times not cleaned for months. And run flawlessly.

You’re really over thinking this. Unless what you want is “collectible” museum piece that you just look at and never touch.

Kind of like the old days where all the furniture is covered in plastic. Great, it will last forever. And no one living in the house ever gets to sit on it or be comfortable… but the next owners that take the plastic off and use it will definitely appreciate it.

 

[In God We Trust]

I have a few different models and enjoy them all. I shoot them occasionally (not nearly enough) and throw them back in the safe. No, I don’t clean them after use unless it’s the one I’m carrying at the moment.

 

[free]

Would love to hear what other NES members think about this kind of long-term mindset. Anyone else thinking in terms of generational firearms or preservation?

Of course you would and I hope you get good answers. But, you cannot say “other members” because you are not a member yourself.

 

[EddieZoom]

Where is that ignore button....

 

[240Geezer]

I'll guess in excess of 500 rounds.
It's NEVER been cleaned. Not even wiped down.
I could give a ratz azz.
The only gun I've cleaned recently is the Turketron O/U I'm starting out my trap shooting with.
And that's only because the action is so tight that I polish it a little after every session to loosen it up.

 

[Snora]

Please tell me ChatGPT spewed this out.

 

[ware]

No comment

 

[EJFudd]

Been thinking about this lately as I plan to keep my Glock long-term, possibly even pass it down one day.

LOL!!! Injection-molded plastic guns are not heirloom guns. They are cheap-to-make disposable guns. It would be like handing down your used toothbrush.

 

[DGV1860]

Been thinking about this lately as I plan to keep my Glock long-term, possibly even pass it down one day. We always talk about round counts and spring replacements, but I started wondering:

If someone lived forever, how long could a Glock actually last, and how would it compare to the oldest surviving firearms?

Turns out, with proper care, storage, and maintenance, a Glock could easily go 200+ years, maybe more, especially with spare parts and smart storage. I put together this little guide just for fun, kind of a thought experiment about what it would take to preserve a Glock like a legacy piece:

How to Make Your Glock Last for Centuries

1. Store it like a museum piece:
Climate-controlled safe, silica gel packs, no UV light, uncocked and unloaded.

2. Maintain it religiously (even if unused):
Use polymer-safe lube, wipe metal with rust preventive oil, clean occasionally just to keep it fresh.

3. Limit use (collector mindset):
Track round counts, clean after each firing, and log wear over time.

4. Keep spare parts:
Recoil spring, extractor, pins, trigger parts, and a spare barrel—airtight and stored with it.

5. Build a legacy folder:
Serial, round count, mod list, photos, and a note for future generations.

6. Treat it with purpose:
It’s not just a tool, it can be a family piece, a time capsule, a relic with a story.
Of course, there are definitely other firearms that could match or surpass the Glock in long-term durability:

• Steel-framed revolvers like a Ruger GP100 or S&W Model 10
• Old bolt-action milsurps (think Mosins, Mausers, Enfields)
• Even some lever guns or mil-spec 1911s that were overbuilt to begin with

But it got me thinking, how far could a modern Glock go if you treated it like a piece of history instead of just a tool?

Fun side fact: the oldest known firearm is the Heilongjiang hand cannon, a bronze Chinese weapon dating back to 1288 AD. It’s 737 years old and still intact. Granted, it’s bronze and was used a few times then shelved, but it shows how long something can last when it’s preserved right.

Would love to hear what other NES members think about this kind of long-term mindset. Anyone else thinking in terms of generational firearms or preservation?

Is this a serious post?

 

[kalash]

I'll guess in excess of 500 rounds.
It's NEVER been cleaned. Not even wiped down.
I could give a ratz azz.

Whoa, that's an impressive round count. Did you have to change out any springs?

 

[Mountain]

LOL!!! Injection-molded plastic guns are not heirloom guns. They are cheap-to-make disposable guns. It would be like handing down your used toothbrush.

LOL perfect comparison- a used toothbrush.

In before Reptile compares to used objects in the barrels behind his house.

Seriously dude- it's a Glock. Eventually the polymer is going to break down like the handles on my 70-year-old Snap-On screwdrivers. The slides will last forever, so just print yourself a new frame.

 

[drgrant]

It's a commodity gun easily replaced, but with service those guns and many others can exist for hundreds of thousands of rounds.

 

[G4Y4HK]

Pimping out a Glock is nowhere near on the same level as you can with a 92/1911/PPK. Can get those dripped out in ice way more than you can and be proud to pass that down to your grandson in a presentation box.

 

[whatluck]

 

[whatluck]

Posting AI slop threads should be bannable. Not from NES. From the internet.

 

[G4Y4HK]

Is this a fedboi account tryna sus out NES who plan to hidey-hole their guns when the inevitable confiscation orders are on for GO TIME?

 

[Mountain]

Posting AI slop threads should be bannable. Not from NES. From the internet.

Agreed. Same for the diarrhea of click bait some are spewing on the forum.

 

[Picton]

...welcome to NES, OP.

I'm chuckling at the idea that some facility like the firearms museum in Cody will one day have a "well-preserved" Gen 2 Glock behind climate-controlled glass, with archaeologists marveling at the "craftsmanship" of those ancient "artisans" that cranked out slides by the thousand in Wagram, without even caring what they were manufacturing.

 

[Ecocharles]

The plastic on one of my mags cracked after just 30 years, doubt the other one will last 300 years.

 

[G4Y4HK]

...welcome to NES, OP.

I'm chuckling at the idea that some facility like the firearms museum in Cody will one day have a "well-preserved" Gen 2 Glock behind climate-controlled glass, with archaeologists marveling at the "craftsmanship" of those ancient "artisans" that cranked out slides by the thousand in Wagram, without even caring what they were manufacturing.

Already happening. Saw this when I was in Ireland. The Glock is probably almost as 'historic' as the AUG by now.

 

[Mountain]

Already happening. Saw this when I was in Ireland. The Glock is probably almost as 'historic' as the AUG by now.

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Why would a museum have disposable targets?

 

[G4Y4HK]

Why would a museum have disposable targets?

I wonder if they cemented the barrels before displaying them. Can't risk someone breaking glass and arming themselves with a fully functioning gun just like in the video games lol.

 

[drgrant]

The plastic on one of my mags cracked after just 30 years, doubt the other one will last 300 years.

The magazines and the gun are not made out of the same material.

 

[G4Y4HK]

The plastic on one of my mags cracked after just 30 years, doubt the other one will last 300 years.

They're still worth alot! Cracked square notch FML mags in MA were still going for $250+ each, although a mint one would have fetched > $450. @Reptile