Umarex GLOCK 17 Gen3 · Volume 5
Buy Guide & Variants
5.1 The Core Decision: Green Gas or CO₂
For this platform the first and most consequential choice is not which retailer — it is which SKU, because the green-gas and CO₂ versions are separate guns (Volume 3). The decision comes down to climate and to what the buyer values in a slide cycle.
Choose the green-gas version for the most authentic experience: full gas blowback, the slide locking back on empty, the correct Glock manual of arms, and a propellant the gun was comfortably designed around. It ships with one magazine of ~20–22 rounds and chronographs around 290–300 fps. This is the default recommendation for most buyers, for training/handling use, and for anyone who cares that the slide fully cycles.
Choose the CO₂ version if cold-weather performance is the priority, or if higher velocity (~320–330 fps) and two magazines in the box matter more than full blowback. The trade-offs are real: lower capacity (14 rounds), blowback that is frequently reduced to half/NBB rather than full, and more stress on the internals. It is the right call for winter shooters and the wrong call for someone who wants the authentic full-cycle feel.
Table 1 — The Core Decision: Green Gas or CO₂
| If you want… | Buy |
|---|---|
| Authentic full blowback, correct lock-back | Green gas |
| Cold-weather reliability, higher FPS, 2 mags | CO₂ |
| Lowest stress on the gun’s internals | Green gas |
| The cheaper entry price | CO₂ (typically ~$130) |
5.2 Gen3 vs the Other Licensed Glocks
The Gen3 is one model in a family. Umarex/Elite Force, building on the same VFC-made licensed platform, also offers Gen4 and Gen5 (including Gen5 MOS) versions of the G17 family, and most are available in both green-gas and CO₂ flavors. The choice between generations is largely about which real Glock the buyer wants to replicate: the Gen3 is the finger-groove, fixed-backstrap configuration documented in this series; the Gen4 adds interchangeable backstraps and a rougher frame texture; the Gen5 drops the finger grooves, adds the ambidextrous slide stop and flared mag well, and the MOS variant adds an optics-cut slide. Mechanically they are siblings; pick the generation that matches the real pistol you’re emulating or the holster/optic ecosystem you already own.
5.3 Magazine Compatibility — Read Before You Buy Spares
This is the trap on the platform, and it is worth stating plainly. The Umarex/VFC green-gas magazine is built to VFC/Umarex spec and fits the family of VFC-built Umarex Glocks — the G17, G18C, G19X, and G45 (it also fits the G19, where it protrudes from the shorter grip). It does not work with KWC-built CO₂ Glocks, it does not work with the semi/non-blowback licensed Glock replicas, and it is not Tokyo Marui spec — so TM-Glock magazines and many TM-pattern parts will not interchange. When buying spare mags, buy the correct Umarex/VFC mag for your exact SKU (the green-gas and CO₂ mags are different parts — e.g. Evike #77833 for green gas, #91764 for CO₂).
5.4 Price
Prices are volatile and the gun periodically goes out of stock, so verify at purchase — but the tiers are consistent across retailers:
Table 2 — Prices are volatile and the gun periodically goes out of stock, so verify at purchase — but the tiers are consistent across retailers
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Green-gas Gen3 | ~$169.95 |
| CO₂ Gen3 (with 2 mags) | ~$129.95 |
| Spare green-gas magazine | ~$54.99 |
The prompt’s ~$130–170 range is accurate: the green-gas gun trends to roughly $170 and the CO₂ gun to roughly $130. Spare magazines are not cheap — budget around $55 for a green-gas spare, which is a meaningful fraction of the gun’s price and worth factoring into the total cost of ownership.
5.5 Where to Buy
The gun is carried by all the major US airsoft retailers; stock and price fluctuate across all of them, so it is worth checking several:
- Evike, Airsoft GI, Amped Airsoft, Airsoft Extreme — the core airsoft specialists
- Fox Airsoft, MiR Tactical, Pyramyd Air — additional specialists
- Bass Pro / Cabela’s, Amazon — mainstream retail (Amazon carries the Elite Force blowback listing)
Buy from a specialist where possible — they list the SKU-specific details (green gas vs CO₂, blowback type, mag count) accurately, which matters on this platform.
5.6 What to Check Before You Buy
- Confirm the SKU. Green gas and CO₂ are different guns — make sure the listing matches the propellant you intend to run.
- Confirm the blowback type on a CO₂ listing. It is frequently half-blowback/NBB; if you need a full slide cycle, that points to the green-gas gun.
- Confirm what’s in the box. Green-gas typically ships with one mag; CO₂ with two. Plan spare-mag cost accordingly.
- Verify the markings are the licensed Gen3 if authenticity is the reason you’re buying — full rollmarks, molded frame logos, Gen3 grip texture.
- Check holster/light fitment against your existing real-steel Glock gear — the external dimensions should match a real G17 Gen3, but confirm for your specific holster.
- Buy the correct VFC/Umarex spare mags for your SKU — not TM-pattern, not KWC.