The G17 is forty-three years old. The Gen5 is the fifth revision of the design that started the polymer-frame pistol category. The 4.49" barrel and 7.32" slide give it more reciprocating mass than any compact, and owners who shoot both the G17 and G19 back to back consistently describe the G17 as noticeably softer in recoil. The longer slide spreads the recoil impulse over more travel distance. At 24.87 oz unloaded, the gun sits right between the HK VP9 (25.56 oz) and the S&W M&P 9 M2.0 (24.7 oz).

Seventeen rounds in the flush magazine, a 6.5" sight radius for solid iron sight accuracy at 25 yards, and three magazines in the box. The Gen5 Marksman barrel tightened mechanical accuracy over the Gen4. The Picatinny rail accepts full-size weapon lights without adapters. No optic cut on the standard model, which is the gun's clearest limitation against modern competitors like the IWI Masada and Walther PDP that ship optic-ready.

Buy the G17 Gen5 if you want the largest aftermarket ecosystem of any handgun and a gun that every gunsmith in the country knows how to work on. More holsters, sights, lights, triggers, and replacement parts exist for this platform than for anything else. Skip it if an optic cut matters to you. The MOS version adds one, but the Springfield Echelon ships optic-ready with 20-round capacity in a similar package.