[Texas1835]

I’m in the process of researching the early Non-US prefixes and came across this AN (sadly not mine) that was auctioned off in Austria last year.

This is the highest AN I have found with the latest proof date (Nov-89) and the only Gen2. Glock had not added the SN to the frame of Non-US Austrian guns yet, so there is no way to ensure it really should be a Gen2, but it’s a few months past the final Gen1 and right in the middle of Gen2 production so it plausible.

Making it more interesting is the slide marking: “Geros, Gero Hell” which I have not yet been able to find any info.

Questions to the group:
1. In this the highest AN that you guys have seen?
2. Is it really a Gen2, and has anyone seen any other Gen2 AN’s?
3. Any thoughts on the slide marking?

 

[Galwegan]

🪰

 

[DownUnder4]

Your top 2 pictures are an AB prefix Gen 1…..

Wrong pics?

 

[premiertactical]

Amazing find there Texas. Your google-fu is powerful.

This is indeed the highest I have ever came across. I was surprised to see this with a Gen 2 frame, and the later manufacture date in 1989.

I know of no other AN prefix Gen 2.

You found the difficulty in trying to decipher the slide engraving. Fortunately we have a Gunter who can offer some clarity on the meaning.

How in the world did you find this?

 

[Texas1835]

Your top 2 pictures are an AB prefix Gen 1…..

Wrong pics?

Well dang it. Pictures updated. Obviously I’ve downloaded way too many pictures on my phone lately.

 

[Texas1835]

The google search tools are getting way better, and Google translate helps a bit too. It’s a pain, but changing your region in Google settings is a must.

I’m making my way through the Austrian auction houses and luckily many of them keep the old auctions online. Only challenge is that the older ones are low resolution and you can’t make out the markings.

 

[CoyoteGlock]

Possibly a replacement frame

 

[Texas1835]

Possibly a replacement frame

There is potential that it’s a replacement frame. I’ve seen lots of examples of very early Gen1 slides on much later frames.

The last Gen1 that I have recorded was proofed in Mar-89, and this AN is Nov-89. So it’s possible that it was a Gen2 coming out of the factory.

 

[CoyoteGlock]

There is potential that it’s a replacement frame. I’ve seen lots of examples of very early Gen1 slides on much later frames.

The last Gen1 that I have recorded was proofed in Mar-89, and this AN is Nov-89. So it’s possible that it was a Gen2 coming out of the factory.

In willing to bet that the slide and barrel were produced years before, along with other AN pistols. Then, after being set aside for whatever reason, was later proofed and finally assembled after some time which is why it wound up with a Gen 2 frame.

 

[sawtoothjoe]

I think the side markings are legit and pre date Dragon Ball Lot detail - Pistol Glock 17 Gen2 Cal. 9mm Luger #AN650 § B (W823-23) Edit: this is a fun one in that its two fonts,Geros is Greek for Old/ Mature/grown. Gero seems to be Basque for future/ future tense and Hell Missery/ Dispare. So "Old Future Misery", it feels like a warning, a remembrance but I take it as War. This is like deciphering "ALE" in the AN prefix, but the two fonts seem to mean something. Edit this could be a motto for an organization or unit. This seems to be a block of special runs for different police/mil organizations.

 

[premiertactical]

The only issue I see with the slide being stored, is AN as a prefix used for select projects/production.
November is pretty late for a test date on the barrel.
It’s reasonable to believe the slide and barrel were manufactured late 1989. Gen 2 has been in production. A request is made for a special engraved run of at least one 17 model.

Glock would use a frame that they were currently producing.

There would be no reason to place a late 89 slide onto a frame they no longer produced.

AN continues to be a very unique and special prefix for Glock. I know of Gen 1 17, Gen 1 17L, Gen 1 19, and Gen 2 17 being produced within this prefix. Outside the 19’s, only one of each of the other three have been actually seen.

It’s conceivable that Glock may still have open slots within AN to this day.

All my opinion…

 

[aberrant]

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Maybe you uncovered the previous owner

 

[gunter_h]

I saw this at auction but was unwilling to pay 750 EUR plus fees (975 EUR total) for two letter gen2 that somebody had their name engraved on. Especially given that there was no history provided as to who Gero Hell might be. The telephone directory lists

Hell Gero
Villach-Völkendorf, Zeno-Goess-Str 15, 9500 Villach

and a specialized bike shop that build custom frames for top athletes

rad-hellge.at - Colnago, Merida, Scott, Koga-Miyata - Rennräder, Triathlonräder, Mountainbikes, Carb

So it is quite plausible that this guy would engrave his name on a pistol just for fun.

 

[DaleGribble]

Here's a Gero Hell from FaceBook.

He's holding some sort of skull, in front of a Mercedes with some sort of European license plate. He looks like he'd be a dude to get his name engraved on a Glock. I'd like to meet that guy, bet he's pretty cool...

 

[gunter_h]

The license plate matches the town of Villach. He is holding a red deer trophy, which means he has invested significant amounts of money in hunting (which is a craft in Austria, and costs a lot due to the hunting area system). So yes, I think that is probably the same guy. Note that German does not have an "posessive apostrophe" (at least not originally), so GEROS would be GERO'S pistol.

 

[glockhoarder]

A fantastic thread!! Thanks to all.

I've long thought that AN is perhaps the most interesting and certainly most important block.

 

[L.A.Tactical]

There is potential that it’s a replacement frame. I’ve seen lots of examples of very early Gen1 slides on much later frames.

The last Gen1 that I have recorded was proofed in Mar-89, and this AN is Nov-89. So it’s possible that it was a Gen2 coming out of the factory.

I've got a BG prefix that's on a Gen 3 frame... but it was done like Glock did replacements here: if you are willing to wait, they will send a frame with your same serial number with a "1" in front of it. By '89, they were putting serial plates in all production so the number can't legally match on a replacement frame.

 

[Texas1835]

LAT - When did they start stamping non-US frames?

This 17.2 LB119 is the only non-US I’ve found that was proofed in Nov-89. It has the plate but no numbers.

 

[premiertactical]

I have never seen a Gen 2 frame without the plate. I have seen several with it and unstamped.

My understanding is the new mold had this feature designed into it from manufacture. All Gen 2 frames and on, would have the plate.

 

[L.A.Tactical]

LAT - When did they start stamping non-US frames?

This 17.2 LB119 is the only non-US I’ve found that was proofed in Nov-89. It has the plate but no numbers.

View attachment 1394302
View attachment 1394301

I don't have a hard cut-off for what serial prefix. But things started getting stream-lined in '88/'89 and the variations started to go away. As Premier mentioned, they started by putting the plate in all the frames even if there wasn't a number stamped.

The L serial Block is when they stopped model marking the frames (I assume because they were preparing for release of other calibers) so I would also guess that the serial started being stamped at the same time. We don't have a lot of examples to go off of. Here is an MA that has a blank serial plate: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1103910264

But that is a model 19 so it might have been made at the same time as earlier serial number 17s. Downunder has a 17L with the proof marks that I think is PB--can't remember if it has serial numbers.