If you are anything like me, at the beginning of your career retirement was something that barely registered on the radar. But as the years and miles stack up, handing over the reigns to the next generation becomes more and more attractive. For the most part, guns are different – unlike disposable accessories such as magazines, most guns are built to last a lifetime, depending on round counts, environmental variables and maintenance schedules. In the case of this soon to be retired Glock 21, it has been tested in more ways than one over nearly two decades of use.

Steve, owner/operator of ADCO Firearms and one of the most knowledgeable people in the world on the MK12 AR15 platform, recently posted some pictures of his personally owned Glock 21. Over 18 years of ownership, he has torture tested this pistol by burying it for two years, freezing, salting and dropping it from an airplane. After noticing damage to the locking lug, Steve may finally decide to retire his piece, although I personally think it just needs a new barrel to keep running.

Epic Glock 21 From Steve at ADCO Firearms:

Yes, that’s my 21. I had records and more pics but lost most everything in a hard drive crash several years ago. A few of us started doing that stupid stuff as a joke. I never expected it to be as popular as it became. Yesterday I was thinking about when we dropped it off a garage onto the blacktop with a primed case. It didn’t go off but hit hard enough to smash the bullets out of round.

All I replaced were the sights and recoil springs. The only pic I have of the bore is when it went 13K rounds without cleaning

Link to the Glock Talk Thread – 200K Glock 21

Sadly, I think it’s about finished. The front locking lug is noticeably worn, probably to the point where it is unlocking sooner than it should.