The Holy Grail of Glocks: Serial Number ABG000

There are some firearms out there that, even if you don’t necessarily like the firearm itself, are worth collecting because of their rarity. That’s exactly what’s going on with today’s rare Glock example acquired by long-time TFB reader and supporter Sebastian Unger. An Austrian man himself, Sebastian is, ironically enough, not a huge fan of Glock pistols but is instead a hardcore cheerleader for the very American 1911 platform. The Glock 19 we’re looking at today, with serial number ABG000, is a rare intersection of Gaston Glock's personal oversight and early factory craftsmanship. Now owned by Sebastian Unger, this second-generation pistol underwent in-house hand-engraving at the Glock factory on Gaston's direct instruction and is one of the very few times factory “specials” have left Glock's doors and entered the hands of a select few. Let’s take a closer look at the one that Sebastian has shared with us today.

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The Holy Grail of Glocks: Serial Number ABG000

Sebastian provided me with some highly selective details about the pistol itself after he acquired it.

"The Glock 19 ABG000 is a hand-engraved firearm which, to my knowledge, was produced on the personal instruction of Mr. Gaston Glock, with the engraving being carried out in-house at the factory. Even at that time, the slides were already heat-treated, making subsequent engraving impossible. The pistols were engraved, hardened, and then proof-fired. The barrel marking 'BDK' indicates the proof date: 'B' stands for April, 'D' for 9, and 'K' for 2, meaning the firearm underwent official proofing in April 1992. The condition of the pistol is essentially as-new; likely, only a few rounds were ever fired through it during the mandatory proofing. I have neither lubricated nor cleaned the pistol; it remains exactly as I received it. The original owner probably never even unpacked it after acquiring it."

Basically, what Sebastian is communicating here is that this is a verifiable in-house engraving job - something only done a handful of other times in all of Glock’s history as a firearms company. I suppose that over here in the States, we are quite accustomed to seeing custom-engraved Glocks (many of which are abominations). However, Glock, as a company, simply does not offer more “flashy” versions of their pistols, except in the rarest of circumstances. Sebastian’s assumption that the pistol is likely unfired isn’t a surprise at all, especially if this was given to a dignitary, business ally, or military officer as a gift.

He continues: 

"Through my firearms trade and specialization in collector’s pieces, I came across this pistol somewhat by chance. However, a close friend who worked at Glock at the time was even able to recall this specific firearm. He remembered wondering back then about the third letter 'G' in the serial number and was told it stood for 'Gaston.' As for the meaning of 'AB,' he himself was no longer certain. Throughout his career, he only saw a handful of such pistols—fewer than ten, he believed—and he is sure they were produced solely on the personal order of Gaston Glock himself. No information was passed down regarding the original owner, but it can be assumed that this firearm was a rare personal gift to a high-ranking individual."

Serial Number Prefixes - What does “ABG” mean?

Like any good Austrian product, Glock serial numbers (typically) follow a very standardized serialization process. Glocks always feature letter prefixes that primarily indicate production generation and batch sequencing rather than specific models or calibers, with the serialization process evolving from shorter codes in early models to longer ones later, often followed by three digits and sometimes a "US" suffix for imports. Prefix lengths also vary by generation: two-letter prefixes apply to Gen1 and early Gen2 Glock pistols, while three-letter prefixes cover late Gen2, Gen3, and early Gen4. As we move along in time, four-letter prefixes are used for Gen4 Variant 1, late Gen4, and Gen5.

Sebastian’s fancy engraved ABG000 Glock is similar but still different from another rare Glock pistol, like the series of 10 Glock 17 Generation 1 pistols with an ABXXX prefix from February 1984. Presented by Gaston to an “industrial friend” in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. This example featured some pretty atypical traits, including a smooth “brownish” slide finish, a thinner unblackened barrel, and blacked trigger internals diverging from AA/AB prototypes and production examples. In the video below, you can see a field-stripped view of an ABXXX serial Glock, which shows off its weird appearance, including a complete lack of a serial number plate in the dust cover. I think it serves as a pretty neat contrast to Sebastian’s example, which was also a gift, but one likely meant for someone outside of the industry who would appreciate the engraving.

Engraving at Glock

Over the years, as Glock continued to perfect perfection, and other special serialized Glocks emerged in later factory customs, which had their own special serial number prefixes. The ELP-prefix pistols are a true departure from even the ABXXX serials and came with an intentionally ostentatious Gold engraving. A 2002 SHOT Show display of three of these Glock 19s showcased just a few single examples of the 10 matched sets totaling 30 pistols that also included 17 and 22 Glock models in addition to the 19s. One example of these guns is just below - these sometimes show up on GunBroker and are less rare than our example today.

Getting back to Sebastian’s pistol, even though on our end, we have no records naming the original recipient, I think we can infer by context that it was owned by a high-ranking figure. I would assume it would be a military officer, political ally, or executive partner worthy of a gift that only Gastdon himself could give, perhaps as a nice “thank you” gesture for a favor or support in some way. Unlike the promotional engravings or the anniversary sets Glock occasionally comes out with, this example lacked any of the fanfare or marketing tours in the big magazines.

The ABG000 is a perfect example of Gaston Glock's mid-career progression in gifting unique pieces to key contacts, such as defense officials during European deals or early 1990s business partners who aided his rise to a polymer firearms powerhouse before his 2023 passing at 94. Despite building an empire on what many would call a soulless or boringly reliable design, he commissioned hand-engraved custom one-offs for allies and friends. Sebastian possesses this pristine rarity, and the complete backstory of this singular Glock pistol could probably make for an interesting industrial intrigue book.