We’ve known for several weeks that Glock managed to design handguns that defeated an FBI RFP for new agency pistols designed to favor the Sig Sauer P320 system and exclude all other contenders.

What we didn’t know at the time is how Glock managed to do it; the RFP was specifically tailored to exclude pistols like the 3rd and 4th generation Glocks, which include finger grooves on the front of the pistol frame (above).

The Answer is simple: Glock designed a 5th generation pistol called the “M” series featuring the G19M (compact) and G17M (full-size) pistols.

A picture of the G19M leaked several weeks ago to AR15.com, but the source of the photo was unknown, and it was impossible to tell if this was in fact a real 5th generation Glock, or just a very well done bit of photoshop.

Well, now we have a tantalizing series of images leaked to The Firearm Blog from the Indianapolis Metro Police Department, one of the first agencies to get the new pistols, reportedly from an officer training with the new guns.

Be sure to follow the link over to The Firearm Blog for a full description of the new feature set and more photos of the new Glocks.

The company seems to have really listened to professional consumer feedback on what they wanted in a handgun in building these 5th generation pistols.

Now, let me throw a bit more informed speculation at you.

How much do you want to bet that the 5th generation Glock “M” series were the versions of the G17 and G22 entered into the Army’s Modular Handgun System competition?

We identified the Sig P320 as the gun to beat for the military’s next pistol contract after the Detonics/STI team mysteriously failed to enter the STX, and now that the Glock “M” series has defeated the P320 in the FBI trials, it would seem to have a leg up on winning the Modular Handgun System contract as well.