• Based on a Glock 34 Gen3
• Laser etching, Stippling & Slidework by 2A Tactical LLC
• Cerakote by Koted Arms
The annals of myth and legend are filled with legendary and mythic weapons. Possibly the most well-known named weapon is Excalibur, King Arthur’s famed sword, which the good king pulled from a stone when he was but a lowly squire, ignorant of his own lineage, and which he then had to retrieve from the mysterious Lady of the Lake after ordering it thrown away as he lay on what seemed his deathbed.
After Arthur’s blade, possibly the next most recognizable legendary weapons were those wielded by the old Norse gods—partly thanks, perhaps, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Norse god of thunder, Thor, wielded a magical hammer called Mjölnir, which would return to his hand when thrown in anger, boomerang-like.
Thor’s father, Odin, carried an ensorcelled spear called Gungnir that might be regarded as history’s first “smart” weapon. Like Thor’s hammer, it was crafted by the ancient Norse dwarves, whose weaponsmithing and metalworking skills were beyond reproach, and was reportedly so well-balanced that it struck its intended target inevitably, regardless of the wielder’s strength or skill.
Almost everyone today has heard of Excalibur and Mjölnir. But how many people know about Tonbokiri, a spear crafted by a legendary Japanese weaponsmith that was reputed to be so sharp that a dragonfly landing on its point would be sliced in two? Or what about Claíomh Solais, sword of Nuada, king of the gods in Irish mythology, that was said to glow with the light of the sun and to also effortlessly cut things in two—chief among them the god-king’s foes in battle.
Reading the old stories, we can’t help but wonder. What would an ancient warrior (or king, or god?) wield if he found himself in the modern day? Browsing pics of this recent piece from 2A Tactical LLC, out of Gilbert, Arizona, we imagine he might be packing something like this.
Steve Gonos, 2A Tactical LLC chief and principal lasersmith, has a penchant for old Norse and Celtic designs, and the two come together in this one-off pistol from his archives. The base pistol is a Glock 34 Gen3, essentially an elongated version of the G17, with a longer barrel and slide. These two components gain 21mm (or 0.83-inch) over those of the G17, the latter also imparting to the gun a greater relative distance between the front and rear sights.
The result of all this is inherently greater accuracy for the platform, and the G34 has found wide use in competition circles—as well as becoming popular in professional use for LE and SWAT. Like the G17, the G34 is chambered for 9x19mm. (A variant chambered for .40 S&W, the G35, is also available and shares the same overall dimensions.)
This G34 has been modified mechanically with a Grey Ghost trigger and control bits from Tyrant CNC, including an extended magazine release, slide cover plate and mag extension, which attaches sans tools to a standard 17-round Glock magazine and adds five rounds of capacity for 9mm cartridges. Up top, a Swampfox red dot and Truglo suppressor-height irons provide targeting assistance.
Of course, the real story here is the intricate laser work performed on the pistol frame and slide. As noted, it is a marriage of Norse and Celtic designs. Both cultures were situated in northern Europe, both were known for producing fierce warriors, both shared a love for the oral tradition and storytelling, and both were known to be master craftsman of metal jewelry and weaponry. The intricate knot designs like those playing along the edges and recesses of this Glock are reminiscent of both cultures.
For the slide, a grinder was used to produce the weathered-stone effect along its entire length. The vertical cocking serrations remain intact, but every other surface, from the flats to the corners, has been subject to some sort of grinding. It’s a testament to Gonos’s patience and steadiness of hand that the overall slide shape remains dimensionally recognizable, but now appears as though it was fashioned from a slab of volcanic rock rather than steel bar stock. Painstaking Cerakote highlighting, applied by JD at Koted Arms, enhances the weathered effect.
The G34 frame has been completely reworked with stippled partitions and knotted highlights on the forward part of the trigger guard, in the finger groove recesses, and along the grip’s backstrap. Look closely at the stippled areas and you’ll note a distinct pebbled design with larger and smaller pebbles, giving the frame a very natural, what we might call “earthy” look that nicely complements the stonework aesthetic of the slide.
It’s a pattern you might see while looking down upon a stretch of coarse beach sand or fine gravel. Very subtle and tastefully done, it’s something you might miss unless you pause to look closely.
The grip’s side panels were cut out entirely and fitted with G10 inserts that were also applied to the grinder to mirror the worn-stone appearance of the slide. “The idea behind the G10 was to keep in line with the slide, but also to fill the palm swell,” Gonos says. “It is deceptively comfortable to hold.”
Additionally, the slide is adorned with relief-etched medallions on the sides, one of a pair of birds, the other a stylized rendition of what looks like the Norse Yggdrasil, or “World Tree,” from whose branches the entire cosmos was hung. Up top there is a rendition of Ægishjálmur, the “Helm of Awe” or “Helm of Terror” in Icelandic, a stave or sigil (a magical symbol, in layman’s terms) worn or carried to protect the warrior and allow him to prevail in battle.
The recesses on either side of the Tyrant mag extension are also adorned with knotwork and medallions depicting the Norse valknut—a symbol comprising three interlocking triangles and traditionally adorning the resting place of a fallen warrior—on one side, and a traditional depiction of Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, on the other.
And finally, there’s the proverb running along the sides of the slide, which reads in sum: “Better the trouble that follows death than the trouble that follows shame.” This is an old Irish saying that really needs no translation.
As with anything we’ve seen from Gonos and 2A Tactical, it’s an amazing piece of work that only gets more amazing the more you look at it. Keep in mind the designs you see, the knots and the medallions, as well as the text along the sides of the slide, are relief-etched, meaning material was removed from around the detailed portions to make said detail stand out, and you can start to appreciate the amount of work that goes into carving designs like these. Pair that with the painstaking color application from Koted Arms, and you’ve got a legendary weapon suitable for a mythic warrior.
It’s without doubt something Arthur, Nuada or Thor would have been pleased to carry into battle. Images by Jay Canter
Build Sheet
2A Tactical LLC Glock 34 Gen3
Specifications
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 22 + 1
Coating: Cerakote by Koted Arms
Featured Accessories
Slide: Ground and laser-etched G34 by 2A Tactical LLC
Frame: Stippled and laser-etched by 2A Tactical LLC
Parts & Accessories: Tyrant CNC extended mag release, side end plate & magazine base, Swampfox Optics reflex sight, Grey Ghost trigger, Truglo suppressor-height iron sights
About the Builder
2A Tactical LLC
IG: @2a_tactical_az
URL: 2atacticalllc.com