The Glock.
One of the most famous names in firearm history.
But this iconic handgun has a lot of secrets in its past.
Here are twenty things you never knew about the Glock pistol.
#20.
It Didn’t Start With Guns
The company’s namesake, Gaston Glock, was born in 1929 in the First Austrian Republic,
and worked as an engineer.
He started his corporation in the years after the second World War and set out to become
the world’s most successful manufacturer of...curtain rods.
I suppose they could be used as weapons.
He got a little closer to his iconic invention in the 1970s, when Glock got into the manufacture
of knives for the Austrian military.
But he never designed any kind of firearm until he was in his fifties.
#19.
Military Makings
Glock got its start in housewares, but it quickly gained a reputation as one of the
best manufacturers for military supplies.
Not only were its knives top quality, but it got into developing training grenades,
casings, and machine gun belt links that would hold up in the field.
That created a need for mass production, as the rebuilding Austrian military wanted supplies.
So in 1980, Gaston Glock bought an injection-molding machine to quickly produce polymer components
for the equipment.
And that was the beginning of a sea change…
#18.
A VERY Meaningful Year
Gaston Glock worked out of his garage workshop, and only started designing his first pistol
in 1980, He worked with employees who came from the camera industry and were experienced
in working with polymers, and it took less than a year from design to production.
And in April 1981, he filed for an Austrian patent for the handgun that would change the
world - the Glock 17, a lightweight and low-cost gun that would become one of the hallmarks
of the firearm industry.
And once Glock found his new field, he would never look back.
#17.
Makings of a Legend
What makes Glock guns stand out from the competition?
For one thing, they’re almost shockingly lightweight.
Without a magazine, the Glock 17 is only twenty-two ounces, With a full magazine, it barely doubles
the weight of the gun in most cases.
This makes them easy to carry and aim, no matter whether someone’s an experienced
marksman or has never picked up a gun before.
So exactly how does it get away with being that light?
While the inner makings of the gun are primarily steel, almost all exterior parts are made
from a lightweight and durable polymer that gives it a distinct plastic feel.
#16.
Ready...Set...Assemble!
Most machines have countless parts that can be nearly impossible for an untrained person
to disassemble and put back together.
But the Glock proves that sometimes, simple is better.
The Glock 17, and every model that came after it, have only 34 parts.
Diagrams are available online that show exactly how to strip a gun and put it back together.
So why is the Glock designed as such a simple machine?
Well, the Austrian military wanted it that way.
The initial contract wanted a simple gun with no more than fifty-eight parts - and Gaston
Glock did them one better.
Simpler than expected and under budget - a rarity for design projects!
Our next fact shows that Glock was not just willing to place his reputation on his firearm
design, but his fingers!
#15.
Safety First
Gaston Glock tested his new, unique guns himself, and those who watched him shoot the lightweight
pistols noticed something interesting - he would always shoot them with his non-dominant
left hand.
This showed that the gun was easy to use with any hand, but there was also a darker reason
behind this unconventional stance.
There’s a risk with trying any new gun design - and a catastrophic failure could easily
blow off some fingers on the tester’s hand.
Well, Glock figured he could spare those fingers more on his left than his right - but his
design was sound and he came out of testing with all ten intact.
#14.
Gun Runners?
The polymer exterior of Glock handguns is made of the mysterious-named Polymer 2 today.
The company keeps its trade secrets close to its chest, and many business investigators
have tried to figure out its secrets.
While the company isn’t talking, the mystery of the exterior of the Glock 19 may have been
cracked - with analysts believing it could be Zytel Nylon, one of the most wear-and-tear-resistant
polymers out there.
It’s best known as the material used to make highly-resistant track shoes worn by
Olympic sprinters - meaning fast bullets and fast runners could have something in common.
#13.
Growing Fast
The Glock 17 was the biggest hit in the company’s history, as the semi-automatic polymer pistols
started taking over the market.
But that didn’t mean they became exclusively a gun manufacturer.
The company later filed patents for all sorts of high-quality field equipment, including
a folding spade that could fit in an equipment kit, and a method for removing heavy metals
from water to make it drinkable.
The Glock medical sciences division even patented a safe method of treating vaginal bacterial
infections - which has likely caused some shocked expressions at gynecologists' offices.
(Note to animators, for that previous bit show bacteria on human skin and then show
‘good’ bacteria charging in from opposite side of screen, each one firing a gun in each
hand wildly in the air)
#12.
A Secret Weapon
The Glock 17 is the original model, and the Glock 19 is the modern upgrade.
So what happened to the Glock 18?
Well, it’s very similar to the others, with one big difference - it can shift between
semi-automatic mode, and fully automatic mode.
And in fully automatic mode, it can shoot as fast as it can be reloaded - with a maximum
capacity of a stunning 1,200 rounds a minute.
There’s only one problem - the danger of a fully automatic handgun in the hands of
criminals would be massive, and most countries including the United States have banned their
sale.
So the Glock 18 remains a highly rare piece of contraband in most places - except where
it’s used as a military weapon.
#11.
The Choice of Police
It was the 1980s, and the Glock was just starting to gain in popularity.
But it was about to get the biggest client possible - the majority of American police
forces.
Until that point, police were mostly armed with a classic Smith & Wesson .38 revolver,
but they were quickly being outmatched by criminals.
There were multiple incidents where they either lost officers or had to retreat simply because
they couldn’t match the criminals’ fire.
Gaston Glock saw this opportunity and marketed his lightweight, fast-firing, easy-to-produce
handguns to police forces - and they responded, with most major American cities contracting
with him eventually, along with governments around the world.
But if something’s good for the cops, then it’s bound to be just as good for committing
crimes…
#10.
...And of Criminals?
With any arms race, the bad guys are going to get into the game eventually too.
As the Glock became popular with police officers, criminals armed up as well - and a rumor started
to spread.
Because of the Glock’s polymer exterior, many people believed it was actually a plastic
or porcelain gun that would be invisible to metal detectors.
You could smuggle it into a bank or an airplane without being detected - perfect for a robbery
or hijacking.
There was just one problem - it wasn’t actually true.
The Glock has a polymer exterior, but it’s actually over eighty percent steel in total
weight - to say nothing about ammunition.
It would be picked up by all but the weakest metal detectors, likely resulting in a lot
of surprised criminals.
#9.
Hollywood Superstar
It wasn’t long before movies and TV got into the act of promoting the hottest gun
around.
It made one of its earliest appearances in the forgotten action movie Freejack, where
it played opposite Mick Jagger.
It would later be wielded by TV heroes including Agent Fox Mulder of The X-Files, and the Best
Picture-winning heroes of The Hurt Locker.
But its most iconic appearance would be in Die Hard 2: Die Harder - where Bruce Willis’
John McClane would claim it was an undetectable porcelain gun.
Hey, John McClane kicked asses, not taught science classes.
#8.
Shooting Lyrics
Movies and TV weren’t the only area where the Glock became famous.
In the 1990s, there was no faster-growing music market than rap, and top rappers like
Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur frequently rapped about violence and gang warfare.
Their weapon of choice in many of those lyrics?
You guessed it - the Glock.
Not only did it have a reputation as a powerful and deadly weapon ideal for shootouts, but
its name just sounds good for lyrics.
Smith and Wesson doesn’t quite roll off the tongue the same way.
Of course, as the East Coast vs. West Coast wars heated up, some got more up-close-and-personal
with the gun than they wanted - it was a Glock that killed Tupac in a still-unsolved murder.
#7.
Are You In the Club?
For many people, Glock isn’t just a handgun - it’s a way of life.
Not only do they collect the firearms, but they’re members of the Glock Sport Shooting
Foundation.
Aiming to raise awareness of target shooting at a sport, it has over twenty-two thousand
members and organizes over a hundred shooting events every year.
All you need to do to join is compete with a Glock pistol and pay a membership fee - which
is included in the purchase of a Glock gun.
While there’s some controversy over the foundation’s family-friendly shooting events,
Glock defends the group as a good way to teach firearms safety.
#6.
Exponential Growth?
When Glock was founded in 1963, it was a tiny company of only three employees, meaning Gaston
Glock had to do much of the work himself.
Since then, it’s become an international sensation - but is still a small company by
comparison to many international brands.
It’s still privately held and can’t be invested in on the stock market like other
major gun brands such as Sturm Ruger.
While much of its manufacturing is handled outside the company, the actual Glock Ges.m.b.H
corporation only has just under twelve hundred employees as of 2013 - a fraction of what
other weapons manufacturers do, and a testament to its humble beginnings.
But the Glock corporation may be facing some serious interior problems…
#5.
Financial Troubles?
Glock has been targeted by multiple embezzlement schemes over the years - and it wasn’t low-level
employees looking to get rich.
High-ranking members of the company have been indicted and convicted for racketeering, including
the former CEO of the US subsidiary Glock Inc.
So what makes this company so vulnerable to financial crimes?
Well, it probably doesn't help that the company’s structure is more than a little complicated.
The company uses shell companies around the world to run its business, helping it avoid
high taxes in developed countries by operating in tax havens,
#4.
More Dangerous Than the Average Gun?
Glock pistols lack one feature common to your average handgun - a safety.
While this is common in handguns to prevent them from accidentally going off at home,
Glocks instead use a more complicated “Safe Action” system that disengages automatically
when the trigger is squeezed.
This means the gun is less likely to go off accidentally - but is still dangerous should
it wind up in the hand of someone who shouldn’t be holding it.
The reason for this change?
Glock wasn’t designed for civilian use, but for military and police use - and they
would want the ability to fire to be as accessible as possible.
More dangerous?
That depends on who’s holding it.
#3.
Lots of Choice
What do gun aficionados have in common with Pokemon players?
For some, you’ve got to catch them all.
That’s why Glock releases a lot of varieties to its standard models.
While the Glock 17 and Glock 19 are the most common models, there are many variations of
each with slightly different sights, frames, and other features.
They’ve also introduced new smaller models ideal for concealed carry, which means they
have a shorter and slimmer build designed for slipping into a pocket.
#2.
Still Kicking
Gaston Glock was born in 1929, lived through the Second World War, founded his company
fifty-eight years ago - and is still going strong at almost 92 years old.
He is still the majority owner of his company, although that may be pending - he and his
wife of fifty-three years divorced in 2011, and legal battles are still ongoing.
With a net worth of just over a billion dollars, he remains active in both charity and politics
in his native Austria.
But that long life hasn’t been without close calls.
#1.
Still Kicking...Barely!
For a man whose life’s work has centered around guns, Gaston Glock’s closest call
came in an unexpected way.
It was 1999, and he had just uncovered that one of his most trusted advisors, Charles
Everett, had been embezzling from the company.
Glock confronted the man personally - but Everett had come prepared.
He had hired a French mercenary to assassinate Glock, and the hired goon attacked - with
a large mallet.
It may not have been the best choice of weapon, as the 70-year-old Glock was able to fight
back, and both Everett and his henchmen were eventually convicted of attempted murder.
For more on the world’s deadliest weapons, check out “Most Successful Weapons Ever
Invented”, or watch “Evolution of AK-47 Rifle” for the story of the military’s
greatest weapon of war.