I've gotta be honest, this is kind of a boring weapon.
And design-wise, it's ugly. A couple of rectangles overlapped, like a gun drawn by a child.
And yet for some reason it's quite popular:
The Glock.
A polymer-framed pistol hailing from Austria, and perhaps the most successful of the 'wonder
nines'.
So, how did an obscure Austrian plastic manufacturer have such an impact on the arms industry?
What was so special about Glock's design?
And are they really invisible to X-Rays?
During World War 2, Austria's service pistol was the Walther P38 - a perfectly serviceable
semi-auto pistol, and it retained its role for some time after the war.
However, by the late 1970s there were better alternatives and the Austrian armed forces
began seeking a replacement pistol in 1980.
The most likely contender at this time was the Steyr GB: designed in 1968 and boasting
some novel features, but it faced stiff competition from other European manufacturers such as
Beretta and Sig Sauer.
But surely the Austrians would select a home-grown weapon - and Steyr were pretty much the only
Austrian arms manufacturer going. It was a shoo-in!
However, there was an outsider. A man named Gaston Glock.
He was the founder of a small manufacturing company based in Deutsch-Wagram that made
polymer products - originally curtain rods and door knobs.
By the late 1970s, Glock had found a niche in products for the military: entrenching
tools, knives, and disintegrating links.
They'd never made any firearms before, but when Glock caught wind of the upcoming tender
for a replacement pistol he decided to design his own.
He was guided by the standards set by the Austrian Ministry of Defence: the new weapon
had to be a 9mm semi-auto; high capacity; ambidextrous; drop safe; easy to maintain;
and of simple, interchangeable, construction.
Unhindered by any preconception or existing tooling, this was an entirely new pistol designed
to an exacting specification.
He called it the Glock 17, as it was his 17th invention - that its magazine capacity was
17 rounds was serendipity.
In 1982 Glock submitted his handgun design to the Austrian military for testing - where
it would be up against heavyweights such as Sig Sauer's P220 and 226, H&K's P7 and the
Beretta 92.
The prize was an order of 25,000 units - and somehow the rank outsider clinched it. Glock's
design proved its capability, outperforming all of its rivals.
Now, the Americans had just settled on the Beretta, so news of a hitherto unknown name
in firearms beating established manufacturers was surprising to say the least.
There was concern that the high capacity magazine would prove useful for criminals, and that
the plastic frame would be invisible on airport x-ray machines. It was described as 'tailor
made for terrorists'.
However, most of these fears were unfounded - the metal components of the Glock are still
quite recognisable as a firearm - and by now, high capacity weapons were the norm. Eventually,
the resistance to the Glock dissipated.
After all, you can't keep a good design down - and more and more police and military forces
realised the Glock's potential, with the weapon seeing rapid adoption throughout the 1990s.
The plastic pistol from Austria was ready for the silver screen.
Die Hard 2 wasn't the first film the Glock made an appearance in, but it's probably the
first memorable one.
The fictional Glock 7 is described as 'a porcelain gun made in Germany' that 'doesn't show up
on your airport X-ray machines' and 'costs more than what you make in a month!''
The quote is wrong on almost every count, but the gun was new and it was cool.
As its popularity surged, the Glock became an increasingly common sight - often seen
in the hands of fictional law enforcement; such as in Robocop III, The Fugitive, and
Beverly Hills Cop III.
Fellow Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger was reportedly a fan, and the Glock makes an appearance
in True Lies: Eraser; and End of Days.
Even the word 'Glock' itself became a byword for firepower, a frequent reference in gangsta
rap: such as Ice T's 'O.G. Original Gangster'; Dr Dre's 'Let Me Ride'; and Ice Cube's 'You
Know How We Do It'.
Right from the start, the pistol has refused stereotype: civilian, police, military, terrorist,
gang banger - the Glock is for everyone.
This universal appeal was helped by a large number of variants, model numbers starting
with the 17 and ascending.
The Glock 18, a fully automatic machine pistol: The 19, with compact frame. 20, made for the
hard-hitting 10mm Auto; 21, in .45 ACP; the 22, 23 and 24 in .40 Smith & Wesson; The 25
in .380 ACP. The 26, a subcompact Glock in 9mm, ideal for concealed carry.
The list goes on - a whole range of calibres, a whole range of sizes.
Despite some issues with the earlier .40 cal models (mostly a consequence of hotter-than-usual
rounds), Glock's original design has proven quite adaptable - and today, the pistol for
everyone is everywhere.
Naturally this means they're a popular choice for video games and the Glock is one of the
more attainable weapons within a typical arsenal.
However, being a pistol, it's often sidelined to a secondary role: a backup to your SMG
or assault rifle.
It's not a glamorous job, but such is the pistol's lot.
But in the early days of the FPS, lower-ranking weapons within the power hierarchy got their
share of attention by being the first weapons you got to play with.
This coincides with the Glock's rapid rise in popularity during the late 90s, so early
appearances in games like Duke Nukem 3D and Half-Life aren't too surprising.
As more realistic games took hold, we start to see a reflection of the Glock's popularity
with law enforcement and military units: games like SWAT 4, the Delta Force and Rainbow Six
series all feature the Glock in some form.
Of course, it's not always called the 'Glock' in games - it is a commercial trademark, so
it's often changed to avoid legal trouble.
Most often the 'Glock 17' will be known as the 'G17', or perhaps as one of its military
designations. In some cases where firearms are less of a focus, it might be entirely
generic: the '9mm pistol' or similar.
There's no mistaking its boxy exterior though. The Glock's familiarity is its key distinction.
The entire Glock lineup is broadly similar - they all look and behave in pretty much
the same way: but there is one exception. The forbidden Glock 18.
It is disproportionately popular in games, probably because it's more interesting and
exciting than the semi-automatic pistols it resembles.
In gameplay terms, it fills an interesting role that not many other recognisable weapons
can: a pocket-sized auto, seldom controllable but always quite good fun.
The akimbo Glocks from Modern Warfare 2 are a particularly memorable example: they were
surprisingly effective, even without the ability to aim.
So as dull as pistols can be, there's something to like about the Glock. A utilitarian charm.
It's just a gun.
It's just a gun that does its job extraordinary well.
It's lost its exotic edge - no longer is it the plastic European wonder that changed America's
outlook on handguns - but it's matured into a modern classic that might just outlast us
all.
So, welcome to the default option.
A versatile pistol with broad appeal.
It's true, there are better looking weapons out there and some more suited to specific
roles - but there's a Glock good enough for everyone.
Besides, sometimes ugly is beautiful:
and sometimes boring is exactly what you need.
The Glock.
Neutral.
Universal.
Perfect.
Thank you very much for watching - and until next time, farewell.