Glock Handguns – Did You Know?
Gaston Glock founder of the Glock handgun started designing at the age of 81 in southern Austria in the early 1980’s. At the time, the Austrian Army desired a light durable weapon capable of holding more than eight rounds. Glock went to work fabricating a frame from injection molded polymer – an extremely light, strong and corrosive resistant material. Polymer is 86% lighter than steel – thus Glock was well on his way to meeting the Austrian Army’s goal.
To ensure he would be able to continue his mechanical drawings for the handgun, Glock tested by shooting left handed. Luckily, no mishaps with the weapon left the designer with both hands – no injuries. In 1981 Glock filed for a patent which so happened to be his 17th. Thus the Glock 17 was born – 17th patent and coincidentally the weapon would hold 17 rounds plus one in the chamber. In 1982 the Glock 17 surpassed 5 other handgun models in competitive trials. The Austrian Army ordered 20,000.
With the help of Karl Walter, a native Austrian who was already selling imported rifles to U.S. police departments, Glock’s imported handguns would turn a country that preferred revolvers to handguns upside down. In 1984 Walter called on Gaston Glock and offered to sell his handgun in America. Glock’s American subsidiary was set up in 1985 and nearly one year later the American police force decided they needed a new duty weapon.
The early to mid 1980’s were a wake up call to the for the U.S. police force in that they were realized they were out-gunned by the criminal element. By late 1986 Miami, Dallas, San Francisco and other police departments took the Glock on as their duty weapon. Many officers’ lives were saved due to the increased capacity of rounds that the weapon could hold.
All the while gun control advocates would do their best to stop the increased interest and sales of the Glock. The anti-Glock campaign died down after the Federal Aviation Administration advised that the Glock pistol would be detectable – counteracting the anti-gun advocate mantra that the Glock if dismantled would be untraceable and easy to smuggle past airport security.
In 1994 it was feared the assault weapons ban passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton would harm Glock. However, due to a compromise the administration was forced to make to ensure the law passed, the ban did not extend to the sale of gear manufactured prior to the ban. Glock could sell high capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds as they already had plenty in stock manufactured prior the ban and gun owners were snapping them up quickly.
In response to the assault weapons ban Glock engineered a new line of smaller handguns. Referred to as “pocket rockets” the guns held 10 or less rounds. Glock introduced the Glock 26 and Glock 27 in 9mm and .40 caliber. The new models sported an inch shorter barrel and grip than the standard Glocks. The smaller handguns were very popular with women.
Before 1987 only 10 states had right to carry laws. By 1995 11 more states joined in and today 48 states have some type of carry conceal law. Thanks in part to the popularity of the Glock 26 & 27 handguns as well as the NRA’s powerful lobbying. As the assault weapons ban was allowed to expire in 2004 by President George W. Bush, Glock re-entered the large capacity magazine trade. Yet again, the anti-gun movement continues to look for ways to ban the manufacturing, sale, and possession of all magazines above an 8 or 10 round capacity.
As this is being written, Arizona is now hearing rumblings of banning high capacity magazines due to the Tucson shooting of Gabrielle Giffords. So, now we Arizonans will just have to carry more magazines. Seriously, any well trained shooter can perform a tactical reload faster than any bystander could take them down. Banning high capacity magazines will NOT stop psychopaths.
Glock has survived and come out on top when the anti-gun groups have tried to limit their abilities. Lesson learned? Banning guns, high capacity magazines and the like do nothing to stop stone cold killers. Deranged people will find a way to get what they need to do their dirty work. Leaving law abiding citizens with no rights to carry conceal or even own a weapon for self protection is not the answer.
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It must run in the blood – talking to my brother about the 100th anniversary of the 1911 and what does he tell me? My brother had four little cupcakes with candles for his four 1911’s. We are one gun loving family!
In light of the tragic shooting in Tucson Arizona of Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, 6 others, and at least 12 wounded my review of the Glock 19 will be completed at a later date. Please keep the families in your prayers.
