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Glock Founder Gaston Glock Has Died: 1929-2023
- Jerrrry 3y agoGlocks are, by far, the most reliable, versatile pistol to have been manufactured en masse. The only thing wrong with Glocks is the patent-scheme confusing naming convention.
- engineer_22 3y agohow is the naming convention a patent-scheme? I am unfamiliar with this idea
- samstave 3y agoI think he is referring to them as separate shortfalls. not a single unit. EDIT - I was wrong.
- pstrateman 3y agothe model numbers are the last two digits of the patent number. it's dumb and confusing but not a scheme in that sense
- ggreer 3y agoThe original Glock 17 was named because it was the company's 17th patent. The models after seem to be sequential by release date. eg: The Glock 18 is the full auto version of the Glock 17. The Glock 19 is a compact version. The Glock 20 is the 10mm caliber version. And so on. This causes confusion because the Glock 44 is chambered in .22 long rifle, while the Glock 22 is chambered in .40 caliber, the Glock 40 is chambered in 10mm, and the Glock 45 is a 9mm handgun. Also each Glock has different generations. The 5th gen Glock 17 definitely incorporates newer patents, but the model number hasn't changed.
- jibe 3y agoLegend in firearms design and engineering. He's there with John Browning and Eugene Stoner.
- sparrish 3y agoGood firearms, yes. Up there with Browning and Stoner...? I don't think so. What incredible design did he invent?
- oldpersonintx 3y agoHe made the polymer pistol work and created an entire industry. Polymer pistols won, everyone makes them now. Polymer not only saves weight and cost, but also provides deformity under the stress of firing which absorbs some energy rather than sending it through your wrist. Glock is now a platform - with patent expiration, Glock is now like 1911 with many manufacturers supporting interchange with Glock parts. Even with many "pretty" pistols in my collection like Staccatos...I still trust the Glock 43 as my EDC and it has been flawless even with junk discount ball ammo. its not a contest...Browning and Stoner are legends too
- sparrish 3y agoI agree he put together some great lightweight, reliable pistols. He wasn't the first to use polymer (H&K 12 years earlier) and no great leaps forward in engineering like Browning or Stoner. His accomplishments are to be celebrated but he's just not on par with either of those legends.
- tnmom 3y agoI have a bunch of guns. They’re all fun to shoot. But damn, if I need to choose one to use when it matters, it’s always going to be a Glock. They just always work, every time.
- sparrish 3y agoAgreed. Solid performers and reliable. Crap triggers though.
- jboggan 3y agoLegend has it that he did all the early test firing with his left hand so that if there were a catastrophic failure he could still draft the next version with his right.
- graphe 3y agoWonder why the legend didn't include a string as it's how I seen experimental guns tested.
- graphe 3y agoA true innovative disruptor: a plastic handle and curtain rod maker (?) tried to make weapons for the Austrian army and won. He greatly affected urban warfare in the 90s bringing cheap accurate weapons with easier triggers to the masses.
- JKCalhoun 3y agoI don't remember 19 rounds being a standard capacity on handguns before the Glock but I could be mistaken.
- graphe 3y agoThat's a good point. The magazines are also high quality enough they became a standard on other platforms. The whole platform is well packaged.
- ggreer 3y agoOther platforms use Glock magazines because they are popular, not because they are particularly high quality. The most reliable magazines are double stack, double feed. Glock magazines (like many other pistols) are double stack, single feed. This simplifies feed ramp design, but it creates more friction in the magazines because the rounds have to slide against each other as they go from double stack to single stack at the top of the mag. This is not to say that Glocks or their magazines are unreliable, just that a better solution exists.
- graphe 3y agoIs manufacturing for them easier? I knew they weren't the best but it's what I mean by good enough. It's a high capacity pistol magazine that is a common calibur that people deem good enough. It's ubiquitous.
- ggreer 3y agoGlock magazine bodies are plastic with integrated metal parts, so materials costs are lower but manufacturing is harder. Some companies make Glock-compatible magazines out of metal, and those have higher capacity in the same volume (eg: Shield Arms). I think the Glock design is excellent, but the magazine is the weakest part. It's not bad, it's just not as good as some others.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- hollywood_court 3y agoMy mother almost lost her career because of Glock. She was a career long LEO in the Southeastern US. She carried a Sig P220 throughout her civilian law enforcement career. She was an expert marksman who always either won or placed highly in each competition she attended. She was also a firearms instructor for her county Sheriff's department. Then Glock and their marketing folks came along and started putting money in the pockets of Sheriffs, Chiefs of Police, and other law enforcement leaders. Next thing you know, my mother's Sheriff was telling her and the rest of the department that they had to carry a department issued Glock rather than whatever firearm they had carried for years prior. My mother was the only one who fought this and it cost her a lot of friends and money but she eventually won the right to carry her P220. She ended up having to retire early from the county Sheriff's Department because most of her peers were hostile towards her after she went against the Sheriff. All of this happened while I was a little boy in the 80s and 90s but to this day the only modern pistol brands I buy are Sig and CZ. I guess my bias was created in childhood, but I'll never buy or own a Glock.
- ggreer 3y agoA lot of departments switched away from DA/SA pistols like the P220 because they require more training to use safely. After the first shot, the trigger is much lighter. If the user doesn't decock before holstering, there's a significant risk of an unintentional discharge. It's a similar story for single action only pistols like the 1911. If that safety isn't on, the light trigger increases the chance of accidents. With striker-fired and double action only pistols, there is no need to decock or engage/disengage the safety, which is great for safely re-holstering after a stressful situation. I can see both sides of this. It makes sense for departments to have blanket policies, but it also makes sense why she was so upset by the change.
- networkchad 3y ago[dead]
- SV_BubbleTime 3y agoSo… your mom couldn’t follow orders, use a superior handgun (because the P220 sucks, and double so for women)… made static, and this is Glock’s fault?
- sgu999 3y agoCompletely tangential but I'm always conflicted about this kind of people. "Necessary" evil, I get it, but he'll be remembered for something that is solely made to kill. Guillotin was apparently gutted that the machine ended up baring his name [0]. Someone I have more respect for. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph-Ignace_Guillotin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph-Ignace_Guillotin
- graphe 3y agoWilliam Shockley, an especially ardent supporter of eugenics and 'racism' made transistors that people of all races and intelligences use daily today.
- korse 3y agoWhy is this post flagged? Is an influential engineer and businessman not 'HN' enough? What am I missing.
- porkbeer 3y agoYou know why. Some people erronously think guns are political, when we all deserve the right to self defense.
- korse 3y agoBleh. Don't disagree at all, but this isn't even a post about rights.
- SV_BubbleTime 3y agoSome people can’t stand the idea that they might need to protect themselves. They’re not anti-gun, when they have a problem they won’t call a social worker or priest to bring a book, they’ll call a cop to bring a gun. They’re anti-gun owner. Largely I think many of them resent being reliant in a way that other people have chosen not to be.