GLOCK

GLOCK is an Austrian defense contractor (named after the founder Gaston Glock) founded in 1963 in Deutsch-Wagram, near Vienna, Austria.

Overview

Mainly known for being the manufacturer of polymer-framed pistols, GLOCK also produces equipment such as field knives and entrenching tools (shovels). The company started life manufacturing curtain rods. They later supplied the Austrian Army with machine gun belts, practice hand grenades, plastic clips, field knives and entrenching tools.

The GLOCK corporate name and the pistol model designations are spelled with all uppercase letters. The names of the company and its products are often referred to as "Glock" and not as "GLOCK". According to GLOCK, this is technically incorrect.

Its first pistol model was the GLOCK 17 (so named because it was the 17th patent of the company), a 9 mm Luger Parabellum handgun with a 17 round capacity (unusually large at the time), introduced in the early 1980s as a response to the Austrian army asking for a new sidearm. GLOCK pistols are popular with law enforcement agencies and defense-minded private citizens, especially when chambered for modern, powerful cartridges such as the .40 S&W. GLOCK was the first manufacturer to offer models chambered in the cartridge (GLOCK 22 & GLOCK 23 - 1990), beating Smith & Wesson to the marketplace with their own cartridge. The GLOCK 22 is currently (as of mid-2005) the single most popular police sidearm in use in the United States; because of their ease of use, reliability, and low price, GLOCK pistols in general are in use by over 60% of the police officers in the US. GLOCK also offers pistols chambered in .357 SIG, .380 ACP, 10 mm Auto, .45 ACP, and the new .45 GAP (GLOCK Automatic Pistol).

Plastic pistol myths

Contrary to early reports, GLOCK pistols do set off metal detectors and can indeed be detected by X-ray machines, due to their metal barrels and slides. The claim that they could not was first made in an article published in the Washington Post on January 13, 1985, entitled, "Quaddafi Buying Austrian Plastic Pistol." In this article, vocal gun control advocate Jack Anderson made the allegations, which were then reported without fact-checking by the Associated Press and further reported by many United States television news stations and newspapers. It has since become an urban legend that to this day continues to appear in news reports and movies, and has even been a topic of debate in the United States Congress.

In fact, 83% (by weight) of the GLOCK pistol is ordinary gun steel and the "plastic" parts are in fact a dense polymer known as 'Polymer 2' which is radio-opaque and thus also shows up under X-ray security equipment. In addition, virtually all of these "plastic" parts contain embedded steel to make them functional, not to make them "detectable". Contrary to popular movies like Die Hard 2: Die Harder and In the Line of Fire, neither GLOCK nor any other gun maker has ever produced a "ceramic" or "plastic" firearm which is undetectable by ordinary security screening devices.

In Die Hard 2, the character John McClane portrayed by Bruce Willis specifically refers to a non-existent GLOCK 7 with many fictitious characteristics:

That punk pulled a GLOCK 7 on me! You know what that is? It's a porcelain gun made in Germany. It doesn't show up on your airport X-ray machines, and it cost more than you make here in a month!

In fact, GLOCK pistols are made of polymer and steel, are made in Austria, are visible to X-ray equipment, and are not significantly more expensive than comparable firearms.

Safety mechanism

GLOCK pistols use an internal safety mechanism with three components with no external thumb activated safety switch. GLOCK calls this the "Safe Action" system. All 3 safeties are disabled one after the other when the trigger is depressed. They are:

• Trigger Safety: a lever mechanism contained within the trigger that prevents the trigger from moving unless the lever is depressed.
• Striker Safety: a spring-loaded pin attached by an extension bar to the trigger assembly blocks the striker from striking the primer (Percussion cap) of the cartridge until the trigger is pulled.
• Drop Safety: the far end of the same extension bar locks the striker into place from the rear until the trigger is pulled.

Similar systems for internal safeties have since become standard for many major brand makers of semi-automatic pistols. With GLOCK pistols, like any firearm, accidental injury can still be caused by manipulating the trigger when it is not your intention to shoot. Normal wear to the striker safety may cause the striker safety to fail if the safety is excessively worn. When combined with other major component failures, such as a broken slide rail, GLOCK pistols may fire unexpectedly. As a part of regular field stripping and cleaning, the striker safety can and should be "function checked" to ensure that it is operational. In the event of failure, the weapon should be immediately taken out of service until repaired by a qualified GLOCK armorer.

In 2003, GLOCK announced the Internal Locking System (ILS). The ILS is a manually activated lock that is located in the back of the pistol's grip. It is cylindrical in design and, according to GLOCK, each key is absolutely unique. Group key hierarchic solutions are available for law enforcement agencies. When activated, the lock causes a tab to protrude from the rear of the grip. This is done to give both a visual and tactile indication as to wether the lock is engaged or not. When activated, the ILS renders the GLOCK unfireable as well as making it impossible to disassemble. When disengaged, the ILS adds no further safety mechanisms to the GLOCK pistol.

The ILS is available as an option on all GLOCK pistols except for the G36, however not all ILS equipped GLOCK pistols are carried by distributors nor imported with the option. The most commonly available GLOCK pistols with the ILS are the G17, G19, G22, G23, G26, and the G27.

Weapon functionality misconceptions

GLOCK handguns have seen much fictional exposure in action movies and TV shows that often continue to spread misconceptions about the GLOCK pistol. One common aspect of popular media portrayals of the GLOCK pistol is when someone pulls out or points a GLOCK pistol and the foley artists insert the sound effect of the GLOCK being "cocked" like a revolver. The GLOCK pistol does not have a external hammer and thus cannot be "cocked" or "uncocked" in the conventional manner and does not make the sort of sounds that are commonly heard in TV and movies.

ka-BOOM! or kB! Controversy

Coined by firearms reporter Dean Speir, a kB! (or kaBoom!) is the term used to describe the explosive malfunction of a firearm, with usually very costly, if not deadly, results. GLOCK pistol kB's usually damage the firearm, with minor injury to the shooter.

Controversy arose over GLOCK's safety standards when multiple cases of explosive malfunction occurred in GLOCK pistols sold to police departments in the United States. Upon pulling the trigger, the cartridge case would rupture and cause an explosion that would tear apart the gun and often send shrapnel into the shooter's face.

The cause of this malfunction was traced to issues with a purposely oversized (loose), and partially unsupported chamber in GLOCK's pistols chambered in .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 SIG, and 10mm. The chamber lacks full support in the rear by the feed ramp in order to facilitate feed reliability. The lack of support in the chamber, usually combined with lead bullets, reloaded, or +P (over-loaded) ammunition, would cause the casing to fail. The subsequent rapid expansion of gas into the chamber caused the pistols to fail, usually damaging the polymer frame and/or magazine.

GLOCK, in its own defense, says that in every manual that comes with their pistols there are instructions informing the shooter of the dangers of using non-factory rated ammunition, and that if the shooter uses factory loaded, jacketed ammuntion and makes sure to properly clean and care for their firearm, the firearm will function safely. Supporters also point out that kB!s occur in other firearms as well, particularly M1911 frame pistols. However, there continues to be controversy over the presence of an unsupported chamber, critics arguing that it is not necessary and is a liability for the company.

It has been purported that because of the the specific design of the polygonal rifling in the GLOCK, owners should not shoot non-jacketed lead ammunition in a GLOCK, since lead residue can quickly build up and cause a decreased bore diameter and therefore a dangerous over pressurization in the barrel and potentially create a structural failure or warping in the chamber of the barrel.

Despite the controversy, GLOCK pistols still continue to be the favorite of military and law enforcement agencies worldwide.

Popularity

GLOCK claims sales of over 2.5 million handguns in over 100 countries.

GLOCK sidearms are very common handguns among law enforcement agencies in the United States; many estimates place GLOCK's market share among USA Police departments at over 60% (based on total number of guns sold, not percentage of departments). GLOCK's website states their pistols are "in use in 65% of law enforcement agencies." The US FBI issues all agents graduating from the FBI Academy a GLOCK 22 or GLOCK 23 at the agent's preference. The gun is also used in all police services in Australia except Victoria.

GLOCK pistols are renowned for their reliability. They are able to function under extreme conditions and to fire a wide range of ammunition types due to their rugged construction and simplicity of design. They contain a relatively small number of components, making in-the-field maintenance and repair simpler.

GLOCK pistols have a great deal of popularity among police, Govt., and private citizens specifically due to the greatly reduced number of parts which comprise the gun (nearly half as many as the typical handgun), the low cost of replacement parts, and the ability to entirely disassemble the gun with a simple pin, or thin rod of any make, to fully break down the gun without the requirement of any specialized tools or time, even in the field.

GLOCK pistols have a significantly lesser weight than a typical all-steel, or aluminum frame handgun, which has been a point of popularity for officers and private citizens that carry a concealed handgun.

GLOCK pistols have gained popularity due to the fact that the lower height of the barrel compared to the grip results in less torque when shooting and lower perceived recoil, which many owners feel makes the gun more comfortable to fire. GLOCK also claims that its "Safe Action" safety system (see above) results in smoother trigger pull.

The GLOCK name has been misused as a generic slang term for any expensive black handgun.

Disassembly

Most handguns can be disassembled for proper maintenance and cleaning. GLOCK guns feature tool-less disassembly to facilitate easy field maintenance. To disassemble a GLOCK handgun, follow these steps:

• Remove the magazine.
• Pull the slide back and engage the slide lock.
• Remove any cartridge or brass in the chamber.
• Let the slide return.
• Aim the barrel in a safe direction, away from any persons, animals, or objects.
• Pull the trigger and confirm no round was fired.
• Pull the slide back approximately 3mm, making sure the gun does not cock. (Cocking the gun will inhibit disassembly.)
• With the slide in this position, lower the catch located on either side of the pistol between the slide and the trigger.
• With the catch fully lowered push the slide forward and completely off.
• Depress the recoil spring on the slide and remove the recoil assembly.
• Slide the barrel forward and remove the barrel.
• Reassembly takes place in the reverse order.

Table of GLOCK pistols

Note: One can come across references to a "GLOCK 40" from time to time. However, no such variant of the GLOCK exists at this time. Rather, it is a slang term some people use to refer to GLOCKs chambered in .40 S&W.

GLOCK 18/18C pistols are select fire automatic/semi-auto machine pistols and not available to the general public in most countries.

GLOCK 25 or 28 pistols are not available to the general public in the United States, as they do not meet the standards required for the importation of pistols under the Gun Control Act of 1968. This failure is not due to any inherent defect in the model, but due to the fact that a small pistol chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge does not meet the "sporting purposes" criteria by which imported pistols are judged. However, the GLOCK 25 and 28 pistols are relatively popular in nations where handguns in "military" calibers (.45 ACP, 9mm Parabellum) may not be purchased by the general public.

Knives

GLOCK also manufactures their own line of knives: By all regards they are of good quality and are popular due to the fact that they are easily affordable and made by GLOCK. They come in olive drab, tan, and black.