Gaston Glock, whose name is on one of the most popular lines of handguns in the world, has died, according to published reports. He was 94.
A statement posted at the Glock website notes, “Following this guiding principle, our founder, Gaston Glock not only revolutionized the world of small arms in the 1980s, but also succeeded in establishing the GLOCK brand as the global leader in the handgun industry. His internationally renowned GLOCK Perfection stands for uncompromising quality and maximum customer satisfaction.
The statement adds, “Gaston Glock charted the strategic direction of the GLOCK Group throughout his life and prepared it for the future. His life’s work will continue in his spirit.”
Mr. Glock stood for perfection, and he made that clear in a statement which may still be found on a Glock website: “‘PERFECTION’ stands for our commitment to uncompromising quality, future-oriented manufacturing technologies and maximum customer satisfaction. This I guarantee through our status as a private, independent company.”
Glock founded his firearms company in 1963 in Austria, according to Eurodressage.com. The company now has almost 65 percent of the market share of handguns in the U.S., the Eurodressage report notes.
Over the past several decades, Glock handguns have dominated the law enforcement arena as the chosen sidearm of hundreds of police agencies.
According to Reuters, Glock “won loyal followings among police and military across the world with the weapons that bore his name. Forbes estimated his and his family’s fortune at $1.1 billion in 2021.”
Anti-gunners often criticized Glock sidearms, falsely claiming at first they were “invisible” to magnetometers, and then complaining the pistols, with their polymer frames, were easily concealed and carried large-capacity magazines. But it was the polymer frame technology which rocketed Glock pistols to the spotlight, and ignited a handgun technology revolution.
The Glock pistol first garnered widespread popularity in the 1980s, thanks to a simple design which contributed to the transition from revolvers to semiautomatics for police agencies.
Mr. Glock’s first marriage ended in divorce in 2011 and he married his second wife, Kathrin, in the same year.
He is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons.
