Glock: America's Gun

[Technosavant]

We can quibble on the title of the book but it's pretty much unquestionable that Glock changed the face of handgunning in the U.S.

When Sig launched the P320, people were saying "Finally! Sig Sauer joins the striker fired world!"

Love or hate Glock pistols, yes, they transformed the world of autoloaders. They may not have been the first with much of anything, but they did take a polymer framed striker fired design, made it utterly reliable, and sold it at a very reasonable price while making a good profit doing it.

The book is an interesting look at where the company came from and how they did business. I'd like to say it would be hard to believe a company of any kind could do the same things today, but then again, I think I would be surprised how often such "Glock nights" at the "gentlemen's" clubs still occur in many industries.

 

[Bamashooter]

I bought a Glock 21 police trade in a couple years back. It actually looked pretty good considering the fact but the night sights still worked and the owner of the gun shop put a 3.5lb connector and a stainless steel guide rod. The trigger pull is crazy light for a glock and the reset is excellent. Its very very accurate, lightweight and it holds 14rds fully loaded. It was my first Glock and I still love it. Bought a Glock 43 since then that I love carrying, and want a Glock 19 just because. Sold my Para 1911 but still have my P229 Sig. Never thought I would be a Glock guy but for just a damn good gun that works and can be upgraded cheaply you cant go wrong. Anyway thats my glock story Im sure you could have done without reading.

 

[tipoc]

I think I would be surprised how often such "Glock nights" at the "gentlemen's" clubs still occur in many industries.

Yeah this is true. It has been and still is very common. It's retreated some with the increase in the number of female execs in some sectors, but is still common. I didn't find that section of the book in any way "scandalous" it was just a description of a common business practice. Gifts are given, hookers provided, private club memberships, first class flights, etc. It's a business like others. One of the values of the book to me is the workings of the gun industry.

Smith and Wesson's response to Glock, described in the book, was and has been interesting as well.

tipoc

 

[SPEMack618]

Oh, I remember the Gold Club and Steve Kaplan. The "Glock nights" were legendary. I had a few friends who attended. It was basically a microcosm of the "Wolf of Wall Street" mindset.

That was what I pictured in reading the book. As an aside several of my fraternity brothers were crestfallen when The Gold Club closed.

And if Glock can be disputed as America's Gun; it is certainly the gun of Georgia.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"It doesn't show anything more than the power of advertising and public perception. Harley dominates large motorcycle sales but they fall short of many others in performance and reliability but advertising and perception drives sales."

So, Osbornk, tell us, in detail, how the Glock falls short of many others in performance and reliability...

 

[osbornk]

So, Osbornk, tell us, in detail, how the Glock falls short of many others in performance and reliability...

I didn't say Glock fell short, I said Harley did. The point was that advertising drives the public perception of performance and reliability. There are other guns that are at least as reliable and perform as well as a Glock that don't have the public support or sales of the Glock.

 

[5whiskey]

So, Osbornk, tell us, in detail, how the Glock falls short of many others in performance and reliability...

As stated, he didn't claim that glock fell short. None-the-less, they were almost a revolution at the time. Their main hi-cap 9mm competition at the time was a Beretta 92, which hadn't had the kinks quite worked out yet. The Beretta had a few features that didn't work in its favor. The slide mounted safety, being da/as (I like a da/sa, but apparently many don't care for the inconsistent trigger), and not being polymer worked against it. Now there are many viable Glock competitors, but glock honestly changed the game back in the day.

 

[Mike Irwin]

You made a direct correlation between the two groups of owners, with the obvious inference that the same mindset was at work -- advertising makes Glockophiles overlook the platform's pervasive drawbacks.


So if performance and reliability are only perceptions, then the Glock platform must have serious problems.

Either that or your analogy was nothing more than a left-handed attempt to smear the Glock platform because you know there's nothing substantive you can pull out against it.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"As stated, he didn't claim that glock fell short."

No, he crafted a very direct comparison between the two groups.

By saying that Harley owners are willing to accept overpriced crap, the direct inference is that Glock owners, too, must be doing the same thing.

So, how does the Glock platform fall short?

 

[Hal]

Huh? While Glock may have great advertising and public perception, it most certainly doesn't suffer the same reliability issues that plague 1911's. In fact, Glocks enjoy a reputation for reliability that is second to none.

Stock GM 1911's are stone cold reliable with 230 grain ball ammo.
Browning made sure they would be.

 

[dogtown tom]

Hal

Quote:
Huh? While Glock may have great advertising and public perception, it most certainly doesn't suffer the same reliability issues that plague 1911's. In fact, Glocks enjoy a reputation for reliability that is second to none

.

Stock GM 1911's are stone cold reliable with 230 grain ball ammo.
Browning made sure they would be.

Sorry, that isn't entirely accurate.
While I believe a stock US Property marked M1911 or 1911a1 is a reliable gun, saying "stock GM 1911" really means little because no one is making the original Government Model 1911 any longer.

In an effort to squeeze as much accuracy out of the original 1911 design, modern manufacturers have managed to make the design less reliable.

 

[SPEMack618]

I'd venture to say that the "real" America's gun would be a blued revolver with a 4 inch barrel in .38 Special.

 

[DaleA]

I'll play and state the obvious contender for the throne:
Colt SAA

Be really 'America's Gun' has been discussed many times and my suggestion is hardly original. I'll go with it though because of all the westerns I watched as a youth.

 

[osbornk]

You made a direct correlation between the two groups of owners, with the obvious inference that the same mindset was at work -- advertising makes Glockophiles overlook the platform's pervasive drawbacks.


So if performance and reliability are only perceptions, then the Glock platform must have serious problems.

Either that or your analogy was nothing more than a left-handed attempt to smear the Glock platform because you know there's nothing substantive you can pull out against it.

I'm sorry I tried to reason with you. Tunnel vision can be a dangerous and expensive thing.

 

[Sevens]

I enjoyed the book. I felt that a few parts strayed off the subject enough that they bored me a bit. What I took away from the book was that the methods often employed by Glock may have ultimately been a larger reason for their success than the actual product itself.

The part I found most interesting was the very quick and seemingly BRILLIANT idea that Glock came up with in 1994 when the AWB went live. The short summary is that they shipped scads of new production LE specific Glocks and more importantly, Glock LE marked hi-cap magazines for little or no cost to LE organizations in exchange for piles and piles of pre-ban and totally legal and OVERNIGHT VALUABLE magazines.

They not only injected even more of their product in to the country, they made tremendous profit selling their own used stuff, made instantly extremely valuable overnight.

That part of the Glock tale impressed me more than anything.

 

[dogtown tom]

osbornk

Quote:
You made a direct correlation between the two groups of owners, with the obvious inference that the same mindset was at work -- advertising makes Glockophiles overlook the platform's pervasive drawbacks.


So if performance and reliability are only perceptions, then the Glock platform must have serious problems.

Either that or your analogy was nothing more than a left-handed attempt to smear the Glock platform because you know there's nothing substantive you can pull out against it.

I'm sorry I tried to reason with you. Tunnel vision can be a dangerous and expensive thing.

"Reason" and whatever you think "tunnel vision" is has diddly squat to do with anything. You attempted to paint Glocks as only desirable because of "the power of advertising and public perception".
You then mentioned Harley Davidson as an example.


Remember this post?

osbornk

Quote:
"There are approximately 325 million American citizens and at least that many opinions."

And, judging by the Glocks sales over the years, a lot of them have the opinion that yes, the Glock is the handgun to get.

It doesn't show anything more than the power of advertising and public perception. Harley dominates large motorcycle sales but they fall short of many others in performance and reliability but advertising and perception drives sales.

 

[osbornk]

Reason" and whatever you think "tunnel vision" is has diddly squat to do with anything. You attempted to paint Glocks as only desirable because of "the power of advertising and public perception".
You then mentioned Harley Davidson as an example

.

You have a bad case of Glockaphobia. I never said anything bad about Glock. Read it objectively. I was simply pointing out the reality that advertising and public perception drives sales and Glock has done a masterful job of pushing their product and Harley does the same thing. It works for both of them and it is not a reflection of the product.

 

[Jimmy10mm]

You gentlemen are fighting over semantics. While the Colt SAA, or the COLT model of 1911 (AFAIC if it ain't a Colt, it ain't a 1911) might be better representative of 'America's Gun', the Glock is the clear winner in terms of meeting the needs of handgunners in this day and age.

In the '80s, before concealed carry was commonly allowed in FL I kept a S&W model 19 4" blue in my glove compartment. I wouldn't own one of those ugly plastic guns.

Then at the range one day a friend handed me his Glock G-23 and said just shoot one magazine. It was love at first shot, and that ugly duckling turned into a handsome prince before my eyes. Within a week I owned one.

I used to think that Sigs were the 'Rolls Royce' of semi autos, and maybe they were, but Gaston Glock came up with a better design with the lower bore axis, if nothing else. Opinions are like elbows, everybody has 'em, and mine is that you can't beat a Glock for a CCW.

YMMV ........

 

[dogtown tom]

osbornk

Quote:
Reason" and whatever you think "tunnel vision" is has diddly squat to do with anything. You attempted to paint Glocks as only desirable because of "the power of advertising and public perception".
You then mentioned Harley Davidson as an example

You have a bad case of Glockaphobia.

Maybe, but that's beside the point.

I never said anything bad about Glock.

Huh? in a reply to "...judging by the Glocks sales over the years, a lot of them have the opinion that yes, the Glock is the handgun to get." you wrote: " It doesn't show anything more than the power of advertising and public perception.". followed by your Harley Davidson analogy.

Read it objectively.

I did, so did others. I'm not sure the reading comprehension problem is mine. While you may have had something else in mind, you were unable to convey that thought into written English.

I was simply pointing out the reality that advertising and public perception drives sales and Glock has done a masterful job of pushing their product and Harley does the same thing. It works for both of them and it is not a reflection of the product.

So the only example you could come up with of a company that does a good job of advertising was Harley Davidson.....one where you specifically pointed out their problems with reliability?

To point to advertising as the reason for Glocks success is ignorant on it's face.





.

 

[amd6547]

Yes, I'm sure the British army, the FBI, the SEALs and Marine Force Recon are just fools for slick advertising, since the Glock just doesn't do anything as well as some other wondernine.
...or maybe it does just what it was designed to do, and does it well.