Inventor of 'Glock' Firearms Dies at 94

0:00

/1861

1×

Facts

• Austrian billionaire Gaston Glock, inventor of the eponymous handgun, died on Wednesday aged 94. Since the invention of the handgun in the 1980s, 'Glock' has turned into a branding staple for small arms among both civilians and security forces across the world.¹
• After serving as a conscript in Adolf Hitler's Wehrmacht [armed forces of Nazi Germany] as a teenager during the end of World War II, Glock ran a small business in Vienna selling curtain rods and knives out of this garage. In the 1980s, Glock entered the arms-innovation sector.²
• He developed a polymer-structured, semi-automatic pistol that was deemed lightweight, reliable, and easy to use — going on to 'revolutionize' the world's small-arms trade, according to his website.³
• The size of the Glock handgun allowed increased popularity, given its ease of concealment. Its unique 'safe-action' feature enabled quick use, allegedly leading to a spate of accidental and spontaneous shootings according to gun safety advocates.⁴
• Glock notably refused to sign a voluntary gun control deal with the US government alongside other firearm manufacturers in 2000. He also refrained from public discussion in the gun control debate.¹
• US pop culture frequently referenced the handgun, which had been originally developed for the Austrian military. At the time of Glock's death, he was estimated to be worth $1.1B.⁵

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²New York Times, ³NBC, ⁴CNN and ⁵The Business Standard.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Guardian. It's not difficult to see how making deadly weapons easier to use and more readily available to the general public could have catastrophic consequences. Gaston Glock's company has rightly been referred to as 'merchants of death.' What makes this name all the more fitting is the nonchalant confession by Glock's former lawyer that mass shootings were a 'sensational marketing tool.' Glock's quiet lifestyle cannot deny the horrific impacts on societies that his company and products had.
• Right narrative, as provided by Eagle Gun Range Inc.. Glock handguns should not be scapegoated — they in fact come with a host of important safety features. These advances have helped to reduce accidental discharges. In fact, negligence, insufficient training, and, most importantly, 'unsafe' persons are responsible for gun deaths. Gaston Glock deserves to be given due respect and justly recognized for his role in advancing the development of small arms in a responsible way.

Predictions