Glock handgun's reclusive inventor Gaston Glock, 94, dies: Billionaire - who knocked out a professional wrestler assassin sent to kill him aged 70 - 'revolutionized the world of small arms'

daily mail ^

[algore]

The Glock handgun's reclusive billionaire inventor, Gaston Glock, who 'revolutionised the world of small arms', has died aged 94.

The Glock company said in a statement that the life's work of its founder would 'continue in his spirit'.

As well as being utilised by security personnel, armed forces, gun owners and criminals worldwide, the weapon has also become an American pop culture staple, featuring in several Hollywood blockbusters.

Despite his success, Glock, who once knocked out a professional wrestler hired to assassinate him, has been portrayed as a reclusive character who enjoyed spending much of his time at an Austrian lakefront estate.

He managed to avoid media coverage for most of his life, but gained attention in 2012 when a book about his business was published

Charles Ewert, who managed Glock's affairs in Luxembourg, attempted to have him killed in the late '90s.

The hired attacker, who was a professional wrestler, hit him seven times on the head with a rubber mallet but Glock, who was 70 at the time, managed to knock him out.

Ewert - also known as Panama Charly - was sentenced to 20 years in jail for having organised the attempted murder in a Luxembourg car park.

'Gaston Glock charted the strategic direction of the Glock Group throughout his life and prepared it for the future,' the company said.

It also noted that he had 'revolutionised the world of small arms' and 'succeeded in establishing the Glock brand as the global leader in the handgun industry'.

Glock was born in 1929 and went on to study mechanical engineering in Vienna.

He devised the Glock, a firearm that revolutionised the field: made largely of non-metal components, lighter, easier to take apart, more reliable, and able to carry more bullets than other brands.

[Chad C. Mulligan]

How the heck can anybody “squeeze a Beretta 92 so hard the mag dropped out”? The mag release is on bottom left side at the back of the grip, where no part of the strong hand ever touches it. My nightstand piece is a 92. I tried to do it with the weak hand and I can’t. Make up another story.

[SirLurkedalot]

IIRC the S&W Sigma and G17 could switch slides and still work.

[Paal Gulli]

OBITUARY Gaston Glock, the man behind the gun, dies aged 94 - APA

12/27/2023 11:00:07 AM PST · by chrisinoc · 33 replies
Reuters ^ | December 27, 2023 | Kirsti Knolle

Using the search function before you post prevents you stepping on another Freeper's thread.

[Paal Gulli]

"Glocks were originally called 'Combat Tupperware' ..."

Incorrect. The originally were called "Glocks" but some referred to them facetiously as "Tactical Tupperware." Gotta get the alliteration in there or the joke falls flat.

[Paal Gulli]

"Glock contributed mightily to the frequent reports we see of small children discharging pistols, sometimes with fatal results. Also many, many unintended discharges by adults, too often causing serious injuries and death. ..."

Prove it. I dare you to show any (reputable) evidence that Glocks are any more prone to self-injury from negligent handling than any other make.

[algore]

here is a link to your previous post since yours was not easily clickable

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4206160/posts

[bravo whiskey]

My Glocks are in black for mourning.

[rickomatic]

Well I’ll be danged. We are both right. The gun we are discussing is an Automatic Safety Hammerless Model 1. It’s chambered in .32 S&W and holds five shots. It uses their famous transfer-bar safety, and additionally has a trigger-safety that would later see use on the uber-popular Glock semi-automatic pistols. The locking mechanism is very strong, using a single side-lever to turn a solid bar to disengage. Both of these features were eventually discontinued; the trigger-safety was removed and the lock was replaced with a simple T-Bar lock similar to S&W revolvers of the period. I expect that this was done in the interest of cost savings; the original lock was stronger and more fool-proof.

[Yo-Yo]

Your 'incorrect' is incorrect.

Both terms have been liberally used.

https://www.google.com/search?q=combat+tupperware

[waterhill]

I stippled my grips with a soldering iron. Makes a lot of difference.

[waterhill]

Um, you don’t have to carry it chambered if it scares you. IDF has training vids for pulling, racking and firing.

[bruoz]

Nope

[Lee N. Field]

I stippled my grips with a soldering iron. Makes a lot of difference.

I've seen good stippling, and I've seen baaaaad stippling.

Talon grip wraps are inexpensive, and make no permanent change to your gun.

[bruoz]

Author: 10 News Staff, WTSP
Published: 8:35 AM EDT July 20, 2014
Updated: 4:11 PM EDT July 20, 2014
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Tampa, Florida — Tampa Police are investigating a homicide that took place Saturday evening.
The homicide occurred at 810 E. Skagway, Club Supa D’s.
The victim’s next of kin has not been notified at this time.
There are no new updates or suspect description at this time.
10 News will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

I worked off duty at this club for several years. They replaced us with a armed security guard around this time. The guard was armed with a Beretta 92FS. Witnesses said that when he drew his pistol and pointed at the perp, who was armed with an AK47, his magazine fell out. This is why TPD never issued a service pistol, including the S&W M&P with this feature. BTW the mag release on this model is located to the lower rear of the trigger guard.

[Chad C. Mulligan]

I can't see how this argues in favor of Glocks/et.al. The issue with Glocks is the lack of a proper safety, not mag release design. If you'd shown that the security guy hadn't worked his safety, that might mean something.

Now, if one has to carry a 92, (or any DA/SA pistol) in circumstances where it really was likely that you'd have to deploy it quickly, you have the option of carrying it decocked, with safety off. Since the first trigger pull is long and heavy, there'd be a very, very small chance that you'd ND when drawing. We know from reading the gun press that this does happen with Glocks due to the light, short trigger pull. (I especially like the stories of hoods shooting themselves in the junk.)

Reholstering, you'd operate the decocker, so there's zero chance for a ND due to snagging the trigger, which is how guys shoot themselves in the leg with their Glocks. You CANNOT say that doesn't happen.

[bruoz]

You kind of missed my point. I said the GLOCK was the finest SERVICE pistol ever made. Between the police academy and nine years of annual requal and day to day use, I drew and holstered my Glock 17 countless times without an A D, as did the other 1000+ officers on the force. I personally know of one security guard that might be alive today if he had been carrying a Glock instead of a Berreta with all of its safeties. P.S. Anyone with proper firearms training knows that there is no such thing as a “proper safety.”