Glock's impact can not be understated. He was perhaps the most important firearms manufacturer since Samuel Colt. His designs have revolutionized firearm design.
But would happen if he wasn't born?
But would happen if he wasn't born?
Gaston Glock was never born
- Thread starter Gnomepilled
- Start date
I'd say that Browning was probably the most influential designer, he designed successful pistols, semi-automatic shotgun, a LMG, a HMG, an automatic rifle, as well as the anti-aircraft gun. In the West, E. Stoner was perhaps the next-best designer?
Glock indeed made a name for himself with the polymer-body pistols, though. If he was not born, we'd see a polymer-body pistol entering the market perhaps 5 years later?
I consider there to be four greats in modern firearm design
-Kalashnikov
-Stoner
-Glock
-Browning
While they are all important and Browning has had the most influence, Glock has fundamentally changed handgun design. Modern handguns are either all 1911 clones or Glock clones.
Every attempt of change has destroyed entire companies (like the Zip).
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But let's not imagine that no one else could come up with this. As Forgotten Weapons has demonstrated over the many years he has made videos there are many people who designed firearms. Many of them were perfectly fine but were not successful for often small reasons. If Glock doesn't do it someone else will.
If anybody takes Glock's place and comes up with a polymer pistol, my money's on Heckler and Koch.
I can see it. Most modern firearms end up with very similar systems just due to the fact that all designs will converge after a long enough time onto a generally most optimized design for each roll.
Not to pick on Glock, but frankly his contributions are often a bit over rated. Yes many modern guns are “Glock clones”. But the single more significant aspect of a Glock is that it has a substantial amount of polymer in its construction. But the truth is this was going to happen as polymers had gotten to the point it was now feasible to use them. It may have taken a few years longer but not a LOT more years.
So I doubt it would be that drastic except all polymer guns would be called clones of whomever successfully mark them instead of Glock
As noted H&K is the most likly to creat a polymer pistol that breaks into mainstream as they had made a polymer pistol before Glock. By about 10 years or so. Also FYI sticker fired and tilting barrels where also nothing new.
Glock just happened to jump into the polymer pistol at the right time. So his vision is knowing when to jump in. And his skill was that he was able to make a pretty reliable gun. These are important skills but not in any ways unique.
In truth nothing in particular is was “new” about the Glock, nor has Glock done much new and inventive in the decade since. But they had good marketing.
So I don’t think we have another Browning.
Once again, he was a good business man and he recognized that Polymer pistols were viable. But I do think many folks believe he invented more then he did and is responsible for more then he is.
So I doubt it would be that drastic except all polymer guns would be called clones of whomever successfully mark them instead of Glock
As noted H&K is the most likly to creat a polymer pistol that breaks into mainstream as they had made a polymer pistol before Glock. By about 10 years or so. Also FYI sticker fired and tilting barrels where also nothing new.
Glock just happened to jump into the polymer pistol at the right time. So his vision is knowing when to jump in. And his skill was that he was able to make a pretty reliable gun. These are important skills but not in any ways unique.
In truth nothing in particular is was “new” about the Glock, nor has Glock done much new and inventive in the decade since. But they had good marketing.
So I don’t think we have another Browning.
Once again, he was a good business man and he recognized that Polymer pistols were viable. But I do think many folks believe he invented more then he did and is responsible for more then he is.
Kalashnikov didn't had a handgun that was accepted in service. He was crucial in making the AK-47 (doh) and it's spin-offs, as well as the PK MG.
Simonov designed a number of different auto-loading guns, like the the AVS-36, PTRS and the SKS.
Tokarev's gas piston system, from the SVT-38/-40, is videly used in post-ww2 rifles, like the SVT, AR-18, or even the H&K 416.
Germany's Schmeisser was also made influential guns.
I get it that, from the civilian/law-enforcement American point of view, Glock can be considered great, but his claim to greatness was via a single - very successful - design family, while a host of other designers that designed a number of firearms are both less known and less 'attractive' from the same PoV.
FWIW, a video about the M-16/AR-15 versions with 'monolythic polymer' lower+grip+buttstock.
Free admission. I am no fond of Glocks. I think they are poorly designed from and ergonomic point of view. And feel like they were shaped from a 2x4.
And I have a couple of polymer pistols and have used various designs from several other companies over they years.
Polymer pistols are inevitable by the time Glock came along. What is unpredictable is that another small start up company could come along and do what Glock did.
Take several design features and concepts and apply the relatively new concept of polymer and away they go.
The only reason I wonder if H&K would do this is they were A) not a particular common US pistol supplier and didn’t seam to be trying very hard and the US market is the largest non governmental market for pistols, and B) they had a polymer pistol that they didn’t do anything with for about 10 years before Glock.
So I wonder if any of the bigger well established companies would try a polymer gun. They have to worry about their reputation and they have a lot invested in tools, skills and experience in conventional methods. So they may be disinclined to make the jump.
And I have a couple of polymer pistols and have used various designs from several other companies over they years.
Polymer pistols are inevitable by the time Glock came along. What is unpredictable is that another small start up company could come along and do what Glock did.
Take several design features and concepts and apply the relatively new concept of polymer and away they go.
The only reason I wonder if H&K would do this is they were A) not a particular common US pistol supplier and didn’t seam to be trying very hard and the US market is the largest non governmental market for pistols, and B) they had a polymer pistol that they didn’t do anything with for about 10 years before Glock.
So I wonder if any of the bigger well established companies would try a polymer gun. They have to worry about their reputation and they have a lot invested in tools, skills and experience in conventional methods. So they may be disinclined to make the jump.
Oh...
But wasn't the V70 a failure.
I only know it from Resident Evil.
It was made for almost 20 years so it depends on how you view it. It was not a hugely popular gun. But ut existed and was sold for years.
Like i said Glock was good at a few things, one was taking a lot of concepts that already existed and combined them into dependable gun, another was recognizing the time had came to do this and the last and biggest was marketing.
Like i said Glock was good at a few things, one was taking a lot of concepts that already existed and combined them into dependable gun, another was recognizing the time had came to do this and the last and biggest was marketing.
So like the IPhone wasn't the first smartphone but it was the first good smartphone.
What about Hiram Maxim? Or Dieudonné Saive? Both I think are well ahead of Glock and maybe others on that list, apart from Browning?
The issue is since he was not first somebody would very likely have made a polymer Browning hi capacity pistol, and it would have worked well at some point soon, once the tech developed....
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The tech existed before Glock to make a polymer pistol. The REASON to did not.
It was tried by H&K and it was bot really worth doing.
The problem holding most back was that at the time the Glock was released was that all the big gun companies were geared up yo make metal guns and in many respects the benefits of a polymer gun is not THAT big to justify the investment into new ways of building guns. And the market was not demanding them.
The advantage Glock had was he was more or less starting from scratch with a company that was started to make things from plastics/polymer. So when he decided to go after a gun contract it was natural to make it from polymer.
So it may see a few years before they catch on as has a learning curve and cost to change from Casting and milling metal to working with Polymer. But in the end it ultimatly will happen.
But in any case I would not put Glock at the top of the list of gun designers. But i will give him credit for realizing the time was ripe fir a ploymer gun and fir being a good enough buisness man to out together the various aspects that formed the fisr gen Glock and for running the company and making it into what it became.
It was tried by H&K and it was bot really worth doing.
The problem holding most back was that at the time the Glock was released was that all the big gun companies were geared up yo make metal guns and in many respects the benefits of a polymer gun is not THAT big to justify the investment into new ways of building guns. And the market was not demanding them.
The advantage Glock had was he was more or less starting from scratch with a company that was started to make things from plastics/polymer. So when he decided to go after a gun contract it was natural to make it from polymer.
So it may see a few years before they catch on as has a learning curve and cost to change from Casting and milling metal to working with Polymer. But in the end it ultimatly will happen.
But in any case I would not put Glock at the top of the list of gun designers. But i will give him credit for realizing the time was ripe fir a ploymer gun and fir being a good enough buisness man to out together the various aspects that formed the fisr gen Glock and for running the company and making it into what it became.
Yeah I was wrong about Glock being one of the greats. Is it true that most handguns are glock clones, yes. He should probably be replaced by Maxim or Garand.