Gaston Glock: the Preston Tucker of the Gun Industry

I

IanS

New member
I just saw the movie by Coppola about Preston Tucker, the revolutionary American car manufacturer who was eventually brought down by the Big 3 (Chrysler, Ford, General Motors). Lies were perpetrated by the Gov't, the Big 3, and the press to bring the upstart company (that was a threat to the status quo) down. The movie made me sad that a guy who just wanted to produce a better product could be brought to his knees by forces around him. But I suddenly remembered another "man with an idea" Mr Gaston Glock.

Everyone laughed at Glock's funny looking plastic gun (even HK dabbled with polymer but didn't follow through) when it first came out. All kinds of lies about the "plastic pistol" was spread throughout the press. More importantly traditionalists "hated" the idea of a plastic gun. But Mr. Glock believed in his idea and more importantly HE MADE IT WORK. Some 20 years later all the Big gun makers HK, S&W, Walther, Sig Sauer, and virtually every other gun manufacturer have followed his polymer behind. Here's to Mr. Gaston Glock for following his dream and showing up the Big Boys.


Preston Tucker would be proud.

[Edited by Ian11 on 05-09-2001 at 03:13 AM]
 
D

Dfariswheel

New member
Tucker was run out of business. Glock was the one doing the running in this case. I'm not much on Glock guns, but, hat's off here too. He came out of nowhere, making field supplies for the Austrian Army, to nearly the biggest Police gun supplier in America.

The other tip-of-the-hat goes to Justin Moon of Kahr.
Most people don't realize just how tough and risky starting a new gun company is, expecially one making a radically different design. Both did, and both turned the gun world upside down.
 
B

Blue Duck357

New member
Aside from the movie I think it is genereally agreed that Tucker was a bit of a con man. It looked cute in the movie for him to repaint his cars to make it look like he had produced more than he did, but if you invested a good portion of your life savings in his company you might not think it nearly as funny. Big three obviously didn't extend a helping hand to him either of course.

Glock on the other hand was not a flim flam man in the least. He built a better mouse trap, sold it to his own nation as a millitary weapon, which gave him credibility (and financing). Gradually (if quickly) expanded his sales, often by selling to LEO organizations at cost to build his designs credibility with the general public. Great product,great strategy, it worked.

Just my take, Blue Duck

PS If the Tucker was twice as light, twice as reliable, and got twice the mileage (mag capacity) of the big three's cars it would have done the same thing to them that the Glock did to 1911's and SW revolvers for police work.
 
J

John Lawson

New member
The Preston Tucker of Pistol Comedy?

Phooey! How many of the departments that originally adopted the Glock still use them? Can somebody out there get a straight answer?
Around here, all but one have ditched them. Too many serious accidents and malfunctions caused by design flaws and oversights.
Make that Preston Klucker. Or, grandfather Glock.
You either love the thing or you hate it.
 
I

IanS

New member
Glocks may be cheap to BUY but they still represent an excellent VALUE.

Simply, Glocks perform as well as any $1000 gun in a defense situation and will likely outlast them to boot. Thats also called QUALITY.


And about Preston Tucker being a "flim flam" man; Henry Ford also had his share of ugly stories too. The difference is Ford "succeeded" in this world and Tucker didn't. But both dared to try.
 
C

Cheapo

New member
Sorry, Ian11, but H&K pre-dated the G-17 by quite a few years. Maybe 10.

It was the VP70 and VP70z. Ugly, top-heavy, blowback 9mm, 18 rounds in a mag that was impossible to load up full by hand, and really heavy trigger pull. Plus an innovative front sight design that was useless in dim light and that NO ONE else has ever used.

The hard polymer frame was part of the idea, but the other "features" killed a cheap pistol that was intended for sale to small armies in developing countries. Apparently, some Teutonic prejudices led to overdoing the "safety" thing with its single worst characteristic, the trigger pull.
 
J

John Lawson

New member
Why Police Adopt the Glock

Glock has a second rate product that they offer cheaply and they offer to "loan" a pistol to the purchasing agent and replace it for life. They offer training classes to department armorers free. They offer to take any pistol back quickly if it has had a problem (that way, nobody much gets to see a Glock that had problems.
It is called cleverly merchandising a second string product by using all kinds of freebies as a carrot. The people who BUY the Glocks for police do not have to risk their lives using one on the street. Ask the people who have had the troubles with them, if you can hear them over the shouting of Glock salesmen.
The Glock has some advantages, but some people find it impossible to shoot. IMPOSSIBLE, due to hand configuration. It never occurs to Glock to listen to the users and modify their product accordingly. That's why the Alchemy Arms Spectre is a useable, workable pistol and the Glock is a fast-fading clunker. Try them side by side. You'll never pick up a Glock again for serious work.
 
J

J. Parker

New member
Gaston Glock got lucky. His product hit the market at a perfect time and the rest is history, as they say. If he had introduced "the Glock" in 2001 it would simply be just another pistol among many. Has he been successful? Incredibly so. But luck and the pistol God shining down on him had alot to do with his success. Just My Thoughts, J. Parker
 
M

MellowMikey

New member
You have got to be kidding me.

John Lawson posted....
"That's why the Alchemy Arms Spectre is a useable, workable pistol and the Glock is a fast-fading clunker. Try them side by side. You'll never pick up a Glock again for serious work."

It's ok to hate Glocks, but your ideas that they are second rate are just plain silly.

Mikey
 
J

John Lawson

New member
Just plain silly?

Not so. I have been a police firearms instructor since 1954, and I have interviewed all kinds of officers who have carried all kinds of pistols and revolvers.
If you think the Glock is so great, don't just sit there...convince us.
There is nothing sillier than a shooter who has spent his tax return on a pistol and discovered that it has shortcomings. He won't admit a thing.
 
M

MellowMikey

New member
John Lawson,

I own Glocks, but I carry a Sig P220 and a Kahr MK9 now, just got em and they are superior to my Glocks. :D
I just don't consider Glocks second class guns.

Actually what I consider silly is someone who gets a tax return....
That means you have loaned the Govt your money interest free for up to a year.... Now that is silly. :p

BTW, Glocks for sale... hehe
Oh, I got into Glocks cause it was my duty weapon, I preferred the Sig back then too, just couldnt afford em. I have never had a malfunction in any of my Glocks, I am a lucky soul. :D

Regards,
Mikey
 
M

MellowMikey

New member
John,

If you send me an Alchemy arms weapon to evaluate, I will let ya know if I think it is better than the Glocks, but it will have to be better than my Sig too. :D
BTW, what is Alchemy's website?

Mikey
 
B

bad_dad_brad

New member
Glocks, Love em or Hate em

Hell yes, Glock is a great marketer. No doubt about it.

When I first got into handguns, I picked up a Glock and put it down in disgust. Then I bought one after reading about the 10,000 round torture tests, perhaps a publicity stunt! But Chuck Taylor is not on the payroll though folks. He is a serious expert and sees the Glock for what it is as does he evaluates all firearms. Too honest for you? Not me.

There are tests out there folks, by indepenent benchmarking non profit organizations. The Glock always passes with flying colors for what it is intended to do.

I have a lot of handguns, but if I had to go back in time, to the nether worlds of swords and spears, I would take my Glock.

Mine have been everything a handgun should be. Never a failure, always combat accurate, and low maintenance.

Glock haters are as unreasonable as people who think the Colt single action six is still a viable self defense handgun, and conversley, Glock lovers are as unreasonable as those that can't admit that a slingshot can't be deadly.

The world is gray folks. There is no black and white. Glocks, love em or hate em, they have changed the firearms industry.

Personally I don't love a gun any more than I love a screwdriver, it is just a tool, and the Glock is great tool.
 
J

J. Parker

New member
skevlar; I'm a member of GlockTalk but since I sold my G-21 I don't browse over there much anymore. Gaston Glock was simply in the right place at the right time. Hey, nothin' wrong with that but he was still lucky. In 2001 there are alot of good solid pistols on the market and Glock's are no better or worse than the rest. There's many good folks over at GlockTalk but it's the ones that use terminology like "this Glock rocks" that don't contribute much. Just my thoughts, J. Parker
 
I

IanS

New member
Cheapo,

I believe in my original post I touched upon the fact HK used polymer before Glock, although maybe I wasn't so clear. My point; Glock was first to successfully and widely convince others, polymer as a viable material for firearms.

Mr. Lawson,

Easy to call Glocks "cheap" and "second rate" since they're "relatively" inexpensive, made of "plastic", and maybe you don't like the way it shoots for you? Its too bad cops are forced their duty guns on them (they're like shoes, everyone's got'em made somewhere). I wish I had the power to change that, but I don't. I've had a NIB Sig P229 with a gritty trigger pull and sloppy finish, a NIB HK USP/C (100% German Made.....Ooooh!) with extraction problems, and a NIB Ruger MK II that wouldn't field strip. All fixed by their respective factories and am now happy with them. With Glocks I've experienced no quality control problems, yet. My Glocks have been reliable and they shoot just as well as the "others". I base this on my own personal experience.


Glock bashing or any other brand bashing aside the point of my original post was that Gaston Glock took a chance on something others wouldn't and made HIS DREAM come true. (I was afraid it might degenerate into this) The fact that he produced a product that continues to confound the critics makes ME glad. Something Preston Tucker didn't get a chance to do.(This was the point of my original thread) This was not an attempt to compare Glocks to your souped up 1911 or German made Sig (by the way I love Sigs). So relax, your pride is intact.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top