Gaston Glock, the creator of one of the world’s most well-known firearms, died Wednesday at age 94.
His death was announced on the Glock company’s website, with a memorial message displayed on its front page. No cause of death was given.
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“Gaston Glock charted the strategic direction of the GLOCK Group throughout his life and prepared it for the future,” the message read. “His life’s work will continue in his spirit.”
Glock ranks among Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the AK-47, and Eugene Stoner, inventor of the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle, as one of the most influential weapon designers in modern firearms history. His Glock handguns became a cultural icon, frequently seen at the side of police officers and criminals alike, on and off the big screen. It quickly became the weapon of choice for U.S. police forces, with roughly two-thirds using it, and worldwide police, with the security forces of over 48 nations using it, according to the New York Times.
The Austrian inventor was conscripted into the German Wehrmacht as a teenager during World War II. He set down firearms for nearly four decades after the war until he overheard a conversation between two Army officers discussing a handgun contract from the Austrian Ministry of Defense. Though he had no experience in firearm design, running a car radiator factory and metal press on the side, he decided to pursue the contract, putting forward his design for the Glock 17 in 1981.
The weapon, made largely from hardened plastic and a metal barrel, was greeted with praise. It was distinguished by its reliability in all weather, accuracy, high magazine capacity, and cheap production costs. The Austrian military ordered 20,000 of the handguns in 1982.
The firearm would gain global fame after its introduction to the United States, where police officers struggling to deal with skyrocketing crime quickly embraced the reliable weapon. Before long, manufacturing plants were opened in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, earning Glock tens of millions in profits. By 2021, Forbes estimated his fortune at roughly $1.1 billion.
The gun is featured prominently in rap songs, TV shows, and movies, making it a cultural hit. In the words of Paul Barrett, the author of Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun, the weapon is “the Google of modern civilian handguns: the pioneer brand that defines its product category.”
Despite his immense wealth, Glock was known for avoiding the limelight, with the New York Times describing him as “reclusive.” His only major encounters with media attention before his death were an assassination attempt from a disgruntled business associate in 1999 and a messy divorce in 2011.
In his book, Barrett portrayed the billionaire as an ambiguous figure, one whose impact will be felt for some time.
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“Glock, then, is not a particular villain within the fraternity of firearms,” he wrote, the New York Times reported. “Nor is he a hero — regardless of what Hollywood tells us on both scores.”
“Gaston Glock is one of the giants in handgun history, deserving of mention alongside Colt, Browning, Smith and Wesson,” Barrett concluded.
