94-year-old Austrian Gaston Glock, inventor of the semi-automatic pistol ‘Glock’, died on Wednesday. The arms company ‘GLOCK’, which he founded, announced this on Wednesday. The billionaire revolutionized the arms industry with the weapon.
The maker of the popular handgun studied mechanical engineering in Vienna and initially traded in household items, including curtain rails. Later he also supplied equipment to the Austrian army, such as knives and bayonets. In 1982 he won a tender from the Austrian army to design a firearm.
‘The Glock’ became a worldwide success. Not only the Austrian army, but also the American FBI and the British armed forces used the 9mm weapon. The Dutch armed forces have used the pistol as the second standard weapon since 1994. The weapon’s popularity is mainly due to the plastic material, which makes it lightweight. In addition, the ‘Glock’ is known for being reliable, easy to disassemble and has a large bullet capacity.
Hollywood debut
The firearm also turned out to be a valuable object for film directors and the music industry. After it made its debut in the American TV series Miami Vice, the gun became an indispensable part of films and songs. The popularity also reached criminals, which led to much criticism from the anti-gun lobby.
Gaston Glock led a secluded life. Although he avoided the media, he was in the news extensively when he survived an assassination attempt in 1999. Years later, he was also in the news again due to a difficult divorce from his first wife Helga.