New book about Glock handguns

[Paul Barrett]

My forthcoming book - glock: the rise of america's gun - offers a behind-the-scenes history of the man, the legendary pistol, and how it became so popular with cops, civilians, hollywood movie directors and hip hop performers (among others). The company's marketing genius was critical to its success, but so were timing, the missteps of gun-controllers, and the long-standing affection Americans have for a reasonably priced, no-nonsense product. Glock is the Colt of the late 20th century; my book explains how and why.
More info (including a short prelude chapter abt the notorious 1986 Miami shootout) here - www.glockthebook.com - and there are also links if you care to preorder at a significant discount. The official publication date is Jan 10, 2012 (Crown)
Thanks and best,
Paul Barrett

[Mike Irwin]

Welcome, Paul.

To TFL's members...

I expect that this thread will NOT become a battleground for those who like, and those who don't like, Glock handguns.

If it does, those who travel that path will wish they had taken the left at Cucamonga.

[lee n. field]

The official publication date is Jan 10, 2012 (Crown)
Thanks and best,

Interesting.

Chime back in here when it hits the streets, would you please.

[trex1310]

Glock is the Colt of the late 20th century

I'm glad he didn't say Colt Python.

[Sevens]

I found the prelude chapter about the Miami shootout kind of... odd for a Glock book? They went to S&W 1076 pistols soon after this. But I'm sure the book expounds on the path they took.

Sounds interesting!

[TxFlyFish]

Does it include any interviews with Mr Glock? Just curious of his perspective of things

[Kimbertron]

Looks interesting. Seems like he is not really a firearms enthusiast himself so I'm curious to see his perspective on the industry in general.

[RC20]

Well I will put my post out on its own.

While I have not written a book, I have some perspective on GG and his enterprise. Some would probably surprise people.

[jmortimer]

Glock make a fine gun but the idea it is somehow "American" or embedded in our history is a stretch to say the least. Let's give it 50 years or so and then judge its place in American history.

[Kimbertron]

Glock make a fine gun but the idea it is somehow "American" or embedded in our history is a stretch to say the least. Let's give it 50 years or so and then judge its place in American history.

From the little information that was posted about the book i don't think it is implying a major impact on our history. Glock certainly has made an impact on American culture inside and outside of the firearm enthusiast's in pop culture.

[Paul Barrett]

First, I want to say thanks to Mr. Irwin and others here for their interest in my post about my forthcoming book, GLOCK: The Rise of America's Gun.

A few quick responses to questions and implied questions:

1. I wrote the book, a history of the Glock and its effect on the U.S. gun market, not as a gun enthusiast but as a journalist. In the course of my research, I have done some shooting, mostly pistols (and mostly Glocks), but also a wide range of other handguns and rifles. It turns out I enjoy shooting. So does my wife, Julie, who has tagged along a couple of times when I have taken instruction from Frank DiNuzzo, Glock's former chief in-house trainer and the former head firearm instructor for the NY State Police (Frank is a great teacher, if you're in the Albany area).
2. I begin the book with a short opening chapter about the infamous FBI shootout in Miami in 1986 because that horrible event underscored a growing consensus among law enforcement officials that US police were being "outgunned" by the bad guys. This conclusion led many municipal police departments to turn to the semiauto -- and Gaston Glock was seen as offering "the pistol of the future." Thus began the Glock revolution. It's correct, as one participant noted, that the FBI itself initially adopted a S&W pistol, but that decision led to widespread dissatisfaction with the S&W semiautos. Some years later, long after municipal and state forces, the FBI (and the DEA) also adopted the Glock. The FBI continues to issue Glocks today.
3. Gaston Glock declined to speak to me. He has not given an interview for some years. I am told, authoritatively, that he has suffered more than on stroke. On the other hand, in July, at the age of 82, he married the 31-year-old woman who runs his equestrian center in southern Austria.
4. Although the secretive Glock family would not talk, I did interview a large number of their former top employees, associates, rivals, and the like. In addition, a large amount of information about Gaston Glock became available (although not easily accessible) in Luxembourg, after Glock's former top financial adviser was convicted of hiring a hit man to have the industrialist killed. (The attempt went comically awry, and Herr Glock, age 70 at the time, beat the stuffing out of the hit man.) If you're curious about Glock -- the man or the pistol -- this is the book for you (apologies for immodesty).

I would be very happy to answer other questions and remain in touch with this forum. The book is available for preorder now via Amazon.com. There's a link on my website (www.glockthebook.com). If one or a couple of you are interested in writing a review of the book -- for this or for other serious firearm website(s), I can get you online access to the uncorrected proof, or galley. But I can do this only for people willing to commit to review the book. Email me at [email protected] if you're interested.

All the best,
Paul Barrett
www.glockthebook.com

[HKFan9]

Glock make a fine gun but the idea it is somehow "American" or embedded in our history is a stretch to say the least. Let's give it 50 years or so and then judge its place in American history.

My thoughts exactly.

Congrats on the book, and all due respect, but I find the title mildly offensive. I am not a Glock hater, I owned a G17 for a short time, and moved on, but I really disagree with what the title is implying, even if it was not your intention.

Not trying to be rude.. just being honest. It sounds like a good read however.

[TxFlyFish]

Guys come on hes taken time to answer our questions, remember this is a journalists point of view. Imho very worth reading.

I love 1911s but if anything is gonna outsell it i will be the glock, not our mps and xdms, hence the title

[gunsavy]

The fact that people who aren't even into firearms can identify with name supports the title. Most people I get into conversations with about firearms don't even know what a 1911 is (which is unfortunate but true). If shown a picture most can probably say its gun they have seen before but wouldn't identify it as a 1911, but just saying the word glock most people know its gun . I personally don't have a problem with the title but if anyone is to blame it's the media.

[chris in va]

I think it's 'America's Gun' only because .gov and PD around the country were offered better deals on the Glock than other manufacturers were willing to go, along with massive marketing and support. Once everyone saw LEO's carrying one, they had to get one too, myself included (which has since been sold).

I was also taken aback by the title. While many departments and citizens have Glocks, I can say with certainty most people don't feel the USA has adopted it as "our firearm". Just about anyone with a minimal firearm education would consider a 1911 as something we identify with.

[Billy Shears]

Sitting here contemplating the title of this upcoming book my first reaction was, "no way, Glock isn't America's gun." Then I reflected that I myself, raised almost exclusively on 1911s and Hi-Powers, have been a Glock owner for more than 15 years and have about half a dozen of the boxy black plastic wonder pistols in the family, including one in my truck right now.

Somehow, the Glock has slowly pushed aside my traditional favorites while I wasn't paying attention. Glocks don't feel particularly good in my hand, I have several complaints about the design and build and they won't win any beauty contests, but that doesn't seem to stop me from continuing to buy and shoot them.

My latest acquisition, a Gen4 19 has right at 3,000 rounds through it now since I bought it in May. I find myself spending a lot of quality time at the range with my Glocks, even as I occasionally badmouth them to my friends here at TFL. It's an interesting conundrum.

Maybe there's something to this. I look forward to reading the book.

[TailGator]

I don't have any beef with the title. Glock may be just another brand to handgun enthusiasts, but most of America is not in that category. As he said in his first post, Glock has become well know because of its adoption by "cops, civilians, hollywood movie directors and hip hop performers " Even here on TFL, we frequently see that chart of handgun identification by the media that shows the word "Glock" under everything from revolvers to water pistols. We laugh, but for much of the US population, handgun=Glock and Glock=handgun. We might not like that view of handguns, but for a book in the popular press (as opposed to one addressed to handgun enthusiasts) I don't think the title is inappropriate.

[Dino.]

Glock make a fine gun but the idea it is somehow "American" or embedded in our history is a stretch to say the least. Let's give it 50 years or so and then judge its place in American history.

I agree somewhat, in that I don't believe the Glock has specifically played a huge part of "American History". Yes, it has been adopted by many law enforcement agencies here in the U.S., but it was never actually adopted by the U.S. Military, that I'm aware of.

However, I do feel that the Glock has played a huge role in the worldwide acceptance of polymere handguns and has made a huge impact on the firearms industry.

[Paul Barrett]

I appreciate all the discussion of my forthcoming book. Here's a link to a review released today by Publishers Weekly:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-307-71993-5

All the best,
Paul Barrett
www.glockthebook.com

[Nordeste]

Seems like a book I'd love to read. Hope that is available for sale in Europe too.

However, I wonder from what angle the author looks at Glocks. You certainly can't discuss Glock's sucess, but, on the other hand, this pistols raise contradictory feelings in the public. You shoot one and realize immediately that it's a good pistol, but unless you haven't shot anything else in your life, you also realize of its shortcomings. IMHO, those are trigger and grip angle, perhaps a high bore axis, and the lack of a manual safety. This downsides, though, could well have been solved through something called evolution, and what I mean by this is that Glocks haven't evolved that much since they were first introduced in the early 90's. Some other similar pistols like the Steyrs, XDs or Caracals have addressed those issues and now are called by lots of people "what a Glock should be nowadays".

It's kind of like the company is a bit close minded. Smith and Wesson offers their M&P line with a manual safety, so does Steyr. That means there's a part of the public that demands a manual safety, why not offering it as an option, at least?. This also applies to other design evolutions that could well have been implemented. Look at the Steyr's grip for that.

That's why I mean when I say from what angle the author has looked at the Glock's success. They certainly had it, but I wonder if there's any room for criticism (understood as the positive, constructive kind) in it. Glock advertises their product as "Perfection", but they could be much closer to that than they are, just by listening a little bit and not being so reluctant to evolution.

[Uncle Malice]

perhaps a high bore axis

The extremely LOW bore axis is one of the best features of Glock... I can't think of another gun that matches it... maybe 1911 or HK P7 come close. It's definitely not high by any stretch.

I don't care about the title... I don't think America has adopted it as "our gun" but there's no denying it's one of the most famous guns of all time. I think more non-shooters would be able to name a Glock than a 1911...

I do like Glocks. They're not my favorite gun, but I have grown to really appreciate their simplicity. They require no love and attention... for what they do.. they're great.

[HighValleyRanch]

I think it's 'America's Gun' only because .gov and PD around the country were offered better deals on the Glock than other manufacturers were willing to go, along with massive marketing and support. Once everyone saw LEO's carrying one, they had to get one too, myself included (which has since been sold).

But think back for a moment to the time when Glock came out, mid 1980's.
There really wasn't that big a selection of wonder nines to go around.
Smith, some single stack 1911's, but where were all the other competitors with their plastic hi cap semi's. It wasn't initially because of the low cost. There simply wasn't any competition to what it fullfilled

Glock did change the industry and America's acceptance of the plastic hi capacity semi auto. It was indeed a pivoting moment in history.

When I first saw my brothers glock 17 in 1986, I had to have one. Finally got mine in 1989 with the second generation glock 19. I still have that as my main carry and it is still going strong.

Of course there are choices now, but Glock forged the way.
It really did become an American gun by its presence.
So it wasn't made in America, but it certainly changed American gun history!

Think back and try to remember anyone you knew back in those days that had any polymer gun? Of course we all know that H&K made one, but how many people owned one and what LE agency adopted it?
No, history can't deny Glocks place, even though all the Glock detractors want it so.

And I do think that the 1986 Miami shootout was a pivoting point as well.
It led to Law enforcement agencies to desire hi capacity semi auto's, which coincided perfectly with the Glock's receiving the 1987 firearms industry award. Today, how many Agencies use the revolver as their primary weapon.
So no one can deny that Glock did play an important role in changing that!

Before 1987, I can't think of many Law enforcement agencies adapting any hi capacity semi auto's in great numbers.
Just looking through a 1990's gun trader catalog, and the only polymer handguns listed are the Glock and a smattering of various eclectic H&K's.

So I think the author has some good points in talking about how Glock revolutionized America's gun history!

Didn't anyone else watch the Outdoor channel a couple of weeks ago when they did a whole show on the Glock with Joe mantagno?

[KyJim]

Love 'em or hate 'em, the Glock helped revolutionize handgun manufacturing and really changed the status quo of the police market. The book looks very interesting and should be considered as a buy for anyone interested in handguns.

[Paul Barrett]

I'm pleased to share this review of GLOCK: The Rise of America's Gun, written by Derek (aka The Packing Rat), who knows guns and grub. Nice guy, too. Derek was kind enough to collect up a bunch of other gun blog posts at the end of his review...

http://thepackingrat.net/2011/11/05/...-americas-gun/

All the best,
Paul Barrett
@GlockTheBook

[10mm4ever]

Is Wilhelm Bubits even mentioned in this book?