Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun
Paul M. Barrett
2012
This novel summarizes the entrance of the Glock into the realm of manufactured firearms in the late 20th century. It delves into the beginnings of Glock and the owner Gaston Glock, who in 1980 was a manager at a radiator factory in Austria, and relates how he gained a contract with the Austrian government to manufacture a pistol.
Much of the book enumerates the legal struggles inherent with the gun industry in the 1990s, as well as the accompanying press and publicity that Glock successfully used to its advantage.
Throughout this novel you’ll find the fascinating history of Karl Walter, who was one of the first employees of Glock, and who single-handedly marketed the Glock to law enforcement officials in the United States.
The gun industry has gone through many shifts since the 1980s, both in the law enforcement industry and in the public sector. This book provides yet another morsel of information regarding the rise of one America’s most popular pistols, and illustrates how the Glock’s popularity is deeply intertwined with America’s gun culture, laws, and politics.
I recommend this book for both gun enthusiasts and the average citizen, because it describes the influence of the media on commercial enterprise. However, it’s especially interesting to see the intersection of politics and guns, an issue that seems to always be at the forefront of our minds in the 21st century, when much of the current presidential administration seems to be vociferously engaged in a battle to strengthen gun control laws.
Best,
Ryan Hartwig
Questions to consider while reading this novel
Who was a radiator factory manager in 1980 in Austra whose side job was manufacturing curtain rods?
How old was _________ when he submitted his first patent for firearm design?
Who did _________ hire to market his gun in the United States?
What strategies did Glock use to influence the market in the United States?
Do the names of Glock models correspond to the magazine capacity of their clips?
Where did ______________ test his first prototypes of the Glock 17?
Which police department first transitioned to the Glock 17 semiautomatic pistol?
What was the criteria used by the Austrian government to choose a new pistol for its military?
Which police force in the U.S. received Glocks in 1989 and then had them replaced in 1994 for new ones at no additional charge?
What aspect of the Glock 17, never before seen in a pistol, sparked a wave of negative publicity in the late 80s?
What did early tests by the FBI tell about the Glock 17?
What are some obvious disadvantages of the Glock 17? Advantages?
Which Austrian was conscripted into the German military(Wehrmacht) as a teenager during WWII?
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