Why hasn't glock designed new guns? No Rifles? No micro 380 acp? No Revolvers?

[Ridgerunner665]

If it ain't broke...don't fix it!

Why change a design that works, is easy and cheap to manufacture, and sells like hot cakes?

 

[Ben86]

When it comes to knew designs they aren't very adventurous. They do what they do well, but don't like to change much.

I wish they would make a:

.22 LR pistol

Single stack, 9mm pistols (compact and pocket size)

 

[Dr.Zubrato]

Weren't there rumors floating around a few years ago? Saying glock was testing carbines, but they weren't as reliable as the pistols so they were retuning them.
They were supposed to be out on the shelves in a few years, but I guess it never materialized.

If I recall correctly, there was some kind of website where a gentleman went on the glock factory tour and the reps told him that.

Huh. I'd definitely love to see some glock innovation besides trying desperately to keep up with the market (interchangable grips, weird slide serrations,rougher texture..)

In my opinion glock dropped the ball BIG TIME, by not cornering the magpul market with their own polymers. Magpul had to make their own name in that market and they did so sucessfully, but glock is a much bigger dog.

 

[Gryffydd]

Considering their guns cost them about $60 to make, and they sell for about $550, why would you change that? Adding in 65% of the LEO market, they have a nice current business model for profitability

Because they don't have to. Glock already sells enough guns to remain profitable, they don't need any new innovations.

Sounds like some things that could have been said about Colt that long ago. In the long run you adapt or you die (or at least wither away slowly).

 

[Evil Monkey]

glock pistols are designed for combat and they are perfect the way they are. They pretty much make every other handgun obsolete, except for the copies out there like the m&p, sigma, sd9/40, etc......

Also, if you run out of ammo and are in a tough situation, you can set the timed fuse and toss it at the enemy.

 

[HGM22]

I think maybe a benefit that there is little innovation is lower cost since no R&D is being funded. However, I'd like to see some new stuff from them. I am curious why they haven't attempted at least a .22lr.

One problem I see with a carbine is that there is not much Glock CAN innovate; the AR, AK, FAL, etc. have most everything covered already, though that is not to say it still would not be profitable for Glock to make a rifle. As far as a pistol caliber carbine; yeah, it'd be cool (assuming it uses existing mags), but I'm not sure how popular pistol caliber carbines really are. They seem like low cost plinker guns that fail at higher price points and get next to no police/military attention.

 

[JohnBiltz]

I think if 5 years ago they came out with a nice carbine in 9mm, .40 and .45 that used the magazines as their pistols they would have cleaned up. They could have marketed that to police and consumers would have bought them. They still might but I think that boat sailed. Police moved on to ARs.

 

[dirtengineer]

I wanna say something about Import Laws, but don't quote me.
I'd buy a Glock compact singlestack 9mm anyday.

I would trade my Kahr for a single stack subcompact glock if it existed.

 

[Wildbillz]

Years ago I took a Glock Aromrers cours. The instructor said that they were working on a Police Carbine. This was just about the time that Ruger came out with the PC series. The Glock one never seem to make it to market? Maybe they saw there was not as much of a demand for it as they had thought. But I sure would have liked to see them do it. One in each caliber using there standard pistol mags.

WB

 

[buckhorn_cortez]

Glock is a one trick pony. Gaston had an idea for one product - that's it. The idea that Glock could come up with a revolutionary, better gun in any category is pure fantasy.

 

[flyskater]

The saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
They already dominate the market, they already have brand recognition.
I know glock sales increase 60% after the Glifford shooting in AZ. (granted the gunman used a Glock>>> resulted in Glock name being postered in every newspaper

 

[kimbernut]

Para Ord

I'll bet Para could shed some light on the question. My understanding is that they have made the decision to drop their AR line and go back to what they know best and works well for them.

 

[Nordeste]

Although I can understand why they haven't made any significant change to their design (backstraps and checkering are no significant change), I admit I'd love to see them coming up with something new. They sell very well the original design, it's set a standard and it's cheap. Beat that. As said, if it ain't broken, don't fix it. And with the ongoing financial crisis, it doesn't seem too wise to venture in new developments if you're selling very well you're current product.

However, there's a pistol I still haven't ever fired and that I'm soooo looking forward to firing. That's the Steyr M9A1. Held one in hand, thoug. Felt absolutely wonderful. Loved the ergos and the trigger pull, it felt like a natural pointer and the those weird trapezoidal sights felt pretty nice. And my though was, THIS is how a new Glock model should be.

If they came up with a carbine, shotgun or assault rifle, that would be very much welcome and I'm sure they'd sell it well.

 

[fireside44]

It just dawned on me this morning. Glock needs to produce a line of pistols in a sort of slime green colored plastic and call them the zombie series. Doggone I'm good.

 

[ny32182]

I've always kind of appreciated that Glock's product line and marketing strategy mirrors their design philosophy:

1) Simple
2) What they do make is the best there is.
3) No frills, no BS, everything you need, and nothing you don't. All business.

And they have been doing it better than anyone else for 25 years now. To me it is the mark of a company that knows who they are, where they are going, and are executing to perfection. History will remember two handgun designs from the 20th century; 1911s and Glocks. Everything else: "infinitesimal minutia".

 

[XM855]

I like that Glock picks one thing and does it well. Better than spreading themselves too thin and everything loses quality or operating costs go up.

 

[mgmorden]

They seem to be doing fine as is, but as Gryffydd indicated, a lot of businesses have tripped up "sticking to what works".

Microsoft for example. No they're not hurting, but for a long time they rested on their laurels secure that no one would challenge them because pretty much all PC's ran Windows and they had that market cornered.

Then the mobile market took off based on new stuff being done by Apple and Microsoft has been left playing catch-up.

Sticking to a sucessful product only works for so long. If you don't innovate EVENTUALLY someone will beat you at your own game. I don't think Glock is in any immediate trouble, but you can see that they're already losing some of their dominance in the law enforcement market (particularly to S&W). Ruger's getting more and more popular in the civilian market and Kel-tec is continuing to push the price-point for a decent pistol lower and lower.

I'd wager that if Glock doesn't have something significantly different in another 15 years then they will likely still be around, but they won't be the powerhouse that they are now.

 

[ny32182]

I'd wager that if Glock doesn't have something significantly different in another 15 years then they will likely still be around, but they won't be the powerhouse that they are now.

I don't know about that; the basic 1911 still sells plenty of units and it is 4x older than the Glock.

You can add gizmos like backstraps, ambi controls, etc, which can potentially be nice for limited sets of people, but how much do these kinds of things really impact the function of the gun? Not much.

Can anyone design a pistol that that is a significant improment on the Gen3 Glock in terms of a major functional parameter like weight, durability, cost, ease of maintenance... etc? I guess time will tell.

Look at rifles; the AR15 has been churched up over time, but at the core it is essentially unchanged for the last 50 years. Many newer designs have tried and failed to take significant market share from it. Once something is that institutionally entrenched it will take a major improvement to dethrone it.

 

[ATLDave]

I don't know about that; the basic 1911 still sells plenty of units and it is 4x older than the Glock.

Sure. But is Colt the powerhouse that it was? At some point, patents expire, and then anyone can build exactly the same thing. Then it's a contest of QA, cost containment, and new feature development.

I don't know when Glock's patents expire, but true Glock clones - not just striker-fired polymer pistols with simple controls and dohickey in the middle of the trigger - will some day be rolling off factory lines, probably in China, Malaysia, the Philipines, or some other far-east location.

 

[TarDevil]

I'd wager that if Glock doesn't have something significantly different in another 15 years then they will likely still be around, but they won't be the powerhouse that they are now.

+1

I will never forget one line spoken at a business seminar I attended in 1985:
"Never assume you will maintain a product or price advantage over your competition." No great revelation to any business person, but I was young.

Harley Davidson was lucky to rise from the ashes of such an assumption. I hope Glock continues to do well.

 

[Skribs]

Honestly, I don't think Glock is the best there is. They would be my #2 or #3 choice, but there are a lot of options out there of comparable quality and price to a Glock. Glock set the standard when it came out...but that's now a standard that others are following.

If Glock suddenly stopped making pistols, would the world implode? I think most Glock buyers would just get an M&P instead.

 

[War Eagle]

I wish they'd come out with a .22lr pistol and a AR-15! Can you imagine how awesome a Glock AR-15 would be?!?!?!

...

 

[marksman13]

Simple...they don't have to. Love them or hate them, they are one of the most popular firearms in the world.

 

[signalzero]

A lot of companies do have multiple good products, too though.

From what I hear, the Springfield M1A is pretty nice, and I love the XD.
I've heard great things about Ruger duty autos, and I like my LCP and my revolver. I've heard mixed reviews about Ruger rifles and some lemons in the LCR, though.
S&W is highly regarded for their revolvers, but I've heard lots of good things about both the pistol and rifle M&P series.
Not to mention Colt, which has made how many highly adopted military firearms?
HK, which IIRC is based somewhat close (globally) to Glock, is known for handguns, submachine guns, and rifles.

Honestly, just because Glock makes auto pistols well doesn't mean they can't make more money by expanding. Worst comes to worst, the Glock pistols still hold their share of the market and Glock rifles are just semi popular.

I don't think Springfield is a good example. Most of their guns are not "made" by them. For example, the XD is made in Croatia by a company called HS Produkt (formerly IM Metal). Springfield just has US distribution rights for it - other than that they have little involvement. Most of their other guns are made in Brazil. I think the only guns they actually make are the M1A's.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Also, if you run out of ammo and are in a tough situation, you can set the timed fuse and toss it at the enemy.

You mean load a slightly pushed back .40 S&W cartridge?

I kid I kid!