Are Glock’s Glory Days Over?

In 1980, Glock Revolutionized Handguns. But Newer Guns Like the SIG P320 Are Stealing the Spotlight. Is Glock Still the Go-To Choice Today?

by Richard Baimbridge

There’s no doubt that Gaston Glock’s introduction of the Glock 17 in 1980 to the Austrian military changed the world of handguns forever. An engineer with no previous firearms experience, Glock had previously manufactured polymer curtain rods in his small factory in the 1960s before dipping his toes into the military supplies market, making knife handles, shovels and machine gun belts for the Austrian Army.

Two years after the open competition where his prototype beat out the likes of Sig Sauer and Beretta, The Glock 17 (named after the fact that it was his 17^th patent) became the standard service pistol of the Austrian Army and Police, as the P80. From there, it took the world by storm – from law enforcement to Hip Hop, becoming a household name almost as recognizable as Microsoft and Starbucks, and a favorite topic of Rap songs.

What made the Glock so spectacularly successful is, of course, the lightweight and durable polymer construction, innovative trigger safety, foolproof reliability, and its beautiful simplicity -- a total sum of just 34 parts for the Glock 19. It’s estimated that Glock sells over a million handguns per year in the USA, and is one of the most popular guns ever made globally.

The Glock 19 is, many would argue, the ultimate concealed carry weapon.

Delta Force was reportedly the first Special Operations unit to adopt the .40 caliber Glock 22 in 2004 in Iraq, followed by Army Special Forces in 2006 who took up the Glock 19 and Glock 26. Soon after, Navy SEALs and MARSOC Raiders also embraced Glock 19s.  

Then, in 2017, Sig Sauer’s P320 beat out a modified Glock 19 as the replacement firearm for the US Army standard service sidearm issue Beretta M9 in a stunning reversal of fortunes. But the military’s decision wasn’t a big surprise if you were paying attention to innovation, or to Hip Hop lyrics.  

While Glock had essentially remained unchanged for 40 years, Sig made some major new innovations. And while the name doesn’t roll off the tongue or rhyme quite as easily as “Glock”, Sig Sauer had replaced Glock as the gun of choice for rappers. The writing was, so to speak, already on the wall.

Sig’s main improvement over the Glock is versatility, including a modular chassis system that allows you to easily swap parts or change calibers, sizes, and grip frames, opening up far more options with what you can do with it. Sig also has a far crisper off-the-shelf trigger, smoother mag release, superior sights and (some would say) better ergonomics. For a lot of people, the P320 just feels better in their hands.

Apparently, the US Military agrees – although their decision was also influenced by economics and ammunition supply options. Law enforcement, however, has been less enthusiastic about adopting Sigs. Glock still holds 75% of the US Law Enforcement market, and though some have changed over to Sig, most are happy sticking with Glocks.

The ultimate question is – which is right for you? To answer that, you need to take a lot of factors into consideration. In terms of the big ones: price, ease of shooting, overall quality and reliability, Sig and Glock are pretty much dead-even, especially since Sig fixed the trigger issues plaguing its earlier models.

True, Sig is slightly more expensive out of the gate, starting at an average of $675 versus $620 for a Glock 19 Gen5. But with Sig, you also get better quality off-the-shelf features. According to GunBroker.com, the best-selling handguns of 2023 were (in order of popularity): 1. SIG P365, 2. SIG P320 and 3. Glock 19.

In the end, it comes down to personal preference. But if you’re looking for something off-the-shelf that you don’t intend to modify drastically, despite the endless aftermarket accessories, Glock is still a fantastic gun. If, however, you want something with better features and a more modular system, the P320 is a better choice.

Either way, both guns are outstanding options for concealed carry, home defense, and competitive shooting. Gaston Glock passed away in December 2023 at the age of 94, surviving a failed assassination attempt in 1999 by one of his business associates. But despite the mild rebuff from the younger generation of rappers and the US Army, the company remains strong. And it’s unlikely that the sun will be setting on Glock anytime soon.

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