Analysis: Glock Risks Backlash With Redesign Under Duress [Member Exclusive]

The nation’s hottest pistol maker seems to imagine that making design modifications demanded by gun-control advocates by means of laws and litigation is one of the simplest ways to attenuate injury to its enterprise. However the transfer dangers inspiring a backlash that would damage much more.

Final week, Glock confirmed it plans to discontinue the manufacturing and sale of practically all of its present pistols. The corporate hasn’t admitted that the modifications are as a result of mounting strain.

“As a part of Glock’s dedication to future improvements, we’re making needed updates to our product line to align with upcoming choices,” the corporate stated in a latest assertion. “Our dedication continues to be with sustaining the best degree of high quality, reliability, and accessibility that you just count on from Glock. The Glock V Sequence is right here to determine a baseline of merchandise whereas simplifying our processes.”

Nevertheless, it hasn’t denied that concept both. Plus, this week, Everytown for Gun Security took credit score for organizing the marketing campaign that compelled the difficulty. And lots of gun house owners are making the simple connection as effectively.

How these customers finally react to the redesign will decide whether or not Glock’s gamble pays off.

The scenario stems from the recognition of so-called Glock switches, which may modify semi-automatic Glock handguns to be able to fully-automatic hearth. Putting in a machinegun conversion system, like a change, is unlawful below federal regulation with out difficult-to-obtain licensing. However there’s proof, resembling a latest ATF report, that these conversion gadgets have turn into more and more standard amongst criminals.

Whereas Glocks are removed from the one type of semi-automatic firearm that may be transformed to full-auto hearth with some tinkering and loads of disregard for committing federal felonies, they’re additionally among the many commonest weapons and mostly related to the observe. So, Glock has garnered probably the most consideration and confronted the best risk from lawsuits and legislative motion. Gun-control activists, most prominently Everytown, have accused Glock of manufacturing a design that’s too straightforward to change. Due to this fact, they argue, Glock’s pistols ought to be outlawed, and it ought to be held responsible for the injury finished by those that’ve illegally modified the weapons.

That effort noticed a collection of latest wins.

In September, the Everytown-backed Chicago go well with towards Glock cleared an early movement to dismiss from the gun maker. Then, in October, the identical factor occurred in an analogous case out of New Jersey simply earlier than California Governor Gavin Newsom (D.) signed a brand new gun ban into regulation that targets the sale of weapons that characteristic Glock’s set off mechanism.

Then, in fact, Glock confirmed that it might be discontinuing most fashions utilizing that system.

It’s not fully clear that transfer will fulfill Everytown or different gun-control advocates who need Glock to be held responsible for the crimes dedicated with Glock switches. The circumstances haven’t been dropped nor has the change made its method into the authorized battle–no less than, not but. Whether or not swapping out the firing mechanism a long time after they had been first launched truly helps Glock in courtroom stays to be seen.

However the larger unknown, no less than because it pertains to Glock’s future, is how gun customers will react.

That is definitely not the primary time {that a} main gun firm has modified the interior design of a well-liked pistol. Neither is it the primary time they’ve finished so below duress from lawmakers or gun-control advocates. The response from the gun-buying public has diversified considerably relying on the circumstances.

The newest instance most likely comes from Sig Sauer. Their standard P320 pistol has been mired in controversy since its debut in 2014. At the moment, gun house owners had been upset after some reviewers discovered there have been situations the place the gun may hearth by itself if dropped from a excessive sufficient distance at a selected angle.

Sig issued what it referred to as a voluntary improve program that swapped the gun’s unique set off with the efficiency mannequin it was already utilizing in higher-end variations of the P320, which appeared to unravel a lot of the issues. Glock may pull an analogous transfer right here, since they have already got a factory-offered efficiency set off that makes use of a design distinct from the usual mannequin that’s been the main target of the lawsuits and California’s gross sales ban.

The P320 has continued to face hassle since Sig addressed the preliminary drop security difficulty. Whereas the corporate has maintained the P320 design is protected, it has confronted quite a few lawsuits and investigations stemming from allegations the gun can hearth uncommanded.

These points are probably what Colt was making an attempt to keep away from when it redesigned the long-lasting 1911 pistol again within the Nineteen Eighties.

After 70 years, the gunmaker determined the traditional American sidearm wanted a brand new security mechanism to handle its personal alleged drop issues of safety. So, it debuted the Sequence 80 1911. The corporate added 4 items to the pistol that might block the firing pin from shifting ahead and contacting the primer on a spherical of ammunition except the set off was pulled again a sure distance.

Some gun consumers are nonetheless upset with that change right this moment. That hasn’t killed off the design, however some refuse to purchase 1911s with a Sequence 80 security as a result of they argue that the additional friction of the added components, nevertheless minimal, impacts the texture of the set off. If Glock does swap out its conventional set off design, which it has made few modifications to through the years and payments as a part of the gun being “perfection,” that alone would most likely be sufficient to create some further friction within the shopping for course of for no less than some prospects.

However the larger risk by far is whether or not gun consumers view the change as a betrayal.

That’s what occurred to Smith and Wesson again in 2000. Regardless of being a storied American gun model and one of many largest firearms producers on the planet on the time, the corporate practically went out of enterprise due to a deal it tried to strike with the Clinton Administration that it clearly thought would assist its backside line greater than it damage.

On the time, Smith and Wesson was dealing with dozens of lawsuits making an attempt to carry the corporate responsible for the crimes dedicated with its weapons–regardless of the corporate having no direct position within the offenses. So, it determined to barter a cope with President Invoice Clinton that noticed it conform to a slew of recent restrictions on the sorts of weapons it may make in trade for an finish to the lawsuits.

The backlash was swift and devastating for the corporate. The Nationwide Rifle Affiliation (NRA) referred to as it the “Smith & Wesson Sellout.” The Nationwide Taking pictures Sports activities Basis (NSSF) labeled it “an ill-conceived motion.” Customers adopted up with a boycott that slammed the corporate’s backside line.

Curiously, Glock was concerned in that ordeal as effectively. It initially thought of becoming a member of the Smith & Wesson deal.

“We’re rigorously reviewing the proposal that Smith & Wesson agreed to, and we’re making an attempt to see what our place must be,” Jim Pledger, Glock’s nationwide gross sales supervisor on the time, advised The Los Angeles Instances. “What we have to do is make a great enterprise resolution and a great resolution associated to public coverage.”

In the end, Glock and each different gun maker rejected the Clinton deal. It ended up falling aside. Smith and Wesson was ultimately bought at a loss, and its leaders had been changed.

Glock’s newly introduced redesign has not garnered practically that degree of backlash so far. There was some pushback from particular person gun house owners and activists, however little organized opposition but. The NRA and NSSF have spoken out towards the lawsuits and California regulation focusing on Glock, however they haven’t spoken out about Glock’s resolution to discontinue its pistols. There additionally isn’t as direct a connection between what Glock is doing and the strain utilized by gun-control advocates as there was within the Smith and Wesson scenario. Whereas the dots are fairly straightforward to attach, and it’s most definitely being finished to preempt a settlement, Glock’s resolution was not formally pushed by an settlement with Everytown or California like Smith and Wesson’s was in 2000.

Nevertheless, it’s essential to notice that NRA didn’t instantly communicate out towards Smith and Wesson’s cope with the Clinton Administration. If pushback from grassroots members or common gun consumers intensifies, that would nonetheless occur. The entire thing has the potential to explode in Glock’s face. A transfer seemingly supposed to guard its enterprise may find yourself crippling it.

UPDATE 11-2-2025 10:03 AM EASTERN: This piece has been up to date to indicate NSSF didn’t wait to touch upon the Smith and Wesson settlement. Larry Keane, the group’s common counsel, stated NSSF has no touch upon the Glock information as a result of, as an business commerce group, it doesn’t remark “on particular person design decisions.”