1911’s & Glock -A Shared Controversy. 1911’s Not Welcomed Here

While historians say the Old West died around 1890, that mindset lived on for decades. It had been woven into the fabric of America, and no modernization would quickly remove it. It was a fast growth and development period in America, and the world was changing quickly. People who knew only horseback were now in cars, and train passes replaced the coach. Even with this growth, we saw something that has been a part of the American way since our inception. We cling to our guns. Not just any gun, but the guns we grew up on and knew like the back of our hands. In this case, it was revolvers. Enter Mr. Browning and his new-fangled 1911, and the proverbial poop hit the fan. 1911’s Not Welcomed Here. This is the story of 1911’s & Glock -A Shared Controversy.

1911’s Not Welcome Here

While it is hard to wrap our heads around, the 1911 and Glock shared a “what the hell is this” moment. While both have grown to be cornerstones of the American gun culture, things weren’t always that way. For the 1911, it was a monumental leap from a wheel gun to a magazine-fed semi-auto pistol. It doesn’t get much different than that. The old school used many of the clichés that we hear today. Things like it’s unreliable and will always jam were common. In addition to the fast pace at which life was changing, the 1911 was a step too far for many.1911’s Not Welcomed Here

The Tupperware Gun

Fast forward to 1982, when the little-known pistol manufacturer Glock introduced its Model 17 to the US market. It was unlike anything we had seen. A polymer grip frame with a weird action that didn’t have a hammer and an odd grip angle. Hell, it even came in a Tupperware-type container. It was seen as cheap because of the amount of polymer on the gun. Anti-gun lobbyists reasoned that the polymer-framed pistol was perfect for terrorism because a metal detector couldn’t detect it. They overlooked that a Glock -17 contains about a pound of steel. Let’s just say it was a rocky start. I saw this because I was there and said, “What the hell is this?” when I first picked one up.

Duty Proven

The thing that changed public opinion on these guns was the widespread use in the military and law enforcement. Simply put, the 1911 went off to war and became the fuel for epic gunfight stories. The 1911 proved itself in multiple combat theatres, and soldiers returning home wanted their 1911’s. This was not lost on the public; in time, it became the flavor of the day. The Glock instead put on a badge. Law enforcement around the US adopted this hyper-reliable pistol. Before you knew it, it seemed that every cop in the US was packing a Glock. Like in 1911, this was not lost on the public, and soon sales boomed.

Is it Your Opinion, or the Crowds?

Today, both 1911 and Glock are seen as the elder statesmen of the gun world. The moral of the story is to keep an open mind. The 1911 is one of the most iconic handguns in American history. Simultaneously, Glock pistols are seen as the genesis of modern pistol design. With over 20 million guns sold, they have established themselves as a king. When a new company dares to challenge the status quo, take a minute before you dash to the internet to offer your opinion. Take a long hard look at the gun and decide if you don’t like it for legitimate reasons or because all the cool kids on the internet are talking crap about it. I say this because I guarantee old men were sitting at a dinner in 1912 drinking coffee and talking about how terrible 1911 was and that it would never take off.