The Glock: America’s Preferred Pistol
While On Your 6 Designs has been making quality Kydex holsters since 2011, Americans have always had a long and storied history of being armed with a pistol. From the iconic gunslingers of the Old West to pistol-packing hard-boiled detectives of the Depression, Americans have always had a need for a capable and concealable firearm that can withstand the rigors of everyday use. For decades, many Americans armed themselves with pistols and revolvers made by firearm companies nearly as old as the country itself. But in recent history, a foreign brand has stood out as the preferred pistol of many Americans.
The Glock. First designed and fabricated in Austria, the fantastic-plastic wonder nine caused shockwaves in the firearm community when it was released in the early 1980s. Its lightweight design made it an ideal duty gun for law enforcement officers and when Glock began offering smaller models, it quickly found favor with the concealed carry community. It’s reputation for ruggedly reliability, accuracy, and high magazine capacity made it the ideal concealed carry pistol for many firearm owners.
Given the popularity of the piece and our concealed carry holsters for it, On Your 6 Designs would be remiss if we did not speak to the success and popularity of the Glock and its many models and designs.
A History Of Hard Work
While On Your 6 Designs has been making quality Kydex holsters since 2011, Americans have always had a long and storied history of being armed with a pistol. From the iconic gunslingers of the Old West to pistol-packing hard-boiled detectives of the Depression, Americans have always had a need for a capable and concealable firearm that can withstand the rigors of everyday use. For decades, many Americans armed themselves with pistols and revolvers made by firearm companies nearly as old as the country itself. But in recent history, a foreign brand has stood out as the preferred pistol of many Americans.
The Glock. First designed and fabricated in Austria, the fantastic-plastic wonder nine caused shockwaves in the firearm community when it was released in the early 1980s. Its lightweight design made it an ideal duty gun for law enforcement officers and when Glock began offering smaller models, it quickly found favor with the concealed carry community. It’s reputation for ruggedly reliability, accuracy, and high magazine capacity made it the ideal concealed carry pistol for many firearm owners.
Given the popularity of the piece and our concealed carry holsters for it, On Your 6 Designs would be remiss if we did not speak to the success and popularity of the Glock and its many models and designs.
Back To The Drawing Board
But until the 1980s, Gaston Glock had no prior experience with designing firearms of any kind. Indeed, he almost stumbled into the field by accident. While visiting the Austrian Ministry of Defense, Glock overheard a group of officers discussing the need for a new service pistol for the army and police. Up to that point, the venerable Walther P38 had served them well, but having been designed prior to the start of WWII, it was starting to show its age. The new pistol had to have 17 mandatory features, needed to be lightweight, durable, and have a large capacity magazine. It also had to be chambered in a NATO compliant round. The officers feared that the development of such a gun by existing firearms manufacturers could take years.
Recognizing an opportunity, Glock secured himself a position on the Ministry’s list of bidders. He received the list of requirements and parameters for the new firearm, and then returned to his shop in Deutsch-Wagram to work tirelessly for the next two years.
Glock began his process by familiarizing himself with every other pistol on the market that was being considered as the new sidearm. With no prior firearm design experience, Glock was not held back by preconceived notions of what a pistol should or could be. After consulting with experts, Gaston Glock produced a pistol that was made from a robust polymer resin, had just 34 moving parts, and was equipped with a magazine that could hold an impressive 17 round of 9mm ammunition. This was an incredible improvement over existing pistols that typically had nearly 60 moving parts and, in the case of the P38, could only hold eight rounds in a magazine.
The Start Of Something
The newly designed pistol met all of the Ministry’s requirements and was entered into the Army’s 1982 weapons trials. The Glock pistol’s lightweight and durable design, along with its incredible magazine capacity ensured that it quickly found favor with military officials and the pistol was adopted over its competitors from Smith & Wesson, who had been designing firearms since the 1850s.
In 1985, GLOCK began exporting the new polymer pistol to the United States, beginning its titanic entry into the American firearms market. The massive success of the design has allowed GLOCK to export and sell its pistol to 50 countries in the world, where it is used by militaries, law enforcement groups, and private citizens.
Designed For Success
Perhaps the key reason GLOCK has found such success the world over is because of its design. Externally, the pistol looks no different than many pistols that have been designed and sold since the development of reliable pistols in the late 19th century. But it’s what’s inside and what it’s made of that makes the GLOCK unique.
Starting with the exterior, one of the most immediate things that made the GLOCK stand apart was its construction. The frame of the pistol is made of a polymer resin that is compressed into a mold and then removed and finished. This is far different from the pistol it was designed to replace, the P38. The P38’s frame is made of cast aluminum or steel, making them heavy to carry, and costly to make. The polymer grip of the GLOCK means that it does not cause any discomfort to the shooter in the case of extreme cold or heat, as the grip can maintain a fairly regular temperature.
The lightweight character of the pistol itself means it can carry more ammunition without the loaded weight of the firearm becoming unwieldy. The standard Glock 17 magazine can be loaded with 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition. This translates to more rounds down range, fewer reloads, and the ability to carry more ammo per magazine on the body. Even the smaller Glock 19 carries any impressive 15 rounds in its magazine.
Internally, the Glock was ahead of many of its competitors. While GLOCK has many models available, most of the parts are interchangeable. Meaning if you have a pile of disassembled Glock 17s and Glock 19s, these parts can be swapped around with no extra fitting or mating required. This makes them extremely popular with law enforcement agencies who may have dozens or even hundreds of service pistols in their armories. It also has fewer parts than many other firearms. This means there are fewer opportunities for parts to fail, and fewer parts to get dirty with use.
The other notable feature is the trigger. At the time of the Glock’s release in the United States, many police departments were carrying revolvers with trigger pulls that required nearly 12 pounds of pressure to shoot. The Glock, on the other hand, needs a trigger pull weight of just five pounds. Additionally, the trigger of the Glock is designed with an integral safety. To shoot the firearm, a smaller trigger, within the trigger itself, must be depressed before the actual trigger can be pulled. Pulling the trigger safety deactivates the three safeties in the pistol, and those same safeties are immediately reactivated upon release of the trigger.
Never Settling
While Glock routinely touts its pistol as the “perfection” of pistol designs, it routinely releases new generations of pistols that have refined and upgraded existing features. Most recently, Glock has released its fifth generation of the iconic handgun. These new pistols feature 35 new or upgraded parts from the previous Gen 4 models.
At first glance, you might miss some of the changes that GLOCK has made. Cosmetically, the Gen 5 pistols don’t look terribly different from previous generations, but the biggest difference, and the most immediately obvious is the removal of the molded finger grips. This removal will help shooters gain a better grip on the firearm without having to force their fingers to align with the grips. The addition of an ambidextrous slide stop is sure to please left-handed shooters, and gives concealed carry users more options in the event of an emergency situation should their strong hand become wounded.
New additions include the use of night sights on the slide. Once a premium, or aftermarket feature, these night sights are now a standard option for GLOCK Gen 5 models. Additionally, GLOCK has flared the magazine well of these pistols, making them ideal for concealed carry owners who might need to make a fast, clean magazine change under stressful conditions.
Finally, GLOCK has made improvements to some of its already incredible practical and durable parts. The slide has been treated to a new nDLC finish, which is designed to last longer and is more weather and abuse resistant than previous generations. This means your Glock will look better, longer. Also, the barrel has been treated to an upgrade. The new Glock Marksman Barrel has improved rifling to increase the handgun’s already stellar accuracy.
Concealed Carry Champion
Beyond it’s lightweight and enviable reliability, the Glock is one of the best-suited pistols for concealed carry use. It’s why GLOCK continues to sell millions of pistols to the civilian market, and why nearly 70 percent of law enforcement departments and agencies issue the pistol as a duty weapon for both uniformed and plain-clothes officers.
The safety system of a Glock is intuitive and easy to use. Because there is no external safety, the pistol can be drawn, and brought into battery effortlessly. The design of the frame and slide mean that they sit naturally in the hand. Glocks point and aim naturally, and with practice, can feel like an extension of your arm.
One of the obvious advantages a Glock has in the concealed carry arena is its impressive magazine capacities. The ever-popular compact Glock 19 carries 15 rounds in a standard magazine, and can use full-sized G17 magazines for 17 rounds of ammo. Similarly, the G26 is the sub-compact model, and is able to use its standard 10 round magazine, as well as the larger magazines of the G17, and G19.
Of course, the Glock is a versatile platform, and the manufacturer offers a pistol in every popular concealed carry caliber, including, .380 ACP, 9mm, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, and even 10mm. For most of these calibers, they also offer full-size, compact, and subcompact models, meaning that there is a Glock for every person and every situation.
Glock Holsters From On Your 6 Designs
There’s no doubt that GLOCK makes tough, dependable firearms. When you carry concealed, you’ll want a pistol and magazine holster that matches those qualities. Fortunately, On Your 6 Designs offers a complete range of holsters for your particular GLOCK model and generation. Our pistol and magazine holsters share many of the traits that make a GLOCK so dependable.
Tough Finish
The finish on a Glock is famously durable and resists the scratches, scuffs, and marks that concealed carry subjects a firearm too. Our holsters are made from an acrylic-polyvinyl chloride composite called Kydex. Kydex is famous for its ability to be thermoformed to nearly any shape. Once it has hardened into the desired shape and position, Kydex is incredibly strong despite its light weight. Heat, weight, friction, and the elements do little to distort the shape and form of our Kydex holsters. We also put a sweat guard on all of our holsters to ensure that that natural oils from your body don’t build up on your holster and mare your pistol’s finish.
Lightweight Design
The G19 is famous for being under two pounds, even when fully loaded with 15 rounds of self-defense ammo. The G43 weighs a paltry 21 ounces loaded. There’s no doubt that these pistols are lightweight and easy to handle, even when chambered for larger rounds like the .45 ACP G21. If you’re looking for a lightweight concealed carry pistol and magazine holster, then On Your 6 Designs has the right gear for you. Even our outside-the-waistband holster designed for full-sized Glock models weighs a mere 2 ounces. Your concealed carry firearm will practically disappear on your hip when you slip it into one of our holsters.
Matched To Your Carry Style
The pistol and magazine holsters from On Your 6 Designs are made with flexibility in mind. We recognize that the way one person concealed carries their firearm may not suit another carrier. This is why we offer both inside-the-waistband, and outside-the-waistband holsters for all GLOCK models. These concealed carry holsters come with clips that can be adjusted to position the cant of the holster and the firearm that meets the preferences of the user. Similarly, we offer these same features and options for our magazine holsters, available in single and double magazine options.
When you’re in a high-stakes situation, you can’t afford to have your firearm, or your pistol and magazine holster fail. On Your 6 Designs offers holsters with concealed carry in mind. It’s why we offer an incredible lifetime warranty on all of our products. If you’re searching for a concealed carry holster that’s a ready and capable as your Glock pistol, then there’s no need to look any further than On Your 6 Designs.
