Gaston Glock

Gaston Glock, the Austrian engineer who invented the boxy Glock handgun, which has become a weapon of choice for national security forces, law enforcement officials, violent criminals and gun enthusiasts in America and around the world, died on Wednesday December 27 2023. He was 94. Glock was 50 years old when he decided to pursue a rather unprecedented career change. Glock and his now ex-wife Helga lived in the small Austrian town of Deutsch-Wagram, right outside of the bustling capital, Vienna. An engineer, Glock made hinges, curtain rods and brass fittings with the help of his wife, according to a court document. Gaston and his wife at the time wanted to streamline their small business, so they invested in a factory in their suburban town. The couple and their children moved to an apartment right above the factory where they also made machine gun belts and knives for the Austrian army. In 1980, a year into running the new factory, Glock learned that the Austrian army was looking for a new gun contractor. He heard that the Austrian Armed Forces was having a hard time finding a manufacturer that met its needs. He saw an opportunity and asked if he could put in an offer. Since the late 1980s, the gun has become widely used in the U.S. In 1986 Glock established a subsidiary in Smyrna, Georgia, to distribute the guns. The billionaire kept a low profile and would not talk about the use of his guns in mass murders. Glock spent most of his time in his mansion in Austria with his second wife Kathrin, more than 50 years his junior. The couple married in 2011, and shortly after, Glock’s ex-wife Helga reportedly sued the billionaire in Austria, alleging she was cheated out of her true stake in the company, which she claimed was more than the 1% she now owns. Helga won her alimony case but lost the lawsuit about her stake, He and Helga, were married in 1962 and had three children: Brigitte, Gaston Jr. and Robert.