So here we are well passed 100 years of 1911s and I can not only still get any variety of part I want, I can buy pistols anywhere.

I can only think of one other pistol in the running to have that level of support and potential longevity and that is Glock. Maybe the Beretta 92 will still be kicking but Glock is the only Gun that seems to just keep soldiering on like the 1911.

So will any other basic model of handgun see a centennial like the 1911? Glock seems to be the only contender.

Do I think 1911s or Glocks are the pinnacle of handgun design.....absolutely not. They both, however seem like the “survivors” of the semi auto handgun world.

The Single Action Revolver already has. Even Ruger has been producing them for 60+ years.
The SAA has been in production (with a hiatus) since 1873. 38 years longer than the 1911.
I think the Glock may go the distance, but it is possible that other designs may eclipse it.

The nice thing is the simplicity. I dont think its that hard to make parts and its not a ton of weird little springs and levers. The LE market I believe will sustain the Glock the way the Mil sustained the 1911 in its day. I dont see the Beretta lasting to that level or the 320 though I do like the laters concept. Neither is "timeless" and both contain a butt load of random small parts and are mostly factory guns without a ton of aftermarket support. Its early for that sure on the 320 but buying a straight trigger or striker is nothing compare to the fact that I can build a Glock without any Glock parts. I cant think of any other platform that can make the same boast.

Going forward, I think what will determine this is firearm laws, not the expected criteria. I hate even bringing that up, but these are different days.

Let me say I don't ever see this nation with an absolute gun ban, although I can see a qualified one on either a state or national level. It may well be we come full-circle and the capacity-limited revolvers have a renaissance.

Otherwise, I'd agree Glocks are already iconic enough (and have a good head start) to make a century.

Barring the invention of something radically new in concealable personal protection (something surpassing gun powder), I see Glock hanging in there.

No...

No

No but I bet WW1 1911s will still work after glock frames are melted away to nothing.

My crystal ball says:

Until another design comes along that proves itself to be better, then yes it can and will be as iconic and long lived as the 1911 has been until now. However a large part of what makes the 1911 design what it is is the large number and diversity of different makes that offer the genotype. With regards to looking beyond Glock's own replication of models within itself internally, it's not exact duplication that is this gun's sincerest form of flattery but the adoption of various elements that the company uses and popularized.

Things like the trigger lockup lever and thru-frame takedown lever are examples of elements that have found their way into other later pistol designs. They are the ones who brought widespread adoption of the striker firing system by almost all major players in the semi-auto handgun realm. HK may have been first but it was Glock and its G17 that popularized and made the use of polymer frames accepted and commonplace. Even the principal of simplicity that Glock championed has played a role in subsequent designs offered by its competition. Many of these elements existed long before Gaston Glock came along, but it's the combined implementation of these components into a single pistol design that has made the Glock pistol the current-day icon that it is.

After all of Glock's patents and copyrights and the rest of the legal shit expire I can certainly see a LOT of lookalike designs springing up. We already have the 80 percent world jumping into the fray. The utter simplicity of the Glock pistol design makes this so. We currently are seeing the advent of imitation and alternative designs with various parts of the gun. When the ENTIRE gun is finally made verbatim, then that's the ultimate proof that Glock will have made it. Now whether the legal and political landscape will allow this to happen...that part of the crystal ball is currently out for repairs.

Until someone makes a part for part identical replica of a Glock, it will not be the same as either a 1911 or SAA, both of which are replicated down to the most minute detail by numerous manufacturers. These designs are essentially public domain at this point, whereas Glock still holds many patents and trademarks. Maybe that will change in the future, but it's a long way off.

Law enforcement primarily has a ton of Glocks because of budgets/costs. Everything is about money...

Glock does not publish their material specs, claiming that it is a trade secret. I understand that there is anecdotal evidence that it is DuPont Zytel brand glass-reinforced polyamide 66. Glock competitors Smith and Wesson and Springfield state that they use Zytel, which is useful comparison data.

No doubt the average Glock will outlive me.
But no 100 year polymer testing data around yet on polymer creep- I guess we'll see.

I wasn’t really thinking about an individual Gun as much as the design. Yes I think a properly cared for steel/alloy firearm will outlast a properly cared for polymer one as far as working order. That being said I don’t think all Glocks will turn to dust at 100 years.

I think so, unless some unforeseen firearm development emerges. Ie: caseless ammo etc..

No.

No.

The 1911, whether it's true or not, is seen as 'America's Handgun', having served with distinction in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and was the darling of Jeff Cooper. It has a history that few, if any, other pistols can match.

Glocks do run and their company sells them cheap to LEO agencies. That's about it. There is nothing legendary or historical about Glock, nothing romantic or truly memorable. Hell, the Browining Hi-Power has a better history and romantic legacy than the square Austrian pop gun.

The 1911 is the '57 Chevy of pistols, it's 'legend' and historical 'glory' is bigger than its reality, but that's the way it is.

The Glock is a Toyota Camry...runs greats, never fails, everyone has one and, frankly, it has the personality of a toaster.

And this is coming from a guy who's pretty much a 1911 debunker....

quote:

The 1911 is the '57 Chevy of pistols, it's 'legend' and historical 'glory' is bigger than its reality, but that's the way it is.

The Glock is a Toyota Camry...runs greats, never fails, everyone has one and, frankly, it has the personality of a toaster.

^^ This

IMO, a quality 1911 in any condition can be an heirloom pistol, whereas a Glock, no matter its' condition, will always be just a gun.

1911s, Glocks, SIGs, HKs... will all be in the museum by then. Because we'll all be CCing one of these:

It already is.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Because we'll all be CCing one of these:

No way, man! That new fangled plastic stuff sucks, everyone knows that old school alloy pieces are more durable and reliable.

Metal rules, polymer drools!

In 100 years all guns will be in museums and all restaurants will be Taco Bell