Glock in Decline? Has anyone told Glock that?

Ok, I'm probably gonna catch some shit for this... But over at GH&G they did a teaser the other day for a post they put up yesterday which basically says Glock is a company in decline. Now, I love the GH&G blog and Richard is a great writer. Both of our blogs are part of the GunUp Blog Network, and I read their blog on an almost daily basis, but I am gonna have to say that they are wrong in their analysis.

They make some valid points, but the generalization they have made about Glock as a company is pretty weak, and in my opinion (and its just my opinion, guys... I do really love their blog) it is a giant stretch. They also don't present any market share info, no profit numbers, nothing to substantiate their claim that Glock is "losing ground" or "trending down" in the market place.

Here is my humble opinion that I posted yesterday over at Uncle's Blog:

Reads more like a rant then a true analysis of decline and coming failure. Perhaps it would make a nice paper for a business 101 class, but its not a true real world assessment of what is really going on at the company.

I’ve said it over and over to my shooting buddies that I wished Glock would expand their gun line… Revolver, AR, Bolt action, etc etc… I mean Glock could have easily started the pocket .380 craze or at the very least completely neutered Ruger’s LCP market share if they would have brought out a pocket .380 of their own. BUT! They were busy selling the Gen 4 to Govt and LEOs and I would bet that they brought in much more money with those big contracts then they would have selling “GCPs” to the civilian market place.

I love Glocks, and I would definitely own an entire arsenal of Glocks if they just offered more. Yes, they are leaving money on the table (They have the brainpower, experience, property, plant & equipment to easily expand their product line) but they arent a business in decline.

Its also important to note that sales is only one half of the equation and sales to the civilian market segment is a very small part of that… They are a giant machine shop after all, and there are probably countless lean manufacturing as well as logistical improvements that Glock has made over the years which are propelling them forward and driving dollars straight to the bottom line.

Well, there are just some of my thoughts on the topic. Like I said, GH&G makes some good points about where Glock can improve, but to say these unaddressed areas of opportunity are going to land Glock in the "bargain bin" is just not a statement that has any validity to it.

Yes, Glock has missed out on a lot of money that could have been made over the years. Although they have one of the most renowned names in the gun industry, they have refused to branch out and create anything other then their traditional striker fired polymer pistol.

Why they have done this is beyond me. They have some of the worlds greatest gun minds working for them. They have world class manufacturing facilities, and almost 30 years of gun manufacturing experience to fall back on. So, where is the Glock revolver? The Glock 1911? The Glock AR-15? The Glock tactical shotgun? The Glock bolt action rifle? The Glock rimfires? Where is the Glock micro auto loading pocket pistol?

It truly boggles my mind that Ruger would beat Glock to the punch and put out a polymer clone of the cult favorite Kel Tec P-3AT. I had been preaching this to my shooting buddies for years, all the while Glock drags its knuckles and does nothing. Who better to create a pocket .380 then Glock? I guess Ruger...... And they have sold a ton of those little pistols too! 

I am very brand loyal to Glock, and I would own an entire Glock arsenal if I could, but over the past three decades they have refused to evolve and give me the chance to go deer hunting with that Glock bolt action that I covet so much.

The bottom line here is that, yes, Glock is leaving money on the table in both the civilian and military markets. Why do they not understand this? Well, its beyond me.... But to point this out and then make the jump to the conclusion that Glock is in a downward spiral that could soon have them reduced to bargain bin pistols that no one wants is a bit over the top and extremely hard to buy into.





*For the record, I think so highly of Richard and all the staff at GH&G that I will go on record as saying that if he or anyone else at their blog would like to be a guest blogger at Gunmart... they have a standing invitation.

*For the record #2 - I resemble that remark