NY Times Oldie But Goody...

Gun Used in Slayings Has Lethal Reputation

By NICK RAVO
Published: October 17, 1991
"The Glock 17, the pistol used in the slaying of 22 people in Killeen, Tex., yesterday, is a partly plastic semi-automatic weapon that is popular with drug dealers and at one time was banned by the New York City Police Department, which feared that terrorists could sneak it through airport metal detectors.

Karl F. Walter, vice president of Glock Inc., in Smyrna, Ga., said Wednesday that the pistol was developed in 1982 by Gaston Glock, an Austrian bayonet and shovel manufacturer, at the request of the Austrian Army.

Mr. Walter added that the weapon's reputation as undetectable is unwarranted because the weapon's barrel and slide are made of steel. He said that only parts of the gun's handle, frame and magazine are made of a nonmetallic polymer.

A Congressional subcommittee studying guns made with some plastic parts held hearings on the weapons in 1986 but took no action after listening to testimony from Federal officials and scientists, who said the gun was no less detectable than ordinary firearms. Used by Agencies

The pistol, which costs $400 to $450 and weighs 23 ounces, is used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs agents, the Secret Service, and more than 4,000 other Federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies, including the New York State Police.

The New York City Police Department recently bought 1,000 of the pistols. The city banned the weapon in the mid-1980's, but rescinded that order in 1988 after it was learned that the police commissioner at the time, Benjamin Ward, carried a Glock."

Stephen L. D'Andrilli, a New York City security consultant, said the gun, which comes in four different bore sizes, or calibers, is feared because it is lightweight, has a high velocity and near-pin-point accuracy, particularly the 9 millimeter, which was the kind used in yesterday's shootings.

"It is extremely durable, too," Mr. D'Andrilli said. "You can take a Glock pistol, bury it underground for a year, drop it from a helicopter from 300 feet, and it will still work." A Best-Seller

The Glock comes with either a 17-round or 19-round magazine, and law- enforcement agencies can obtain magazines able to fire 32 rounds.

Mr. D'Andrilli said the Glock has been one of the best-selling pistols in the United States in the past few years; the company would not release sales figures except to say that it was being used by about 200,000 law-enforcement officials in the United States.

Mr. D'Andrilli added that the Glock can be obtained anywhere in the United States with or without a regular pistol permit, depending on state regulation."

Yeppers; the unvaunted NYPD went spastic-city when the GLOCK was first introduced and convinced the no-nothing and caring less politicians to ban the gun because IT WAS PLASTIC AND COULD SNEAK THROUGH METAL DETECTORS!!!!!!!!

THE CHILDREN!! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

And betcha didn't know that an inanimate object could have a reputation. Saying that a gun is lethal evokes the "And your point is?" clause.

As always, thank heavens they're this dumb or we'd really be in trouble.