Fear & Loading: Legal Battle Between Big Gunmakers

by
posted on October 18, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
sig_glock.png

Last week attorneys for SIG Sauer and Glock met with three judges in Austria and began formally arguing a lawsuit filed in January that claims the latter’s Gen. 5 and 19X handguns infringe on a SIG Sauer breechblock patent. The complaint asks, among other things, that all pistols in violation be destroyed and that production of firearms employing the design cease immediately. SIG Sauer’s request for a preliminary injunction was rejected in July.

“The obligation to cease and desist, in particular, would have a massive impact on Glock, because some of the most successful models couldn’t be sold anymore,” Glock said in its report to the panel, according to Business Day.

Tense relations between the legendary gunmakers is not new. Both companies submitted sidearms for the U.S. Army’s lucrative Modular Handgun System competition, but a version of the SIG P320 was announced the winner in early 2017. Glock immediately filed a protest with the Government Accounting Office, although it was denied.

Each firm has carved a big slice of the law enforcement market. Late last year Blue Line, a Canadian publication for that nation’s law enforcement, put it in perspective with results from its annual Gun Survey. It found 75 percent of the country’s agencies now issue Glocks (compared to 38 percent a decade ago) and that figure is currently stands at 65 percent in the United States. The most popular SIG Sauer handgun with law enforcement in Canada is the P226. Although market share wasn’t reported, there’s no shortage of U.S. agencies adopting the P320 after the military adopted a version of the pistol.

Part of Glock’s response to the Austrian lawsuit claims the design isn’t novel enough from those already being manufactured to qualify for a patent. Hearings have been recessed until the Austrian Patent Office can issue a report.

 

Latest

Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1
Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Taurus Expedition

Taurus entered the bolt-action rifle market with its Expedition, a Remington 700-pattern design that's built to be versatile and affordable.

New For 2025: Charter Arms Pathfinder II

Charter Arms updated one of the oldest models in its lineup with the new Pathfinder II, which features a lightweight 7075 aluminum frame, making it more well-balanced and easier to carry.

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.