https://youtu.be/opR5D7AhZlk Full Conceal was a company that designed a folding Glock. The intent was to create a pistol that could be easily, discreetly, and safely carried in a pocket but still offer the handing and capability of a full size service pistol. They did this by cutting off the grip of a Glock 19 (M3D)
  • papalonian
    1·
    20 days ago

    It seems that half the time there’s a cool gun like this, the reason that it flopped is because it costs a bajillion dollars

    • SSTFOP
      1·
      19 days ago

      I know Ian points at the cost not matching the target market, but I think this was also a fundamentally flawed product.

      My reaction when I first saw folding Glocks was two things: “Neat!” and “I would never use that.”

      It’s an interesting novelty but I think this is a Gun Guy/Engineer who is so deep into the subject that he has trouble designing a product for a casual audience. If somebody wants a “pocket pistol” there were many subcompacts and pocket holsters on the market. Yes they are unpleasant to shoot, but the overwhelming majority of self defense and I assume what the market mostly has in mind are scenarios so close and frantic that good target accuracy doesn’t matter. Another hit is the folding Glock has a compromised trigger which makes it a harder sell when it’s trying to be a better experience than a pocket pistol. In the video Ian says the creator had in mind something like the theater shooting where a pocket pistol would struggle. My immediately thought is trying to imagine unfolding that Glock from a random orientation in a pocket while in the dark and under pressure. I’d rather just have a tiny pistol that’s ready in a Velcro pocket or belt holster, and I suspect many people thought the same. The flip side are the hardcore people who actually think about these scenarios. A folding pistol probably doesn’t make sense because those people have already figured out how to carry a mid/full sized gun 24/7 in a holster and made the lifestyle changes for it.

      • papalonian
        1·
        19 days ago

        Fair points. I’m slowly making the changes to carrying a mid-sized gun 24/7 but there are definitely moments where I go, “this is a hassle, do I really need to bring this with me?” and I leave without it. Usually when I’m just doing stuff around the house and realize I need to go out; that means changing my outfit. For someone who likes trains, that means instead of walking out the door the minute I decide I need to, it’s another hour of putzing around the house, haha. Being able to just toss something in some sweatpants pocket without having to worry about it would be ideal, but doubling the cost of my carry is not.

        • SSTFOP
          1·
          19 days ago

          A pattern I’ve noticed is people starting out with full or mid size (Glock 19ish) guns. They like how they shoot, capacity, and that is seems just “more proper”. They start out carrying them 24/7, then they decide not to carry them to a few places, then a few more, and then eventually the handgun ends up staying at home all the time. It takes a very rare kind of person to actually stick with carrying a mid/full sized handgun 24/7.

          That’s why I advocate “pocket pistols” as the baseline. Still actually in a real holster on a belt as the default, but much lighter and smaller. Backup is a pocket holster for beltless outfits. It is much more likely somebody will keep carrying a small pistol like that more often.

          Being able to just toss something in some sweatpants pocket without having to worry about it would be ideal, but doubling the cost of my carry is not.

          I imagine the weight of a foldy Glock 19 in your sweatpant pocket would be unpleasantly heavy; your pant waist would be constantly being dragged down. A super subcompact 9mm or even down to a .380 would be more plausible.