Glock Gen 6 is Coming, Tips for Marketing on YouTube, & The Tariffs: The Cap & Ball Saloon

Hello and welcome to the Cap & Ball Saloon, a firearms industry focused podcast talking about firearms marketing in the Digital Age. I’m your host, Anders E.T. Herzberg. 

On today’s show we’ll be discussing the Glock Gen 6 and I think I know what it will look like. We’ll take a look at the recent info that has been floating around the rumor mill, Glock’s recent patents, and how the new Generation 6 will stack up in terms of features. 

Then we’ll take a brief look at two 2A companies that are doing a good job on social media and what I think others can learn from their individual strategies. 

Finally we’ll look at some of the reaction in the firearms community to the tariffs and what things might mean for the 2A industry. 

But first a word about Cap & Ball Digital Strategies

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Offering services from organic search marketing, email marketing, social media management and more we want to help your 2A business succeed, so If you are an FFL, gunsmith, or serve the 2A community, visit capandballseo.com to learn more about how we can help you grow your bottom line. 

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First let’s take a look at the massive list of discontinued models that has been floating around.

This list seems to have first appeared on the pistol forum.com and it claims the email has been sent by one of the largest distributors. The forum post lists 100 different models that are getting the axe. If this list is correct and accurate it signals a massive change in Glock’s production lineup. No word at the time of this recording from Glock if this is official, but if this list shakes out as real then we are looking at a massive change in Glock’s production lineup. 

The list breaks down like this – 

• 14 Glock 22 Models
○ Eight are gen 5 models with of those 4 being MOS
• 10 Glock 23 Models
○ Eight are gen 5 models with of those 4 being MOS
• 8 Glock 34 Models 
○ Half are gen 5 models and MOS
• 8 Glock 17 models
○ Six Gen 5 models
○ Two are 17L MOS
• 6 Glock 19 Models
○ Four are Gen 5 Models
• 5 Glock 27 models
○ Two are Gen 5 Models
• 5 Glock 43 models
• 5 Glock 31 models
○ Two Gen 4 models
• 4 Glock 32 Models
○ Two Gen 4 models
• 4 Glock 40 Models
○ All are gen 4 models and MOS
• 4 Glock 41 Models
○ All are gen 4 models with two being MOS
• 4 Glock 45 Models
• 3 Glock 26 Models
○ Two are gen 5 models
• 3 Glock 29 Models
○ One is a Gen 5 model
○ Two are SF models
• 3 Glock 33 models
• 2 Glock 21 SF Models 
• 2 Glock 35 models 
• 2 Glock 36 Models 
• 2 Glock 37 Models 
○ One Gen 4 model
• 2 Glock 49 Models
○ Both are MOS 
• 1 Glock 30 Gen 5 model
• 1 Glock 38 Model 
• 1 Glock 39 Model 
• 1 Glock 42 Model 
• Finally Seven models with AmeriGlo Sights are listed and a number are California Approved Generation 3 pistols. 

Now looking at Glock’s official website here’s what is currently listed as discontinued. 

– The G20 Gen 4 and SF 
– The G29 Gen 4 and SF
– The G40 Gen 4 MOS
– The G21 Gen 4 and SF
– The G30 Gen4, S and SF
– The G36
– The G41 Gen 4 and Gen 4 MOS
– The G37, 38, and 39 all in .45 GAP 
– The G28 
– The G31 and 31 Gen 4
– The G32 and G32 Gen 4
– And the G33 and G33 Gen 4

So this does mean that .357 SIG, .45 GAP, models are all listed as officially discontinued by Glock, and combined with the list from this post it looks like Glock is cutting down on the number of models that it’s producing.  

But that begs the question, are they going to replace it with anything? 

I think so, and I think that the Glock Gen 6 is right around the corner, and what’s more I think I know what it will look like. 

On February 27th and on March 1st of this year, Daniel Watters posted two patents from Glock for their handgun designs. Huge hat tip to him for digging up these patents. 

The first design allows for the user to disassemble the pistol without having to pull the trigger. This would be a big design change for them, as Glock’s have always needed that trigger pull to disassemble them.  

But why change now. Well, it’s probably going to boil down to chasing military or police contracts. Glock probably has received notice that requirements for such government contracts are going to be changing and this redesign in their response to that. 

The fact of the matter is, most military or police are not going to be huge gun guys, training regularly and, making them more “desk pop” proof is something that would benefit the end user. Especially if the majority of their time training with the pistol is an annual qualification. 

Training can get around this but you need your people to be paying attention to that training.

But to get back to the patent itself, I’d be very surprised if this was not part of an upcoming Gen 6 model as it would make little sense to keep not only Gen 3’s, But Gen 4’s, and Gen 5’s all in production at the same time when you have an upgrade like this in production. 

However this is not the only patent that Daniel Watters dug up. 

The second patent was for a modular grip system that allowed for a change in the grip length, from full to sub-compact sizes. 

With this they could introduce features to compete with handguns like the P320, Ruger RXM, and other more modular designs. Letting you swap a single “gun” from full sized to sub-compact.  

I do note that this does not mean that Glock is moving to an FCU type of handgun, the patents describe a system that would be more akin to cutting down a standard Glock frame and modifying it so that a grip of a longer or shorter length can be attached to it instead. So this probably rules out a “Glock Raider” type of chassis.  

However, this does open up some possibilities for both Glock and shooters alike. 

On Glock’s side they can produce frames, barrels and slides and then pair it with any length of grip. 

This could even allow for other changes to the grip to accommodate shooter’s preferences, I could see magwells added or maybe even grip angles be slightly altered to a more “American” grip angle using this system. Depending on what kinds of materials are being used in the attachment area we might even see weighted grips for more competition orientated shooters, finger groves, colors, and more. This does open up a lot of possibilities for the clever aftermarket to modify and change up things to make even more custom Gucci Glocks.   

This may even mean that Glock might not be fully killing the .357 SIG or the .45 GAP but making them into upgrade kit only options. Something similar might be happening for the .40 S&W guns as well that appear to be getting the axe. 

For better or worse it really does look like handguns are all standardizing around the 9mm cartridge for general use. 

But we shall see, either way, this will be yet another aftermarket opportunity for Glock accessory manufacturers. This could also give Glock some financial incentive as well, since I could see them getting better margins on the grips or caliber change kits by themselves, vs selling a whole new gun, but I have no idea what Glock’s material costs look like. 

However, I’d be very surprised if one of their bean counters has or is in the process of figuring out a way to squeeze a good profit margin out of this system. I could easily see this turning into a case where the most popular models are readily available and more niche options like .357 SIG models end up only being available as conversion kits. 

Now, the patent’s don’t show this but if we go back to the post on pistol forum.com the original author says that “the COA will be standard on most models” 

This I think is very likely, as RDS are becoming standard on just about everything and a plain jane Glock 19 does feel like it’s missing some features that are becoming industry standard. And with the COA system if Glock can get more manufacturers on board, and I’m sure they can, we’ll probably see more options beyond the AimPoint that is currently paired with the COA Glocks. 

So to summarize, what are we looking at for Glock’s 6th generation? 

A new disassembly system that does not require a trigger pull, a more modular design that lets you move from duty to subcompact sized grips, and a the COA optics mounting becoming standard. This combination of features would put it in line with what, until recently, was the very well respected P320.

But when might we see the Glock Gen 6 be announced?

Well we have one last bit of information that we can go over with the post, the post says that the Gen 6 Announcement could be coming at the annual NRA meeting. 

This would make sense for such a big shakeup in the lineup. To be honest, ShotShow is crowded, literally everyone and their grandmother is announcing or showing off a product. So for a business that wants to maximize coverage for a major change in their products this makes sense. A major firearms industry event where your product has more room to breathe in the news cycle and you can stand alone as a major player in the firearms industry. 

As an aside for smaller manufactures, this is a balancing act, you don’t want your announcement to be drowned out by others in the market, but you also want to maximize your chances of getting the eyes and attention that you need to be successful.   

For my gamer viewers, this is analogous to how Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have been doing their own major gaming events and announcements, timed not with E3 but on their own schedule where they can dominate the industry and fan news cycle. A smart play if you have enough brand recognition to carry your news coverage on that brand recognition alone.

Only time will tell if these predictions hold out, and while I think I’m on sound logic, there’s always the possibility I’m incorrect, as we are working off of rumors and little known patents here. So only time will tell. 

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Before we move on, if you want to stay up to date on 2A marketing in the digital age, be sure to like share and subscribe. Beyond our 2A digital marketing coverage and tips you can check out the Dead Calibers Archive, where we document the pursuit of ballistic perfection, giving you the history of ammunition development from early designs to modern breakthroughs. 

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Now let’s take a look at two companies that I think are doing great work with their social media presence, especially on YouTube, and some k ey take aways that you can hopefully learn from for building your brand online. 

First let’s take a look at The Glock Store – 

When it comes to The Glock Store’s YouTube Channel, you’ll often see CEO Lenny Magill front and center. Lenny uses a one-on-one, approach talking directly to the viewer, helping to bridge the gap between the brand and the viewer with a more personal presentation. 

Yet, what stands out to me is much of the Glock Store’s content circles back to what they actually sell, slides, triggers, custom work, and accessories. This leadership demonstrating product knowledge is another factor that helps to build viewer trust, especially for things like custom work. 

Next, almost without fail, Glock Store’s videos will mention their location and encourage customers to stop by, again helping to build the brand’s reputation as a friendly location to just stop by. 

Now the Glock Store pairs their work with high quality production value and skilled editing, however, that is not to say that you have to put thousands of dollars into your video editing and production to achieve results. 

That’s where our next example comes in, Buffalo Bore Ammunition. 

About three months ago Buffalo Bore started a YouTube channel with literally an iPhone and Tim Sundles, the owner and founder of Buffalo Bore. 

Now what makes his videos work, and his YouTube channel has gone from zero to over 16 thousand subscribers in that 3 month period is that Tim is knowledgeable and does have a recognizable brand behind him. However, there’s more to it than that. 

His videos talk directly to the customers that he wants, hunters and those that want effective ammunition. 

The style of his videos are down to earth and direct, with the tone of someone who’s been there and done that, probably dozens of times. And with that experience, hunting, shooting, manufacturing ammo, and more his almost off the cuff style engages viewers with information that they are unlikely to get anywhere else. 

So between the two, there’s a few more things that you can take away here. 

First, both the Glock Store and Buffalo Bore have video content that is worth watching. Giving value to the viewer if they are novices, or are experienced shooters.  
Second, they either demo or show what they sell in their business. 
Third, they have clear branding, Lenny is constantly mentioning his store and location across videos, and Buffalo Bore’s bright and bold color pallet makes it easy to spot, both online and on store shelfs. 
Beyond this they also bring the company leadership front and center, tying their skills and knowledge to the brand, deepening the sense that these are brands that can be trusted. 

So you if you, as an business owner in the 2A world are wondering where to start building up your online presence, these are two good places to look to for inspiration on what you should be doing. 

Now that said, I know building out some kind of social media presence is far from easy. So here’s some additional tips that I can recommend, and am currently leveraging to build Cap & Ball’s presence. 

First, repurpose content. 

A single video can do several things, 

First you can use it on long form video platforms like YouTube or Rumble, 
Next you can take that maybe ten to thirty minute video, extract short segments and repurpose it on other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram reels, or on X. 

There are plenty of free tools that you can leverage to do this. I generally use Adobe’s software, but Black Magic Design has Davinci Resolve that you can use for free. If you don’t want the learning curve there are other options such as Clip Champ, Cap Cut, and more for your editing.

Next you can use that video as a tool for written content. If you’re scripting it like this podcast episode, you can simply take the text and repurpose it into a blog post for your website. 

Finally you can use it for email marketing. Say you have a guide for zeroing an optic, and you are collecting emails for your business. That, and other informational videos can be a value add for your customers on that email list. 

Put together all of this will do a number of things. Build your brand as a recognizable entity online, enhance customer trust, and help to drive traffic to your website. Just one of many things that Google wants to see when deciding to rank you first or last place when customers start looking for your products or services online.   

Now organizing this won’t be easy and manually posting all of this will be a pain in the butt. However, I recommend that you leverage post scheduling on each platform or invest in a dedicated social media management tool. There are plenty out there, and you don’t have to go with the pricy options such as HootSuite to get a decent social media management tool. 

If you can spend some time stacking up scheduled posts, that leaves you freer to worry about engaging with your customers online and handling other business tasks. 

I’ll close this section of the video with a proposed schedule for your posts to get started. As you get more information from your audience on a specific platform you may want to modify these times.

But to start out with, 

Post on YouTube at 6am 
Facebook at 9am and then 2pm 
Instagram at 9am and then 2pm 
Twitter at 6am and 7pm
And on TikTok (god damn commie app) at noon.  

From there you can adjust your posting times to further enhance your engagement if needed. I recommend gathering data from around 30 to 90 days before making adjustments. 

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Now for our final topic, the tariffs. 

Let’s start out with the bottom line. 

Do not panic buy, you’re only going to be burning money that you don’t need to. Yes, companies will be leveraging the tariffs for short term gain and increased profit margins. 

I guarantee you that nothing on the shelves right now was hit by any of these tariffs, the price increases that you are seeing are pushes to grab more profits and hike prices to take advantage of a short window where the market will allow for these higher prices until people start getting wise to what is going on. 

Let me break something down for you, in very simplistic terms, unless a product is price controlled it will be priced according to what the market is willing to pay for it. Tariffs or no tariffs, there’s only so much you can increase a price before your sales will start falling off and competitors that are willing to accept lower margins will come in and take sales from you. 

So as much as people are trying to say it will ultimately be a tax on goods passed onto the consumer, it will be more of a negotiation between the profit margin and what price the market will accept, and companies are already trying to price to that ceiling of what price the market will accept. 

So, if you don’t want to see prices stay jacked up, don’t panic buy. 

I’d be willing to be we’ll see a more nuanced series of negotiations that protect manufacturing in the US, but still leave open the key things that are needed to keep American manufacturing running. 

Please don’t listen to the fear mongering Keynesian economists that want you to think that this will be a net negative for the US. 

Protecting American manufacturing is a net good and most countries already do this to protect their own manufacturing bases. Resist deindustrialization.  

Now, as far as industry impacts. 

Let’s start with the obvious. Your Chinese made optics are going to go up in price, and honestly I’m not going to lose too much sleep over this. I have ethical issues with much of China’s labor quote unquote market, and their government does a lot to ensure that their economic numbers look far better than they really are. 

American manufactures will step in and fill the void, and foreign companies, if they want to remain competitive, will most likely have to move production here, and some already are. 

Primary Arms is producing the HTX in the US already, and SIG’s new Romeo-RS red dot is being made in Oregon. 

Next we have firearms imports. These are going to be mostly minimal. Israel is looking at a 17% tariff, Turkey 10%, so Israeli guns and Turkish shotguns are not going to see a steep price hike. Beyond this Canik is already doing some manufacturing here, H&K is already doing manufacturing here, so there’s good reason for them to keep and expand their US production capability. 

Yet there is another reason that companies will want to build out their firearms production capabilities here in the US. The ATF. As much as the ATF sucks for citizens to deal with, trying to import products with restrictions like 922R compliance makes it even more complicated. So, the tariffs are just one more incentive added onto skipping having to deal with ATF import regulations for foreign firearms manufacturers to move production to the states to get better access to the world’s strongest firearms market. 

So that leaves us with ammo to discuss. In this we are going to see companies that are either importing ammunition or using imported components be forced to raise their costs. 

Sam Gabbert the owner of SGAmmo provided a number of examples of how this might shake out. 

He said that PMC is looking at costs going up by $100 for a 1000 rounds of 5.56, Prvi Partizan will be looking at a 37% price increase, Igman will see a $180 increase per 1000 rounds of 7.62×39. Sellier & Bellot will see lower increases of $40 per 1000 of 9mm and Magtech will see $20 cost increases per 1000 rounds of 9mm as well. 

All of this sounds like doom and gloom, but for American manufacturers like Super Vel or Fenix Ammunition, have a unique opportunity to grow and capitalize on the market openings that will be coming.   

Mike at Super Vel recently discussed how they are growing and expanding their operations, having prepared for this eventuality, focusing on American sourced materials and components at every step of their production process. 

This, in short, is exactly what is supposed to happen. 

Zooming out a bit I’m sure that we’ll continue to see shakeups as markets and companies react to this changing paradigm, however for the consumer I think we’ll be looking at some pains in the short term while in the long term this restructuring of the US back to a stronger manufacturing country will serve us better in the long term. 

With that, I’d like to thank you for sticking around, and I encourage you to like, share, comment, and subscribe for more. 

So, until next time, I’m Anders E.T. Herzberg, hoping to see you all next time in the Saloon.