All about Glock pistol used to kill Baba Siddique

The Glock pistol used in the killing of Baba Siddique is also owned by US Vice President Kamala Harris. What makes them so popular?

In Short

• Glock pistol used in Baba Siddique's murder in Maharashtra
• Glock known for reliability, durability, and 'Safe Action' system
• 9mm Glock pistols like G17 have high magazine capacity

The Glock pistol used in the killing of Baba Siddique is also owned by US Vice President Kamala Harris. What makes them so popular?

Police in Maharashtra have stated that a Glock pistol was used to murder former state minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique. Many believe the use of such a sophisticated handgun is quite unusual because criminals generally use country-made arms in contract killings.

So, what are Glock pistols and what makes them popular?

Produced in Europe and the US, Glock pistols are favourites among users for their reliability, simple and user-friendly design, durability, high magazine capacity, and signature ‘Safe Action’ system, which prevents accidental firing.

US Vice President and Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris is among the proud owners of Glock pistols, as she revealed in an interview recently.

Glock is based in Austria and manufactures a number of semi-automatic pistols for civilians, law enforcement, and military personnel.

Reports quoted police officials saying that the pistol was of 9mm calibre. According to its website, Glock manufactures at least 56 pistols of different models and variations that fire bullets 9mm wide, roughly the width of a pencil. 9mm bullets are the most common, easier to find on the market, and less expensive than other bullet sizes.

However, it was not clear which model was used in the murder of Siddique.

Considered popular among 9mm Glock pistols is its ‘standard’ model called the G17, which the manufacturer says is safe, easy, and quick—ideal for critical situations. Its standard magazine can hold 17 rounds. However, other compatible magazines can fire up to 33 rounds.

“Designed for professionals, the GLOCK 17 is trusted by law enforcement officers and military personnel around the globe because of its unsurpassed reliability, optimal magazine capacity of 17 rounds in the standard magazine, and its low weight,” reads its description page.

Glock pistols are equipped with ‘Safe Action’, an innovative safety mechanism designed to prevent accidental discharges while keeping the pistol ready to fire when needed. It comprises three passive and automatic safeties that disengage sequentially as the trigger is pulled and re-engaged when the trigger is released.

BABA SIDDIQUE'S MURDER

Siddique, a leader from Ajit Pawar-led NCP, was shot dead by three assailants outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office on the night of Vijayadashmi, 12 October. The police have so far arrested four people – Dharmaraj Kashyap, Gurmail Singh, Pravin Lonkar, and Harish Kumar. Three more accused – Shubham Lonkar, Shiv Kumar Gautam, and Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar – were on the run.

Baba Siddique had been a long-time Congress leader and switched to the NCP earlier this year. He was known as a people’s leader, a peace broker, and had close relations with the who’s who of Bollywood, including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Sanjay Dutt.