Gaston Glock, inventor of the namesake pistol, dies at 94

New York (CNN) — Gaston Glock, the inventor of the ubiquitous gun bearing his name, died on Wednesday. He was 94.

The Glock company announced his death on its website, without giving a cause or other details.

The Glock is universal in mainstream culture, from use in over 65% of US federal, state and local agencies, according to the company, to a staple reference in media, movies, books and songs.

Glock had his start in Austria as an engineer. He founded the Glock company in 1963, according to the company’s website. He developed the semi-automatic Glock service pistol for the Austrian military in the early 1980s.

By the mid 1980s, the Glock pistols were introduced to the US market.

“Gaston Glock charted the strategic direction of the Glock Group throughout his life and prepared it for the future. His life’s work will continue in his spirit,” a statement on Glock’s site said.