Gaston Glock, the inventor of the famous semi-automatic pistol that bore his name, died on Dec. 27. He was 94 years old.

The Glock is almost synonymous with firearms. The Glock pistol and its variations enjoy a love/hate relationship with gun enthusiasts. It appears in pop culture, such as the ceramic Glock 7 in Die Hard II (not true — no such gun) and U.S. Marshal Deputy Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) in U.S. Marshals extolling the ability of the pistol to shoot underwater or after getting buried in sand (true). Hip-hop artists such as Snoop Dogg inserted the pistol name into song lyrics. It is the most widely used pistol in police departments in the United States and is the pistol of choice for security forces in nearly 50 nations.