Glock Failures?

[alwslate]

Ah, another love um or hate um war, I mean discussion of course. I
have a couple, both 9mms, a 19 and a 26. I also have several other
9mms of various make. My Glocks lack the beautiful blue of my 1977
vintage Browning HP and their chunky profiles hardly compare to the
elegant lines of my two WW2 era Lugers but I still think they're great.
I agree with some of the other posters that most Glock bashers are
people who have never owned or used one. Simple, easy to maintain,
reliable and durable almost beyond belief, it's hard not to appreciate
them. A friend, now retired, was an officer on a small town police
department. When his department switched to Glocks he got the
chance to take the Glock armorer's training. He quickly became a fan.
He told me that every gun they fired and worked on had over 100,000
rounds through them and were still in good shape. I don't think many
other brands can match that.

 

[CajunBass]

I'm not a fan of the Glock either but it's not because I think it's a bad product. I think the Glock is a good firearm but when I was first trying to buy a gun or someone heard that I wanted one, everyone, including folks that don't even own a handgun kept on saying "you have to get a Glock" like it was the only good product out there. I tend to be a bit of a rebel in that I don't follow trends and too many of the people I've talked with about guns make the Glock sound like the trendy gun that's all the rage. Even Gunny Ermey loves the Glock. I want to be different so I carry either a full size 1911 or a nickel plated 27-9 with a 6.5" barrel.

Besides that, there's the name. You have brands like Remington, Colt, Smith and Wesson with strong and traditional sounding names. Then there's-------Glock. It sounds like you've swallowed a big pill and barely choked on it. I'm just a weirdo.

No you're not. I'm the same way.

We (my wife and I) had a Glock. It was a good gun, if somewhat boring. We traded it off for something else.

 

[Darkenfast]

My two firearms are a Browning Hi-Power from the 70's, and one of the first thousand G-17L's. Even at my poor level of shooting (after an 18-year hiatus), the Glock is showing slightly better accuracy. Of course, it has a longer sight radius and bigger sights with a white dot that really helps my eyes (my bi-focals don't help), as does the lighter trigger connector. It's much easier to rack and handle. It's a lot more impervious to weather and banging around. The Browning is beautiful, has class, and has a feel that I really like. But I am gradually coming to the realization that if I were ever to have to grab a gun and go, it would be the Glock. I do agree with some of the posters above regarding safety (especially with my Glock's light trigger). There are too many people out there with Glocks who I feel are not trained to the level they should be to carry one with a round in the chamber. I know I'm not. I don't carry, but at this stage I would leave the chamber empty; I know how fast I can rack, and I know how to do it one-handed.

I think Glock gets some of the criticism it does simply because of it's success. Using the word "Perfection" as a marketing slogan is a red flag to gun enthusiasts to pile on, too!

 

[Kanewpadle]

if you want to find a glock armorer go to the maytag store and he'll be in the back playing chess with the maytag repairman. lee

Wow, an 8 hour class and you're somebody special!

 

[The Highlander]

I own a slew of Glocks, have traded several more, in most calibers in which they are offered. The only one that has ever had an issue is my first, a Gen 3 G17. It doubled on me, in a match fortunately, with plenty of safety stuff behind the target. 5 minutes to replace the sear, dropped in a new recoil spring and cleaned with brake cleaner while it was apart. Fired another few thousand rounds of 9mm and .22 (in a conversion kit on the same frame) since with no problems. Cheap part, easy to replace, no issues as far as I am concerned.

Speaking of which, how many clean their pretty S&W revolvers, Kimbers, and other foo-foo guns with brake cleaner, wring them out over a trash can, and go back to shooting? You can do that with a Glock!

CBS is looking for reasons to jump on ANY gun manufacturer, justified or not.

 

[johngalt]

I tried out a 23 a few years back, had several misfires. The primers showed light hits. I finally figured out that the slide wasn't fully in battery. I decided I didn't like a design that allowed it to fire out of battery and lost interest. These days, if an auto doesn't have a single action trigger, I don't want it.

 

[mjr]

I tried out a 23 a few years back, had several misfires. The primers showed light hits. I finally figured out that the slide wasn't fully in battery.

In late 2005 I bought a used G26. At the first range trip there were two failures to fire out of a 50-round box. The primers on the unfired rounds showed weak, off-center strikes.

I googled "glock, weak off-center primer strikes," and in about 30 seconds found a chart that diagnosed this problem as a weak recoil spring. Replacing the recoil spring assembly solved the problem. There've been no problems since.

I suspect this may have been the problem with johngalt's pistol.

Does anyone know of any authenticated case in which a Glock fired out of battery?

 

[Abbynormal]

Have you EVER seen Glock admit fault to anything? Typical German/Austrian arrogance!

There's been many Glock problems swept under the rug. Do a net search and see how many law suits they lost!!! NONE, they settle and pay them all off to avoid showing guilt.

Too many stories of failures and kabooms for me to own one.

 

[alwslate]

I tried out a 23 a few years back, had several misfires. The primers showed light hits. I finally figured out that the slide wasn't fully in battery. I decided I didn't like a design that allowed it to fire out of battery and lost interest. These days, if an auto doesn't have a single action trigger, I don't want it.

Did you try more than one brand of ammo? My first Glock was
an early 19. I experenced several misfires with it and began
to think the light primer indentations were due to a general
weakness of the striker system vs a firing pin and hammer.
Close examination of the chamber with the barrel out of the
gun and with a few different factory rounds revealed the
problem. The chamber was very tight, too small actually for
some brands of ammo. Some rounds would easily fully
chamber and drop out with the barrel inverted while others
had to be forced in with my thumb and knocked out with a
cleaning rod. Just like any other gun light primer strikes can
indicate rounds not completely seated. S&W 22 revolvers
are notorious for this problem, one of mine is particulary bad.
I contacted Glock, sent the gun in and they replaced the
barrel at no charge. It worked fine with the new barrel but
I had aquired a second 19 and so I sold the old one to fund
the 26 purchase.

 

[Old TexMex]

Who cares? Aren't there about twenty Glock fan sites? They're reliable. They are the Honda of firearms. They can be cleaned in the dishwasher, they're inexpensive, but not cheap.
Are there any pre 19 Glocks out there? Any Glocks with Cokes numbered to the gun?

 

[johngalt]

Did you try more than one brand of ammo?

No, just tried one brand, I think it was Winchester. It was a number of years ago, so I forget.

 

[carpriver]

I would buy a Glock..if was pretty, not made of plastic, and they changed the grip and name. I don't hate glocks, I just don't think they are be all end all handgun every glock owner thinks they are.

 

[johngalt]

In late 2005 I bought a used G26. At the first range trip there were two failures to fire out of a 50-round box. The primers on the unfired rounds showed weak, off-center strikes.

I googled "glock, weak off-center primer strikes," and in about 30 seconds found a chart that diagnosed this problem as a weak recoil spring. Replacing the recoil spring assembly solved the problem. There've been no problems since.

I suspect this may have been the problem with johngalt's pistol.

Does anyone know of any authenticated case in which a Glock fired out of battery?

Doesn't the weak recoil spring imply that the slide wasn't fully returning to battery?

 

[4506517]

I love Glocks. My very, very, first handgun was a Glock 19. Still have it. Since then I have purchased a 21, 23C, 31, 32, 33, 34, and a 36. I think they are well made guns. Glock put a lot of time and research into them.

That said..........I still shoot, carry, and admire my 3rd Gennies more.

I have friends that are all about the Glock like I am about my Smiths. Is he wrong? Nope, he just likes a different high quality than I do.

 

[mjr]

Doesn't the weak recoil spring imply that the slide wasn't fully returning to battery?

Maybe so. It certainly didn't fire out of battery.

 

[rwsmith]

Sounds worse than it is

They'll fix it and the world will continue to turn.

 

[johngalt]

Maybe so. It certainly didn't fire out of battery.

It didn't fire on me either. But it did go 'click'. Not sure how bad it would have been if it had actually fired, but the idea that it could have bothered me.

 

[DoubleAdobe]

My Gen I Glock 23 was retired w/me in 1997, no problems until recently. All the mags will misfeed (bullet nose hangs up on the feed ramp) every once in awhile. A simple tap, rack & go will fix this and since I no longer carry it so no big deal.

Remember when the drill was called "Tap-Rack-Bang"?
How times have changed,lol.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Well, I'm neither a Glock-hater nor a Glock-owner, but a couple of folks here seem to have trouble reaching an understanding. I am going to give my unsolicited recount of a little of my experience, and perhaps one of those will learn something. More likely not.

I once went into a gun store in Miami, and one of the kids behind the counter felt that I should hold an FN LAR in my hands. I did. I have never in my life held a rifle that felt more comfortable or under my control than that 50.00. I learned a little more about them, and I have owned one for many years.

I have also had my hands on a Glock. Didn't take long to figure out that it was not for me. "Block" comes to mind. That doesn't make it a bad gun. It makes it a fairly bad gun FOR ME. Kind of like N-frame SB revolvers before Pachmayr made SN-S Presentations. Plenty of folks like Glocks, just like plenty of folks like old N-frame revolvers. That doesn't invalidate the sentiments of those who know that they are not for them.

 

[roundgunner]

Not a Glock hater but I have to post the funny photo.

Remember guys it really is not this bad OK?