Glock 26 Gen 3 brand new - constant fails

I hope nothing would be wrong with the gun, since it's brand new from the store, but I guess there is always a chance.

In response to thegunsmith, I wish I could answer all those questions, but being brand-new to semi-autos I really don't have a clue. But I can answer a few:

1. Type of Ammo: Right from the box reads "PMC Bronze Ammunition. Centerfire cartridges. 9mm Luger. 115 GRS. FMJ"

2. Question "failure to extract or eject?". Answer: I think it may be both? A couple of times I was able to simple pull the slide and let the stuck round fall out, then fire again. But 99% of the time I encountered this problem almost every other shot. Here's a Pic i found online that looks exactly like it: http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1/Alpha_Mutt/PICT1162.jpg

3. Question: "Is the gun clean and lubed properly, without too much?" Answer: Well, I didn't lube it before going out shooting. I thought it was done at the factory, but perhaps I should do that before-hand. I wasn't sure if you had to lube brand new semi-auto guns or not.

4. Question "Have you played a lot with the gun by cycling live or dummy rounds through it?". Sort of. The mags at first, where extremely hard to load roads into. So I kept loading rounds into the mag and taking them out, to try to loosen it up. I also would load the mag, put it into the gun, and pull the slide and let the round fall out. I did that with at least 20 rounds. So I pulled the slide 10 times in a row, letting each round fall out one by one. Every-time I would do that test, it never got stuck or had a round not come out.

I haven't taken the gun apart and inspected anything, because if I did I really would have no idea what I'm looking at. Sadly I'm still learning semi-autos. But when loading ammo into the mags, it sure was extremely hard the first few times. Now it's a little easier. But I guess since it's brand new the springs in the mag must still be very stiff. It def cannot fit 10 rounds in it yet, I can only get 9 max in so far.

As for the Mag Extensions for the G26, does it make any difference in terms of being reliable? I would assume no, but figured I'd ask.
 
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You ARE limp-wristing.

This is usually caused by having a grip that is too low on the grip itself. Your firing hand needs to be up as far as it can go on the grip; the web of the hand must be firmly against the upper "tail" of the grip.

As far as lube is concerned, the Glock handgun doesn't need much. Clear the pistol and field strip, following the instructions in the manual. You should have the receiver, (frame) barrel, slide and spring assembly.

The receiver gets five drops of lubrication with a good oil. One drop on each rail; one drop on the connector (looks like a half-moon tab at the right rear of the receiver assembly); the barrel gets one drop on the locking recess (the groove of the lug underneath the barrel.

The following parts get NO oil WHATSOEVER:

Firing pin
Extractor/extractor spring/spring loaded bearing (the little part of the rod you see behind the extractor)
Trigger
Recoil Spring assembly
Pins

I usually put a light coat of oil on the outside of the barrel, but that's my preference. I'll also put a coat of oil on the outside of the slide, let it sit for a few minutes and then rub it off well with a lint free cloth. Again, that's personal preference.

By the way, where are you located?
 
Thanks, I'm gonna try to bring it to the range tomorrow if I have enough time and test it. I'm gonna grip it as firmly and as high up as I can get a grip on it and see what happens. Hopefully I am just limp-wristing it and nothing is wrong with the gun. But even if that's the case, I'm surprised that it would fail to extract/fail to eject 100% of the time (though I only fired probably 15-20 rounds). I'm in Colorado. Thanks for the replies, this forum is def very helpful :D
 
You don't have to put the cat-like Ninja death grip on it....:-)

Seriously, a firm grip (firm handshake grip) is all that is needed. But you MUST get that pistol DOWN in your firing hand. The "tail" on the pack should be sitting firmly on the web of your hand when you pull the trigger.

After you try this, as long as the pistol functions correctly, post again, and I (or someone else on the forum) will tell you how to fire from the reset.
 
Josh, I never fire a new firearm without cleaning thoroughly. It helps me become familiar with it and establish a base line of knowledge/operation of the firearm.

You should first clean that G26 down to the firing pin. There are lots of videos on YouTube to show you how. All the Glocks are the same, I own a G17, G26 and G34. I stress to get down to the firing pin because when most firearms are shipped from the factory with a very light coat of packing grease. This grease in an excellent rust inhibitor while the gun is on the shelf but a terrible lubricant.

The good thing is that Glocks are not only the simplest of all pistols but also have the fewest parts. Don't bother to take the frame or trigger mechanism apart as some videos show. That is way to extreme and unnecessary. I just spray some rem oil around the trigger and hammer, wait a minute and then use my compressor to blow everything out.

Another thing to consider is polishing the feed ramp, only custom guns come with polished feed ramps, this is very easy to do and takes only a minute with a dremmel.
 
josh17 said:
As for the Mag Extensions for the G26, does it make any difference in terms of being reliable?
Click to expand...

No..........but, there are plus zero and others that add rounds. The plus zero makes no difference at all, it is just simply an addition for finger grip. When I use the extension that adds rounds I like to add an extra power Wolff mag. spring.

If your pistol is so sensitive to failure that just a small position change of your hand solves the problem, then you need to continue to investigate to solve the real problem.
 
This may be a no-brainer, but did you clean/lubricate the new pistol before firing it? Almost all new guns come packed with at least a little preservative grease that needs to be cleaned out, and even Glocks need a little oiling.
 
Wow greyeyezz that was educational for me. Never had that problem, but it's good to know about a Glock's limitation. Bad habits can develop at any time.
 
Josh,

Based on the picture you showed I have a few ideas. My usual disclaimer about my opinion being worth what you paid for it applies;

1) Your extractor could be broken. A factory extractor should look the pictures seen here and here . It could also be the spring behind the extractor

2) Your chamber could be dirty. The "dirt" could be causing difficult extraction. The probable cause on a new firearm is the factory rust preventative. Clean your barrel as you would other firearms and retest.

3) *Could* be magazine related. Try the other magazine to see what happens.

4) Your gun could be a lemon. It happens to all manufacturers. Knowing this all guns should pass a 200ish round trial period before being trusted.

Limp wristing is a complete crock. I'm sorry to be blunt, but if an ammunition / gun pairing cannot be relied upon during adverse conditions (non ideal grip), then it should not be relied upon for serious matters. "Limp wristing" is merely a way of glossing over a pistol or ammunition problem, or a way for internet experts to thump their chests and declare their superiority as *they* never limp wrist (and never could as they are much too studly).

Now if you will excuse me, I need to duck and cover...

Hope this helped.

VR

Matt
 
The G26 uses the same recoil spring as the G27.
Since that spring can handle the .40, its probably a bit on the stiff side for 9mm, possibly making a limp wrist failure more likely.

If its also gooy, sticky or a new shooter drags a thumb on the slide, combined with a not-so-stiff grip...
 
.22lr said:
"Limp wristing" is merely a way of glossing over a pistol or ammunition problem, or a way for internet experts to thump their chests and declare their superiority as *they* never limp wrist (and never could as they are much too studly).

Now if you will excuse me, I need to duck and cover...
Click to expand...

Exactly, No need to run for cover. You just might save someone that depends on a pistol for SD and has bought into the limp-wrist idea to solve their problems.
 
Wow, fellas.

All I can say is this....

40+ years of experience in shooting handguns tells me that limp-wristing is NOT a myth, by any means. I can induce a failure by deliberately limp-wristing the pistol. I can do it on command with any Glock or 1911 handgun. It DOES happen.

Also, in a response to a post above....

Do NOT spray ANY lubricant into the lower receiver of the Glock pistol. Most assuredly do NOT lubricate the firing pin assembly. It is designed to work as it is---bone dry. I have had a couple of repair jobs already at my department when one of the officers would say, "It doesn't set off a round". Disassembly of the slide proved that oil on the firing pin assembly gathered dirt and debris, causing the spring cups that hold the firing pin to slow down after being released by the cruciform assembly. A good cleaning and degreasing restored the pistols to service.

The proper way to check the firing pin is to: 1. Clear the pistol. 2. Pointing the pistol in a SAFE direction (one that will stop a bullet), pull the trigger. 3. Hold the pistol by your ear, and shake it like you're shaking a can of spray paint--moving the whole pistol back and forth. You should hear the firing pin rattle a bit inside. If you do not, disassemble the slide assembly and clear ALL lube from the firing pin assembly, the spring cups, the firing pin spring AND from inside the firing pin tunnel itself.

Reassemble and lube properly: one drop of oil on each rail, one on the connector, and one in the locking lug recess on the barrel.
 
40+ years of experience in shooting handguns tells me that limp-wristing is NOT a myth, by any means. I can induce a failure by deliberately limp-wristing the pistol. I can do it on command with any Glock or 1911 handgun. It DOES happen.
Click to expand...

I don't think it doesn't happen. But why on earth would anyone trust that firearm and ammunition combination for a serious purpose? AKA there is a large problem which needs to be addressed.

My issue with "limp wristing" as an explanation is that it demands that the user compensate for an unreliable system. The system should be reliable.

I am a big proponent of SAMMI +P ammunition. The major benefit in my mind is that it increases slide velocity. Slightly improved muzzle energy is largely meaningless to me. But the ability for the pistol to overcome adverse conditions (imperfect grip, lack of lubrication, mud, blood, gore, etc) is an important consideration for me.

Which brings me back to the ammunition and firearm combination. If there is reason to believe that a firearm and ammunition combination may not perform under adverse conditions, FIX IT!

Also, it just riles me that "limp wristing" is the knee jerk response to any functioning issue in auto loading pistols.

Improper grip is not the issue. The issue is that the system of ammunition and firearm are not sufficiently reliable for serious use. Regardless of firearm make or model.

Very Respectfully,

Matt
 
Powderman said:
40+ years of experience in shooting handguns tells me that limp-wristing is NOT a myth, by any means. I can induce a failure by deliberately limp-wristing the pistol. I can do it on command with any Glock or 1911 handgun. It DOES happen.
Click to expand...

Sorry to trump you, but I have been shooting 60 plus years, and limp-wristing is a myth used to cover failures that someone does not want to take the time and energy to solve.

If you are inducing a failure by limp-wristing, then you really have an underlaying cause that should be addressed.

PS: The other option is to use a board along your wrist and then put placement arrows on your grip so you always grip in the same area.....then make sure you always take the same stance and put your tongue to the right side of your mouth (if you are right handed). This may be hard to do in a stress situation, but practice will help.:cool:
 
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You guys are kidding right? Limp wristing is simple physics and no amount of years shooting can or will change it.

If the spring is stiff enough to transmit enough energy into the frame so that it begins to move rearward along with the slide then the slide may not fully complete its cycle.

The shorter the cycle, the stiffer the spring, the lighter the frame, the weaker the round, the more likely it is to occure - one or any combination of those factors will expoite a weak grip right away.
 
The shorter the cycle, the stiffer the spring, the lighter the frame, the weaker the round, the more likely it is to occure - one or any combination of those factors will expoite a weak grip right away.
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YUP!

So, why would you ever trust your life to a system of ammunition and firearm that is unreliable without a proper grip?

I stand by my statement. Limp wristing is a crock. The real issue is an unreliable system of ammunition and firearm. Demanding a perfect grip misses the point. If a a firearm and ammunition system cannot perform reliably under adverse conditions, it should not be considered for serious use.

Very Respectfully,

Matt
 
Without actually seeing you shoot or having someone that has shot semi-autos before, it is hard to figure out your problem. The ONE suggestion I would make is NEVER take any gun new or used out BEFORE you clean it and check to make sure all is as it should be. Many, Glock included, use a rust/grease inhibitor that should be cleaned bfore you fire it. Clean it and then shoot it, if you still have the same problem, have someone else shoot it. If they have the same problem, then it is most likely, the weapon.
 
Dashunde said:
You guys are kidding right? Limp wristing is simple physics and no amount of years shooting can or will change it.
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Yes, it is simple physics...it's called impulse force. Derived from F=MA (force=mass x acceleration over time).

Yes, limp wristing is a myth. But the real problem is it prevents you from finding the real problem associated with FTE etc. Now for target shooting this is OK, but for SD you should really solve the problem.

Bottom line:
If you hold your pistol with a reasonable grip with your hand completely on the butt of the pistol and pointing in the shooting direction, then your semi should function, If not, then you need to find out why you have a failure without blaming it on limp-wristing or the position of the stars.

no amount of years shooting can or will change it.
Click to expand...

Actually it does change things. Our three son's (all forty plus) have found in recent years that my wife and I are three times smarter than they thought they were, so when you get older you will find you can even change basic physics. Just one of the perks of old age.:D
 
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.22lr said:
So, why would you ever trust your life to a system of ammunition and firearm that is unreliable without a proper grip?
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No one should ever pull the trigger unless they have control of the weapon, including a proper grip - plain and simple.
Anything less subjects you to the legal horrors of hitting someone you didnt mean to.
22lr said:
My issue with "limp wristing" as an explanation is that it demands that the user compensate for an unreliable system. The system should be reliable
Click to expand...
The shooter is part of that system. Don’t expect any pistol to cycle correctly if you throw it into the air with a string tied around the trigger.
madmag said:
If you hold your pistol with a reasonable grip with your hand completely on the butt of the pistol and pointing in the shooting direction, then your semi should function, If not, then you need to find out why you have a failure without blaming it on limp-wristing or the position of the stars.
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True. However, like with everything else its about compromises.
Pick a small short gun with a stiff spring? You better have a good grip on it.
The op says he hasnt managed to get all the rounds into the mags yet... strength is questionable here and completely validates limp-wristing as a possible cause for the problem.
But, I'm still betting theres some glitch with the G26 or he's dragging a finger on it.

Its interesting how neither of you buy into "limp-wristing", yet you both clearly contradict each other.
One says it should function no matter what, the other says that a semi should function with a reasonable grip.

So comon already Josh... has anyone looked at your gun yet? The sooner the better, the natives are ready to squabble!
 
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