My Glock + sand = A VREY BAD DAY!

Status
Not open for further replies.
defox,

Which of those torture tests was staged? The Bundeswehr's? The FBI's? Or the Ohio State Patrol's? That's the point I'm trying to make; any manufacturer has to assume that their guns are going to be subjected to frisbee tosses, sand and mud tests, obstructed bore tests, and all other kinds of nastiness if entered in any major military or police contract competition. Small local departments and us private citizens don't have to fling P99's or Berettas at the brick wall across the room to see if we want to buy them because the BKA and the Border Patrol have already done this for us. Generally, any decent service auto that's passed these acceptance trials is plenty rugged enough for civilian CCW usage.

The Value Series *&*'s don't impress me as much as the all steel ones, as their alloy frames seem a little more lightly constructed than, say, a P-series SIG's, but that could be colored by the fact that I'm rather indifferent to *&*'s autos. The only weakness to the Rugers I've seen is busted control levers/hammers and bent slide stops when abused beyond the norm; seen a couple brought into the shop for repairs that way over the years and a few more from auctioned-off police crime guns that had obviously been "tossed" by their 'previous owners', but these are the exceptions that prove the rule. That's one durability advantage to the USP/P99/Glock-type guns; there's darn little that sticks out of them that is breakable (this is because they were designed with "frisbee toss" tests like the FBI's in mind).
 
From the Vickers report:
3)Overall the HK USP performed the best - the performance of it dry was roughly the same as the customized 1911 but was definately the best lubed. Overall it performed well.
Click to expand...

Told ya...:D :cool:
 
For crying out loud Gino. What the heck are you doing trying to operate your gun, any gun, after you drop it. In sand, dirt, snow, etc., unless you are in a life threating situation. . . . If I drop my gun in the sand, not one part will move except to take it down and clean it. Todays guns are too darn expensive to abuse.
Click to expand...
bad_dad_brad -

I don't know about you brad, but if I am betting my life on a particular pistol, I would like to know it would work (even if dropped in sand). Your point would be valid if the only reason you carried the pistol was for recreation and amusement. While I wouldn't necessarily abuse a pistol, and I certainly would not have exerted excessive force, but I would consider this a good opportunity to see if it was worth betting my life on (evidently in this case, it was not). I would have shook it out, done a quick visual and tried to shoot it. I consider my life worth a whole lot more than any gun on the market.
I have done the same tests with my glocks and they do fine until it gets in the mag. But all the auto's I have tested have had simmular results. Get sand in the mag and they will not work.
PAT
Click to expand...
PAT -

Evidently you didn't bother to read the original post or else jumped to a wild conclusion (both rather typical of you). Gino said, "it was very difficult to rack the slide, and it did not go back into battery without being forced." He also said, "After taking out all ammo, it took almost 30 pounds of pressure to get the trigger to work." It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the problem was more than sand in the magazine (which is a major weakness/disadvantage for many pistols).

I think the major thing to remember is that small pistols, as whole, are going to be less reliable than larger pistols just as part of the nature of the beast (and less tolerant of abuse), and the reduced sized versions of full-size pistols (we used to call them "chopped and channeled") are generally going to less reliable than their full-size versions.
 
Somehow I thought this thread would generate a few replies!

The thing that surprised me was the notion that ANY other of my semi-autos would NOT have had this problem. My G26 landed flat on its side, and no sand got in barrel. This was far from a torture test. Except for the opening along the side of the G26, there really wasn't a problem. I should have been able to just brush the sand off the side of the gun and keep shooting. NOT SO. That damn opening let sand into the slide rail grooves and the trigger mechanism.

I think this occurence is important enough to take note of...
 
Gino,

If you don't trust it any more, bail on it; it's that simple. I wouldn't carry a gun I had no confidence in. (Although I must admit puzzlement as to how sand in the dust cover affected trigger pull; did some get scooped into the backstrap channel, or what?)

Like I mentioned earlier, I've thoroughly shaken a G23 in a box containing gritty sandbox-type sand and one containing fine powdered red clay, and both times it ran after being pulled out and given a shake. I was happy. But as your post here and Mr. Vickers' post at 1911forum.com point out, that ain't necessarily always going to be the case.

Those three cases I mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg; I've written up repair orders for every brand of gun under the sun. The only thing I can draw from that is to recommend you find a gun whose reliability you are perfectly comfortable with and tote it. Then get a second gun whose reliability you are perfectly comfortable with and tote it, too, for when the first gun screws up at the least opportune time. :cool:
 
Good post. Lots to learn here:

Best lesson, put your pistol in a good holster on your belt. Pistols fall out of pockets, waistband, belly bands, purses, and out from under your arm, especially when you are in a fight. Repeat, put your gun in a holster and put it on your belt so you can access it from any position with either hand.

Second lesson, all guns break. The magic sword of the gun shop commando does not exist. All guns break.

Third lesson, carry a backup gun. As all guns break and run out of ammo, you need to have something more than an empty or broke gun to throw at the threat. Your backup up gun belongs as with your primary gun on your belt accessible with either hand.

Three solid lessons in only one post. Thanks, Gino. Oh, yeah, BTW, wear your armour, seek cover, stay fit, and train, train, train. But first and most importantly, avoid.
 
juliet charley

As your typical self you were an ass. I just related my expierence with torture tests. I did not say that his experence did not happen. It seems you attack me every time you get a chance. Take a chill pill and live your own life.
PAT
 
PAT -

What's your problem? I just pointed out the failure that Gino described obviously did not have anything to do with sand in the magazine. I also commented on another poster's remarks as well as making some observations of my own.

It seems to me that you were awfully quick to resort to profanity and name-calling. Lord, help the good citizens of Bethel, AK if you really are a police officer, as high-strung and sensitive (paranoid?) as you appear to be.
 
OK. We all agree that:

Most pistols will jam if negligently treated.

The 1911 did not WIN World War Two.

Always SECURE your weapon.

Just my .02.;) :rolleyes: :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top