Strange glock malfunction

I recently had a few of my high power hard-cast handloads do the same thing in my G20. It has a tight-chamber firedragon barrel and tolerances are very tight--more so than the stock glock barrel. Point is, what I've found is that it doesn't take much "slop" in the magazine feed to cause the cartridge to be chambered improperly--my theory being when ignition occurs it appears that there can possibly (?) be a problem with the case sealing to the chamber fully if the cartridge is not headspacing properly for whatever reason. I suspect--though haven't tested for it--that this creates erratic pressures, possibly affecting the bullet's velocity (a simple chrono test would probably confirm that) as well as affecting proper cycling. When I switched magazines and loads to jacketed HP's problem went away. Don't know if this helps any--I just toss it out as food for thought.
 
Sounds like the magazine might not have been fully seated.
Click to expand...

That most likely wouldn't account for a fired case remaining in the chamber.

Also, if an extractor failure occurred, the slide wouldn't recoil at all (I would think), unless the case backed out partially and was then pushed back into the chamber. Since some guns seem to function well without an extractor, it seems to point at an underpowered load.
 
By any chance do you drop a round into the chamber and then let the slide close on it? If so, you could have a chipped extractor which would leave the spent brass in the chamber.
 
By any chance do you drop a round into the chamber and then let the slide close on it? If so, you could have a chipped extractor which would leave the spent brass in the chamber.
Click to expand...

But it would have also allowed the slide to move fully to the rear causing a feedway stoppage. That did not happen. The slide either stayed closed on the fired brass or did not move far enough to the rear to pick up a new round from the mag.
 
It sounds like a weak recoil spring, its a cheap fix and worth your life. Get out to the range and pony up the dollars for a box of factory ammo and test your gun. Being a cheap azz will get you killed. It sounds like your gun fired and did not cycle back far enough to expell the spent round and pick up the new round from the mag. All matters point to a short cycle.
 
smee78 said:
It sounds like a weak recoil spring, its a cheap fix and worth your life. Get out to the range and pony up the dollars for a box of factory ammo and test your gun. Being a cheap azz will get you killed. It sounds like your gun fired and did not cycle back far enough to expell the spent round and pick up the new round from the mag. All matters point to a short cycle.
Click to expand...


A weak recoil spring would not stop the slide from cycling far enough back. It would cause the pistol to beat itself up and maybe cycle so quickly that it causes a malfunction, but the slide would cycle fully rearward.

Edit: actually it would cycle rearward faster than normal but then return forward slower than normal.
 
Last edited:
All the parts look ok as far as I can tell. I ordered some ammo and being from the Empire of New York had to send it to my dealer because we're safer that way.

I go to the range in a couple weeks too so hopefully it was a weird fluke... One more reason for me to think officer's should carry what they're comfortable with not whatever is cheapest and "works".
 
So, you are going to work for a " couple of weeks " with a gun you dont know functions???

Man, thats just insane. Go to a public range if you have too. Pony up the cash anf function test that pistol. Whats your life worth???
 
surely if he had the option to grab some .45GAP local in New York, he wouldn't have ordered it in the first place just for a test.

surprising you couldn't at least get a few rounds(at least one:eek:) to pop off somewhere real quick. make sure you offer to dispatch the next piece of roadkill
 
Was this about a DUTY gun? If so, does the agency have an armorer. (If the agency uses Glocks, I'm sure the Armorer could be persuaded to quickly check the gun out...)

There's some things going on that just don't make sense... (as least as they've been explained thus far.)

I have a Glock 38. I've had a bunch of Glocks, and liked them all (with the exception of two 35s that I just couldn't shoot well (but others could -- it was obviouisly me, not the gun.) The 38 is my favorite Glock, and it's kept in a small bedside gun safe, for when/if things ever go bump in the night. Best shooting .45 I've owned, and I've owned a bunch.
 
Last edited:
Don't discount the possibility something funny may be going on with the headspacing--Ive seen a case left in the chamber due to this reason.
 
My agency is laughably behind the times, the fact that we have radios in our cars is a god send. Equipment issues alone have been enough to make me seriously consider resigning.

My personal gunsmith is a glock armorer and is checking it out.

No there is no local store I could find with any GAP ammo because why the hell would they have it, cartridge shoudlnt' exist in the first place.
 
Last edited:
If so, you could have a chipped extractor which would leave the spent brass in the chamber.
Click to expand...

The very first Glock I fired (G17), about the Year of Our Lord 1990, was a range gun. While troubleshooting the problems caused by the crappy reload range ammo which they insisted I use in their gun, I got to see the size of the Glock extractor.

It was way bigger than I had seen on other guns, such as the 1911s. And half the "tooth" on that extractor was broken off. That extractor still did its job.

Bart Noir
 
interesting

Been following this thread closely.

Am curious about the "blocked slide" issue. The OP states that he "had his flashlight in the other hand". Seems like I read he fired one handed. But....if that is not quite what he did, and used some type of two handed light technique, what'd they call it, the "Harris technique", it might have been possible to obstruct the slide with the light.

The .45 GAP!!!!! I didn't know anybody relied on that number as a duty gun, much less an agency gun. They can't make a bunch of that stuff, and I bet not much gets sold. There is likely much old stock...maybe it was indeed a bad round.

Finally, "had to go back to the station" for more ammo "1 RD"!!! Say what? Going in harms's way, for a living, you need to have more ammo/magazines, in your vehicle, accessible, etc, etc, Yeah, the Bureau says your gunfight will last about 3 rounds....but who really knows. You may never shoot, or you may get caught up in a really wild incident. Better to be safe than sorry. In public, in uniform, it makes sense to believe it will happen someday, to you, and prepare accordingly. If I had to buy ammo and mags, with my own money, and swap it in and out of the rig in a bag or box, I'd do that rather than do without.
 
To clarify

It wasn't any two handed grip.

As for the the replacement round. I have my two spares on my belt and 3 more in my sling bag (they flip S*** if we had extras to our belt) Whenever I dispatch a deer I pop the magazine out and put a fresh one in. When I went back to pick up my partner I went to get my replacement round and discovered the magazine that was in the gun at the time of the shot was still full thus leading to the discovery of my spent case.
 
bamaranger said:
They can't make a bunch of that stuff, and I bet not much gets sold. There is likely much old stock...maybe it was indeed a bad round.
Click to expand...

It's still being made. I buy mine from Georgia Arms and it's about the same price as .45 ACP. (I get both ball and hollow-point from them, but also buy SD ammo from MidwayUSA. Prices there are comparable to other .45 ACP SD rounds.

Some state agencies have also used .45 GAP, but in recent years many seem to be moving back to 9mm -- and away from .40, too. Darned few police agencies of any type issue .45 in any format.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top