View Full Version : Side stepped Potential Disaster
finished our low light qualifications earlier this evenning and during the process found that one my magazines had completely failed. 3 days ago i was out shooting and cycling through the mags without a problem. On the line tonight and the mag spring failed to feed. Had that mag been the primary in the pistol and i had to use it, my glock would have become a very ugly single shot, forcing me to dump a mag at a highly undesireable time.:eek:
anyone else had a glock mag fail? Or does anyone know of a way to test mags for weakening springs?? I'm just glad i found the failure during a controlled situation.
John Frazer
10-25-08, 06:44
I had a floorplate come off an OLD Glock 17 mag during a speed reload once. I think it actually fed the first round as I saw brass flying out the bottom of the gun. That was interesting.
How does a magazine completely fail? Were the feed-lips or tube damaged? Were you shooting factory ammo? Was there tension on the follower when you loaded it? What round didn't feed - first, last, somewhere in between?
One aspect of preventive maintenance is to have your Armorer check your magazine springs at least once a year. This is especially crucial for .40 Glocks-even more so if you're using a frame-mounted tactical light. On .40 Glocks, the general rule of thumb that I'd recommend is simply replace all your magazine springs once a year.
Best, Jon
I've seen springs kink from overloading and cause failures to feed.
Mag springs can be checked by verifying they'll activate the slide stop when empty. If they don't, they need replacement.
Annual spring replacement isn't a necessity, but there's no downside.
If you're unable to determine what caused the problem and correct it, deadline the mag. Magazines are disposable items, and should be replaced entirely at an established interval of use or time.
(Normally I'd recommend throwing away the mag, but it might not be a bad idea to retain mag bodies these days.)
Keep plenty of mags on hand.
One aspect of preventive maintenance is to have your Armorer check your magazine springs at least once a year. This is especially crucial for .40 Glocks-even more so if you're using a frame-mounted tactical light. On .40 Glocks, the general rule of thumb that I'd recommend is simply replace all your magazine springs once a year.
Best, Jon
I carry and shoot IDPA with a G23 & G27. Never had an issue with the mag springs. I still have a 10rd mag with a #1 follower and still have no issues. However, it is a good idea to change carry (SD) mags every so often.
how did it fail? lol multiple ways. when we inspected it, the top contraining guides appeared to be spread wider then the other mags. spring was also weak, so that when we were manually unloading the mag, a couple times the follower stayed down and didn't bring the next round up. But the weirdest one; it cycled the spent round, jammed the next (actually put a dent in the casing), and when we ejected the mag, the top round was "twisted" so that the base was actually facing upward and the projectile was pointed down into the magazine.
these were authentic glock mags (15 cap), shooting our duty ammo. just prior to running the range i had dissassembled and cleaned the firearm, so "drag" on the slide and mag were barebones minimum. Usually once a month i will empty the mags and let the springs "rest" for a couple days.
i've used alot of mags in the past but never ran into these situations before.
I have a brand new G22 mag that is totally whacked out. The follower slips past the slide stop, and it causes malfs mid way thru a mag full of ammo. I could tell it was jookie when I first got it... Basic function checkinging it in my pistol with not rounds.
Will Glock replace this turd?
Sure they'll replace it. Chances are they won't even ask you to send the defective one back. Phone# is 770.432.1202. Their customer service is second to none
Sure they'll replace it. Chances are they won't even ask you to send the defective one back. Phone# is 770.432.1202. Their customer service is second to none
hadn't really thought of pesting CSR for mag replacement, but they might want to know the conditions/type of of failure, so i'll give them a call. thanks
I'll give them a shout Monday. This mag is brand new... not a lot of money, but it'd be nice if I could get it replaced.
How old were the magazines? Why were the feed lips different on this one magazine, as compared to the others? Was this magazine brand new when you got it? Was it used for a lot of "rip...re-insert" stoppage drills? When you put it back together, did you install the spring correctly?
"Rip...re-insert" drills can have a cumulative effect on feed lips, no matter the brand. A major state agency had to dramatically change their training when the manufacturer of their pistols/magazines told them that causing the feed lips to spread as a result of training was not a warranty issue.
All too often the hand of man in guns and magazines is the biggest influence on fit and function.
3 hi cap mags came with pistol, all new, all glock. not sure why the top was spread wider on the malfunctioning one; all were loaded with same ammo, all loaded to 15 rounds, and each time at the range, the mags were rotated so that the same one wasn't always in the pistol.
as for the rip re-insert, we shoot outside so the mags hit dirt versus concrete; as soon as we qualify, we clean the weapon and the mags before leaving the range. always before there was sufficient spring pressure so that when i hit the mag release, the mag would fall out. but on the bad mag, i had to pull it out. talking with range officers, they were stumped also; they had seen mags fail but not like mine had. oh well, always something new lol
edit = mags are maybe 2 yrs old
eternal24k
10-28-08, 08:56
Stuff like that is why I have ditched all my no-name p226 mags, i have had followers extend into the slide before.
You are not married to that magazine. They are a disposable item that wears out. Replace it.
yep, gonna buy 3 new ones and retire the older 2 functioning mags to range use.
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