Glock Dry Fire Issues

[556A2]

Over in the M&P issues thread, there are some posts about dry firing damage to Glocks. Since I didn't want to derail the thread, could we have a thread with more information on it.

Especially since tend to dry fire my G19 frequently.

[JHC]

I've owned 10 Glocks in total since about 1990 and have dry fired them all a good bit. Not 50K plus for each like my old K38 I don't suppose. But I've never had anything break on any of them. Just replaced a few recoil springs over the years.

[opmike]

I haven't seen any hard evidence that Glocks have any "issues" with dry-firing (certainly not more than any other gun does). Not to say that there haven't been some users who have had strikers break, but I'd venture they're part of a very small percentage.

[Loki]

"Normal" dry firing should not harm your glock. But I personally know of three IPSC guys that do a tremendous amount of dry fire practice who have cracked or weakened the breech face.

When I was doing a good deal of dry fire practice I would go through (wear out/crack) kydex holsters. While dry-firing I always used dummy rounds with spring-cushioned primers to protect the handgun.

[Bryan W]

I have carried Glocks since the late 80s and shoot them competitively as well. I can't even tell you how many 17s, 19s, and 34s I've owned over the years but a bunch. I have never used a snap cap in a Glock and I dry fire constantly. I've never seen or even heard of any issue related to dry firing a Glock. I suppose anything is possible. You could break a trigger spring I guess, but I've never had one break. Now, on the other hand, I've owned 3 M&Ps, all 9mm, and I have personally broken 3 strikers dry firing those guns. Early gen guns, but the strikers in those guns were crap. I do happen to like the M&P but had too many extraction problems and of course breaking strikers were a huge no go for me personally.

[SWATcop556]

Many thousands of dry fires through my Glocks without issues. If you're worried just use snap caps.

[Chameleox]

Its more of an issue with guns (Glocks or otherwise) that have trigger jobs or tuning done to them. Glocks should be able to take a good amount of dry firing, which the end user should be doing.

[fls9497]

Don't you have to dry fire the Glocks anyway to separate the slide and the frame?

[Hot Sauce]

Don't you have to dry fire the Glocks anyway to separate the slide and the frame?

I think the OP is referring to repeated dry-firing, so breaking down the Glock for cleaning would only become relevant if one had OCD about cleaning that extended to firearms.

[skyugo]

the breech face is 1/8" thick hardened steel. i highly doubt dinging a tiny striker off it repeatedly will damage it.
there are some pics floating around on the net of a glock with the breech face cracked out. i suspect this was due to bad metallurgy.

[glocktogo]

Utter nonsense.

[M4arc]

This is another one of those internet myths like the one we had earlier where Glocks were designed to run on 124gr +P NATO ball ammo and will turn into ashe like vampires in sunlight if you shoot weak crap like UMC or Wolf.

The internet is a strange place guys. Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.

[ROCKET20_GINSU]

I always use snap caps, except during the USPSA / IDPA slide forward, striker down, holster sequence, or during dissambly. I seriouesly doubt that there would be any bad consequence from dry firing, and I would expect the striker to break before the breech face, but I still use snap caps.

I run a $200 vanek trigger in my comp gun and I don't mind using snap caps during my dry fire practice. Besides its fun to load and manually eject rounds man on fire creasy style lol...but in seriouesness, it does give the mag a more realistic profile for practicing reloads, and ensures you actually chamber a round during slide lock reload practice.

Cheap insurance IMO but probably unnecessary.

GU

[skyugo]

I always use snap caps, except during the USPSA / IDPA slide forward, striker down, holster sequence, or during dissambly. I seriouesly doubt that there would be any bad consequence from dry firing, and I would expect the striker to break before the breech face, but I still use snap caps.

I run a $200 vanek trigger in my comp gun and I don't mind using snap caps during my dry fire practice. Besides its fun to load and manually eject rounds man on fire creasy style lol...but in seriouesness, it does give the mag a more realistic profile for practicing reloads, and ensures you actually chamber a round during slide lock reload practice.

Cheap insurance IMO but probably unnecessary.

GU


i'd like to pick up some snap caps, but step 4 of my "make sure it's not loaded" drill is running my finger over the extractor to make sure it's down. so that would kinda mess with my head. :o