View Full Version : The Tale of a Broken Glock
I was going to post this in the cold weather thread but this probably deserves it's own post. So I took the wife out shooting this weekend and the conditions were less than ideal. Temps were around zero, blowing snow and limited visibility. It's actually a good time to go as there was not a sole at the range, granted it was 9pm.
We had 2 pistols, a 19 gen 3 & a 17 gen 1 or 2. Ammo was Remington 147 fmj which is not relevant to this post. The 19 ran great and the wife shot it well. The 17 worked better for me but had a few misfeeds due to snow inside an aftermarket magazine. So I was doing some basic tap/rack drills with the faulty mag in the 17 and during a tap I came up with a handful of plastic pieces. Thinking nothing of it I just figured the magazine was busted and went back to the 19. When we were wrapping it up for the night I examined the 17 a little closer and realized the magazine well had a big chunk of plastic missing. WTF, I had never even heard of this happening before. I was wondering if anyone else here had or heard of a similar breakage on a Glock?
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I was going to post this in the cold weather thread but this probably deserves it's own post. So I took the wife out shooting this weekend and the conditions were less than ideal. Temps were around zero, blowing snow and limited visibility. It's actually a good time to go as there was not a sole at the range, granted it was 9pm.
We had 2 pistols, a 19 gen 3 & a 17 gen 1 or 2. Ammo was Remington 147 fmj which is not relevant to this post. The 19 ran great and the wife shot it well. The 17 worked better for me but had a few misfeeds due to snow inside an aftermarket magazine. So I was doing some basic tap/rack drills with the faulty mag in the 17 and during a tap I came up with a handful of plastic pieces. Thinking nothing of it I just figured the magazine was busted and went back to the 19. When we were wrapping it up for the night I examined the 17 a little closer and realized the magazine well had a big chunk of plastic missing. WTF, I had never even heard of this happening before. I was wondering if anyone else here had or heard of a similar breakage on a Glock?
I'll post pics when I get home.
How cold was it? Was the gun stored outside (like in the trunk of a car or something?
C4
Are you going to contact Glock?
I have an older Glock 17. Some time ago I noticed the very bottom of the magazine well was starting to crumble. No major pieces broke away but the lip of the well was deteriorating.
I used a bandsaw to trim away the crumbled area (slightly less than 1/8"). I attributed it to aggressive magazine changes. Cold weather was not involved.
I'm interested in seeing some pics when you post them. If cold weather was a factor for Glocks, I'm sure we would have heard about it years ago. You said the 17 was a Gen 1 or 2. Which one is it? It is pretty easy to tell the difference. Do you know how many rounds have been put through it? Since it has some age, how well was it maintained? Along the lines of what Grant asked, what kind of environment was it typically exposed to when not being used?
I'd be very interested to know what cleaning solvents the frame was exposed to?
How cold was it? Was the gun stored outside (like in the trunk of a car or something?
C4
The gun had been outside in the car for several hours prior to shooting. It was around 0 deg f.
Are you going to contact Glock?
I spoke to Glock and they requested I send it in for examination. The person I spoke with said he had never heard of this type of breakage in any weather. Besides almost every LEO I've seen in AK carries a glock.
You said the 17 was a Gen 1 or 2. Which one is it? It is pretty easy to tell the difference.
Please tell, I'll check it out when I get home. This model has no rail or front grip "grooves" which is why I assumed it is an earlier Gen model.
This actually is not my weapon. I was just borrowing it so my wife could shoot it along with the 19 to see what fit her better. She's taking a course this Spring and I want her to shoot some different pistols before committing to a purchase.
Heavy Metal
01-09-12, 19:18
How about a pic?
I'd be very interested to know what cleaning solvents the frame was exposed to?
I know it had been a coast guard trade in so I would imagine it had quite a bit of salt exposure throughout its life. Not sure what the cleaning regiment is in the CG. Besides I didn't know glocks had to be cleaned?
Heavy Metal
01-09-12, 19:30
I know it had been a coast guard trade in so I would imagine it had quite a bit of salt exposure throughout its life. Not sure what the cleaning regiment is in the CG.
I am sure nobody EVER did anything like dunk it in a bucket full of Gasoline, Oven Cleaner or any other stupid shortcut to clean it in the Costal Service......
BTW, POST PICS!!!
eternal24k
01-09-12, 20:08
also interested in pics, very odd failure indeed
Heavy Metal
01-09-12, 21:16
Gen 2
xrayoneone
01-09-12, 21:22
Keep us posted on Glock's response. I'm sure many of us have trade in Glocks of on form or another on this forum.
I figure if that ever happens to mine I could trim the frame to accept G19 magazines.
25 year old plastic gun cracks in the cold. hmm.. i bet glock will still give you a new frame.
Weird. I've seen plenty of Glocks that were chewed up around the magwell, but I've never seen a chunk of plastic break off.
I assume this did not affect your ability to shoot/train as you state you noticed something break and kept going?
I assume this did not affect your ability to shoot/train as you state you noticed something break and kept going?
Well I did not notice the breakage until after we were done shooting but no, it did not affect my ability to train and sling a few rounds of 556 as well. I did shoot the 19 more as I have had limited trigger time with this model. The wife seemed to like it as well so all I want her to try out next is an M&P & P30. Whatever she decides I'll probably get the big brother of that model in the same caliber. Cute aint it?
I figure if that ever happens to mine I could trim the frame to accept G19 magazines.
You might be on to something there.
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I figure if that ever happens to mine I could trim the frame to accept G19 magazines.
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I thought of the same thing when I saw the pictures...if Glock isn't willing to replace it.
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Gun is in the mail on it's way to Georgia. Should know something in a few weeks.
I'm interested in seeing what Glock has to say and if they replace your frame.
I had this happen in the cold with an older non FML mag but I think that is pretty common with those mags. I still have the mag, I'll dig it out.
platoonDaddy
01-14-12, 16:43
dang, please keep us posted.
Awhile ago, I recall a guy buried his Gen3 Glock 19 into snow and ice for a little under 48 hours. Did a search of youtube and located the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrbtgQhg-VQ He even fired off five rounds without issue with snow in the barrel.
mrosamilia
01-14-12, 16:59
I know it's not a gun, but I have had two Glock lights that were mounted on Glock rails crack and fall off in the cold as well. Glock warrantied both but still unnerving if something went bump in the night at our camp, and the damn light falls off when you need it.
Some types of solvents can infiltrate the Glock plastic and make it brittle over time even after all of the solvent is removed.
If the CG used an ultrasonic cleaner (common in armories) there is no telling what the frame was exposed to.
Doc Safari
01-18-12, 09:58
Some types of solvents can infiltrate the Glock plastic and make it brittle over time even after all of the solvent is removed.
Could you list those, please?
This thread reminds me of an interesting failure of a G19 frame from years ago which Glock replaced due to an unspecified manufacturing defect.
http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/g19_cracked.html
Alaskapopo
01-18-12, 14:00
Never seen a failure like that and I have carried Glocks in -30 below and shot them in that temperature.
Pat
Just got word from the wiff, the glock just came in the mail this morning. They replaced the entire frame and issued a new serial #.
+1 on Glocks Customer Service & Warranty. I really like this no b.s. no questions asked kind of service from a company. I wish I could say the same for other firearm manufacturers.
Some types of solvents can infiltrate the Glock plastic and make it brittle over time even after all of the solvent is removed.
If the CG used an ultrasonic cleaner (common in armories) there is no telling what the frame was exposed to.
I have seen issues when guys use stoopid stuff for cleaning, like brake or carb cleaner.
No need to get the gun dry cleaner spotless, it's a frakking working gun, but lots of people don't get that.
Just got word from the wiff, the glock just came in the mail this morning. They replaced the entire frame and issued a new serial #.
+1 on Glocks Customer Service & Warranty. I really like this no b.s. no questions asked kind of service from a company. I wish I could say the same for other firearm manufacturers.
Nice ending to the Tale! Great CS from Glock.
xrayoneone
01-26-12, 22:13
Awesome. Good on Glock
Does the new frame have finger grooves?
Does the new frame have finger grooves?
Yes it does, I believe it's a gen 3.
Cesiumsponge
01-27-12, 20:47
Aww, avoided a perfectly good opportunity to do a G19 grip chop mod!
Besides I didn't know glocks had to be cleaned?
I assume you're just being sarcastic, I clean every Glock I own after shooting it, everytime, no exceptions!
As to the oddity of your broken Glock, who knows? It's certainly a very interesting failure, and as someone else has pointed out, I'd sure like to know what solvents the pistol had been exposed to. I believe Glock will very likely replace the frame at no cost, or very little cost on your end.
Also, the break looks surprisingly uniform, almost like it had been cut somehow?
Alaskapopo
01-27-12, 21:29
I assume you're just being sarcastic, I clean every Glock I own after shooting it, everytime, no exceptions!
Thats not a bad thing but its not necessary. I have purposefully not cleaned my Glocks in training to see how long they could go and I have been well over 2000 rounds without cleaning them with no issues. When I carried a 1911 for work I cleaned it after every range use now with my Glocks I clean them when I get the time and that usually means every month or so which is about 300 rounds in the winter in the summer its a lot more than that.
Pat
Cesiumsponge
01-27-12, 23:27
Thats not a bad thing but its not necessary. I have purposefully not cleaned my Glocks in training to see how long they could go and I have been well over 2000 rounds without cleaning them with no issues. When I carried a 1911 for work I cleaned it after every range use now with my Glocks I clean them when I get the time and that usually means every month or so which is about 300 rounds in the winter in the summer its a lot more than that.
Pat
Am I becoming senile or did there used to be a 2000 round challenge thread here?
Now you can remove the mag with a better grip in case of a double feed!
It's so nice to see such great customer service. It's absolutely invaluable if you want to continue to have community support and grow as a company.
eightmillimeter
02-10-12, 03:22
Now you can remove the mag with a better grip in case of a double feed!
Yeah, just knock a similar chunk out of the other side too so you can get a good two finger grip on the mag that would be good.
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