Glock mag won't drop free when loaded...

[Parke1]

Hey everyone,

I recently acquired a lightly used Glock 19. I've had it to the range, and I really enjoy shooting it (although let's face it, it ain't a 1911...). I've noticed something odd, though. The gun came with two 10 round mags, and one 15 rounder. If the mags are fully loaded, and I insert them with the slide locked back, only the 10 round mags will drop free if I hit the release.

If the 15 round mag is fully loaded and inserted (with the slide open or closed), and I hit the release button, it won't move. I actually have to physically pull it out from the bottom. If about 4 or 5 rounds are stripped off, it'll drop right out.

Is this hi-cap funky, or are yours doing the same thing? This is my first experience with Glocks, so maybe it's the norm...

Thanks for the help!
-Parke1

 

[turbonatr]

If it's a NFML (non full metal liner) magazine, it's normal. FML (full metal liner) magazines tend to drop free (which 10 round Glock mags are), but not always.

 

[Parke1]

Well, I'm not sure if it's a full metal-lined mag or not. It's a factory glock 15 round mag. I'll pull off the floorplate and report back.

Thanks!
-Parke1

 

[Parke1]

Ok, floorplate pulled off, and it's not a full metal lined mag. Only the rearward half of the mag has a metal liner.

I'm a bit disappointed in this. Are all Glock factory 15 rounders built like this?

Thanks,
-Parke1

 

[Lennyjoe]

Are all Glock factory 15 rounders built like this

No. There are 1st and 2nd Generation mags. Easiest way to tell them apart is the 1st Gen mags have a U shaped seration on the top rear of the mag and the 2nd Gen have a square shape seration. They go for about the same price.

The FML mags are much better and tend to last longer as well.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

They aren't supposed to drop free when full. The europeans aren't into dropping their mags into the dirt or in a panic dropped a loaded mag. Therefore, Gaston made them expand when loaded so that they will stay in the weapon unless intentionally removed.

However, since we didn't like that much they made the newer "drop free" mags.

It's a good design, just not what we're used to here.

 

[geekWithA.45]

It's a good design, just not what we're used to here.

I dunno 'bout that.

It sounds like the designer made a judgement (that a mag with lots of ammo in it shouldn't eject) that is rightfully the operator's prerogative.

My thinking is that if I hit the mag release, I absolutely, positively want the magwell to be empty NOW, no further effort required. If I deem it appropriae to take additional actions to retain ammunition, I'll do so, but that's my call.

 

[JohnKSa]

The idea behind the design was that if you accidentally hit the release, it wouldn't dump a full mag.

Besides, it's not like you CAN'T get the mag out, it just won't drop on its own.

Can you give me an example of a time where you'd need to eject a full mag in a situation where time was critical? I've heard a lot of people complain about this "feature" but I've never understood why.

Anyway, just sell or trade it if it bothers you that much. There are other people like me who don't care either way.

 

[Bobby Lee]

As long as it drops free when empty it is fine with me.

 

[Rockstar]

NFML Glock mags last just as long as FML Glock mags. Whether one prefers "drop free" is, of course, just a matter of personal preference. New G19 mags, all of which are FML, are only $16-$18, so you can afford to accommodate your tastes. You can also get a 33-rd. mag for under $25.

 

[Parke1]

Well, after putting some more thought into this matter, I'm really not sure which way I'd prefer it. I guess I'm just used to mags dropping free whenever I hit the release. Also, since the mag body expands when it's loaded, it doesn't insert as easily as the FML 10 rounders I have. I suppose I'll buy another mag (a new FML one), and see which I prefer.

Thanks for the info, everyone! I can always count on the THR crew to bring me up to speed.

-Parke1

 

[GigaBuist]

I shall respectfully disagree with Geek on this one, although I do see his point.

What's the 1st thing you do when your semi-auto doesn't go bang? Tap, rack, bang. You release your weak hand from the weapon, slam the magazine home, rack the slide, and pull the trigger. That'll solve the majority of issues: you might have simply never hit the magazine home -or- you might have hit the release on it accidentally. Further you might just have a dead round (faulty primer) and the racking of the slide will eject it. Now, if you've got a hangfire you might be in for a world of hurt when you rack the slide and it goes off, but that's just part of the risk when doing such drills. Don't do them with old surplus ammo.

There's no reason to eject a mostly full magazine unless it's a reload behind cover. In that case you've got the time to deal with yanking out a half-full magazine, although the design -should- let a half full magazine out of the well w/out a problem. It's only sticking when the thing is danged near full.

Tap, rack, bang won't do you any good when your mostly full magazine is on the ground because you nudged the magazine release. I find the Glock magazine release a bit "squishy" and imagine it would be easy to hit on accident for a guy with large hands. Mine are the size of a 12 year old Japanese school girl, so it doesn't happen to me on accident.

Then again, I might be biased as my first pistol was a CZ-75... that sucker won't drop an empty mag free unless you tweak it.

 

[Group9]

My first issued Glock 17 had non-drop free magazines, and once I got used to the way they worked, I thought it was a lot smarter way to do things. Unfortunately, so many others complained that a couple of years later, they took them all up and replaced them with the type all Glocks come with now.

 

[JohnKSa]

so many others complained

so many others=gun writers and gamers.

It really irritates me that a chosen few feel like they are free to speak for the rest of the world and have no problems imposing their preferences on the rest of us. The classic example, which I've posted before, was the gunwriter evaluating a prototype single shot rifle. He complained to the manufacturer about the ejector because it ejected the empties onto the ground which was inconvenient for him as he was a reloader. As a result, the manufacturer agreed to replace the ejector with an extractor on the final version of the rifle that was marketed. Now everyone who buys the new version of that rifle will have to pick the empties out of the chamber just because this particular gun writer was too lazy to pick up his brass off the ground after a shooting session.

I can see people having a preference and liking the drop-free over the NFML, but the gun-writers and their sycophants acted like non-drop-free mags were the height of stupidity and rode the horse so long and shouted so loud that Glock finally quit making the NFML mags altogether.

I've STILL never had anyone explain to me why someone would have an urgent need to eject a magazine full of ammunition in a situation where time was critical...

 

[BigG]

The early Glocks were made after the European fashion. If you think about it, most all European automatics except those made for the American market have an inconvenient mag release. For example, a Walther or SIG usually has a heel-type release, which is perfectly ok, but Gamers have wanted to make time in any way they can so the non drop free (or normal, if you will) Glock magazines went the way of the dodo bird. I don't see why they needed to fix something that wasn't broke, either.

 

[Curare]

Parke1--I hope you enjoy your G19. View it as a tool, nothing more, nothing less. It's not a work of art, and it has imperfections that can be improved and/or lived with.

While, you are correct--it is no 1911--it's very different. I love both platforms for the features they share: outstanding durability, a low bore axis, a consistent trigger pull, few parts, good ergonomics, an elegance of design, and the ability to customize them easily to your whim. I find the G19 backstrap much more agreeable than the pronounced arch of the G17.

If you look at ar15.com, under the handguns sections, a gentleman is abusing his G21 in an extreme and entertaining manner. This includes wrapping it in a damp, salty cloth for days, shooting it with another gun, throwing it from second story windows onto rocks repeatedly, firing it full of sand and muck (where a USPc failed horribly), and very soon....droping it from an airplane. It's amazing how well it cleans up after each trial--makes you want to go out and buy one. Full pics and video are there. Unfortunately I can't cut and paste a link from this hospital computer (ar15.com is banned).

 

[Chris Rhines]

I don't see why they needed to fix something that wasn't broke, either.

Um, not broke? If depressing the magazine release fails to release the magazine from the gun, I'd say that something is not working correctly.

I do not for a second believe that NFML Glock magazines were designed to be retained in the gun if partly full. I think Glock was passing a bug off as a feature. Why would anybody want a magazine to stay in the magazine well when the magazine latch is depressed?

I've STILL never had anyone explain to me why someone would have an urgent need to eject a magazine full of ammunition in a situation where time was critical...

Just off the top of my head - Your magazine has been damaged and will not feed the cartridges properly. You eject a full or mostly-full magazine as part of the clearence drill.

- Chris

 

[enfield]

If you're happy with your Glock mags dropping when empty, try the same thing at 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I attended an outdoor class in January in Michigan once, and the empty Glock drop-free mags wouldn't. I'll take steel, thank you. And on top of that, I'll take a Sig.

 

[Rockstar]

Chris: You're wrong; everybody else is right.

 

[N.M. Edmands]

Chris; the non drop free mags were a requirement of the Austrian military when the Glock was designed and submitted. Nothing in a firefight than pulling out an empty weapon. If I'm wrong, my bad

 

[SRYnidan]

Chris

I think you are right and the rest of the world is wrong.
Most military forces don’t believe in dropping magazines on the ground (in the snow or water where they cannot be recovered for reuse. They expect the solider to remove the magazine and put it somewhere (look in the Blackhawk or eagle catalogs and you will find bags just for this purpose).
The U.S. is kind of the exception (not completely the original 1911 magazine had a lanyard attachment point to keep it from getting lost).
Look at the M14, the FAL the AK47 they are designed to have the Magazine with drawn not drop out.

Yes the original Austria spec called for the non drop free magazine.

 

[Bobby Lee]

I wonder how many gunfights the posters on this forum have been in where they had to change mags before it was over?

And if they did so did they have a range perfect one second mag change or did they fumble and drop things because they were nervous as hell?

 

[JohnKSa]

Just off the top of my head - Your magazine has been damaged and will not feed the cartridges properly. You eject a full or mostly-full magazine as part of the clearence drill.

There are others here that are more tactical than I, by far, but doesn't this drill involve pushing the release and then manually pulling the mag out as a matter of course since a misfeed often prevents the mag from dropping free anyway?

 

[Chris Rhines]

John -

Only if you're suffering from a type 3 (failure to extract) malfunction. Even then, I've always been taught to start by locking the slide to the rear before dumping the faulty magazine.

Regardless, when I hit the magazine latch, I want the magazine out of there, whether it has one round in it or twenty. I've taken some steps with my Glock to make sure that even fully loaded NFML magazines will fall out freely.

- Chris

 

[JohnKSa]

Here's how I understand things--someone will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong...

Clearance of Type 1 and Type 2 malfunctions (failure to fire or eject) does not typically involve ejecting the mag.

Clearance of Type 3 malfunctions (failure to feed) does involve removing the mag, but the clearance drill is taught as a manual mag removal (called ripping or stripping the mag) since a failure to feed often renders it impossible to eject the mag by simply pressing the release.

So, isn't it correct to say that if the clearance drill warrants removing the mag, it also warrants automatically assuming that manual mag removal is required?