Glock: Your Experience By Caliber

[coalman]

Long-time shooter and reloader, new to THR.

In reading THR posts I've quickly noted, interestingly, that more folks on THR (vs. what I've seen on other gun/shooting forums) state reliability/function issues and/or parts breakages with Glocks. This often comes up in comparisons to other guns. I've found this interesting and unusual because I've not seen this pattern (of Glock reliability issues) on other forums.

I'm not a Glock koolaid drinker by any means. And, don't think the Glock an end-all-be-all. I've reloaded and shot revolvers and semi-autos, and own a number of brands. Regardless, I find this THR pattern interesting nonetheless.

So, I'm curious if there are any trends by caliber. Glocks are very prevalent in calibers many brands are not, and with greater distribution. For example, more Glocks are used in .40sw than other brands and this caliber can be more finicky and less forgiving. Meaning, comparing 9mm reliability vs. .40sw is not apples-to-apples.

See poll. This poll is looking only for confirmed, first-hand gun-related issues in STOCK Glocks by caliber. I've not attempted to complicate the discussion by addressing Glock generations, though this may well be a valid consideration. Round count is also not addressed whether there is/was an issue or not. Basically, I'm interested in whether the gun runs or not if it was made by Glock. And, ideally your vote is based on Glocks you've owned for a while and have put more than a few hundred rounds through. If you've not owned (or fired in higher volume) said Glock skip that vote. Simple.

Thanks in advance for indulging me.

 

[allaroundhunter]

My Glock 19 (9mm) gives me occasional fits (have fired over 5,000 rounds through).

Have also shot a friends Glock 23 in both .40 and .357 Sig with a LWD conversion barrel without a problem (about 200 rounds with .357 sig, 500 in .40). Have not witnessed one either.

When shooting weak-hand with a Glock 36 (.45 ACP) I have had two stovepipes that I will take the blame for (probably from limp-wristing, but I have heard that the 36 is more prone to limp-wristing from others as well).

 

[Big_John1961]

My Gen 2 G23 was a great pistol. Wish I still had it. I also had a G21 that was excellent, before it was stolen.

 

[pcf]

Had a slide lock spring break at 18K and a trigger spring at 24k in a 19. Both should have been replaced at 10k. Lack of timely maintenance was not the fault of the gun. Otherwise an occasional failure to feed, fire, or eject where I cannot rule out that there was something wrong with one of my reloads.

 

[jackpinesavages]

The interweb forums are not a decent place to conduct research anymore.

You have 2 segments which create "outliers"; the entitlement crowd who want to have the factory fly a rep. out to them for a FTF issue on less than 5instances.

Then, you have the marketing crowd who are literally merely here to either pump up sales, or to kill sales as they have a Corporate beef.

I am not a Glock fan boi either, but have held the Corporation in the highest regards since starting my LE career with the 17s in academy. The .40 S&W problems were corrected by the Corporation many years ago, but the internet wants to continue to rail against excellence.

I have sent many rounds down range, going down range, with many of their calibers and generations thereof. Shooters hate to hear it but, most Glocking malfunctions are shooter error/maintenance issues.

 

[wilbur2]

I own 3 Glocks - models 21, 30, and 36. The 21 has some aftermarket competition parts swapped in, the 30 and 36 are stock. Never had a problem with any of them. Both the 30 and 36 make great carry guns.

Dave

 

[wilbur2]

dupe

 

[JoeMal]

My G17 has over 5k rounds through it...only 2 stovepipes and those were both from a first-time shooting youngster

 

[kim breed]

Glock 19, the cresent wrench. mud, water, dirt, the gun still fires. eats any ammo. 7k rds no problems. I'm a diehard 1911 shooter.

 

[Inebriated]

No problems with a 10mm or .45 ACP, here.

 

[Crazy Carl]

Only own one Glock, a Gen4 G26. Only a few hundred rounds thru it, so far, so I can't speak to problems, per se, but it shoots like a dream & carries very well.

On a slightly different note, I will say that the only Glocks I've liked have been the 9mm models. Hated the G22, the G23 was just "meh", I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with the G30 & the G36 just didn't feel right to me.

LOVE the G26, tho & really, really liked the G34 I got to try out Sunday.

FWIW- I'm a 1911 & s/a revolver guy.

 

[GLOOB]

My 21 is perfect. My G19 has ONLY had 3 failures to complete eject a case with what I consider low power reloads I was using when I was shooting cast bullets through it. It has also recently thrown 1 case at my forehead, out of thousands of rounds fired. I think I'm going to change out the extractor spring on my next order from LWD.

My G27, now... I dunno if I would consider this a GUN related problem. But the slide is really light for the caliber, IMO. My spring recoil wore out in only 1-2k rounds (it started to do a delayed ka-pause-chunk on feeding), and it's hard for me to shoot it left handed with 100% reliability. I think the gun does what it's supposed to, though. That's to pack 10 rds of 40SW into a small package for CCW.

 

[MtnCreek]

I broke a trigger spring at around 30K. What a piece of crap!

 

[galena]

Own two, both used so no idea how many rounds they have digested. I have shot well over 1000 in each. M-19 and M-23, I am not a Glock guy; however, I have a very grudging respect for them. Never had a gun related problem with either. I have had problems with FTE with Wolf .40s in the 23. However, none of my other .40s like Wolf either. All other brands of ammo run great. Uglier than sin, but both good guns. Keep shootin'

 

[marano35]

I have three of em.

I have a Glock 19. I carried it for several years on duty when I was in the Narcotics division. I qualified with it twice a year and night fire once a year as well as other range dates and shooting it in my back yard. Shot several thousand rounds thru it and it never failed in any way even once. I have a G27 that I carried on duty for several years as a back-up/primary and I put a lot of rounds thru it. For awhile it was my everything all the time everyday gun. Never one malfunction. I owned my first Glock 21 before I got the other two. Carried it on duty for a couple of years before going to the 19. Sold it when I got the 19. Regretted it every since. I remember it stovepiping the second time I shot it once. It never ever happened again and I shot the snot out of it. I have wanted another every since so I bought one yesterday and have not got to shoot it yet. I am hoping it will be like the first one. The first Glock 21 I had back in 91 was the most accurate handgun I have ever owned. It shot exactly where I was aiming. It just made one ragged hole in targets most of the time. I could not miss with it. I think the last I counted I had 43 handguns in my stable, revolvers and autos...a little bit of everything. When I need one to defend myself I pick up a Glock if it is possible.

 

[ritepath]

My g20...no issues.

 

[jimbo555]

Looks like no matter what caliber Glock you pick it's possible you will have problems!

 

[Sgt_R]

Looks like no matter what handgun you pick it's possible you will have problems!

Fixed. Nothing's perfect, marketing hyperbole aside.

FWIW, I've owned 3 Glocks (Gen 3 22 & 27, Gen 4 26). I don't recall ever having a single malfunction with any of them.

R

 

[Weevil]

Own a G26 and G20 and had a G27.

Thousands of rounds of ammo through all of them and no problems what so ever that weren't ammo related.

And the only ammo related problem was a too long case in a box of WWB that wouldn't let the G26 go into battery.

 

[dogtown tom]

Wow.
Seven people have actually shot a .380 Glock?

Considering they are only importable for LE, and scarcer than any other Glock is pretty incredible.

 

[armarsh]

Wow.
Seven people have actually shot a .380 Glock?

Considering they are only importable for LE, and scarcer than any other Glock is pretty incredible.

Beat me to it. I've never seen a 380 Glock. Lots of them around here though.

 

[Yarddog]

The only (4) Glocks I've shot is the G19,20,21,&26,,, All shot to POA and no problems ; ) PS A guess at 100 rnds thrugh all combind as I don't own one ; )
Y/D

 

[GLOOB]

I see a lot of votes with gun problems, but somehow I see no corroborating posts, other than the occasional stovepipe and limpwrist??

 

[greenlion]

I would suspect, without even waiting to look at the poll results, that we have experienced the most problems with the models that we own the most of.

 

[XTrooper]

Let me preface this by saying that I've owned three Glock pistols over the years, but I've never been a fan of them and it is seriously doubtful I'll ever own another. That said, they are a reliable tool and go bang every time you pull the trigger, at least that has been my experience with them.

I've owned a Glock 17 (one of the very first sold in New Jersey), a Glock 23, and a Glock 30 so my experience covers three different calibers. With thousands of rounds fired through each of them, I never had a single malfunction of any kind.