Debris inside Striker Channel, Brass Flakes, Gunk

[cclaxton]

I had a number of light strikes when I shot the Arctic Blast IDPA match in Wilkes-Barre. I was shooting a relatively new G34 with a Shaun Hopkins trigger job. While at the match my friend loaned me a 5lb striker assembly so I could do better at the match, but it made no difference in terms of frequency. The light strike was exactly in the middle of the primer and no rectangular burnish. These are CCI primers and a standard G34 spring set.

I neglected to clean the Glock before I went, so shame on me for that. Anyway, I used Q-tips to clean the channel, and you can see from the pictures what I pulled out of the channel. They appear to be brass flakes, presumably from the primers. I have thoroughly cleaned everything, including FPB, spring, Extractor, etc. Need to take it to the range to test fire it and see if it's okay. My guess is that this is the problem, since the ammo shoots fine in my Cz. But still possible since the Cz shoots almost any ammo.

Has anyone else seen this happen? Any clue as to what kinds of primers might flake off and end up inside the striker channel?

I hope to make it to the range tomorrow to test fire, assuming I can make it to the car and from the car to the NRA range door without getting frostbite.

Enjoy the pics....more to come..

Thanks,
Cody
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/115171063246096811918/albums/5971469246189431153
2068

[JBP55]

That looks pretty bad. What trigger work was done to the Glock and what is the trigger pull weight?

[Wayne Dobbs]

That's not that much debris and certainly not enough to cause the light strikes, IMO. I've seen lots of nasty Iraqi Glock 19s that were lots worse and still shooting. Is the channel liner intact inside the striker channel??? Let us know how the test fire goes. Maybe you were limp wristing! (Bad Glock joke)

[cclaxton]

That's not that much debris and certainly not enough to cause the light strikes, IMO. I've seen lots of nasty Iraqi Glock 19s that were lots worse and still shooting. Is the channel liner intact inside the striker channel??? Let us know how the test fire goes. Maybe you were limp wristing! (Bad Glock joke)
You mean there's a liner in there? I have no idea. Can it be extracted? How do I tell?
Thanks,
Cody

[Wayne Dobbs]

Cody,

There is a polymer cylindrical liner that is friction retained in the striker channel. Its purpose is to center the striker and keep it moving straight ahead. You can tell if it's in there by pulling your striker assembly and by using a good light to look or by simply running a punch tip, paper clip tip, etc. against the channel's side. You should feel the "step" when you encounter the back end of the part if it's still in there.

[BN]

CCI primers is part of the problem with any striker fired pistol. I've had good luck with Federal and Winchester.

Check the tip of the striker. Sometimes they get eroded which can cause light strikes. Look at it with a magnifying glass.

Your CZ is a hammer fired pistol and will set off harder primers.

[BN]

Double tap. :(

[5pins]

I had this happen to me years ago with my G19. I would spray out your striker channel with some gun scrubber, there is probably more where that came from. My theory is that as the ammo feeds, small bits of brass are shaved off of the rim. Make sure the striker and channel are dry, no lube.

[ST911]

Small amounts of flaking and debris in the FP channel aren't uncommon, depending on use/ammo. I have removed MUCH more debris than what you picture in guns that were running fine. Stacking tolerances between your aftermarket parts/mods and the harder CCI primers seem to be the culprit here.

I wouldn't mess with the striker or its energy at all. Go back to OEM.

[EricP]

You mean there's a liner in there? I have no idea. Can it be extracted? How do I tell?
Thanks,
Cody

You can remove the liner with a 5/16" lag bolt. It will damage the liner, so have a replacement. Since you mentioned the gun is relatively new, I wouldn't bother. You also mentioned a trigger job, if your smith accidentally took too much material off of the trigger bar at the firing pin block lobe, I could see the striker dragging on the FPB. Do you see any marking on the striker or FPB? Swapping out trigger bars might tell you a lot.




CCI primers is part of the problem with any striker fired pistol. I've had good luck with Federal and Winchester.

I've used a lot of CCI primers in Glocks and not had that problem.

[JV_]

How many rounds did it take to make your channel that dirty?

[cclaxton]

How many rounds did it take to make your channel that dirty?

About 1200 rounds that I have run through the gun. I bought it used in very good condition. But I don't recall ever cleaning the striker channel.
cc

[Wayne Dobbs]

A better way to remove it without damage is to push a standard square .38 - .45 caliber cleaning patch with a wooden tipped Q-tip into the channel and twist the patch tight in the channel, then pull the liner out. The channel liner has a tapered end and a dead square end. Make sure the tapered end is installed into the striker channel first when reassembling.

The striker channel should be kept clean and dry and I've found that Gun Scrubber or similar spray cleaners do a good job of that. The channels typically get crudded up by somebody using lots of solvent on cleaning brushes that are being used to clean the breech face and the underside of the slide where the channel's weep hole is located.

As for striker nose erosion, I've heard of it being a significant problem with some non-toxic primers in heavy training regimens.

[cclaxton]

A better way to remove it without damage is to push a standard square .38 - .45 caliber cleaning patch with a wooden tipped Q-tip into the channel and twist the patch tight in the channel, then pull the liner out. The channel liner has a tapered end and a dead square end. Make sure the tapered end is installed into the striker channel first when reassembling.

The striker channel should be kept clean and dry and I've found that Gun Scrubber or similar spray cleaners do a good job of that. The channels typically get crudded up by somebody using lots of solvent on cleaning brushes that are being used to clean the breech face and the underside of the slide where the channel's weep hole is located.

As for striker nose erosion, I've heard of it being a significant problem with some non-toxic primers in heavy training regimens.
Great tips....pun intended!
Thanks,
Cody

[Mr_White]

That doesn't look all that dirty to me either. If you know you have an OEM normal weight firing pin spring in good condition and undamaged firing pin/striker, I'd be very suspicious of the trigger job.

[JV_]

I'd like to see a picture of your firing pin (striker) safety.

I'm wondering if there's interference between it and the striker, because it's not getting fully depressed. Excessive peening on the edges is a clue.

[cclaxton]

Well, good news is the primers did not seem to be a problem. I went through 17 rounds in the glock with no light strikes. And, I went through another 120 rounds with no issues using my Cz. The bad news is that I had a squib, didn't feel different (although should have known because it didn't eject the empty casing), and fired another round. Now I have a nice bulge in my barrel...not working so good. Weird symptom: Slide would lock back without mag inserted and not using the slide release. It was because the barrel was bulged and wouldn't pass through the barrel hole in the frame!

Pics coming. Thank God it didn't explode. Thinking of ordering a Lone Wolf Replacement. Any objections? An OEM costs more than the Lone Wolf. This is the first squib I have ever had with this ammo, but then again, I have shot at least 10,000 rounds of it.

Cody

[TheTrevor]

Yikes. Glad you're OK, Cody.

Every time I hear a story like this one, I thank baby Odin that I shoot HKs. Not because they make firing squib loads impossible, but because they're tested to survive firing a live round into the tail of a lodged squib round.

ETA: You know, if you were frustrated with the gun's functioning, there were non-destructive options for dealing with that situation. :)

[JBP55]

I prefer the KKM barrels which lock up tighter than the OEM or Lone Wolf.

[JV_]

IMO, 17 rounds is not a sufficient number of rounds to determine if a light strike issue has been resolved.

I would pass on the Lone Wolf and get a Barsto.

I'd just like to bring up my previous comment about ammo quality and light strikes, since it seems even more relevant now:
http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?11055-Glock-34-Striker-Replacement&p=193874&viewfull=1#post193874

[cclaxton]

IMO, 17 rounds is not a sufficient number of rounds to determine if a light strike issue has been resolved.

I would pass on the Lone Wolf and get a Barsto.

I'd just like to bring up my previous comment about ammo quality and light strikes, since it seems even more relevant now:
http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?11055-Glock-34-Striker-Replacement&p=193874&viewfull=1#post193874
James,
I agree 17 rounds is not enough. Once I get the replacement barrel, back to the range for more test firing. I am sure it is not the primer seating. These are all factory remanufactured, and I got out a magnifying glass and inspected all 150 rounds that I shot yesterday. The primers are all properly seated. I found the 17 rounds shot by the Glock including the one generating the squib. None of them were light strikes (My CZ makes a round strike, the Glock makes a elongated strike).

Thanks for the recommendation on the barrel.
Cody

[JV_]

These are all factory remanufacturedBut so was that squib round, right?


I got out a magnifying glass and inspected all 150 rounds that I shot yesterday. The primers are all properly seated.FWIW: Primers need to be seated to the bottom of the pocket. I don't know how you'd inspect that visually, after the fact - unless they were really bad and were protruding from the face. If it protruded, it would probably have caused a feed stoppage.

[cclaxton]

Bar-Sto Barrels kinda pricey: I found $240. KKM is $165. KKM is more in my price range. What am I getting with the Bar-Sto that I would pay the extra $75 for?
Cody

[LittleLebowski]

Bar-Sto Barrels kinda pricey: I found $240. KKM is $165. KKM is more in my price range. What am I getting with the Bar-Sto that I would pay the extra $75 for?
Cody

Accuracy.

[JV_]

With a $75 difference, I'd probably get the KKM.

FWIW: I paid $220 for my BarSto.

[LittleLebowski]

I've owned and shot both KKM and Barsto (have a BarSto, gave the KKM away). The KKM shot no better than a stock Glock barrel.

[BN]

James,
I agree 17 rounds is not enough. Once I get the replacement barrel, back to the range for more test firing. I am sure it is not the primer seating. These are all factory remanufactured, and I got out a magnifying glass and inspected all 150 rounds that I shot yesterday. The primers are all properly seated. I found the 17 rounds shot by the Glock including the one generating the squib. None of them were light strikes (My CZ makes a round strike, the Glock makes a elongated strike).

Thanks for the recommendation on the barrel.
Cody

Was the squib round the factory re-manufactured ammo? If so, I would see if they would repair your pistol.

[cclaxton]

Was the squib round the factory re-manufactured ammo? If so, I would see if they would repair your pistol.
I resell the ammo. He is taking the cost of a new barrel off my next invoice. I am glad it happened to me, rather than a customer.
CC

[cclaxton]

This is what a Glock barrel looks like when you try to shoot a squib out of it...DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!
2069207020712072

[JBP55]

I saw a Wilson barrel once that looked much worse than that one.

[TheTrevor]

This is what a Glock barrel looks like when you try to shoot a squib out of it...DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!
2069207020712072

You got very lucky. That right there is what I like to call a "valuable life lesson": if you're going to shoot reloads, be sensitive to squibs and use a gun of sufficient quality that isn't going to frag you if you get it wrong.

[cclaxton]

Test fired the Glock 34 with a new KKM barrel and freshly cleaned gun, and show 50 rounds zero light strikes and only one stovepipe.
So, it was this gunk/debris in the striker channel. I am going to make sure the firing pin and channel stay clean from now on.
Changed out the striker, trigger and firing mechanism with Zev STd drop-in kit.
See other thread.
Cody

[LittleLebowski]

Test fired the Glock 34 with a new KKM barrel and freshly cleaned gun, and show 50 rounds zero light strikes and only one stovepipe.
So, it was this gunk/debris in the striker channel. I am going to make sure the firing pin and channel stay clean from now on.
Changed out the striker, trigger and firing mechanism with Zev STd drop-in kit.
See other thread.
Cody

That stovepipe doesn't sound good to me. You are having a lot more malfunctions than I have had using Wolf and a Gen4 G17. I'm well past the 2k rd challenge at this point and the gun's only mods are an APEX extractor and White Sound HRED.

[cclaxton]

That stovepipe doesn't sound good to me. You are having a lot more malfunctions than I have had using Wolf and a Gen4 G17. I'm well past the 2k rd challenge at this point and the gun's only mods are an APEX extractor and White Sound HRED.
Well, I have solved two problems so far: The trigger safety plastic doodad, easily fixed once I figured out what it was, and light strikes.
I will be shooting it this year in competition with the new Glockworx ZevTech Std trigger and extended Firing Pin striker with the 2# spring. I will be tracking any issues and post them here.

[Wayne Dobbs]

Use the factory striker and factory striker spring. You're going to have more light strikes....

[cclaxton]

Use the factory striker and factory striker spring. You're going to have more light strikes....
Wayne, have you seen issues with the Zev Tech system? The guy at Zev guaranteed I wouldn't see light strikes on popular primers.
I have a stronger spring I can put in. Not sure why I would remove a striker with extended firing pin and insert a standard one. Seems like simple physics to me.
Cody

[JV_]

I would focus on getting your gun running, without stovepipes and light strikes, with OEM parts before you start throwing aftermarket parts in the mix. IMO, you have a number of issues going on right now and you're changing out too many parts.

[BN]

I've got drawers full of aftermarket parts for Glocks. Everything is now stock on my Glocks, even the recoil spring. Well, the sights have been changed. ;)

[LittleLebowski]

I would focus on getting your gun running, without stovepipes and light strikes, with OEM parts before you start throwing aftermarket parts in the mix. IMO, you have a number of issues going on right now and you're changing out too many parts.

So strongly agreed.....

[Jason Krywicki]

So strongly agreed.....

Strongly seconded

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[Wayne Dobbs]

It's been my experience that most of the parts out there for Glocks (with the Apex extractor being a huge exception) are simply items to separate you from your money. Until two things happen, I wouldn't change anything except sights. The first thing that must happen is the gun must run reliably. Yours doesn't, Cody, and reliability is job one. The next thing, is don't go changing a service grade pistol's parts with custom/aftermarket stuff until you can shoot the gun really well...like nearly outshoot the gun's potential from an accuracy standpoint.

ALL of the aftermarket triggers, connectors and strikers have s**t the bed that I've seen. Keep the stock parts in the gun and life will be better. Spend the money on ammo and solid training, not snake oil parts.

[cclaxton]

Thanks for everyone's sage advice. I will let everyone know how it goes.
Cody

[cclaxton]

I ran this Glock 34 with the ZevTech drop-in trigger, Glockworx skeletonized extended firing pin and 2# spring at 9 IDPA and USPSA club matches (about 1200 rounds), plus another 650 rounds of practice between Jan and May this year. I then used it to win 1st place SSP MM at Maryland State IDPA and got a match bump.
Results:
Zero light Strikes;
One stovepipe;
Two FTF (which I diagnosed as a magazine issue);
Zero double-feeds;
Zero FTE;
Zero failure to go into battery.

I really love the KKM barrel. It fits the slide much better than a standard OEM barrel. I didn't do a lot of bullseye shooting with it, but it does seem to be slightly more accurate than the OEM barrel that was originally in the gun.

I really like the ZevTech trigger although it's not the best trigger job I have ever used. But it is better than OEM that I had in there.

I don't shoot this gun much anymore since I went back to shooting the Cz 75 Shadow in ESP. I haven't decided what I will shoot for SSP, but I can go back to this Glock 34 or run the Cz in SSP (1st shot DA), or get a XDm and try that one out. I have a few friends who really love their XDm's and I like how it shoots.

Thanks for everyone's assistance while I worked through this early this year.
Cody