slide lock fell out of my G19 while shooting

[trailrunner]

I was at the range this afternoon. I had only been shooting my G19 for a short while when I noticed a small piece of metal on the shooting bench. At the time I figured that the person using the lane before me must have dropped it. I finished shooting another couple hundred rounds in my G19 and left. When I got to my car and was rummaging around my range bag, I noticed that the slide of my G19 was slipping off the front. I looked more carefully, and noticed that the slide lock (part 21 on the Glock parts list) was missing from the frame. I went back into the range, and I told the range master my story, and he went out and found the part. We noticed that the slide lock spring (part 20) had come out of its place. We put everything back together, and now the gun seems to function fine, but I was not able to actually shoot so so far I could only test it by racking the slide, dry firing, and taking it down.

This is a gen 4 that has only seen about 3k or 4k rounds. The only thing different is that I started off the session by shooting 50 rounds of Critical Defense to ensure that it works fine in my gun. I'm also a little surprised that after the slide lock came out, I was able to continue shooting another couple hundred rounds without noticing anything, or that the slide didn't fly downrange.

I'm not sure if my gun is defective or if this was a one-in-a-million fluke. The only thing that I can think of is that I put the ball of my thumb on my support hand right on the slide lock. The finger on my shooting hand is also on the slide lock. Perhaps when I was shooting I jiggled it loose, but I've shot tens of thousands of round in Glocks without this happening.

[trailrunner]

I did some googling and apparently this is not uncommon.

[Kyle Reese]

I had the same thing happen to me at one of Todd's classes four or five years ago, with a Glock 19 Gen 3. Round count was significantly higher than yours, but I've never had it happen before or since.

JV and ToddG got to laugh at me when my Glock 19 upper assy plunked into the dirt.

Turns out my slide lock spring (part # 20 on the Glock schematic) was broken. I make it a point to replace mine every 7500 rounds in my Gen 4 9mm's and 5,000 or so in Gen 3's.

[JustOneGun]

If I recall correctly it can fall out if it is installed backwards also.

[Kyle Reese]

If I recall correctly it can fall out if it is installed backwards also.

Yup. Make sure that the lip is facing you when reinstalling.

[orionz06]

I had the same thing happen to me at one of Todd's classes four or five years ago, with a Glock 19 Gen 3. Round count was significantly higher than yours, but I've never had it happen before or since.

JV and ToddG got to laugh at me when my Glock 19 upper assy plunked into the dirt.

Turns out my slide lock spring (part # 20 on the Glock schematic) was broken. I make it a point to replace mine every 7500 rounds in my Gen 4 9mm's and 5,000 or so in Gen 3's.

Defoor posted on this recently mentioning he had never seen it before.

[JV_]

It's not uncommon for the spring to break in the first Gen4 19 guns.

The Gen4 19/Compact guns use a longer slide lock spring. I don't know if that spring came out after the Gen4 19s were released, or they always had it.

[trailrunner]

It's not uncommon for the spring to break in the first Gen4 19 guns.


My Gen 4 is relatively new (bought it in late 2012), and has the new style spring. The odd thing is that my spring did not break. It came of out position, but once we put it back, it now seems to be fine.

[1slow]

I had this happen once with a GL30 between 2000-2005. Spring was broken.

[JV_]

What's the date on the spent casing package that was included with the gun?

[Jeep]

My Gen 4 is relatively new (bought it in late 2012), and has the new style spring. The odd thing is that my spring did not break. It came of out position, but once we put it back, it now seems to be fine.

I have a Gen4 G19 made in 2012 that did the same thing. I replaced the spring though. My guess was that a couple of sessions where the pistol got very hot altered the spring, even though it seemed to work ok after I put it back together. I now make changing that spring every 7500 rounds or so a normal part of preventive maintenance. It might not need it--but they are cheap enough that I figure it makes sense.

[trailrunner]

What's the date on the spent casing package that was included with the gun?

24 October 2012

serial number begins with UAX

[trailrunner]

I have a Gen4 G19 made in 2012 that did the same thing. I replaced the spring though. My guess was that a couple of sessions where the pistol got very hot altered the spring, even though it seemed to work ok after I put it back together. I now make changing that spring every 7500 rounds or so a normal part of preventive maintenance. It might not need it--but they are cheap enough that I figure it makes sense.

That's an interesting theory. I think the last time I shot it was at a class and I remember the gun got pretty hot. But I'd expect the plastic to melt before the spring warped.

But to be safe, I have a new spring on order. $3 is cheap insurance.

[Chuck Haggard]

I've only seen this sort of thing when the lock itself is installed backwards or the spring breaks.

[SAWBONES]

Had the slide lock spring break on my Gen 3 G21.
No reason, it just broke off at the bend.

Out of nine other Glocks in 3 calibers owned over a period of 25 years, I've never had that happen otherwise.

I keep spare slide lock springs for all my Glocks ever since.

[SamuelBLong]

It's a weak point in the design. Over the lifespan of my gen3 g19, I've had to replace that spring 3 or 4 times due to it breaking.

The last time I broke one, the gun still continued to function fine, but I found it during a detail strip & clean. I hope you never have the issue I did on the last one where it was broken behind the bend where it inserts into the frame. Not fun trying to dig one of those out.

It's just one of those things to look for now.

[Jeep]

That's an interesting theory. I think the last time I shot it was at a class and I remember the gun got pretty hot. But I'd expect the plastic to melt before the spring warped.

But to be safe, I have a new spring on order. $3 is cheap insurance.

Maybe a bunch of improperly heat-treated springs in 2012? I'd never changed a slide-lock spring before so overall, I look at it as a fortunate occurrence. It made me pay more attention to such things.

[David Armstrong]

Maybe a bunch of improperly heat-treated springs in 2012? I'd never changed a slide-lock spring before so overall, I look at it as a fortunate occurrence. It made me pay more attention to such things.
I'd wonder that also. I run Gen 2 guns, but with 100K on the G17 before replacing that spring as part of a general overhaul I had no indications of problems, and as we approach the 2nd 100K it still hasn't manifested itself. My G19 only has a bit over 50K rounds through it, but again no issues. Did this only start to show itself in later guns, or have there been reports from earlier guns?

[JV_]

It's certainly been an issue since the early 2000s, I don't have first hand data before that time.

[Jeep]

I'd wonder that also. I run Gen 2 guns, but with 100K on the G17 before replacing that spring as part of a general overhaul I had no indications of problems, and as we approach the 2nd 100K it still hasn't manifested itself. My G19 only has a bit over 50K rounds through it, but again no issues. Did this only start to show itself in later guns, or have there been reports from earlier guns?

The slide lock spring shouldn't normally get much abuse, so those round counts without problem don't seem surprising (good work with shooting that much, though!). My guess for the issue is occasional bad batches of springs. I probably replace them too often now--but at $3.00 a part it seems like cheap insurance against a slide going down range at an unfortunate time.

[JonInWA]

At one point, I believe early in the Gen 3 production, or perhaps earlier, the wasp-waisted (thinner in the middle) slide lock spring on the compact Glocks was replaced with one that is equally wide along the entire spring. If you have the earlier one, simple replace it with the newer production one.

Best, Jon

[David Armstrong]

The slide lock spring shouldn't normally get much abuse, so those round counts without problem don't seem surprising (good work with shooting that much, though!). My guess for the issue is occasional bad batches of springs. I probably replace them too often now--but at $3.00 a part it seems like cheap insurance against a slide going down range at an unfortunate time.
Thta was sort of my thought, something unusual in a run of springs or a change in the part. Regarding the shooting, I was lucky in that my job involved a lot of shooting, I enjoyed shooting in various competitions, my hobby was shooting and shooting also was a way I relaxed when stressed out. Getting a fair amount fo free ammo helped quite a bit also. Put all the guns together and it comes out to a bit over 500K for the lifetime count. Now I'm pretty stove up (some of it due to shooting, ironically!) and I doubt I'd average much more than 100 rounds a month. But it was fun while it lasted!

[Artemas]

This happened to me about 2 weeks ago. The slide lock simply fell out with the spring. I replaced both and it happened again within two mags.

The second new spring and lock are very lose once you lock the slide open. The spring also has some track marks on it where the recoil spring assembly is touching it, but I can't get it to push down any further (RSA is properly seated too).

[Chuck Haggard]

This happened to me about 2 weeks ago. The slide lock simply fell out with the spring. I replaced both and it happened again within two mags.

The second new spring and lock are very lose once you lock the slide open. The spring also has some track marks on it where the recoil spring assembly is touching it, but I can't get it to push down any further (RSA is properly seated too).


That simply ain't right. I'd call Glock on that one.

[Jeep]

This happened to me about 2 weeks ago. The slide lock simply fell out with the spring. I replaced both and it happened again within two mags.

The second new spring and lock are very lose once you lock the slide open. The spring also has some track marks on it where the recoil spring assembly is touching it, but I can't get it to push down any further (RSA is properly seated too).

Are you sure you have that spring seated correctly? First time I re-installed the spring, something similar happened to me, but it turned out that I had the spring/lock in wrong (which pretty much always happens to me the first time I try to get small parts in correctly).

[JBP55]

This happened to me about 2 weeks ago. The slide lock simply fell out with the spring. I replaced both and it happened again within two mags.

The second new spring and lock are very lose once you lock the slide open. The spring also has some track marks on it where the recoil spring assembly is touching it, but I can't get it to push down any further (RSA is properly seated too).

Wrong spring or not installed properly.

[Artemas]

Are you sure you have that spring seated correctly? First time I re-installed the spring, something similar happened to me, but it turned out that I had the spring/lock in wrong (which pretty much always happens to me the first time I try to get small parts in correctly).

Pretty sure. I tore down my other glock the see which way it all goes together. Slide lock faces with the notch down and the cut out to the rear. The spring only goes in one way (unless it is suppose to stick up in the air and I need to bend it down).
I looked into the slot where the spring goes in, I can see something shiny in there. I am not sure if it is a piece of broken spring or just the frame with some errant lube.

I will likely fiddle with it more until I get a chance to call Glock.

[Jeep]

Pretty sure. I tore down my other glock the see which way it all goes together. Slide lock faces with the notch down and the cut out to the rear. The spring only goes in one way (unless it is suppose to stick up in the air and I need to bend it down).
I looked into the slot where the spring goes in, I can see something shiny in there. I am not sure if it is a piece of broken spring or just the frame with some errant lube.

I will likely fiddle with it more until I get a chance to call Glock.

I'd try to knock whatever it is out of the frame. If that doesn't work then I would call Glock (who will probably tell you to find a local Glock armorer).

[JBP55]

Pretty sure. I tore down my other glock the see which way it all goes together. Slide lock faces with the notch down and the cut out to the rear. The spring only goes in one way (unless it is suppose to stick up in the air and I need to bend it down).
I looked into the slot where the spring goes in, I can see something shiny in there. I am not sure if it is a piece of broken spring or just the frame with some errant lube.

I will likely fiddle with it more until I get a chance to call Glock.

If you remove the spring from the second Glock and look in the slot for the spring it will look the same as the first pistol.

[DBR]

I have done 4000fps video of several Glock models. For some reason during recoil the G19 slide lock bounces up and down almost its full range of travel several times as the slide cycles. I observed this on two Gen2 G19s and a Gen3 G19. This means the slide lock spring is seeing two or three up and down cycles every time a shot is fired or about three times as many cycles as the recoil spring.

I did not see this phenomenon on several G17s, a G22 or a G27.

[Jeep]

I have done 4000fps video of several Glock models. For some reason during recoil the G19 slide lock bounces up and down almost its full range of travel several times as the slide cycles. I observed this on two Gen2 G19s and a Gen3 G19. This means the slide lock spring is seeing two or three up and down cycles every time a shot is fired or about three times as many cycles as the recoil spring.

I did not see this phenomenon on several G17s, a G22 or a G27.

DBR: That is interesting. My problems with the spring came with a fairly low round count (2300 rds) Gen 4 G-19. Extra bouncing like that could cause premature wear, especially if the spring was improperly heat treated.

[Artemas]

Still in the mail, but it turns out the gen 4 compact guns have different spring than the gen 3s. Will post if it corrects the problem or not.

http://www.glockmeister.com/Slide-Lock-Spring-for-GEN-4-GLOCK-19-2332/productinfo/G8073/

[JV_]

Yes, see post #7. They're longer.

[SAWBONES]

I have done 4000fps video of several Glock models. For some reason during recoil the G19 slide lock bounces up and down almost its full range of travel several times as the slide cycles.

That's very interesting, but it's hard for me to do a "thought-experiment" as to why that should happen; the slide-lock spring isn't a stressed part, and even though the slide lock bar itself comes in for some battering, it would seem that the force should be pretty much in a linear posterior-to-anterior direction, with little or no superior-to-inferior component.

Also, how such "bounce" would happen with some models and not others is odd, since the slide action is similar throughout the model range.

Interesting to see what it looks like, if you have access to a post-able form of the high-speed video.

[DBR]

The video was done as part of a consulting job I did investigating a different Glock function. The "bounce" was an incidental observation. I don't own the rights to the work product so I can't post.

One thing that comes to mind is each Glock model (frame size) has a different barrel tilt angle as the slide cycles. This might have something to do with why one model acts differently from others.

[Artemas]

Yes, see post #7. They're longer.

I'll be darned. :o

[Wayne Dobbs]

The video was done as part of a consulting job I did investigating a different Glock function. The "bounce" was an incidental observation. I don't own the rights to the work product so I can't post.

One thing that comes to mind is each Glock model (frame size) has a different barrel tilt angle as the slide cycles. This might have something to do with why one model acts differently from others.

You haven't seen the FBI BRF's high speed video of a G22, I bet. It shows the multiple slide lock bounces also. No confidence is inspired in the gun at all when you watch it.

[Wendell]

If it was a problem, and I would submit that it isn't, how hard would it be to make a slide-lock-blocking plug (to fill that void and stop the bounce)?

[DBR]

Wayne, I haven't seen the FBI video but I would like to. Do you have a link?

[Adam]

Check out "fxhummel" on youtube and his repeated issues with the Gen4 slide lock, Glock giving him crappy CS, etc. etc. Finally fixed.