Glock 43 dead trigger

[psalms144.1]

So, my run of horrible luck with Glocks continues. Last Monday at the range, I was running my semi-annual qual with my G43, and about 50% of the time when loading from slide lock the trigger failed to reset. Tap-rack-re-engage fixed it, but five failures on ten load/reload iterations was a bit disconcerting. I didn't have time to rip the gun apart on the range (down side to shooting the qual between other shooters' string of fire). When I got home, I jumped on the GLOCK USA website and sent an e-mail to tech support with my SN and describing the issue. Then I ran a bore snake through the barrel and threw the G43 in the safe - I obviously wasn't carrying it anywhere!

Well, today, while bored to tears on a long teleconference, it dawned on me that I never heard back from Glock. So, when the call (finally) ended, I rang up the mothership in Smyrna. To my surprise, no one accused my of limp-wristing the pistol, but they did ask me to check if the trigger bar had come disconnected from the trigger spring. "That's what usually causes this," the tech said. If that wasn't the culprit, he told me to call back and get a shipping label for a return.

Tonight when I got home, I dug the pistol out of the safe, tore it down, and, sure as shineola, the trigger spring "hook" was under the front of the cruciform on the trigger bar. Baddah bing, baddha boom, fixed.

Now I'm wondering. How the f did the trigger bar get jiggered up like that in the first place? Pistol worked fine 6 months ago when I qual'd, and I haven't done anything to it since. And, how do I make sure it doesn't get gerflucked again? I'd hate to have this happen when I pull that puppy out of my pocket to shoot someone off my primary, and the tech's response certainly made it sound like I'm not the first person who's had this happen.

So, what's the hive-mind have to say on the issue? Anyone seen this (or heard of it) before, or am I just the un-GLOCK-luckiest MFer on the planet?

Thanks in advance...

[L-2]

The trigger bar not being "clipped" into the trigger spring hook is the common cause. However,

the reason from my limited perspective (unlike a Glock customer support person, who may come across hundreds of cases, even though via telephone) is somebody had detail-stripped the frame and reassembled the G42 or g43 incorrectly, by not placing the trigger bar's cruciform into that trigger spring "clip".

I'm going to go re-look at my G43 right now, wondering if there's a way for that trigger bar to come "undone" without removing the trigger bar from the trigger mechanism housing.
******
I've returned to the computer after looking at my G43 and can't figure out how that trigger bar would come unhooked without some serious prying on it or removal of the trigger parts from the frame.

[Shawn Dodson]

I induced this same exact failure shortly after I installed a Ghost Edge connector in my wife's G43. Zero symptoms for about 80 rounds and then I notice the trigger failed to reset. Racked the slide and it reset. Next mag change it recurs. Then again and again....

I get home, remove the slide and compare the internals to my G43 and lo and behold the trigger spring hook is not engaged with the trigger bar (the hook was beneath the trigger bar). A simple fix and now it functions flawlessly.

[Nephrology]

Huh. Never heard of this happening on any of their doublestack guns...

[Palmguy]

Huh. Never heard of this happening on any of their doublestack guns...

The trigger bar/spring interface is different on the 43 (and 42, I presume).

I'll have to take another look at my 43 when I get home; I can't picture how it would come out if installed properly but who knows...

[orionz06]

Mine does this when I rack the slide hard after the new connector. Will take a look.


Sent from my Nokia 3310 using an owl

[ST911]

The trigger bar/spring interface is different on the 43 (and 42, I presume).

For those not familiar with those parts...

G43 detail stripped
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/Skintop911/G43/IMG_0613.jpg

G42 trigger spring assembly
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/Skintop911/Glock42/IMG_0421.jpg

[psalms144.1]

Thanks, all. I must have ganked it up somehow the last time I detail stripped the pistol, and not had it fully engaged when I reassembled. It seems odd that it worked fine through one qual in March, then waited until last month to act up...

[L-2]

The photos ST911 provided are better than ones SHOWN via Power Point at a Glock Armorers' course.
While the trigger bar-to-trigger-spring interface is mentioned, no actual G43/42 pistols are available at the Armorers' course to actually handle.

If we're to deal with the G42/43 guns, it's on us to detail strip to get the hands-on experience and to study forums, such as this forum.

[41magfan]

The first Glock 43 I ever witnessed being monkeyed with (changing the connector) was reassembled incorrectly just as described here - it's easy to do. The trigger would reset about 50% of the time and it puzzled us briefly till we jerked in back apart and saw what had been done.

[punkey71]

Are the guys that had dead triggers saying that their guns spontaneous developed the issue without ever detail stripping or that they most likely made the trigger bar position error during reassembly?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[GJM]

Thanks, all. I must have ganked it up somehow the last time I detail stripped the pistol, and not had it fully engaged when I reassembled. It seems odd that it worked fine through one qual in March, then waited until last month to act up...

That isn't odd -- pm sent.

[MVS]

Same thing happened to me.

[psalms144.1]

After looking through all this, and based on George's in put, I'm certain that I must have reassembled the trigger incorrectly last time I detail stripped it to clean and lube. Maybe I had the trigger bar hooked just a little, and it slipped off when I stuck the assembly back in the frame - not sure. What I am sure of, now, is that I'm 100% clear on how the trigger bar and trigger spring are SUPPOSED to fit together, so I will be damned sight certain it's together correctly the next time I take it down.

Thanks again to everyone who chimed in!

[Glen Koenig]

Had a dead trigger tonight while shooting a G21 (rental gun). Range tech diagnosed it quickly as a broken or disconnected trigger spring.

He said that when it happens, and if you don't hold the trigger back each time, or let off just a little bit, then it will go dead. It happened right after my first shot of a controlled pair. I'm relatively new to pistol shooting, and don't fully developed skills.

He also said that the gun is still usable, and will still reset each time as long as you firmly hold the trigger down after each shot, and then demonstrated it multiple times.

I'm grateful to have learned that there is a workaround (always hold the trigger back after each shot), and for the reinforcement of the training to do so. Better to learn it at the range than possibly lose a fight over a simple malfunction.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BillSWPA]

Had a dead trigger tonight while shooting a G21 (rental gun). Range tech diagnosed it quickly as a broken or disconnected trigger spring.

He said that when it happens, and if you don't hold the trigger back each time, or let off just a little bit, then it will go dead. It happened right after my first shot of a controlled pair. I'm relatively new to pistol shooting, and don't fully developed skills.

He also said that the gun is still usable, and will still reset each time as long as you firmly hold the trigger down after each shot, and then demonstrated it multiple times.

I'm grateful to have learned that there is a workaround (always hold the trigger back after each shot), and for the reinforcement of the training to do so. Better to learn it at the range than possibly lose a fight over a simple malfunction.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for posting, but that is not something I would want to have to worry about if I am shooting in a situation where my or someone else's life depends on the outcome.

This also shows one of the problems with rental guns. These guns are cleaned or repaired only when they completely stop functioning, and spend quite a bit of time in the rental case between when they should have been cleaned or fixed, and when they actually get cleaned or fixed. So, anyone renting the gun during this time ends up with a bad taste in their mouth re: that gun. This happened to my wife with a rental Glock 34, a gun that I cannot imagine not liking when it is properly maintained.

[Handy]

There's a lady on Berettaforum whose G43 will consistently "dry fire" if dropped muzzle up. She's never actually fired it and was just doing some dry fire at home when it slid off the couch and the trigger depressed all the way. She then duplicated the same thing multiple times. I understand the mechanics pretty well and have a hard time seeing how it is possible without something being totally out of spec.

Weird stuff.

[Chuck Haggard]

Huh. Never heard of this happening on any of their doublestack guns...

Because it can't, the parts are totally different in how they work on those guns.

[Chuck Haggard]

Had a dead trigger tonight while shooting a G21 (rental gun). Range tech diagnosed it quickly as a broken or disconnected trigger spring.

He said that when it happens, and if you don't hold the trigger back each time, or let off just a little bit, then it will go dead. It happened right after my first shot of a controlled pair. I'm relatively new to pistol shooting, and don't fully developed skills.

He also said that the gun is still usable, and will still reset each time as long as you firmly hold the trigger down after each shot, and then demonstrated it multiple times.

I'm grateful to have learned that there is a workaround (always hold the trigger back after each shot), and for the reinforcement of the training to do so. Better to learn it at the range than possibly lose a fight over a simple malfunction.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not the same thing.


The issue in question can only happen with the 42 and 43

[Chuck Haggard]

My 42 was doing this sort of thing as well. And it kept doing so even after I reinstalled the parts correctly and didn't do anything but shoot the gun. I'm talking to Glock about a replacement trigger bar or maybe the whole series of parts. I think toleranced stack-up is at play in my gun.