Are Gen 4 G22 still having reliability/durability issues?

[oldtexan]

Am seeking an updated status on Gen 4 G22s ( and Gen4 G35s). Have reviewed this thread, https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?13852-40-S-amp-W-and-Glocks/page11 , and I understand from it that as of at least as late as December '15, there were still significant, sometimes intractable issues.

Are the fundamental issues (insufficient slide mass) just unfixable without a major redesign, or has Glock been able to tweak them enough in the last 16 months to make them acceptably reliable and durable for serious use? I would be interested in how well or poorly guns made in last year or so are doing with lights attached, using a variety of ammo, shooting WHO or SHO, etc. Thanks in advance.

I raise this issue because I am considering buying a Gen 4 G22, or possibility a Gen 4 G35. I am heavily invested in Gen 3 & 4 9mm Glocks (17s, 19s, and a 34)as training, carry, and HD guns (guns, dozens of mags, numerous holsters, DG switches, spare parts, sight tool, etc)and would like to dip my toe into .40 without losing significant commonality.

[deputyG23]

Our sister PD uses the Gen 4 22 and are in year four with them. I asked their head firearms plumber if they have had any issues with them. No issues and they have had multiple successful shootings with it and the 165 grain Gold dot. They do two quals a year probably four hundred rounds a year max for patrol.
They do not use WMLs currently and there is discussion among their command staff regarding implementing them. Word is if they are approved, they will most likely trade for 9mm Glocks. When they trade, we probably will as well. Hope this helps you a little.

[LockedBreech]

Our local agency switched to them about two years ago, and it apparently cleaned up all reliability issues they were having. I don't know their exact training count but I believe it's higher than 400/annual. Maybe 200-ish quarterly plus most officers around these parts train independently at least a little.

No breakages noted.

Small rural agency, about 40 sworn, in an area with extreme temperatures both low and high.

My brother is a member. I'd rather see them with G17s but this is also an area where police encounters are at least 75% vehicle related and most vehicles are heavily built work trucks, so .40 S&W has some genuine utility here. If they have to do .40, G22G4s with 180-grain Gold Dot at least put them on decent footing. The anti-9mm bias is still very strong here.


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[oldtexan]

Our local agency switched to them about two years ago, and it apparently cleaned up all reliability issues they were having. I don't know their exact training count but I believe it's higher than 400/annual. Maybe 200-ish quarterly plus most officers around these parts train independently at least a little.

No breakages noted.

Small rural agency, about 40 sworn, in an area with extreme temperatures both low and high.

My brother is a member. I'd rather see them with G17s but this is also an area where police encounters are at least 75% vehicle related and most vehicles are heavily built work trucks, so .40 S&W has some genuine utility here. If they have to do .40, G22G4s with 180-grain Gold Dot at least put them on decent footing. The anti-9mm bias is still very strong here.


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LockedBreech, do you know if they are running weapon-mounted lights on their G22s?

[Artemas2]

Purchased in late 2015, I have had mine with a TLR-1 for just over year on duty and just over 1,000 rounds now. The only issue I had was one FTF of Federal Champion 180gr. Other than that, it has handled 180 blazer, 165 &180 HST, and 180 gold dots with no complaints.

[LockedBreech]

LockedBreech, do you know if they are running weapon-mounted lights on their G22s?

Streamlight TLR-1S


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[MD7305]

My agency has had 25 in service since 07/2013, all with TLR1 lights. One gun had an out of spec trigger bar, still operated correctly just felt horrible, new part fixed it. Otherwise, no issues. Most guns are in the 3k round range.

[oldtexan]

My agency has had 25 in service since 07/2013, all with TLR1 lights. One gun had an out of spec trigger bar, still operated correctly just felt horrible, new part fixed it. Otherwise, no issues. Most guns are in the 3k round range.

Thanks, MD7305. Do you know if/when your agency plans to replace recoil spring assemblies or any other components proactively?

[MD7305]

Thanks, MD7305. Do you know if/when your agency plans to replace recoil spring assemblies or any other components proactively?

Yes. Most likely next year. Luckily the officers who are shooters, including myself, keep logs so we have a good idea of when to re-spring the guns. My gun has already seen a spring replacement as I've surpassed that interval already.

[Erick Gelhaus]

We dumped our Gen 4 -22s in the summer of 2014 after identifying significant extraction/ejection issues. The Office has always had a pretty liberal personally owned weapons policy. Considering that, off the top of my head, less than 15% of our 300 coppers are carrying something other than the now issued -17.

[oldtexan]

We dumped our Gen 4 -22s in the summer of 2014 after identifying significant extraction/ejection issues. The Office has always had a pretty liberal personally owned weapons policy. Considering that, off the top of my head, less than 15% of our 300 coppers are carrying something other than the now issued -17.

Thanks much. Could you provide more detail on the extraction/ejection issues such as type(s) of ammo involved, were weaponlights attached when failures were experienced, any idea on round counts, number of coils in the mag springs (10 vs. 11), etc.?

[Erick Gelhaus]

Could you provide more detail on the extraction/ejection issues such as ...?

Background - We adopted Gen 3 -22s in the late 90s. Had our first WML problems in '00 and the switch from 10 to 11 coil mag springs fixed that.
Until it didn't anymore. In '10/'11, we had major Gen 3 problems from H serial#s through M, with & without lights, on the range & in an attacking dog shooting. 75+/- guns tested, 35+ failed; remediated 16, 4 failed. Dumped Gen 3s for Gen 4s at NO cost to us. Remediation included new RSAs, new mags, etc. We even had issues with -35s which is supposedly impossible. As Haggard has noted, Glock made significant but visible changes internally to the frames.

Late 2013, had a single Gen 4 (R serial #) that was ejecting to 8 & 9 o'clock. Sent it to Smyrna, they sent it back said it was fixed. Similar problems remained. Saw 5-6 (+?) guns exhibiting significant extraction/ejection issues. These were w/out WMLs. Magazines were the then newest - Version 9 followers w/#2 bodies. RSAs were 0-4-1. Cases were most frequently exhibiting a bulge at about 4 oclock measurably in from the web. Bulge was enough to inhibit extraction which caused ejection issues. The problem guns were now ejecting from 1 o'clock to 8 o'clock with very inconsistent distances traveled from gun. I was shooting all of these in the testing. Guns did not have high round counts.

Somehow, someone thought it might be a bbl issue. Threw in a F serial# bbl and then shot on an indoor range, on concrete. I was stacking the cases @ 4 o'clock, on concrete. Buying new bbls at retail was not going to work. We bought all new Gen 4 -17s and -19s while selling off our -22s.

There is a reason many west coast agencies dumped Gen 4 .40SW pistols (or never adopted them) for polymer framed 9mms.

[BJJ]

I spent the last 5 days in a firearms instructor course. I fired about 600-700 rounds through my Gen 4 Glock 22 with a light attached. The ammo was some poorly made Winchester white box. I say poorly made b/c I found a deformed round and had issues with keyholing at 25 yards. I also did not clean my pistol a single time and started the course with it dirty. The pistol ran like a top. Didn't have a single malfunction all week.

SLG also reported positive experiences with the Gen 4 Glock 22. It's in a thread here somewhere.

[Trooper224]

My division has carried the G22, with WML, for the last three or so years. We qualify quarterly and no one has reported any issues. My issued pistol has around 15k-20k rounds through it at this point without issue. The agency wide issue is the G21SL, but it appears serious thought is being given to transitioning to a 9mm, either the G17 or the Sig P320. If this happens we've been told our division will follow suite and we'll finally be on the same page as everyone else.