GLOCK 44 Failure

[Det1397]

Yesterday at the shop, a customer was shooting his fairly low count G44 with one of our instructors. While firing WW standard velocity 22LR rounds, the extractor and extractor depressor plunger exited from the front of pistol! The instructor handed the pistol over to me, with the parts in his other hand. Upon close examination, a vertical crack was located in the polymer slide, behind the extractor cutout! (The third picture shows the crack really well!)
GLOCK Technical Support was notified via email- awaiting response from them…

[blues]

Thanks for that report. I was intrigued early on, but I didn't like the idea of that slide and held off.

[DDTSGM]

We haven't had any problems with ours. My wife's has more rounds through it because we both use it for indoor GSSF.

I put a Nelson red dot slide cut for a Holsun 507 on mine and robbed the parts from my factory slide, so I'm not able to use my pistol for GSSF.

The Nelson slides are GTG in my opinion. In my experience, reliability with the optic slide is as good as with the OEM.

At this point we are are using CCI 40gr AR Tactical, ran through my stockpile of the Troy Lane (?) branded 'Choot 'em' 36gr CCI's. Browning branded 36gr copper coated HP's also work well with both pistols.

Someone might quote this so Blues can read it.

[EzGoingKev]

The Nelson slides are GTG in my opinion. In my experience, reliability with the optic slide is as good as with the OEM.

Not everyone has had the same experience.

[DDTSGM]

Not everyone has had the same experience.

The only problem I had (and still have every once in a while) is putting my support (right) thumb on the slide and slowing the slide, often resulting in FTF's. Additionally, most of the time mine won't pick up the first round if I insert the mag and cycle to load. I just changed to locking the slide to the rear before admin loading.

Overall, I thought most of the folks commenting in the G44 threads on PF have been happy.

[BillSWPA]

My Nelson slide is good enough to make it a viable .22 optic trainer for a G19, but it is not the equivalent of the factory slide for reliability.

[Duelist]

Curious: What does “low count” mean in this case?

My first G44, I had pushing 2K through it when my MIL looked at it, held it, shot it, declared it hers and instructed FIL to send me a check. They probably haven’t shot another 1K through it since, but she really likes it. I kind of felt like that was “low count”, coming from a Ruger MKII with untold numbers of bricks through it over decades of use, with one broken recoil spring assembly as the only repair needed. Well, it could probably use a new extractor - it’s a tad worn.

Wife and I liked the G44 well enough to order another one.

My second one (bought with the cashed check) has something less than 500 rounds through it. Just got back from running another 100 through it. Runs like a sewing machine as long as I don’t use anything standard velocity, subsonic, or CCI Quiet through it - some standard velocity will run, some won’t, but it really just wants HV or Hyper Velocity, not target ammunition. I can live with that, since most bulk ammunition isn’t standard velocity target ammunition anyway, and I’d rather save that stuff for my S&W K frame and my bull-barreled rifle.

[HTM]

Over pressure round. Yes, those and squibs in .22LR happen all the time. Odds are good there are more in that same ammo lot. So I would be suspect of shooting more from that lot. Send the slide to Glock warranty. They will help you out. If you have that ammo lot I would also contact the ammo company.

[LockedBreech]

Happy with mine so far. I don't find this overly concerning. .22LR is almost always less reliable and less consistent than centerfire rounds in my experience, and the guns are almost always built lighter/cheaper for cycling and for cost.

I am positive Glock will take care of it. Will eat my hat if they don't.

Still a bummer, and I'm sure not a fun day for the owner.

[Doc_Glock]

Mine is at 6400 rounds and just runs and runs and runs. I barely clean it. Smiles for miles.

If I could only find a threaded barrel for it!

[Det1397]

Curious: What does “low count” mean in this case?


I’m told in this case the gun ran through around 2000 rounds of assorted 22LR with no problems until this…

And, I’ve been a GLOCK sort of guy since my department first transitioned to the G19 in the very early 90s- I’m sure that they will make this right in one way or another. Interesting though, the email went out on Friday and as of today (Tuesday) they have yet to respond..
I’m sure we’ll hear from them soon.

[Duelist]

Mine is at 6400 rounds and just runs and runs and runs. I barely clean it. Smiles for miles.

If I could only find a threaded barrel for it!

*Appears* to be in stock at Glock VIP: https://www.glock.vip/product/glock-44-factory-threaded-barrel/

[the Schwartz]

Yesterday at the shop, a customer was shooting his fairly low count G44 with one of our instructors. While firing WW standard velocity 22LR rounds, the extractor and extractor depressor plunger exited from the front of pistol! The instructor handed the pistol over to me, with the parts in his other hand. Upon close examination, a vertical crack was located in the polymer slide, behind the extractor cutout! (The third picture shows the crack really well!)
GLOCK Technical Support was notified via email- awaiting response from them…

I've never owned, let alone handled, a Glock 44 so I have a question.

Is the alloy used in the construction of the G44's slide ferrous or non-ferrous?

[Duelist]

I've never owned, let alone handled, a Glock 44 so I have a question.

Is the alloy used in the construction of the G44's slide ferrous or non-ferrous?

The slide is an assembly of ordnance steel and polymer. The crack seen in the original post is in the polymer section.

[1Rangemaster]

I've never owned, let alone handled, a Glock 44 so I have a question.

Is the alloy used in the construction of the G44's slide ferrous or non-ferrous?

Glock calls it a “hybrid slide”. It is a combination of polymer pieces and steel. The steel is in the breechface and slide rails. I believe the OP to be a case rupture of the .22 rimfire, which blew the extractor our and cracked the polymer. I believe Glock will make this right.
I suppose we will see…

[the Schwartz]

Duelist, 1Rangemaster--

Thanks, guys.

[HTM]

I've never owned, let alone handled, a Glock 44 so I have a question.

Is the alloy used in the construction of the G44's slide ferrous or non-ferrous?

The serialized portion of the slide is the same steel as current production centerfire pistols. The polymer insert is a nylon reinforced polymer.

[Doc_Glock]

*Appears* to be in stock at Glock VIP: https://www.glock.vip/product/glock-44-factory-threaded-barrel/

I am kinda of sorta sure that is a scam website. Either way they only accept cash app or Zelle which means...yup it's a scam. At least enough I won't order from there.

Thanks though!

[Det1397]

Glock calls it a “hybrid slide”. It is a combination of polymer pieces and steel. The steel is in the breechface and slide rails. I believe the OP to be a case rupture of the .22 rimfire, which blew the extractor our and cracked the polymer. I believe Glock will make this right.
I suppose we will see…

I certainly was not present when the original incident occurred, but the gun owner and the instructor (who I know and work with…) reported nothing else out of the ordinary other than the extractor and extractor depressor plunger blowing out. That’s not to say that a round did not rupture or the gun fired out of battery, or anything else, but I’m thinking they would have noted something and reported it to me.
GLOCK responded today with a work order form and instructions on returning the pistol to them for evaluation- as an aside, they did not authorize an RMA and the G44 went back to them today on the shop’s dime.