Glock 21 Gen 5 Reports (Also weird jam with mine)

[SwampDweller]

Before today, I had 388 rounds through my G21 Gen 5, almost all of it being Speer Lawman 230gr TMJ. I've been extremely impressed with how accurate I am with it, particularly with the Dawson target sights and Talon grip (sandpapery texture). As I've stated before, I consistently shoot the Glock 21 of any generation better than any other pistol when measured objectively. Recoil with standard pressure 230gr is about like shooting 9mm +P out of my G19. This particular G21 Gen 5 was purchased second hand from our local CCW instructor. He bought it new blue label, put the Dawson sights and Talon grips on it, shot less than 150 rounds, and sold it with 9 magazines for a steal. I have another G21 Gen 5 that I haven't shot yet because this one stole the show.

Today, on my 246th round of the range session, (634th round total, not counting the less than 150 the previous owner fired through it), I had a very strange stoppage. I will post pictures because they can illustrate better than I can describe it. The base of the cartridge was stuck in the magwell with the front of it sticking up sideways. I dropped the mag (1 round left in it), cleared it, loaded it in the mag again, and it fed and shot fine. I shot another 2 mags through it and it didn't do it again, but after so much flawless performance, it makes me wonder what happened. I've had lots of Glocks and never had one fail to feed during the first 1000 rounds.

My intentions were/are to get 1000 flawless rounds through this before I would consider it for carry. I guess I'm starting back at 0 now, and .45 ain't cheap, even for reloading relatively speaking. The magazine this happened with was one of the 3 Gen 5 mags that came with the gun. Considering it had less than 3 boxes through it before I got it, I find it hard to believe the magazine spring was already giving out.

What causes a stoppage like this? And when you are vetting a gun for carry and stoppages happen, how do you proceed with your vetting process at that point?

I really love the G21, and the Gen 5 may be the best shooting out of all of them. I'm planning to pick up a G30 Gen 5 when they are released as well. Does anyone have any reports on their G21 Gen 5 to compare notes with?

[Leroy]

That looks like a bad magazine problem. I would number your mags and only ise that mag during training to see if it reoccurs.

[Joe Mac]

I have seen (albeit rarely) new Glock mags with a bit of rough plastic flashing on the inside where the metal seam meets at the rear. I imagine this is perhaps more common than we realize, but probably sorts itself with use; however, a couple of times at the range I've seen similar malfunctions with student officers' new guns. I took the mags apart, found the protruding flashing (which I deduced was interfering with free passage of the follower), and shaved it off with a knife -- problem solved. So you might wanna check inside the mags.

[Joe Mac]

As for vetting, Lawman is great practice ammo but at this juncture I'd just fire 200 rounds of carry ammo without incident, and call it good...

[fatdog]

My guess would be magazine too. I have about 900 rounds through mine without any issues.

[TC215]

Another vote for the magazine.

[SwampDweller]

I did isolate the magazine and will either relegate it to my beater/trainer G21 Gen 4, or simply trash it.

How does a malfunction like this even happen? I'm trying to understand what the potential causes are for one like this. It wasn't a huge deal to clear, but I've just never seen one like it before.

[HCM]

I did isolate the magazine and will either relegate it to my beater/trainer G21 Gen 4, or simply trash it.

How does a malfunction like this even happen? I'm trying to understand what the potential causes are for one like this. It wasn't a huge deal to clear, but I've just never seen one like it before.

I agree with prior posters that it’s a magazine issue.

The cycle of operation for Glock has three basic factors. The energy from the cartridge, discharging forces, the slide back the recoil spring, then forces the slide forward. The timing of the slide moving forward and the magazine and magazine spring, presenting the next round has to be in sync.

In this case, something in the magazine is causing the round to be presented just a little bit late.

[JF1]

If the top round in the magazine isn't properly oriented under the feed lips as the slide is moving forward and the stripper rail is trying to engage the case rim, then you can end up having a variety of failure to feed issues. Imagine during recoil the rounds in the magazine potentially bouncing (heavy projectile at the front) depending on shooter's improper grip, weak magazine springs (full vs partial mag), dirty/defective mag, or poor design tolerances of timing. The failure to feed can end up being nose up or nose down depending on how the stripper rail is catching the case rim before the magazine spring can fully set the top round against the feed lips.

[JohnO]

I did isolate the magazine and will either relegate it to my beater/trainer G21 Gen 4, or simply trash it.

How does a malfunction like this even happen? I'm trying to understand what the potential causes are for one like this.

If a round escapes the mag feed lips before the proper loading sequence bad things happen.