Glock 34 issue

[mizer67]

So, I'm going to make several suggestions.

Caution: Take the real bullets and put them in another room.

1.) Lubricate this gun. Lubricate it like it's going to have to be shipped back to Glock if this idea doesn't work. Cycle the 5-10 times. Oil the back of the barrel, slide, the front of the barrel, under up into the gun mag well.

2.) Re-install the striker assembly, extractor, back plate, etc.

3.) Grab your snap cap, load it in a magazine and attempt to cycle it - see if it will load it. I believe (and it's been months...) that worked for me. But then, you have a snap cap loaded and not a real bullet, so you can pull the trigger (not launch a round through your house, etc.), and if this works, depress the trigger, pull down the ears and bob's your uncle she's taken apart. Look for any oddities. I could not find anything and never ran into it again (as you can observe in the attached photo... she's seen a few rounds since then).

4.) If this doesn't work let's attempt the following. Load that snap cap into the magazine, let the slide go and chamber that as far as it will. I've attached an image of the back of a snap cap looking into the mag well (the iPhone didn't focus great, but you see enough to know what you're looking at and I circled it in red, etc.). This is fully seated and round chambered for reference. You should see more of the back of a not yet chambered round. From that point, take a punch set (something small diameter, but round enough), and tap it and see if it'll seat further forward. Don't go wild with this, but I think give it several light taps and see what happens. Make sure you've oiled the top of the barrel as it lock into battery. Worst case scenario you mar up a snap cap some. (ETA: What I'm picturing is you're producing upward pressure on the base of the snap cap from the bottom of the gun to try to push the barrel up and into battery, etc.)

Attachment 99184

If this doesn't work, I might try without the striker, extractor, and back plate, etc. as well.

I would also contact Glock as well. I might try seating a magazine (with snap caps) firmly and tapping the bottom of it as well just to see what happens, but I wouldn't push on the slide anymore as I don't think that's going to resolve this, but I could be wrong. Try slide lock, insert mag with snap cap, and hitting the slide release. Again, if it chambers a snap cap you can take it apart.

Food for thought - I'll say a prayer for you man! I hope this turns around. I love my Gen 5 Glock 34's.

Thanks for the suggestions. I really like this G34.5 too, so I'm bummed it's down.

I might go buy another just to have a backup. I've been mostly dedicated to G17's since about 2010, but after shooting this G34 a fair amount, it's just objectively better to shoot.

[JCN]

How'd you get it apart?

Glock doesn't have any suggestions other than to send it back.

You already sent it back though, right?

[BWT]

You already sent it back though, right?

I missed it was sent off.

[mizer67]

You already sent it back though, right?

Yes, I sent it out.

It's at the shop (FFL I used) until the mail is picked up today.

My only thought after sleeping on it is the front sight lost may have lost it's retention screw and that's wedged into the action somewhere.

[HeavyDuty]

I’m missing one key bit. When you stripped the gun, if you dropped just the barrel into just the slide the barrel would go into battery - right? The locking block looked ok?

[5pins]

We had one come in our shop like this. The recoil spring was broken.

[mizer67]

I’m missing one key bit. When you stripped the gun, if you dropped just the barrel into just the slide the barrel would go into battery - right? The locking block looked ok?

The problem is I can't field strip the gun.

I removed the backplate and all the components with the slide and barrel stuck on the frame, trying to solve the problem and get the slide off.

If I could field strip the gun, I imagine the problem would be apparent or I hope at least.

[mizer67]

We had one come in our shop like this. The recoil spring was broken.

Seems like a possibility.

JCN mentioned that as well.

[HeavyDuty]

The problem is I can't field strip the gun.

I removed the backplate and all the components with the slide and barrel stuck on the frame, trying to solve the problem and get the slide off.

If I could field strip the gun, I imagine the problem would be apparent or I hope at least.

Ok, I was missing that. Your front screw hypothesis makes a lot of sense.

[BWT]

Ok, I was missing that. Your front screw hypothesis makes a lot of sense.

I don’t think it’s the screw for one reason.

The barrel in the slide will keep the screw from coming completely out. It will not keep the front sight from getting loose and it’s proximity to the barrel is why I use red Loctite on the front sight because it sits literally right above the barrel (I don’t have measurements - but I’d say less than 1/10th of an inch).

I had a front sight wobbling loosely once and couldn’t figure out what my problem was with shooting that day. The front sight was loose and moved when I bumped it. It’s probably my one legitimate gripe with Glocks - I think they should use the same dovetail for the front sight as they do the rear.

To take things further - on one of my Glock 34 Gen 5 the front sight had been installed with red loctite. When I went to change the sights to RDS height sights I figured let’s see if the screw would loosen without heat (again red Loctite requires heat to loosen). Sure enough it did - no lighter or warming up required again because of how close it is to the barrel on that end of the slide.

It has me contemplating green loctite. I’m interested to see how this goes!