Glock trigger

[pitcrew]

First, thanks to all who responded to my previous post. Now I have some actual range and instruction time under my belt. Yesterday I had the opportunity to shoot a Glock 17. My question is after your initial trigger pull you can "partially" (for lack of a better term) release the trigger for a following shot that is similiar to a single action fire. When the trigger is in this positon, is another trigger pull the "only way" to get the trigger back to the full front position? For example, the P99 trigger can be partially pulled back but then decocked to bring the trigger back to the full front long pull. How does the Glock work? I did not think to ask before I left (I was having to much fun ) Thanks again

 

[jc2]

Just take your finger off the trigger and it will return "to the full front position" (unless something is broken).

 

[ChristopherG]

Yeah, there's no trick to it; just let the trigger go. Operational Simplicity is probably the greatest advantage of the Glock system, and they haven't laid a booby-trap for you here (though it's good that you've figured out the Glock trigger reset already; I've had to show it to a number of guys who had been shooting a Glock for some time, but were still slapping away at the full take-up on every shot).

 

[cratz2]

As far as I know, there are only two Glock trigger positions... One is when the gun is 'precocked' for lack of a better word, and the other is 'not precocked'. When it is precocked, the trigger is further forward (closer to the muzzle). This is the opposite of the P99 where the 'cocked trigger' makes the trigger pull shorter' Since the Glock is not a true second strike capable double action, the only time you should see a the trigger in the uncocked position with a round in the chamber is when you have pulled the trigger on a live round and it failed to ignite.

The Glock is a very basic gun but one that does it's job pretty darn well. Hope this helps clear up your question.

 

[jc2]

cratz2 -

I'm not sure about your terminology. The Glock is never "pre-cocked." It is DAO (trigger cocking). The trigger is has two possible "at rest" positions:

1. When the trigger is in its forward position, the the striker is set (and the weapon is uncocked). In this position, there may or may not be a round in the chamber.

2. When the trigger is in its rearmost position, the the striker is not set (and the weapon is uncocked). In this position, there may or may not be a round in the chamber. Your statement, "the only time you should see a the trigger in the uncocked position with a round in the chamber is when you have pulled the trigger on a live round and it failed to ignite," is not correct (for example, the trigger has to be in its rear-most position for field-stripping--hopefully, it gets there without a live round in the chamber. )

I want to emphasize make NO assumptions about a presence of a round in the chamber based on the trigger position.

pitcrew -

What you are doing when holding the trigger to rear at the point just before the striker releases is usually referred to has "taking the slack out." The Glock as a two-stage trigger. The first stage (approximately a half inch and very light) is compressing the striker and stretching the trigger return spring. The second stage (very, very short and a little heavier) is actually tripping the striker and firing the weapon. As you have discoved, you can hold the trigger at the second stage between rounds shortening the trigger stroke. Whether that is a "best practice" is open to debate--there is a small danger of "short-stroking" the trigger in a moment of excitement/fear/stress/whatever which lead to not firing a round.

 

[Top_Notch]

My question is after your initial trigger pull you can "partially" (for lack of a better term)

Glock trigger reset. You can go short or long, you choice.

 

[9x19]

jc2,

Whether its called pre-cocked or "the striker is set"... there is still tension in the fire control system when the trigger is forward, but it actually has less to do with the striker and more to do with the trigger bar and connector.

If the trigger is at the rear, then the trigger bar has been forced down, and away from the striker tab, by the connector, and will remain there until the slide moves far enough to the rear for the groove in its underside to force the tip of the connector in, which allows the trigger bar to pop back up.

When the slide moves forward into battery the trigger bar's cruciform catches the striker's tab and the striker spring pushes the trigger bar forward, which puts some tension on both the striker and trigger springs.

So the trigger bar is either up and partially tensioning the striker, or it is down and disconnected from the striker. ... unless, of course, you have the slide locked back.

 

[JohnKSa]

If you hold a Glock trigger to the rear after a shot, the striker is actually caught by the trigger bar in the fully "cocked" position. At this point you can let the trigger go forward slightly--just until a click is felt. This short partial release deactivates the disconnect but leaves the striker nearly fully cocked. Now a very short trigger pull will fire the pistol.

However, if you release PAST the reset point, you will begin to take tension off the striker and when the trigger is fully released, the striker is only partially tensioned.

Sort of like a Single Action that partially decocks when you take your finger off the trigger.

The striker on a Glock is never fully "cocked" unless the trigger is being pulled, and is always partially tensioned unless the trigger has been pulled on an empty chamber or a dud round. The motion of the slide partially pre-tensions the striker and deactivates the disconnect, then the trigger pull finishes "cocking" and releasing the striker.

In one sense, the trigger performs like a DAO in that the pull both tensions the striker spring and releases it to fire the pistol.

In another sense, the trigger performs like a SA in that it requires the slide to reset the action and partially tension the striker spring before the trigger can perform any function at all.

Glock chose to call the pistol Safe Action rather than SA, DA or DAO given the somewhat unusual characteristics of the action. I believe that the ATF has classified the Glock as DAO. Whatever you call it, it works quite nicely.

 

[cratz2]

Yes, the Glock action cannot accurately be refered to as true double action... On any true double action, the striker/hammer is moved from nearly fully forward, to fully rearward, then dropped. If one trigger pull fails to ignite the primer, a second pull might work. This is not the case with the Glock.

As 9x19 suggests, you may call it 'pre tensioned' if you prefer, but racking the slide gets you closer making your shot... Point is, to the original question, there are two trigger positions but there is no safe or recommended way for getting from one to the other without discharging the round. When the trigger is at its most rearward position, it is not ready to fire. Unlike the P99 where it is always ready to fire, but when it's at its rearward position, a lighter and shorter trigger pull is required.

 

[jc2]

On any true double action, the striker/hammer is moved from nearly fully forward, to fully rearward, then dropped.

That is exactly how a Glock works--a true DAO. Pulling the trigger (1) compresses the striker spring AND (2) releases the striker--a true DA trigger.

 

[JohnKSa]

Unlike a typical DA or DAO pistol or revolver, the Glock trigger has no effect if the striker is fully uncocked.

In a typical DAO pistol, the trigger will ALWAYS operate the hammer. That is not the case in a Glock. In the Glock, slide action is required to set the striker on the trigger bar and pre-tension the striker spring before the trigger will do anything at all.

As I mentioned in my previous post, pulling the trigger on a dud round or an empty chamber will put the trigger into a mode (fully uncocked) where it can not operate on the striker until the slide is operated. Therefore, unlike a typical DAO or DA pistol, the Glock does not allow second strike capability.

Personally I'm not all that enthralled with the idea of second strike capability, but some people apparently set great store on it.

So, it's not really important what you call it, but it is important to for a potential buyer to understand how it works. If pitcrew were to purchase a Glock thinking that the trigger will function like a DAO revolver trigger or a typical DAO autopistol trigger (such as the Beretta 92D, for example) he would find that it does not.

 

[jc2]

It is true most (but not all) DAs/DAOs have a second-strike capability, but a second-strike capabilty is not a defining characteristic of a DA/DAO. You're correct, BTW, the correct malfunction drill with an autoloader is the tap, rack, bang--NOT a second-strike.

 

[shoobe01]

My S&W 5946 has no second strike, and I have certainly never missed it. Its also significantly pre-cocked, so I often explain its functioning to people as not DAO, but [Glock] Safe Action.