Question for the Glock "Experts"

[OH25shooter]

Gun in question: NIB Glock M19 9mm.

Question: With the slide open and a loaded magazine is slammed into place, the slide closes without touching anything. Is it normal for that model to close freely when the mag is slammed upward? It doesn't happen if the mag is engaged slowly, only when force is used.

The reason for the question is two fold. This is my brothers new handgun and I shoot a Sig. I know nothing about Glock. Plus, we asked three employees at the range and two at a different gunstore. Here's the answers:

1. Not normal...spring problem.
2. The range gunsmith said...not normal...spring problem.
3. Glocks are made to do that automatically. It's normal.

4. Different gunstore...shouldn't do that...call Glock.
5. That particular M19 is suppose to close when a mag is slammed into place.

What is the correct answer?

 

[Onmilo]

Not normal, spring problem, unless you are really slamming the magazine into the gun and bouncing the slide stop out of engagement.
Even so it would take a mighty big slam to make that happen if the slide stop spring was engaging the frame pin properly.

 

[jungle]

Normal. No problem and can make for a very fast reload. Most have to be slapped fairly smartly to do this, some do it with a little less provocation. All Glocks will do this if you really rap them, although I'm sure someone has an exception.

What is really closing the slide is the forward vector you impart to the frame when the heel of your hand raps the pistol. Try this, gently insert a mag with a dummy round(to keep the mag spring out of it) and rap the heel of the grip. It moves the slide back slightly and the slidestop drops out of the way, because it's spring is working normally.

 

[Phyphor]

My

Glock 19 does the same thing. Slide stop never fails to lock the slide back on an empty. I generally don't slam the mag hard enough to cause this, but if I do, it'll behave the same. I'd heard it was normal.

 

[TC-TX]

Normal... when inserted with the proper force...

It is good to know and is a nice to have when practicing properly...

 

[Old Dog]

There are "Glock experts?"

In my experience, there are a number of other semiauto pistols as well whose slides will often slam home from slidelock without the slidestop being used when a loaded magazine is inserted with a sufficiently forceful slap. It's not usually a malfunction, as others have noted.

 

[IMtheNRA]

Yep, totally normal on some Glocks. I wish mine had this "feature".

 

[Joe D]

I set up my competition Glocks to do this.