Glock 23 light primer strikes-striker spring?

[bocefus78]

I've have a g23 with around 1200-1500 rounds thru it. It had a 4lb striker spring installed years ago. Always went bang when it should have. I recently started reloading and have noticed I'm getting light primer strikes in about 3 to 5% of my reloads. Hit the same round again, and still no bang. Honestly I havent bought any factory ammo to try out since I started reloading. This didnt happen until I started reloading. My other piece is a Kahr PM9 and it shoots reloads (albeit different round but using same primers and powder) just fine with no hiccups at all.

Could the 4lb striker spring be my cause of this in the Glock? I replaced the 4# with the factory one last night and havent tested it out yet. The channel itself wasnt overly dirty but I cleaned it anyway. Just curious what you all think. Hope its just the spring since I have a bunch of the reloads made up.

 

[tarosean]

Buy some factory ammo and run it through... I'm betting it's your reloads thou..

 

[1KPerDay]

what primers are you using?

 

[bocefus78]

Im using sellier and bouliet spp

 

[Hamfisted]

Definitely try a box of Federal or CCI primers and I bet your problems will disappear....


-Mike

 

[rcmodel]

S&B primers are somewhat harder then American primers.

European mil-spec sort of thing.

I bet putting the stock spring back in fixed your problem though.

Also, make sure you are seating the primers fully to the bottom of the primer pockets.
That pre-loads the anvil into the priming compound and makes it ready to go bang.

rc

 

[bocefus78]

Rc

Thanks. That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. I got the sb primers in a lot purchase of 10 lbs of powder and other components. I've used 1k of the 2k I have. I also have some wins and cci. Guess I'll put the s and b in the back of the rotation. How much different are my loads going to be with a different primer if any?

 

[hentown]

Put stock striker spring in and make sure striker channel is clean and dry...NO LUBE at all!

 

[rcmodel]

How much different are my loads going to be with a different primer if any?

Not enough to notice.

But if I were you, I would continue to use the S&B primers until you are 100% confident your Glock is 100% reliable with European primers.

It should be.
If it isn't, it is marginal with American primers too.

rc

 

[bocefus78]

Update:

Well, its WAS the striker spring. Over 500 flawless handloaded rounds thru it with the factory spring back in there. Back to glock reliability

 

[1KPerDay]

Glad you figured it out.

 

[450 Dakota]

Yes, its funny what some of the add-ons will do. I put a Lone Wolf firing pin with a 4 lb spring in my G23 initially, and it ran great. Then I added a Guardian trigger system from Glocktriggers.com. Great system, but it works with a minus connector. Took it to the range and the striker would barely dent the primers. I was using Winchester SP primers, so I knew they were plenty soft. Had to be the combination of the minus (3.5lb?) connector and the 4 lb striker spring. I put the polished stock striker spring sent with the Guardian system on and went to town with no misfires.
At the end of the day, its not about running Glock stock parts, but making sure that what you add works together well. It was fine to add a 3.5 lb connector to reduce trigger pull. It was also fine to add a 4 pound striker spring to reduce trigger pull. Together, though, they created too light of a strike by the firing pin. Best way to improve Glock trigger is to stay with stock strength springs and polish up the contacting metal parts of the trigger system. Or, if you want to spend the money, you can be lazy and buy the Guardian trigger system and be done with it.

 

[1KPerDay]

Or if you're lazy AND cheap, like me, you could just practice with the stock trigger.

 

[450 Dakota]

Or if you're lazy AND cheap, like me, you could just practice with the stock trigger.

True. Several thousand rounds will smooth out a trigger as well. I like mine smooth from the beginning, but I have a fund for those costs! YMMV!

 

[hentown]

I don't expect a 1911-type trigger pull from my Glocks, but I do install aftermarket connectors in all my Glocks. I also polish all the mating surfaces of the firing mechanisms.

My Glocks' triggers pull from just over 3# for the lightest, to about 4# for the heaviest.

 

[possum]

Hard primers will cause that issue, so will a dirty striker channel or a weakened striker spring. I suggest using factory OEM weighted springs. With a factory weighted striker spring and one that is in good condition, you should have no problem with the primers you stated you are using.

Since you have to take the slide apart while you change the striker spring, go ahead and clean out any gunk in the striker channel. This gunk can slow down the forward momentum of the striker and cause light primer strikes.

 

[Capt. Ct.]

I put a 4 lb. striker spring in my Glock and had two LPS out of the first fifty rounds. Put the stock spring back in and no problems. Glad all is well.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Glad to hear it. A half working gun is not much of a gun for sure.

I don't like lighter firing pin springs to get a lighter trigger pull and every kit I ever put in I have left the firing pin spring stock. After buying a Glock with a kit in it, I quickly put it back all stock. I left the one in the SD9VE minus the firing pin spring.