Glock failed! Nooo!!!!!! Say it isn't so! (glock 19)

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Kingofthehill

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Went for an early morning shoot and about 80rounds in it just felt funny. The recoil felt different and i inspected it and it looked OK...

Strange...

So i kept shooting and then i started having having issues, i field stripped it on the spot and noticed the plastic guide rod broke in ad the mushroomed end.

I have spare parts but i left it at home so i finished shooting some .357sig out of my M&P and called it a day.

I installed my spare recoil assembly in my 19 but now im thinking of buying a metal guide rod for it to eliminate any future problems.

I shoot my guns a lot and ive had a plastic guide rod on my Glock 23 break in half, and now my 19 broke the end of it.

Sure, its far and few between but i think i'll go with a Metal one this time.

Anyone have a brand they can recommend? Also, i think it doe sbut just checking since id like to change both, does the 19 and 23 use the same recoil spring?

Thanks!

JOe
 
Same recoil spring from glock for both the 9mm and 40 S&W.

The recoil spring should be replaced every 3K rounds or so. It's a good rule of thumb for ANY semi auto recoil spring to replace every 3k rounds.
 
Plastic guide rods are not a big deal. THere is very little strain put on them during operation. Just replace it with a factory one. THere are umpteen thousands of Glocks out there doing just fine with plastic guide rods.
 
I always heard 5k rounds.

This specific Glock 19 was only half way there. Looking at metal glcok recoil setups its looking like im going to be dropping $70+!!!!!!!!!!!

damn!.... A part of me thinks "what are the odds it will happen again and especially at an important time" but i also said the same thing on my glock 23 when it failed.

I think i should just commit to the metal guide rod.
 
My guide rod caused a failure as well. Since the Glock can use a steel guide rod with no I'll affects, the original Glocks had steel rods, I decided to try one.

I put a LoneWolf Captured SS guide rod in mine. My stock G23 recoil spring worked best in mine.

I used red thread lock on the screw that keeps the spring captured. Even if the screw falls out it won't affect function, until you field strip at least.

It'll never come off with strong red thread lock. The screw will strip or snap first. I remove the recoil rod assmbly the heat it with a blow torch. Then it's easy to unthread the screw for spring replacement.
 
Different things have been said by different Glock armorer instructors and reps over the years, probably reflecting changes in company thinking during that time.

You shoot your Glocks "a lot"?

If you're shooting a Gen3 (or older) G23, the last Wearable Parts Replacement Schedule I received from Glock (for LE .40's) showed that recoil spring assemblies are recommended for replacement in G23's every 2,000 rounds. The list also recommends that the recoil spring assembly is checked, using the Glock recoil spring field test, at each range or qualification ... and to replace the recoil spring assembly more often as needed.

Now, 9mm Glocks aren't subjected to the same level of recoil forces as the .40's, and the models which share the same RSA's will probably go longer in 9's than in .40's ... but some common sense and prudence in inspecting the guns and periodically replacing the RSA's (and mag springs) in guns which see a lot of use would seem to be a good idea ... and especially if the gun is one dedicated to a defensive role.

Guide rod assemblies, or just guide rods, can experience wear during normal usage, as well as the potential sometimes for damage or breakage.

Not positioning the rear of the plastic recoil spring assembly's base fully in the circular notch in the front barrel lug can subject the rear of the assembly to unintended stress, too, which can contribute to a user-related failure of the RSA at some point. I had a guy who claimed he didn't know how he was supposed to seat the rear of the RSA in his older G22 come to me with rod's base broken off (the rod had come out the front of the slide after reassembly). I replaced the assembly and showed him how to properly seat it during normal maintenance.

While there are some companies who apparently do a good business making aftermarket guide rods for Glocks, I use the stock units for my Glocks and for the Glocks I'm called upon to support as an armorer for other LE folks. They're all carried as duty, off-duty & retirement defensive weapons, though.

Regardless of what guide rod or spring assembly someone may decide to use, it would seem prudent to inspect it periodically. I've certainly heard of failures involving aftermarket steel units (and a couple of them from a major vendor of them).
 
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Not positioning the rear of the plastic recoil spring assembly's base fully in the circular notch in the front barrel lug can subject the rear of the assembly to unintended stress, too, which can contribute to a user-related failure o9f the RSA at some point. I had a guy who claimed he didn't know how he was supposed to seat the rear of the RSA in his older G22 come to me with rod's base broken off (the rod had come out the front of the slide after reassembly). I replaced the assembly and showed him how to properly seat it during normal maintenance.
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Yep. Always press the RSA back down every time you remove the slide.
 
How many rounds did you fire through the gun? My own (G19 purchased in late 1998) has a considerable amount (my record keeping is poor, but it has to be at least ~7-9,000) and the original recoil assembly looks fine. In 2007 I took it to Glockmeister for night sights and asked if they thought I should replace the spring; they said, "Naah." :D

fastbolt said:
Not positioning the rear of the plastic recoil spring assembly's base fully in the circular notch in the front barrel lug can subject the rear of the assembly to unintended stress, too, which can contribute to a user-related failure of the RSA at some point.
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A funny story: In ~2001, I had a failure of the slide lock tab spring, which caused the slide to fly off the front of the frame and into semi-soft dirt about four feet away. (This was not while firing :uhoh: but when I released the slide from lock for reloading.) The RSA remained attached, not even dislodging. :cool: And Glockmeister did sell me an upgraded spring.
 
How do you clean, lube your guide rods? Having one fail is rare enough, but two? May be the substances you use to clean or lubricate your pistols. Don't use any lube on the guiderod, do not use any solvents stronger than Alcohol on any polymer material, get another stock Glock guiderod and recoil spring. Wipe it off dry, never lubricate it, ever, shoot the p*** out of it, when lubricating a Glock, less is more
 
Jed Carter said:
How do you clean, lube your guide rods? Having one fail is rare enough, but two? May be the substances you use to clean or lubricate your pistols. Don't use any lube on the guiderod, do not use any solvents stronger than Alcohol on any polymer material, get another stock Glock guiderod and recoil spring. Wipe it off dry, never lubricate it, ever, shoot the p*** out of it, when lubricating a Glock, less is more
Click to expand...

Those are my thoughts as well. However when you need to buy a new one, there's no reason not to buy a steel guide rod. The factory guide rod is fine 99% of the time, but a steel guide rod should never fail.

On my G4 G19 the rear end the guide rod is steel. I hope it is equally or more durable than the previous version.
 
The first thing I do with a new Glock is replace the captured spring/guide rod setup with a Wolff non-captured rod and springs. While this may not really be necessary, I've read too many posts on various forums about problems with the guide rods on Glocks. The two-piece guide rods seem to be especially prone to failure. The Wolff rod/spring combination works well. The non-captured system is not as convenient during disassembly/reassembly--gotta control the spring or you could launch it off into the stratosphere and the metal rods need lubrication--but it is a simple and sturdy system.
 
The Glock 23 it happened to about a year ago had 11-12,000 at the time, its now in the 20,000 range.

the current one broke with a very few on the clock, its my OD glock and i tend to shoot them less as i am trying to collect the OD set :) LOL.... stupid, i know.

From my Excel sheets, i have 2,700 through it.

Once thing i noticed is that on my G19 that this just happened to, i don't see the internal steel rod anywhere. when my 23 broke the steel rod was still in the frame but my 19 here has no evidence of it at all and they still have the hole for it. I wonder if it slipped away during the first stripping to see if there was a problem.

as for cleaning solutions causing problems, i doubt it. I clean all my pistols the same and i don't spray anything on the guide rod, i just use a nylon brush. to clean out any debris and then compressed air.

JOe
 
Just get a few factory spares, if/when one breaks replace it and call it a day for another [insert your preferred round count interval here] or so rounds
 
Don't think you have to drop $70.00 for a steel guide. Glockmeister has the stainless steel guides for $24.00, and the tungsten ones for $48.00. Bought a stainless one awhile back, but haven't put it in yet.
 
Whenever I hear of a Glock failure, it's always on the internet. I have yet to see one in competition or at the range.
 
Youtube vid (I Know) of a glock 19 going thru 1000 rounds in a sitting. Guide rod melts and falls out but gun keeps shooint.
 
Whenever I hear of a Glock failure, it's always on the internet. I have yet to see one in competition or at the range.
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Geesh, people thinking i came here to specifically bash the Glock! I like glocks! Anyone who thinks any certain brand DOES NOT FAIL is just lying to themselves.

Am i worried that this broke? No... not at all. Am i bummed out that it happened? of course.

Its a $7 part if i go stock, and i had a spare so no biggie. i would of made the same thread if if my Steyr or M&P failed.

people read WAY to into this kind of stuff.

JOe
 
and big thinks to RetDep310! I think i'll go with the Glockmeister. For the $$$ and what it is, im sure it can't be beat.

JOe
 
Whenever I hear of a Glock failure, it's always on the internet. I have yet to see one in competition or at the range.
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So if you don't see it happen with your own two eyes, it didn't happen. I think one of your ancestors was in the Bible. His name was something like "Doubting Thomas".
So tell me, how did you do in History class? :)
 
Whenever I hear of a Glock failure, it's always on the internet. I have yet to see one in competition or at the range.
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LOL!

I knew Hitler was a good guy and those were all stories!

HAHAHAHA!.... Great reply there buddy... needed that laugh
 
So I'm just curious if the broken guide rod did anything negative beyond sounding funny? Did "issues" include any jams? I've heard that if the rod breaks, no biggie, but I'm curious. It certainly seems like it could jam things up.
 
I put metal guide rods on all my guns. I had one of the Glock polymer set ups break on me also. Actually any gun I've bought that had a polymer guide rod I replaced it with metal. Have seen a few of the polymer ones break at my range.
 
I'm sure there are Glocks that have had problems. Any mechanical item will eventually have issues. I'm just saying I only read of these rare lemons on the internet. I need links and pics to the authenticity of these failures. :rolleyes:
 
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