My most unreliable new gun ever: Glock 17 Gen 4

[Dr.Gun]

I purchased a new Glock 17 Gen 4 and it has been the most unreliable out-of-the-box gun I have ever bought, and I have many (Glock 19 Gen 3, S&W M&P 9, HK P30, Kahr PM9 and P.380, Les Baer Premier II, Ed Brown, Kimber Ultra CDP II).

The Gen 4 Glock now has 500 rounds through it, and continues to have frequent failures to eject, about 1-2 per 50 rounds. The failures are two types 1) stovepipes and 2) casing sticking longitudinally in the top of the ejection port with a partially fed round underneath.

I have used a variety of high quality factory FMJ ammo in both 115gr and 124 gr, and the failures occur regardless of brand or bullet weight.

I am well-trained (SigArms Academy, ASAA/Chuck Taylor, Massad Ayoob LFI), I use a high hand crush grip...no limp wristing here.

The gun has been cleaned and lubed three times using either Breakfree, Shooters choice FP 10, or Mil-tec.

I should mention that when I used expensive defensive ammo (Corbon DPX 115gr or Winchester 115gr Silvertips, the gun ran fine).

This is definitely not the Glock reliability I expect... Soooo, back to Glock it goes.

 

[desert gator]

I love Glocks, but I will wait a long while before I buy a gen4

 

[CountGlockula]

Mine works 110%.

Just shoot higher grains out of it and you'll be fine.

 

[HippieMagic]

You got the female version of the gun. It is picky and high maintenance is all .

 

[Lv4snobrdg]

Always a bummer when NIB = POS.

Good luck!!

 

[Boats]

Mine works 110%.

So yours double feeds and double fires 10 of every 100 rounds?

 

[fastbolt]

I'll be a bit curious to hear what you're told.

Personally, I'd been hoping that Glock might have decided to increase the slide mass of their .40's when they revised the model line, not apparently just adopt a heavier recoil spring assembly.

Of course, if they'd done that, their existing LE customer base would then probably have to buy new holsters for the newer .40's, and the holster makers would have to make appropriate changes and carry both styles. Existing LE customers might then decide to wait even longer before replacing their inventory, too, if it meant buying new holsters at the same time. Glock sales are probably already feeling the pressure of the newest competing models from 2 or 3 of the other major makers, too.

While I haven't (as an armorer) had the chance to learn about all of the differences in the new Gen4 model revision, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the recoil spring assembly is going to be sort of at the heavy end of tolerance for 9mm models, especially when lighter powered loads are used.

You did mention, after all, that the more expensive loads (presumably loaded to a bit more power) function fine in your new G17.

If the new recoil spring assembly turns out to be rated right at the point in heavy enough tension where it's possible that even skilled & experienced shooters with good technique may be likely to experience some functioning issues when lighter powered loads are used, it might make for some annoyed customers. Dunno. Haven't inquired into it, yet. Just wondering.

Imagine how this might affect things if someone with a marginal, or borderline locked wrist/firm grip were to use the more heavily sprung 9's, then ...

Guess we'll see.

I've got to recert my armorer status again for Glock sometime later this year, anyway. Guess I'll find out whatever they're willing to tell us at that time.

Let us know what you hear, though.

Luck to you.

 

[ckone]

That new dual recoil spring assembly is way too stiff for a 9mm, they need to make a softer one for the 9mm's or it'll never run right shooting usual target fmj which is what most of us are shooting 99% of the time. Big mistake on Glock's part on this one IMHO.

An under-sprung gun will always be more reliable than an over-sprung one, and the .40's were right on the edge but were reliable UNTIL you stuck a light on the rail which is what a lot of PD's found out with their 3rd gen G22's... So by fixing that issue in .40 they compromised the reliability of the 9's... Doh.

 

[Hk Dan]

Out of curiousity, does the brass come right back at your face (when it functions), or does it fling back and right?

 

[JAV8000]

Dry fire (therefor cycling) your new wepon 1000 times. Not only will it smooth out the trigger action, it will break in the recoil spring some and should work fine with target loads.

Glocks are notorious for disliking weak loads, the dual recoil spring excacerbates this.

 

[Dr.Gun]

I think fastbolt and ckone are right on the money...the recoil spring is too heavy for the gun. Glock is going to have to revise the specs on the spring. I also left a message with Wolff Gunsprings begging them to come out with an appropriate aftermarket recoil spring assembly for the 17 Gen 4...they'd sell like hotcakes.

 

[glove]

Why not send it back to Glock.

 

[Dr.Gun]

In answer to Hk Dan, most of the casings fly to the right and ping off the lane divider at the range. A few have passed close to my face, but no direct hits...and I shoot lefty.

 

[Dr.Gun]

glove, its definitely going back to Glock.

 

[W.E.G.]

I have used a variety of high quality factory FMJ ammo in both 115gr and 124 gr, and the failures occur regardless of brand or bullet weight.

Can you be more specific?

 

[Southern Rebel]

"just use higher grain", "just dry-fire 500 times to break it in", ................

Well, maybe we won't have to deal with all of the threads gushing, "a gun oughta work right out of the box, "a gun shouldn't need no break-in", "a gun aughta eat any ammo", and so on.

I expect Glock will fix whatever issues there are. I certainly need them to, because a history of success and reliability from one manufacturer serves to push the others toward the same goal and Glock has definitely had that history.

(Note: It won't change my prejudice toward Glocks - I am eternally opposed to companionship with ugly guns and ugly girfriends, no matter how serviceable, successful, and reliable they are!)

 

[swampboy]

Glock made a mistake on the Gen 4 G17. Exactly ONE (1) mistake. It's oversprung. Every single complaint is for FTE using lighter loads.

Either Glock or somebody else will come out with a lighter, Gen-4 compatible recoil spring assembly. Until then, I guess Gen-4 G17's now fall into the category of "needs to be broken in".

I'll stick with the Gen-2's and 3's for now.

 

[ckone]

I almost picked one up when they first hit, but the first time I locked the slide back I knew something was up as I'd just dropped a newish stock 17lb recoil assembly into my 3rd Gen G17 the day before and it seemed kind of stiff to me since I'd been using a 13lb one that had worn out (decided I'd just force myself to get used to the stocker as they're cheap, easty to find, and seem to last forever)... the Gen 4's was noticeably stiffer by a pretty big margin.

Thing is, Glock's philosophy of many different models sharing many parts in common has got to change as their design changes and gets slightly more complicated, bet no one wanted to add the cost of a second line in their factories to make Gen 4 9mm specific recoil assemblies when they'd never needed to do that before.

IMO the changes in the Gen 4 were about getting back some of their lost LE agency market share more than anything else... so they focused on the most popular .40 in LEO holsters, the G22, ...and accidentally dropped the ball on keeping their standard bearer of reliability, the G17, history of stellar reputation intact.

 

[REAPER4206969]

but were reliable UNTIL you stuck a light on the rail which is what a lot of PD's found out with their 3rd gen G22's...

The tac light issue was way overblown.

 

[Sapper771]

I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with your new Glock. Hopefully Glock will take care of the issue quickly.
I have had my Gen4 G17 for a few months now and it has ran great.

Last week, while doing load developement for the Gen4 G17, one of my 115gr loads chrono'd at just under 1000fps. The entire 20 round lot of that load fired and funtioned fine in the pistol with empties at 3 'o' clock at 3 feet (normal). My Gen4 usually gets fed 115gr at 1150fps.

If the spring is the problem, I wonder how light the load has to be before the jams start to occur ?
I have thought about just loading some increasingly lighter loads to see what the breaking point is.

I also wouldn't mind seeing a modified standard spring assembly that will fit into the Gen4 G17.

 

[atomd]

A lot of people say that the Gen4 has a stronger recoil spring in it. It did feel a little bit stronger to me when I handled one but I didn't handle a Gen3 and Gen4 back to back to get a good comparison of the difference. What I don't understand is why are there bunches of people that don't have this problem and then some people say they are way oversprung? Could it be more of a consistency/production issue rather than a design issue? It wouldn't be the first time a company used a batch of out of spec springs. Hmmmm....

 

[augustino]

I recently bought a NIB G19 and so far it's operating great. Granted I haven't put but a couple of hundred rounds through it but not one issue at all.
Has anyone else purchased a G19 4th gen? If yes, what have you experienced?
Thanks!

 

[atomd]

the 4th gen 19/23 won't be out til summer

 

[SwampWolf]

Well, maybe we won't have to deal with all of the threads gushing, "a gun oughta work right out of the box, "a gun shouldn't need no break-in", "a gun aughta eat any ammo", and so on.

And maybe you will: they should.

 

[green country shooter]

what weight is the new spring? Everyone says oversprung but i don't see anyone saying what it is, the old one is 17.