What is going on with Glock extractors?

[buzz meeks]

Okay I admit I do not follow Glocks that closely but I am interested in acquiring a Generation 3 Glock 19. I've been doing the research and noticed threads recently about faulty extractors. One of the few things that does appeal to me about Glocks is their boring consistency. Is there an issue? Can someone summarize or link me to a good explanation?

 

[Too_Pure]

Thin internet will make you think every gun in the world is a piece of crap and mire you down in "research".

 

[Luchtaine]

Have a Glock 23 gen 3 I just got last year on 3,000 rounds and counting without a single malfunction. I clean it about every 500.

 

[Sportshot]

I recently bought a gen4 G23. I have fired approx 500 rounds through it without a malfunction. I don't even have the new RSA in it yet as I am waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Every manufacturer of all products including guns will have some lemons. I don't feel that this is an issue of an inferior product being released. I also learned during my years in retail, that the unhappy customers make the most noise. Therefore you will here more about faulty extractors than the functional ones. Good luck with your new purchase when finally make it.

 

[daytodaze]

Glock extractors? They extract spent brass from your weapon, allowing a fresh round to be chambered for firing.

Sorry for being a smart ass... I have several glocks and have never had an extractor issue or even known anyone that did. In fact, the only malfunction I've had with a glock was on an old subcompact while using a full-size mag. I was puting odd pressure on the mag with my grip and had an FTF :/

 

[rcmodel]

I got to wonder if there is a connection between the ammo shortages of the eary Obama scare, and a higher number of Glock shooters using Russian Steel-Case ammo they could still get cheap?

So, we could blame broken or chipped Glock extractors on either:
1. Steel-case ammo?
2. Or Obama!

But certainly not Glock.

rc

 

[daytodaze]

"
So, we could blame broken or chipped Glock extractors on either:
1. Steel-case ammo?
2. Or Obama!"

Most of my stuff hasn't worked as well since Obama got elected. Curious...

 

[Jeb21]

The Glock 19 is an excellent weapon. I had several thousand rounds through mine before I sold it. No issues at all. I used the money I made from the sale to buy a Glock 23. I now have over a thousand rounds through the 23 with no issues.

 

[smalls]

How often are you going to see a thread like "Glock extractors...AWESOME!!"? Because no one cares unless it's messing up. And of the hundreds of thousands of Glock owners, you'll probably see a couple hundred threads. Of course a company that puts out millions of units is going to have a few break. Everything I've heard, though, is that they'll fix it if it's broken.

 

[Apocalypse-Now]

i replaced two extractors , one in a gen3 and the other a gen4. glock's no longer machining them, but are now using MIM made ones-but that's not the problem. the problem is many are out of spec. it's no mystery. i replaced one with another MIM one that works just fine.

 

[REAPER4206969]

Around 2010, Glock started using MIM extractors instead of the previous Investment cast A2 extractors.

Butt hurt then ensued.

 

[Benaiah]

I've got 600 rounds of Russian ammo through my Gen 4 G19. The extractor looks new. Are there bad extractors out there? Of course. The odds of you getting one...slim.

 

[hAkron]

I just popped mine out and looked at it. Seems fine to me.

 

[Skylerbone]

No Glock has ever had an issue that could not be attributed to

1. Poor shooter.
2. Under powered "practice" ammo.
3. "Bad" reloads.
4. Internet lies.
5. Limp wristing.
6. Over lubrication.

Or, you could see a few hundred Internet postings as a sign that something is indeed problematic and needs to be addressed. No matter how many online friends tell you to stake your life and money on anything labeled Glock, ignoring and refuting evidence is still the ostrich defense.

What you may be hearing about are a very few extractors failing and a larger sample of extraction problems related to the redesigned recoil system. You can take that as Internet trash talk or head over to Glock's site to view the voluntary recall: http://www.teamglock.com/customer-service/recoil-spring-exchange.

The thing I dislike most about Glock is the refusal by so many of its cult-like followers to acknowledge that Glocks are not infallible. That is the sort of ignorance that gets people killed. Kudos to those owners who took the time to examine their pistols for damage.

 

[daytodaze]

My confidence in glock has nothing to do with the thousands of rounds I've put through my pistols or the recommendations I get from my buddies in law enforcement.

I buy glock because their marketing is great and it claims perfection.

 

[voyager4520]

The old Glock extractors were cast, but they were done very well. The new ones may be cast as well, or MIM, but they're not done as crisply and precisely. The problem with them is that they may fit too tight, several people have had success with polishing them until they drop freely out of the slide during detail strip like the old Glock extractors would. The new ones unpolished can be so bad that they have to be gently pried out or a new replacement one won't even fit into the slide. The important part to polish is the rounded leg of the extractor.

Polishing the extractor: http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=17864943

Another about polishing the extractor: http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1368781

Here's a thread with plenty of pictures of the new extractors:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=595762

Here's a post showing pictures of two versions of the new extractor. Both have a raised bump from the mold, a sprue mark. The earlier one had a straight top, the new one has a dip in the top around the sprue mark so that the sprue mark doesn't interfere with function.
http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17481066&postcount=216

The photobucket link in this post in particular shows good comparison pictures:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=7469768&postcount=116
(the one he calls new is an older extractor, those are the good ones. the one he calls old is the new extractor)

 

[buzz meeks]

Thanks for the replies. It is so hard to figure out what is a legitimate, widespread trend and what is an isolated event experienced by a handful of people, all of whom post their problems on internet forums.

My take home from all this is, buy the Glock. Shoot it. Fix if and when necessary.

Thanks again.

 

[Fotno]

I doubt it's widespread, but there have been enough experienced shooters having trouble with extractions and ejections to prove that it is a problem with some guns. I have about 500 rounds through my Gen4 26 (mostly Winchester Ranger FMJ) and I've never had a single failure to feed or extract, but it will bean me in the head occasionally, and throw casings to the left as well. Thus far this has only been a little distracting for me, but some shooters have had casings thrown back behind their shooting glasses and been burned as a result.

It's enough of a problem that Glock Austria is now shipping a redesigned 9mm ejector to Glock Smyrna, (Sgt.Duffman's thread here at THR links to pictures of his Glock 19 with the redesigned ejector) and there are threads on several of the Glock forums that show pictures of the new ejector.

 

[Zerodefect]

Lone Wolf has billet extractors if yours fails or what ever.

It's not a big deal. Just slide a new extractor in if yours gets chipped or wears. Takes about 2 minutes to do.

 

[ku4hx]

My Gen4 19's extractor was a bit tight in its slot so I polished it with 600 grit emery cloth on the long side flats. It now comes out with ease; falls out in fact.

I never had any problems with this gun but apparently some did. I polished the extractor to have it fit like all the others I own.

My Gen4 19 is fast overtaking my Gen3 23 as my favorite handgun.

 

[ny32182]

My take home from all this is, buy the Glock. Shoot it. Fix if and when necessary.

You've just discovered the secret of how best to handle "internet reports of widespread problems" with whatever gun turns your crank.

Worst case scenario, if you are the one in a million that gets a bad part, spend the few bucks on a new one, spend the 3 minutes to drop it in, and move on with life.

 

[ElrodCod]

Lone Wolf has billet extractors if yours fails or what ever.

They're cast not billet.

 

[aliveisalive]

Had a gen3 glock 19 for a short while, put around 350 rounds through it in 2 weeks. Nary one problem, smooth as butter.


Like everyone has said, if you do get a bad part its a 10 dollar fix and youll never have to worry about it again. Fix up your glock to have a smooth trigger and they can be a blast to shoot.

 

[Apocalypse-Now]

Around 2010, Glock started using MIM extractors instead of the previous Investment cast A2 extractors.

yep, you're pretty close, my friend.

i actually got a bad one in my gen3 19 i bought mid-2009. to this day, glock is still putting out out-of-spec extractors. the problem isn't that they're MIM, it's just that they're out of spec.

 

[EmGeeGeorge]

I noticed if I leave my glock by my fridge, my milk and eggs go bad in about half the time it normally takes.

Also, my glock interferes with my wireless internet, and I think at night my glock surfs porn sites on my MAC and uses my credit card to make frivilous purchases.