Tales from the GSSF Match Armorer's table

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JohnKSa

Administrator
I always try to spend a few minutes talking with the Armorer at the GSSF matches. For those of you who've never been to a match, check out www.gssfonline.com for more information. Anyway, there's always a Glock Armorer at these matches--he'll look your gun over, do any required upgrades or maintenance replacements at no cost and will also troubleshoot and repair to deal with any problems you're experiencing.

While I was talking with him, two folks brought in their guns because they were having problems. The stories are below--submitted without commentary.

Problem 1
Subcompact .45ACP wouldn't extract 100%. Extractor & related parts replaced free. Extraction problems continued. During the second examination the armorer noted that the chamber was very dirty. Gun owner revealed that he was shooting lead bullet reloads. Armorer suggested vigorously cleaning the chamber.

Problem 2
"Race Glock" was "locking" with the slide in the fully rearward position and it required excessive force to close the slide when this occurred. It was locking open with the slide notch BEHIND the slide catch, not ON the slide catch. Armorer examined the gun and determined that the screws attaching the scope mount were being over-tightened sufficiently to "pinch" the frame, causing the slide to bind. Gun shot fine in stock condition.
 
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oldbillthundercheif

Moderator
You want to loan me a Glock for the Thibodau match, John?

Sounds like fun, but I stink up the place with pretty much any DAO trigger. You would have to wash the stench of mediocrity from the polymer with kerosene.:D
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
You want to loan me a Glock for the Thibodau match, John?
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If they still had a match in Shreveport, I'd meet you there with a spare G17. Thibodaux is a little far...

It is pretty fun. And mediocrity is certainly not a concern, my scores are not what I'd call exemplary--guess I'm more of a bullseye shooter. ;)
 
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Billy Sparks

New member
I used to love to shoot those event then the only one in NC disappeared. With the closest one in Anderson SC and that being about a 5 hour drive for me I haven't went to it. Anyone know why the Statesville FOP range stopped hosting the Glock shoot?
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
There used to be a match in Dallas, and one in Shreveport, but they both shut down as well.

The rumor is that GSSF changed its philosophy of operation in a manner that made it less attractive for the ranges to host matches. I never got the full story.
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
I might want to travel to one and see what the difference is.
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The matches are very similar (if not identical) from the competitor's view, but the arrangement between GSSF and the hosting ranges changed.
 
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npcolin

New member
To the problem 1, Glock do not recommand using lead bullets. Always use jacked ammo especially when using the stock polygonal barrel.

To problem 2, that's an interesting point. Never thought of that before. Will keep it in mind. Thanks.
 
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nemesis

New member
The return of problem 2. It happens and maybe more often than we might think.

Guy comes in to shoot but says he's having a problem with his Glock (19 or 23, I don't remember) and opens his Glock box. There's a pretty average Glock in there with some garden variety under-frame laser.

His problem is that the gun won't go into battery and I take a look and note that he is quite correct but I can't see why. The slide just doesn't want to go all the way forward. No how.

I give up and toss it to the gunsmith who removes the laser and restores the gun to normal action. The problem? The clamp on the laser was distorting the sides of the dust cover inward so much that the slide couldn't go forward.
 
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SeaMariner

New member
That's very interesting... Problem two, to be specific. Does anyone have an estimation on how much compression it takes to distort the frame and how much to distort the frame enough to cause the problem? Anyone ever experience this with a metal framed weapon?
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
Anyone ever experience this with a metal framed weapon?
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I guess you MIGHT be able to "pinch" a metal framed gun. It would take a LOT more force, and if you succeeded, odds are it wouldn't spring all the way back if you released the pressure--assuming it didn't crack.

If you have an attachment that clamps to a polymer frame, ideally it should be designed so that it's not attached by "clamping force". It wouldn't have been hard to redesign this mount so that it wouldn't pinch the frame, but the mount designer didn't see that as a problem, I guess.
 
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SeaMariner

New member
Perhaps that's why Wather had that propriatary rail on the P99.... It would be impossible to squeeze the frame like has been described in problem two...
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
The Glock also has a rail but this mount was attached via screws that ran through hole that normally accommodate the trigger pin and the trigger housing pin.

The forward screw through the trigger pin was designed such that it could be tightened enough to pinch the frame. A redesign of the mounting screw/pin would eliminate the problem.
 
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