G17: Changed trigger spring and safety plunger spring

[Duane Thomas]

and/or getting light-strikes and off-center primer hits (sometimes called "primer smearing")

Just a clarification here, off-center primer hits and primer smearing are two very different things. An off-center primer hit is just what it sounds like, the firing pin hits the primer noticeably off-center. Primer smearing, OTOH, occurs when the gun starts to unlock, and the barrel begins to move downward, while the firing pin is still in contact with the primer, thus you get a "smear" effect that looks like an extremely elongated firing pin strike. Typically you'll see a raised ridge of primer metal that's been smeared around the upper edge of the firing pin mark. This is a sign that the gun is unlocking prematurely, and generally means that either your recoil spring is worn out or you're just basically firing a cartridge generating way more energy than your recoil spring can really deal with.

[Duane Thomas]

Yes, I run reduced power firing pin springs in my Glocks. The only exception to that being during the recent unpleasantness when I couldn't get my preferred Federals and had to make do with what I can only describe as "lesser primers". Then I actually did run an ISMI 13-pound recoil spring with a factory stock firing pin spring, and I never had a problem with it. Do I recommend this practice? No. The fact that it worked safety in MY gun doesn't mean it'll work safely in every gun. OTOH the fact that some guns might be unsafe with this combo doesn't mean it's going to be unsafe in every gun either. Nik's advice of "check often" if for some ungodly reason you decide to run this combo is good stuff. Though I will say that in general the advice to balance a lighter recoil spring with a lighter firing pin spring is also good stuff.

[Duane Thomas]

A 14lb Wolff spring works fine on an un-captured stock Glock guide rod

I guess that depends on your definition of "works fine". Like everyone else I've tried slipping a Wolff spring onto a stock guide rod, then reassembling the gun and hand cycling it just to see what happens. Never actually fired the gun that way though, because just hand cycling it I could feel that the Wolff recoil spring, having a much wider internal diameter than the diameter of the stock guide rod, was snaking around inside the gun, giving the slide stroke this weird stop-start-stop-start quality that did not even tempt me to fire this combo with live ammo. I'm not saying it necessarily wouldn't have worked, in the sense that the gun might have cycled just fine, but I think that having such an inconsistent recoil impulse would have made timing the gun a real challenge. When I run a Wolff recoil spring in a Glock, I run it on a guide rod sized for Wolff recoil springs.

[brianr34]

Thanks for the info.

I currently do not reload my ammo. I primarily use Blazer Brass and Aluminum 115gr, so I am not familiar if a reduced power firing pin spring would work OK or not with Blazer.

It is tempting to tinker with the Glock since they are easy to work, but I probably should avoid messing around too much.

Right now, I am thinking of going with 3.5 connector, 6 lb trigger spring, reduced power safety plunger spring and a 15lb IMSI spring on a Jager captured plastic rod. I feel this gives me a pretty good setup but hopefully will still remain 100% reliable.

[JBP55]

Thanks for the info.

I currently do not reload my ammo. I primarily use Blazer Brass and Aluminum 115gr, so I am not familiar if a reduced power firing pin spring would work OK or not with Blazer.

It is tempting to tinker with the Glock since they are easy to work, but I probably should avoid messing around too much.

Right now, I am thinking of going with 3.5 connector, 6 lb trigger spring, reduced power safety plunger spring and a 15lb IMSI spring on a Jager captured plastic rod. I feel this gives me a pretty good setup but hopefully will still remain 100% reliable.

That set up should be totally reliable with almost any commercial ammunition.

[Duane Thomas]

I currently do not reload my ammo. I primarily use Blazer Brass and Aluminum 115gr, so I am not familiar if a reduced power firing pin spring would work OK or not with Blazer.

Doubtful. CCI primers are notoriously ignition unreliable with lightened firing pin strikes.