Do I need a backup Glock ?

[cruncher_block]

JoeD,

You mentioned in a previous post that you own two G-34 and G-35's.

Is that because if something breaks during a match you have a back up?

I have a G-34 and G-35 and I'm thinking of getting a back up for both but friends

keep talking me out of it.

They say that Glocks are so easy to work on you can fix most problems at the match

and their is no need for a back up. I'd like to know what you think.

Sorry, didn't mean to hi-jack the Glock-22 barrel topic.

[Joe D]

I am enrolled in a Twelve Step Glock Program. I am on step 6. I must admit I do have a problem buying too many Glocks. My 1st G35 had over 100,000 rounds through it when sold. It was just as good then as when I bought it. Saw a G21 for a good price that I just had to have. My G35 had the old style locking block so that gave me another excuse.

About the only thing that breaks on a Glock is the trigger spring. I think I broke one on my old G35. I have since started beveling the hole in the trigger bar. That seems to have cured the problem. I have heard of some extractor breakage. I've never seen that myself.

I take a repair bag to matches. In it is a trigger spring, extractor and connector.

I carry a spare G35 to any major match just in case one of my reloads blows the gun up. Hope that never happens.

Just when I said goodbye to 1911s along comes a 9mm Kimber at a price that was just too good to pass up. Don't know what I will do with it. I did fit a .40 barrel to it over the weekend.

Edited March 5, 2007 by Joe D

[MichiganShootist]

With Glocks a $35 bag of spare parts will damn near rebuild the entire gun between stages... so who needs a back up for a Glock.

The second answer... is Hey Honey.. I really need a new Glock as a back up gun.

I guess the answer depends on marital status.

[Micah]

Although I've considered picking up a back-up-Glock, I opted for picking up spare parts. The MUST HAVE parts are:

>All springs x3 (especially trigger spring)

>Striker*

>Spring cups

>Extractor*

Pretty much all the parts, save the ones with the * are in the $2-$5 range.

[Joe D]

Whoops, I did forget the striker. I don't use a stock one and have broken the tip off of the Lightning Strike.

[hawk]

I have two because if I drive 500 miles to a sanctioned match in another state I don't want to leave anything to chance. I also have a parts box of most all Glock parts that I will ever need in case of a breakage.

[boo radley]

When I had a 34 and 35, what I did was buy a used G22 slide, when I found one at a good price, along with a spare trigger housing/ejector. My thinking was, if anything went wrong with the lower, I could just swap 'em (both 3rd gen), and if anything went wrong upstairs -- more likely with .40 major, I'd just slap the 22 upper on the gun.

A year later, I now have a G24 and a G35. When I shoot production, I just load .40 minor. It's a nice combination. At the Florida Open a couple weeks ago, my trigger spring broke between stages, as I was practicing on a plate rack. I didn't know what was wrong at first (hadn't had that happen before), but it was a BIG relief knowing I could just grab the 35 and go. It ended up, I had enough time, I could swap out parts, and get the 24 running again....*

I will also say, the malfunction rattled me badly, and I had enough spring/trigger/etc differences, if I hadn't been able to do some live-fire practice, to make sure the swap worked properly, I wouldn't have tried it.

So, if you can find a decent complete upper (eBay, wherever), you can save a little and always have a complete back-up in .40, and most of what you'll need for 9mm, with your 34.

* in retrospect, if I had shot the 35 for the rest of the match, I might have gone minor at the chrono, since I loaded for the 24....Something I hadn't thought about at all.

[trebuchet]

If you can afford it, then why not?!

[Micah]

If you can afford it, then why not?!

+1...This is the ideal situation.

[Duane Thomas]

I've seen enough Glock trigger springs break that I'm a bit leery of them in a carry/match gun. OTOH I hate the hard takeup that comes with a New York Trigger. I do run a trigger spring in my carry/match Glock 34, and with a regular replacement schedule of the part - every 10,000 rounds - I have yet to have a problem. <Knock wood>

Around the 12,000 round mark the extractor in my G34 quit extracting. Replaced it with a new extractor. Other than that, no other parts have needed replacing. Of course, I'm only up to about 24K at the moment.

[Flexmoney]

I see enough trigger springs go down that I'm thinking of selling them at matches for $10 each.

But...the ones that break are NOT Glock trigger springs. Almost always, they are the Wolff springs. (that, or somebody has done some trigger bar tweaking that isn't just quite right...likely putting a strain on the spring)

[Chuck Anderson]

I would say it depends on what type of matches you shoot. If all you shoot are the local club matches I wouldn't bother with a spare gun. If something breaks, go home and work on the lawn. It's not a big deal for the close stuff. If you're going to spend more going to a match than the cost of the backup gun, you probably need a backup. If you plan on travelling and staying in a hotel, or flying, go going to a match with a high entry fee, you're probably better off having the insurance policy of the spare gun. Glocks are rock solid but they're only as good as the ammo that goes into them. I've seen plenty of pictures of blown up Glocks that no bag of spare parts is going to fix.

[Nik Habicht]

Glocks are rock solid but they're only as good as the ammo that goes into them. I've seen plenty of pictures of blown up Glocks that no bag of spare parts is going to fix.

Which brings us to the spare ammo supply for major matches.....

[Joe D]

Glock has used different suppliers of trigger springs, just like trigger bars, in the past. Not sure whose they are using currently. Will check my latest purchase. What I have found is the bright shiny springs seem to last a lot longer than the dull gray ones.

Spare ammo? I carry twice as much as needed for the match. Can't tell you how many times I have given ammo to shooters that either forgot to bring their's or did not bring enough.

[cruncher_block]

Thanks for all the great replys. I appreciate all the great advice.

I think I'm going to go the spare parts route.

I can take my Glock completely apart and put back together in no time.

So I guess it only makes sense to save the money for a back up and use the extra money for ammo and training.

[Micah]

cruncher, two more things:

1) Take a look at Glockmeister.com...that is where I picked up all of my Glock parts, and they were fine to work with

2) NEVER CHANGE ANYTHING RIGHT BEFORE A MATCH WITHOUT TESTING IT FIRST!

2a)Also, be mindful of every little thing when you assemble your Glock. While installing my Vanek trigger kit, I failed to secure the safety plunger spring into the plunger, and effectively turned my G34 into a G18...Not something that I wanted to happen in a match.

[dirty whiteboy]

Good place for Glock parts, good prices, fast service, and they do not kill you w/ shipping!

http://glockparts.com/

[Joe D]

BTW Brownells is now carrying stock Glock parts. If you set yourself up as a dealer with them you can save a good bit of money.

[Duane Thomas]

But...the ones that break are NOT Glock trigger springs. Almost always, they are the Wolff springs.

When I see it, it's usually the stock Glock trigger spring. Some guy or gal has shot their gun and dry fired it enough that finally the stock spring breaks. In my own guns I just replace the spring, Glock or Wolff, regularly, and that seems to take the worry out of being close.

Personally I have a replacement trigger spring taped inside the Pearce grip frame plug in any Glock I use at all extensively. Several times I've seen folks at the range, or matches, break their trigger springs. Sometimes they had a spare spring to hand - since this was not the first time this had happened to them - but didn't know how to detail strip their gun to install it. I was able to do that for them. (It has struck me that, for a part many people will tell you "never breaks" the incidence of replacement trigger springs kept constantly near to hand among anyone who's shot their Glock at all extensively is amazingly high.) Sometimes I've been able to provide both the spring and the installation.

[RAZZ]

I mostly shoot Limited and SS divisions, and for both I have a nearly identical backup gun. I always figured it was good insurance to have a backup 1911 in case something broke at a big match. I plan on shooting some production this year with a G34, and am waffling on the idea of a second identical Glock taking up space in the safe. I have a G19 that I could bring with that would at least get me through a match if the G34 went down. I plan on keeping the G34 completely stock (except for sights), so do I even need a backup G34?

What do you think? Two G34s, or is the G19 a good enough backup gun for the unlikely event that the G34 breaks?

Thanks

Edited December 8, 2009 by Flexmoney
** threads merged **

[shooterbenedetto]

ig match always have many vendors you can purchase parts and fix the gun

in no time. I have had backup guns and never really needed it.

[al503]

I do some drills and some stages if possible with both. Check your times. If they're close enough to one another, then don't worry about another 34. If they differ noticeably, get another 34. The only other thing is that you're going to have to load for the 19's shorter bbl unless you want to have 2 separate batches of ammo (and I'm not sure if that's kosher or not). Probably not a huge deal but I would just get another 34 and call it good. They're not cheap but it's not a $2-4K+ backup either.

[RAZZ]

I'll probably shoot factory ammo, so I wouldn't be loading two different loads with the 19, although I would ensure it made minor.

[hitman]

With the Glock I would just lay in some spare parts.

I have a back up limited and SS that go to big matches, otherwise I just use them for practice.

[RAZZ]

With the Glock I would just lay in some spare parts.

I have a back up limited and SS that go to big matches, otherwise I just use them for practice.

If I were to go the 'spare parts' route, what Glock parts would you recommend having on hand?--I should probably ask this in the Glock forum.