Glock 20 problem

[Keith]

Ok, I'm not an armorer, but I am not exactly new to Glocks (I've lost count to how many I own) but this one's got me stumped.

Fairly new Glock 20 with maybe 500 rounds through it. The only thing I did with this gun is install a 22 pound recoil spring at the suggestion of Mike from DoubleTap to run his ammo. Otherwise it is all factory.

I've run a mixture of about 300 rounds of 135 grain DoubleTap and and 200 grain Beartooth DoubleTap loads without any problems. (The 135's were a bit hot, though) I've also run several boxes of Blazer without issues.

I started to get this malfuntion when trying DoubleTap 155 and 165 grain Gold Dots. Out of 100 rounds I had 5 of these malfuntions that a usual tap and rack would not clear.

Sorry about the crappy cell phone pics. It's all I had at the range yesterday.

For what it's worth, it did it with the 22 pound recoil spring and the factory recoil spring in it, too. It also did it with and without the light hanging on it.

I am not set up to load 10 mm, yet, and factory ammo is getting way too expensive to trouble shoot a gun these days.

Any ideas?

[chakup]

My first suggestion would be factory ammo and factory set up.

[dirty whiteboy]

Go back to the factory recoil spring.

[Duane Thomas]

I started to get this malfuntion when trying DoubleTap 155 and 165 grain Gold Dots.

Years ago I had two different pistolsmiths give me two different pieces of very good advice. The first was, "Whenever a previously 100 percent reliable gun suddenly starts choking on you, the first thing you should ask yourself is, 'What did I change?'" The second pistolsmith said, "Whenever a gun starts choking, people never blame the ammo, they always blame the gun. But the fact is, some ammo is so crappy you can't blame a good gun for not wanting to swallow it."

Taking those two pieces of advice, we know that your gun, fitted with the 22-pound recoil spring, worked for about 400 rounds with various ammo types. What did you change? Answer: you changed the ammo. Only when you switched to the DoubleTap 155 and 165-grain Gold Dots did you start to get problems. Looking at this, it seems to me the obvious problem is your gun doesn't like the DoubleTap 155 and 165-grain Gold Dots. Rule of thumb: if your gun works perfectly with the ammo you've been firing in it, you switch to another ammo type and the gun starts choking, instantly stop firing that ammo and go back to the stuff that worked in the gun before. I suggest switching back to the ammo with which the gun worked perfectly and seeing if that solves the problem. If it does, stick with the stuff you know works (or ammo you vet in the future that you know works) and stay away from the stuff that your experience has shown you doesn't.

BTW, I have to say I'm not a fan of heavier-than-factory-stock recoil springs in auto pistols, though the fact the gun worked with it in place, and still has the same malfs even with the factory stock recoil spring in place, indicates the problem here is the ammo and not the recoil spring.

[Michael Carlin]

I agree with Duane and others, the most likely cause is the 22lb spring. Take it out and put the factory spring back in. Shoot the ammo you have, still malfunctioning? Then try some fresh factory ammo. Still mafling? I have some 15 year old experience with Glock 20's. I had a several extractors just chip off and quit working. I was stationed in Atlanta at the time and one of the Glock demo/trainer guys showed me what the problem was. I drove up to Glock and bought two. The second on is in the spare part drawer yet!! There was a change in the configuration of the part due to this problem the two I boght were the new type. Thousands of Major Majoe 135 and 155 grain loads later.

This advice is worth what you paid for it.

Edited May 30, 2008 by Michael Carlin

[atmar]

looks like FTE. change the extractor to the newer latest version.

[Duane Thomas]

In the pictures, this looks like the new LCI extractor already in place.

BTW, I said I didn't think the problem was the recoil spring.

[Keith]

Like Duane said, since it did it with the factory recoil spring in it also I am lead to believe that this gun does not like those two loads of ammo. Which I thought kind of weird as they are very popular loads with other Glock 20 owners.

After it did it the first time I suspected a chipped extractor so I broke it down completely and inspected it and did not see anything wrong with it.

I guess I will buy some more factory ammo this weekend and try them out and take it from there.

[Duane Thomas]

Please let us know what happens. We're there for you, bro.

[jripper]

Sorry, wrong thread

Edited July 17, 2008 by jripper