# First malfunction with the 17 today



## IntegraGSR (Nov 6, 2007)

I hit the range after work, and on one mag it didn't go into battery. I drop the mag, and notice all the ammo is loose inside... I shake it upside down to empty it, and after about 10 rounds fall out, I felt it spring and act normal with the last few rounds left in it. So I guess the follower stuck near the bottom. I took it apart when I got home, and couldn't find anything wrong. I guess I'll mark that one and see if it acts up again.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

A very small burr can hang the spring or follower. If there is one a little light sanding will knock it off. Good luck.:smt033


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## Ram Rod (Jan 16, 2008)

How new or old is that magazine? I had bought a used G22 mag here a while back and tested it at the range. It didn't work very well, and upon disassembling, found what looked to be a short spring or a G23 spring in a G22 mag. Time to replace spring and follower.


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## Spartan (Jan 1, 2007)

My G19 had a stovepipe last weekend. 

When I originally bought my G31, brand new in box, the mags weren't locking the slide on the last shot, and even weren't loading the next round a few times. Took it back to where I bought it and they put stiffer mag springs in... same problem. They still weren't working. Took it back again and they gave me two new G22 mags. So far so good with those, but I rarely shoot the thing because of the cost of 357sig ammo so who knows really.

Odd enough, for all the praises Glock gets for being so reliable and built to survive anything, of my seven pistols bigger than 22, the only two I have EVER experienced any sort of malfunctions/ failures with are my two Glocks. Berettas - flawless; HK - flawless; Steyr - flawless; XD - flawless. All of those mentioned have 1k rounds or more.

Oh well, I ain't bitchin'. I still love my Glocks and would take them anywhere.


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## wiseguy (Feb 24, 2007)

Had similar issues with my Glock 20 mags....They lock the slide back when there's one round left in the chamber. I was told this could be because I keep my magazines loaded all the time and it wears the spring down but I feel this is unlikely...input?


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

You may wish to get some new mags and here's a place. I bought a couple of extra's here and they ship fast.
http://www.ombexpress.com/product~sku~GA078.asp


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## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

wiseguy said:


> Had similar issues with my Glock 20 mags....They lock the slide back when there's one round left in the chamber. I was told this could be because I keep my magazines loaded all the time and it wears the spring down but I feel this is unlikely...input?


Springs wear out from the act of compression *and* decompression. Simply leaving them loaded does not wear out the spring.:smt023

-Jeff-


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

*BeefyBeefo* is on the money with the mag springs.

Magazines are expendable items. They wear out and need periodic replacement.


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## IntegraGSR (Nov 6, 2007)

I've bought several mags from OMBExpress, I've got a total of 7 including the two that came with the gun. I bought the gun less than 2 months ago, so that's how old the 2 oldest mags are... The gun's got about 1600 rds. through it so far. If it happens again, I'll replace the spring/follower.


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## 1911 driver (Apr 12, 2008)

*malfunctions*

The vast majority of "stovepipe" malfunctions can be traced to poor grip techniques. Glocks of all models are suseptible to this type of operational problem. A simple change in grip...say to a more aggressive style of grip will greatly eliminate the incidence of it occurring regularly.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

1911 driver said:


> The vast majority of "stovepipe" malfunctions can be traced to poor grip techniques.


Which is nothing like the malfunction he described.


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## Glockamania® (Dec 21, 2006)

What's so great about Glock mags, is that if one malfunctions you can always buy more. They're very affordable. I have 12 mags and growing.


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## Old Padawan (Mar 16, 2007)

I had a Glock mag that had split after being left in the car for a couple of days while loaded (it wasn’t in the gun). AZ heat is extreme. I sent it to Glock, a new one showed up a week later.


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## submoa (Dec 16, 2007)

Spartan said:


> My G19 had a stovepipe last weekend.


Was the case vertical (true stovepipe) or was mouth of the casing firmly wedged against the barrel hood (NYPD Phase 3)?


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

@ Submoa

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the picture you posted would be an extractor problem right? Either by low power load not fully cycling the weapon, extreme limpwristing, or overpowered mainspring.

In the photo, it appears that the case never struck the ejector or it wouldn't be straight with the breach face. I've seen stovepipes happen when someone doesn't have a firm grip and the slide actually captures the case as the gun apexes during recoil, but this one here just looks odd.

(I also realize you might be trying to diagnose by showing this picture, but I've never actually seen this condition, only heard about it.)

Zhur


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## Spartan (Jan 1, 2007)

submoa said:


> Was the case vertical (true stovepipe) or was mouth of the casing firmly wedged against the barrel hood (NYPD Phase 3)?


It wasn't positioned like your example. The spent casing was perpendicular to the slide, sticking out 'sideways' with the open portion facing the right of the gun... like the [sh*tty cell phone] picture:










I am going to give the gun the benefit of the doubt and hope it was just an out of spec, too light loaded round. It was, UMC after all. I've put 700 rounds through it since mid-May and this is the only problem.


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## submoa (Dec 16, 2007)

zhurdan said:


> @ Submoa
> 
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but the picture you posted would be an extractor problem right? Either by low power load not fully cycling the weapon, extreme limpwristing, or overpowered mainspring.
> 
> ...


Actually, the picture is of a Phase Three malfunction that has been plaguing NYPD glocks for years. This initially showed up on G19s and has been subsquently observed on all models of Glocks in use by NYPD.

"Our studies have shown this to be a rare occurrence," said police spokesman Chief Michael Collins. "In the worst-case scenario... we estimated that this has happened only once in 450,000 times when fired."

A 1:450k chance of getting a Phase 3 might seem rare, but if you consider how much ammo you shoot each month (hundreds?) and the number of Glocks sold (millions?), its worth learning about.



Sean L. McMahon said:


> *"Phase Three Malfunction? Never heard of it!" *
> 
> So begins the typical conversation about an annoying gremlin that has been irritating the New York City Police Department Firearms and Tactics Section (FTS) and Glock, Inc. for approximately six years. When NYPD began experiencing a specific type of malfunction, apparently endemic to the Glock Model 19 service weapon, sometime in 1996, the FTS coined the term "Phase Three" to identify this particular non-reducible stoppage, described as basically a jam where a fired casing is partially extracted, the case rim still solidly lodged under the extractor with the mouth of the casing firmly wedged against the barrel hood. The casing is not vertical in position as in a stovepipe malfunction, but rather horizontal, exactly on the same plane as would be a cartridge loaded in the chamber but higher.
> 
> ...


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

Thanks for the info.

Zhur


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## R.J.Adams (Apr 10, 2008)

I guess nothing is absolutely reliable.


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## Glockamania® (Dec 21, 2006)

Limp wristing can also be a cause for the malfunctions too.


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## 1911 driver (Apr 12, 2008)

*malfunctions*

Mike,
Brilliant...my comments were not directed solely at the original post..!!


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## Zaakir*Abdullah (Feb 16, 2008)

I dont think the P3 malfunctions are an issue with newer G19s. 
Can the P3 malfunctions be cleared with s simple tap rack bang?


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## StatesRights (May 13, 2009)

First of all, my 24/7 OSS NEVER STOVEPIPES, whether I'm shooting limp wristed, holding it upside down, weak hand shooting, etc. Looks like you should start looking a better gun, one that won't stovepipe on you when a home intruder breaks in your house.
Here's a post from another forum complaining about glock stovepipes. 
http://glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=882123

Oh, one more thing..... stop believing the hype and stockpiling ammo. It only causes higher prices for us and higher profits for the ammo and gun manufacturers. Take a deep breath, relax, and stop buying all the ammo. Things will work out.
10th Ammendment guarantees that fed gov't cannot take away states' rights.


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