Have you wondered how Glocks are Numbered? I have. However, I constantly get asked what I think about the Glock 324B* or some other obscure number
I never bothered to memorize the Glock numbering scheme. I just ask for a specific size and caliber. Since, I prefer a compact 9mm. Therefore, I typically buy a Glock 19.
The reason I don’t keep up with the numbering system is that it does not make sense for the user. They are not numbered in order of caliber or size.
Glocks are numbered by the order Gaston Glock gets patent number. I would prefer them listed by caliber and size.
Why not put all the 9mm guns in a row, then number by size. Glock 1, 2, and 3 could be the standard, compact, subcompact. Then the 4,5, and 6 could be the .40 S&W guns. Next could come the .45 ACP in the 7, 8, and 9 models.
That would be much easier for me to remember. In contrast, the reason Glock pistols start at 17 is that Gaston Glock had 16 patents before guns. He originally made polymer kitchen utensils before he decided to go after an Austrian military contract for a new pistol.
(* I made that number up. There is not a Glock 324 but I expect some day Glock may make one)
Here is a Basic Breakdown
Glock 17 is a 9mm full size
The 18 is the select fire version
Nest, the Glock 19 is the 9mm compact
20, 21, 22 are all full size, with the 20 chambered in 10mm, the 21 in .45 acp, and the 22 in .40 S&W
22, 23, and 24 are all .40 with the difference being size. The 23 is compact, the 24 is sized for competition.
Glock 25 is a compact .380
26-30 are all sub compacts. In order of caliber, they are: 9mm, .40, .380, 10mm. Lastly the 30 is a .45acp
31, 32, and 33 are all chambered in .357 sig. the 31 is fill sized, the 32 compact, and the 33 is subcompact. This is the series the TN Highway patrol carries.
34 and 35 are competition guns. the 34 is 9mm. the 35 is .40 S&W
The Glock 36 is a slimline .45 acp
Lastly, the 37, 38, and 39 are chambered in .45GAP. the 37 is the standard full size, the 38 compact, and the 39 the sub compact.
Today I am taking some Sellier and Bellot 308 Match Ammunition to the range to try out in my CETME rifle.
Sellier and Bellot has been producing cartridge ammunition since 1825.
They produce ammunition using high quality components which is used by hunters, competition shooters, law enforcement agencies and militaries around the world.
This ammunition is new production, non-corrosive, in boxer primed, reloadable brass cases.
Here is the Technical Information on the rounds:
Caliber: 308 Winchester
Bullet Weight: 168 Grains
Bullet Style: Hollow Point Boat Tail
Case Type: Brass
Ballistics Information
Muzzle Velocity: 2628 fps
Muzzle Energy: 2577 ft. lbs.
I found this ammo to be good quality, but I had a problem with very hard primers. That is not always a problem and if you have a gun with a free floating firing pin, then it is a good thing, but if you are shooting a gun with a light firing pin spring you may have many failure to fire malfunctions with this ammo.
This .308 Math Ammunition is actually better than my ability to fire it, and after using it in other guns, I am starting to think that it may have been my gun – not for the group – that was my fault, but for the hard primers.
When I am on the range with new shooters and they have a malfunction they tend to blame the gun. I understand totally, you pay a lot for a firearm, and want to depend on it to function 100% of the time. Especially if you plan on using to defend your life.
If it keeps malfunctioning, you start to wonder if you bought a lemon.
However, it is been my experience that mechanical problems are not the leading reason most semi-automatic handguns malfunction.
There is an acronym that goes over the reasons for handgun malfunction, and it just happens to be in order or likely hood – so when you are on the range and “gun don’t work” try this first That acronym is SAMM.
The list below will show you how to begin firearm stoppage troubleshooting using SAMM.
Shooter
Semi-automatic handguns are amazing things; they are designed to contain and channel explosions, push projectiles at hundreds of feet per second, extract and eject spent casings, push fresh rounds from magazines and then chamber them in the handgun. All this has to be done with a single input of energy and timed and balanced so that everything is done.
The shooter is a variable in the design. If the shooter does not provide a steady platform for the gun to recoil against, then the laws of physics make the whole gun want to recoil equally instead of just the slide. If the slide is not able to move farther and faster than the frame of the handgun you will get failures to extract, failures to eject, double feeds, and failures to load.
In my experience with new shooters, the greatest single cause of handgun malfunctions is the shooter not holding the handgun properly.
Ammo
Ammunition malfunctions are another cause of firearms failing to function as designed. I have no issue with reloads, and done properly by a skilled individual hand loaded ammunition can function much better than factory ammunition. However, there are a lot of variables in ammunition manufacture, and reloads tend to have a greater than normal incidence of misfires, hang fires, and squib loads. Some guns (like my Walther P22) are very finicky about the ammunition it will digest, and ammunition that does not have a lot of pressure will cause the gun to double feed or fail to extract.
Remember, that with a semi-automatic, the round is part of the firearm operation, and it moves inside the firearm. If the nose of the bullet does not smoothly engage the feeding ramp then the firearm will not load smoothly. There is a reason for the recommendation that you practice with the same type of ammunition you choose to carry for defensive use.
If you have malfunction after malfunction, especially with chambering, you may want to switch ammunition brands or styles.
Maintenance
Most, if not all, ranges offer rental guns, and most of those ranges do not spend a lot of effort in ensuring that their rental guns are cleaned properly.
One range I use rents an old red label Sturm, Ruger & Co .22 pistol. I doubt that gun has been cleaned since Mr. Sturm passed in 1951. These guns are popular handguns, and known for their great design, but that particular firearm will not shoot more than 2 rounds before it has a jam. It is simply too dirty. I have thought about cleaning it myself, but I have a side bet to see if it will ever get so dirty it won’t except a magazine….
Glock’s torture test is legendary, but as their armorer course instructor said, it’s a test – not a daily routine.
Just because you CAN drop you loaded gun in the mud, let it sit for a month then fire it without cleaning doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Clean your firearm, lube it according to the manufacturer specifications, hold it properly, and feed it what it likes to eat and your gun will work 99.9% of the time
Mechanical
There is a reason Mechanical is last. Stock guns maintained properly very rarely break on the range. It does happen, and I have had front sights work themselves loose after thousands of practice draws, but it is not routine enough that it is front of my mind when diagnosing why a new shooter is having malfunctions on the range.
Typically, even most mechanical malfunctions I have seen come from shooters using aftermarket parts on their guns. If the designer wanted a titanium firing pin for a lighter quicker primer strike, why did they not put a titanium pin in the gun? It seems to me, that in today’s litigious world, especially with the competition between gun manufacturers, if a part made the gun better, faster, or stronger, the manufacturer would sell it – either in the gun or as an option.
This is just my two cents, it doesn’t butter my biscuit either way – if your gun is stock, or you hung everything but Christmas Lights on it. I am just trying to pass on what I have seen, and what I have learned through the years.
Malfunctions of equipment happen “they happen, and you can get blown away –Lee Paige”.
Depending on the type of class, and the instructor teaching the response will differ. Responses range anywhere from raise your hand and an instructor will fix it to “what the heck are you doing, fix it and get back in the game”.
We talked about the reason for the difference in the post on handgun malfunctions.
We also talked about how important it is to know how your handgun functions so that you can clear those malfunctions.
Today we will talk about ammunition malfunctions and how best to deal with them.
When you pull the trigger there are generally 4 basic things that can happen.
The round can go off normally and be propelled to where the barrel directed it to go.
The round can go off with reduced force and “dribble” out or get stuck in the barrel
Nothing can happen.
You think nothing happened, but the round goes off with a noticeable delay.
We are not even going to address the round going off normally – that’s not a malfunction.
Squib Load
If the round does not fire with the normal noise, recoil, or muzzle flash. Basically whenever a round is fired and it does not develop the normal force it is supposed to it is called a squib load. Normally this is found in reloaded ammunition where the reloader did not put in enough (or any powder). This can occur in factory ammunition. However, in my experience every squib load I have had has come from my own reloads where I did not pay sufficient attention to detail.
The problem with a squib load is that the round does not always generate enough pressure for the round to fully exit the barrel. If a round is stuck in your barrel and you fire again – there WILL be an extreme buildup of pressure as the full power round strikes the plugged barrel – (think Looney tunes when the rabbit sticks his finger in the end of the hunter’s shotgun – BAD DAY for the Elmer).
Obviously this is something to take seriously, and if you notice a difference between bullets in the same lot (or box) or just a round in general if you have some experience, you should clear the gun, and dissemble it enough (field strip) to run a cleaning rod down the barrel to ensure it does not have any obstructions.
Misfire
The next malfunction is a misfire. A misfire occurs when you pull the trigger on a loaded firearm and nothing happens. I have seen this occur most often when shooters over lubricate their firearms and/or use things like WD-40 instead of gun oil. WD-40 is a penetrate and not a lubricant, and it has a tendency to penetrate the gap around a centerfire primer and deactivate the explosive compound. Common sense would dictate that the way you remedy a misfire is to eject the round and charge the firearm with a fresh round. However, before you do that you need to know about the third type of ammunition malfunction.
Hangfire
A Hang Fire starts out like a misfire – loaded gun, trigger pull, nothing…. But just when you think it is safe to go back in the water – BANG. A hang fire is a noticeable delay between the primer strike and the round firing. Imagine what would happen if you tap rank assess a hang fire thinking it is a misfire, and you have a cartridge spinning past your head when it goes off. Because the round is not in a chamber it won’t develop the same force as it does in the gun, but I don’t want to risk it.
You can’t immediately determine the difference between a miss and hang fires. Therefore, it is best to treat both as a hang fire.
To do this, simply keep the handgun pointed in a safe direction and wait 15-30 seconds. If the round does not fire in that time, you are safe to assume it is a misfire and perform your immediate action.
Hang fires generally also come from reloaded or extremely old ammunition. In most instances I have witnessed it comes from a reloader that did not ensure the primer pocket is clear of cleaning media and the primer flame has to burn through a piece of corn cob before it can get to the powder. I am sure it could also come from factory loaded ammunition, but either way, this is a pretty rare malfunction.
In Conclusion
The last thing I want to say is something I touched on in the handgun malfunction video, use some common sense and good risk management. If you are on a gun range then ALWAYS use extra caution. The worst thing that can happen by taking extra caution is that you ingrain good safety habits. If you rush and have a negligent discharge you may end up killing someone.
On the other hand, if you are in a defensive situation, and someone is shooting at you, and your round misfires it is different. Which is more an immediate threat, the gunman or the risk of a misfire? No one but yourself can make that assessment, so you owe it to yourself to know the risks.
In closing, I don’t want anyone to think I am against reloading. Don’t assume that the average reload is any better or worse than the average factory round. However, in my experience, I have had much more ammunition malfunctions in reloaded rounds. That is because when I started reloading I did pay close enough attention. After a few close calls I stopped reloading completely until I was ready to learn the correct ways of doing things.
One of the first guns I ever bought for myself was a Springfield Armory M6 scout rifle. Like almost all owners of the M6 scout, I really like the concept, but I find it needs a sling swivel to really fit my needs.
What is the M6 Scout
For the uninitiated, the M6 scout started life as a survival item for Air Force pilots. It is a hinge action over under that breaks into two parts for storage. The air force version is normally a .22 hornet over .410, but mine is a .22 long rifle over .410. The actual military model’s barrel is shorter than the National Firearm Act allows for unregistered firearms, so the civilian barrel is about 4 inches longer. It has two cutouts on the sheet metal stock that are supposed to be improvised wrenches, but I have never attempted to use them. In my opinion, other than the size and weight of the gun, the best feature is that the butt-stock opens to hold 4 .410 shells and 15 .22 (only 9 if it’s a .22 hornet).
While I am an unreconstructed tinkerer that loves messing with things, I am pretty conservative with my firearms, and do not modify them without having a clear and specific goal in mind. I don’t own any “safe queens” or Barbecue guns, all of my firearms are tools, primarily for my family’s or my own self defense. Over the years I have seen too many overly modified guns lose reliability with each “improvement” to the designer’s specifications.
A Few Nice Modifications
However, there were four areas that my scout needed improvement, and none of them modified the actual mechanical function of the firearm in anyway. Since the purpose of this gun is to forage in a E&E (escape and evasion) scenario its intended use makes it perfect for a GHB (Get Home Bag) kept in a car trunk. My first addition addressed this and was the purchase of the optional blue plastic case to hold both the gun, a 100 round box of .22 long CB caps and two .45 caliber bianchi clips that I stretched and forced 12 .410 shells into (an appropriate mix of 6 #6 shot, 4 slug, and 2 00 buck).
Remove the Trigger Guard and Add Para-cord
My next mod was to remove the trigger guard from the “trigger” which is actually a bar that you can squeeze with you entire hand if needed. All I did was pry the stock apart slightly and pull the guard out (its stamped steel).
Next, I wrapped a long length of para-cord along the barrel as the gun does not have any furniture on it. This provides me with a cool place to put my hand if I somehow shoot enough to heat the barrel, and it gives me some cordage for emergency use. According to some, crewmen were taught to do this using paracord from their chutes if they ever bailed out.
Adding a Sling Swivel
My last modification, and the subject of the video below, was the addition of a sling swivel on the butt-stock. For years I have tried to find a factory sling swivel to attach to my scout. The barrel has a hole at the muzzle for attachment, but the butt-stock does not. The only furniture on the gun is a small rubber pad on the butt-stock, but the screw that holds it in is not substantial enough to do its designed job and hold a sling.
While at the reloading store the other day, I saw a sling swivel for an AR-15 hand guard. I knew immediately that it would work. It was a normal QD swivel on a stud, a round spacer/washer, and an aluminum nut with a round base.
Basically, I used a drill press to drill a hole the aluminum nut could fit into, then screwed the swivel stud into it through the washer. Later I may trim it up a little with my Dremel, but for now it works well enough for my purposes.
Here is a Basic Breakdown
