Was having problems with my Glock 19 failing to go into battery with a slidelock reload. At first I thought the problem might be related to my recoil spring, I was running a 15-pound ISMI (factory stock recoil spring poundage is 18 pounds) and the ISMI G19 springs do run somewhat shorter than stock. I was thinking insufficient preload (the amount of pressure the recoil spring puts on the slide when it’s all the way forward in battery, or put another way, the amount of force available to close the action as the slide goes forward that last little bit). Switched to a Wolff 15-pounder, on a Wolff steel guide rod. The Wolff is a longer spring, I could tell just hand cycling the action that it gave more preload. Still had the same problem, the action would stop just short of going into battery.
At this point, I put the gun aside, strapped my Glock 17 to my body because I know it works, and figured, “Okay, maybe my G19 just doesn’t like a lighter recoil spring, I’ll get a stock 18-pounder, install that and see if it solves the problem.” Then I started thinking, “Y’know, if this were a 1911 instead of a Glock, I wouldn’t be thinking ‘recoil system,’ I’d be thinking ‘extractor hook.’”
Checked the gun, it has a dip LCI extractor. Locked the slide to the rear, this extractor design has a really long, pointy hook where the inner edge of the hook protrudes considerably further inward than the side of the breech face. There are some ideas that are bad, then there are the ideas that are so bad you’re amazed anyone with two brain cells to rub together could ever have thought they were good. Obviously what was happening was that, as the round was trying to slip up under the extractor, that hook was catching on its rim, retarding enough forward momentum of the slide that it was stopping when the firing pin hit the trigger bar, just out of battery.
However, we had a cure for that! Whipped our Mr. Dremel. I have radiused a lot of 1911 extractors over the years. In a way the Glock extractor was easier because I only had to radius one part, render that hook into a gentle curve, whereas with a 1911 you have to radius both the hook and the interior of the extractor behind the hook. In another sense it was harder because it took one hell of a lot longer. I’ll tellya what, sports fans, those MIM Glock extractors are harder than the hinges of Hell. This is not a “hit it lightly” job. Nor is it a “hold the part in your fingers while you do it” job. Heat buildup is high enough, the job takes enough time, you absolutely need a vise to hold the part. There is no way on God’s green earth you could do this job with a file, you absolutely need the kiss of the Dremel.
Overall it took about five minutes with the Dremel and a blue stone, but eventually it was done. Since then I’ve put around another 500 rounds through the G19 and the gun now goes into battery from a slidelock reload as pretty as you’d please.
I love it when the gun actually works.