Glock Imperfection

"Glock 'Perfection'? You Keep Using That Word…"--Active Self Protection Extra (8 min.)

     Glock has announced a new pistol--the Glock 45 which, confusingly, is a 9 mm pistol. Essentially, it is a Glock 19X, except in black and eliminating some of the problems with the 19X--essentially the lack of forward slide serrations and getting rid of the 19X's "front toe" which supposedly was to make it easier to strip out a magazine.

       Glock likes to advertise its products with the phrase "Glock Perfection." But echoing The Princess Bride, John Correia of Active Self Protection notes in the video above that, although Glock keeps using that word, they don't seem to know what it means. First of all, as Correia notes, buying a Glock is not the end of the story, because to really get the weapon ready for street use, there are a lot of changes that need to be made. At a minimum, the crappy plastic factory sights need to be replaced, and most people opt for changes to lighten the trigger, whether a 3.5 lbs trigger connector, different springs, or whatever. Especially with some of the older generations, the frame could also use some modifications to make it better including a deeper undercut behind the trigger guard and stippling to make the grip more grippy. Other changes a lot of people opt for are a better slide stop lever (the standard is just a bit of bent over steel that is almost useless--although the extended lever that ships on the competition models, such as the Glock 34, is usable) and/or a better magazine release button. So, when you buy a Glock, you need to budget in at least another $150 to $200 dollars for upgrades--more if you want work on the grip. Not as bad as the older Colt 1911s which, essentially, had to be rebuilt by a gunsmith to work reliably, but still not perfection. (For the record, when I bought my Glock 34, the trigger was so atrocious that I had to not only purchase a 3.5 connector, but also change out the striker spring with something a bit lighter).

      However, sometimes there are larger problems that, while they don't make the firearm unusable, are annoying. One of those is the tendency for Glocks to shoot to the left. I can almost hear the comments now that it all has to do with stance or grip. In some cases--perhaps even most cases--that is true. But I think there are some mechanical issues at play in some instances. I can't find the post right now, and am not sure where I even read it--I think at The Captain's Journal or Gun Nuts Media--but the author had gone into a store and noted that all of the Glock handguns in the case had the rear sights set far to the right, and commented on the poor quality control. I'm sure that the author thought it was poor quality control in pressing the sights into place, but I suspect that the sights were accurately lined up for the pistols' points of aim--it was the barrel and/or slide that were to blame.

      The reason I suggest this is that my Glock 34 has persistent problems with shooting to the left. When I purchased it, I noted that the rear sight had also been adjusted far to the right. Since it was the display model and the 34 comes with adjustable sights, I just figured that someone had messed with the sights. However, that does not appear to be the case. No matter what I tried, if the sights were centered, the hits were always to the left. I finally gave up, and just readjusted the sights.

     Recently, I read a few articles and saw a couple videos discussing the problems with Glocks shooting to the left, and the authors again asserted that it was something to do with the shooter's hold or stance. One author made suggestions as to how to grip the pistol, and another suggested a simple test--shoot one handed from each hand.  It still bugs me that I have to have the sights so far to the right, so, this weekend, I decided to give the suggestions a try.

      I shot several rounds left handed versus right handed. The rounds did strike just slightly on opposite sides of the point of aim, but not enough to worry about. Then, carefully implementing the steps outlined to "correct" my grip, I shot two handed, resulting in the rounds striking in the middle right at my point of aim. And this is with the sight still adjusted far to the right. So, I give up. I don't have the issue with any other of my handguns, including a different Glock, so I will just leave my sights where they are.

     However, as an addendum, I would note that there is some visual indication that not all is right with the alignment of the barrel. The Glock 34, as you may know, has a long slide that has been lightened by cutting out a portion of the top of the slide near the front, exposing the barrel. As I line the weapon up to get a reflection from a light along the slide and the exposed portion of the barrel, it appears to me that the reflection along the barrel does point slightly toward the left, again suggesting that it may be a mechanical issue.