Budget G-43 Build and Review

[GuitarmanNick]

Due to pending encroachments on 2A, the following is a fictional story about a hypothetical build by an unknown individual that writes in the first person.

Used the following for this build:
Polymer80 PF9SS frame with slide lock
Patmos G43 kit(complete) Although not listed, the slide came with a set of plastic sights, the "match" barrel and recoil spring assembly already installed. As I expected, the internal parts kits are not OEM! The finish on the slide is good, but could be better. It looks a little uneven around the ejection port. The barrel finish is very good, inside and out.

This is a "first" for me since I have always used Glock OEM internal parts in past builds. That said, I resolved myself to the fact that every part would need to be checked and addressed as necessary during the build.

Drilling and "milling" the frame took about 20 minutes including a light sanding with oil of the areas cut out to smooth the finished surfaces. The frame looked perfect and was very easy to do using a set of large toenail cutting pliers to cut away most of the intended target. Very little remained to file and sand smooth.

Once the kit arrived, I began the assembly and ran into several issues very quickly. The rear rail module did not seat far enough into the rear of the frame to allow the pin to be pushed through, even without the trigger assembly installed. I also noted that the front of the rear rails was higher than the rear and not in line with the front rails. The rear rails were also 0.020" higher than the front rails. This is on Ploymer80 and I understand they will send a replacement RRM if requested.

I did a little searching on the interwebs and found a solution that worked well, because I hate to wait. I pulled out the Dremel and removed material from the curved portion of the RRM to allow it to go a little further into the frame and leveled the rear rails at the same time. Once fitted, the pin could be pushed in with normal effort.

Before continuing, it was time to stone the rails with a little oil. They were installed in the frame with no other internal parts and worked until the slide would go on and off smoothly, but was still tight.

When I was happy with the rails, it was on to the internals. After polishing the contact surfaces(not much needed as they looked great upon arrival) and removing a few rough edges with stones, I assemble the lower and finished the slide.

Now a few more issues cropped up. The mags would not drop free which was caused by too much material on the mag release where it contacts the mag. Pulled it out and took off enough material to be flush with the inside of the magwell when pushed. Mags now drop free. Before that could be fixed, I had to figure out why the slide would not come off of the build. Remember, the slide is tight. Eventually, I was able to muscle it free, but it was not something I could live with.

Traced this issue to the point on top of the trigger bar being just a tad too tall. Rounded it a little and took off a few burrs. Now the slide comes off as it should.

The last thing that found which is different from past Glock model builds, is the slide lock cannot be used as a release by mortal man. Again, I searched the interwebs and found that replacing it with an extended release may help, but others say it is only intended to be a slide stop.

Not sure that it will really make a difference to me, as I generally train by pulling the slide back and releasing it to chamber a round on a fresh mag. Was taught many years ago to make this a habit because some pistols do not have a mag release.

Well, after working out the bugs, a mag loaded with snap caps was inserted, and everything manually cycled as it should. The slide locked back on the empty mag, and it dropped free.

A set of nights sights is ordered and will be a nice addition to this build.

Being a cheap SOB, I am using ETS clear mags. Picked up 4 of the "7" rounders which really only accept 7 rounds once in a while. Plan on them being 6 round mags, and you will be very satisfied. Less than half the price of Glock mags, and very reliable. This build was quite inexpensive, overall coming in at $475 with the magazines and night sights. Admittedly, I got some good deals along the way.

Problems encountered could be traced to both Polymer80, and the part kits put together by Patmos. Luckily, there was nothing that could not be fixed. Anyone with decent mechanical skills willing to use them can make a reliable build using these parts kits, but must plan on fitting them.

The end result is a very tight build that I am very much looking forward to testing at the range, tomorrow. Trigger is smooth with a clean break at 5-3/4 lbs using non-OEM parts, but nothing fancy. No modded connector or lighter springs and is alleged to be within Glock specs. Feels about the same as any other Glock build using OEM parts to me, and will certainly improve a little over time.

Being hypothetical, no photos are available. Use your imagination.

 

[outrider58]

Of all the P80s I've worked on, I have yet to find one where the rear rail module dropped in to the correct depth, needing to resort to grinding away at the curved underside til it fits. Another step in rail fitting should include putting a small level across each slide module once installed to make sure they are level with the frame. Do this check while firmly holding the grip/mag well down on a flat level surface(like a countertop) standing up.

Of the two Patmos slides I had the displeasure of working with, I found they were both junk requiring a good bit of work to get them functional.

At the time I built my 43, aftermarket slides were hard to come by. The ones I could find were very expensive, as the 43 variant was still pretty fresh in the market. I opted instead, for a Glock factory new complete G48 slide at a little over $450.

I had problems with the slide stop and replaced the P80 one with a Vickers. It does allow slide release, which I prefer just in case I find myself in one-hand mode.

For now, I'm using Glock mags with Vickers +2 extenders. I changed the plastic mag release with a Hyde metal release with the thinking I might someday switch to Shield Arms steel mags. For now, I don't shoot the gun enough to cause undue wear on the polymer mags. I will run a couple mags of 147gr Gold Dots through the gun just to keep my muscle memory tuned.

This past Christmas, Santa treated me to a Swampfox Sentinel red dot along with a slide cut job performed by Battle Werx. That job was 8 days, door to door and I am very happy with the way things turned out.

The gun looks a lot like this one...

 

[spoon059]

Hypothetically speaking, how much would this cost in current American dollars?

Sent from my SM-N970U1 using Tapatalk

 

[outrider58]

G48 slides are going for $400-$500 on fleabay.

 

[Threeband]

Since this is a fictional story, why not add some Hot Babes?

 

[outrider58]

Since this is a fictional story, why not add some Hot Babes?

I looooove Lauren! Grrrrrrrrr!

 

[GunBum]

A G43 is a German semiautomatic rifle from WWII. Shame on Gaston Glock for reusing the name. I was excited that I was going to see a cool build, then to my dismay…. Another Glock.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

The hypothetical range trip did not go as well as anticipated. Hand loads were used and although they have worked in everything else without issues....

Failed to go all the way into battery a few times, had some light strikes, and really would like the slide lock to release the slide.

A close examination of the firing pin safety plunger and trigger bar revealed some rough edges remaining, so back to the stones and Dremel. As the trigger was pulled, the slide would move to the rear because the hump on the trigger bar was not fully depressing the safety plunger. Instead, it was pulling on the slide. Cleaned the firing pin channel and found a little metal chip stuck in the vent hole in the bottom of the slide. Either may have been responsible for the light strikes. One day, a set of OEM Glock internals will likely replace the generic parts in this kit. Never had an issue with them.

Without a mag inserted, the slide still moves just over 1mm when pulling the trigger before the striker is released. With a mag inserted, there is no rearward movement of the slide.

Planning a quick trip back to the range for testing with factory rounds to eliminate the primers in my hand loads may be too hard. All rounds fired on a subsequent attempt.

Moving to the slide lock. On the Polymer80 frame, it is provided and different from the Glock 43 slide lock lever. Finding an extended slide lock lever may be possible, but I am a cheap SOB! I elected to modify the provided lever to get more leverage. Using drill bits from a numbered drill index, inserting the shanks into the hook and forcing them in with pliers to spread it open a little at a time. Finished with a #25 bit, reassembled and tested. Now the slide can be released and it does not stick out too far from the frame to snag of clothing.

 

[echo6mike]

A G43 is a German semiautomatic rifle from WWII. Shame on Gaston Glock for reusing the name. I was excited that I was going to see a cool build, then to my dismay…. Another Glock.

This is what I came in here hoping to see - I'd be down for that project gun!

 

[GuitarmanNick]

Sorry to those looking for a German rifle.

A continuing saga has unfolded with this build:

Four range trips, and still chasing causes for the problems. My first build only required 2 range trips to work out the bugs and end up with a reliable tool.

Things in addition to the above found so far...

PATMOS Judah slide: Poor finishing of the striker channel left it with a lot of roughness. Cleaning aggressively with brake cleaner helped very little. Still had quite a few light strikes. Wrapped some #0000 steel wool on a brush, chucked it up in a drill, and went to town. Finally, the striker moves without binding. External finish is very uneven. Looks like the slide was not cleaned properly before the coating process.

Polymer80 PF9SS frame: Needed to remove some material just behind the bend in the trigger bar that was keeping it from full travel and causing occasional trigger reset failure.

Aftermarket striker: Very rough finish on the nearly flat tip and popped a couple of primers. Dressed the tip and rounded it a little. Checked protrusion and found it to be 0.055" which should be good.

Aftermarket recoil spring assembly: The slide still moves to the rear a little as the trigger is pulled and occasionally fails to fully return to battery when cycling if the trigger is held back after firing. Releasing the trigger a little allows the slide to close as the trigger resets. The barrel can be seen dropping slightly at times when the trigger is pulled indicating a very weak spring, IMO.

Just ordered a Glock OEM recoil spring which should be here next week and I am hopeful it will make this build as reliable as my others. Seems others have had the slide movement issue and this is the cure.
Overall, the seller has worked with me and refunded a portion of my payment which will cover the cost of the OEM part. I could not be more pleased with him. Disappointed in the QC at PATMOS.

Kind of perplexed on what this build is doing to fired primers. There are times when strikes are near the primer's edge and the round does not go off. Other times it looks like the dimple was "filled in" for lack of a better way to say it. Almost like a weld. The rear cover to the slide was been found to be loose after the last range trip, and I know it was installed correctly when it was reassembled. Thinking the striker spring cups may be out of spec or need to be replaced after trying to use them in a scarred up striker channel. Perhaps this is related to the recoil assembly, and will be corrected with the OEM part.

I would not recommend the PATMOS Arms kits to anyone lacking very good mechanical skills. Even then, it is much easier to get reliability using OEM internals.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

Update....

Got the Glock OEM recoil spring on Saturday and tested it in the build yesterday. No more slide movement when pulling the trigger and it goes into battery with a positive feel. Put 4 mags through it without a failure. Next trip I plan on running at least 100 rounds through it to insure it is reliable.

 

[jokie]

you need to post pictures of this hypothetical G43.

 

[dannyp]

Sorry to those looking for a German rifle.

A continuing saga has unfolded with this build:

Four range trips, and still chasing causes for the problems. My first build only required 2 range trips to work out the bugs and end up with a reliable tool.

Things in addition to the above found so far...

PATMOS Judah slide: Poor finishing of the striker channel left it with a lot of roughness. Cleaning aggressively with brake cleaner helped very little. Still had quite a few light strikes. Wrapped some #0000 steel wool on a brush, chucked it up in a drill, and went to town. Finally, the striker moves without binding. External finish is very uneven. Looks like the slide was not cleaned properly before the coating process.

Polymer80 PF9SS frame: Needed to remove some material just behind the bend in the trigger bar that was keeping it from full travel and causing occasional trigger reset failure.

Aftermarket striker: Very rough finish on the nearly flat tip and popped a couple of primers. Dressed the tip and rounded it a little. Checked protrusion and found it to be 0.055" which should be good.

Aftermarket recoil spring assembly: The slide still moves to the rear a little as the trigger is pulled and occasionally fails to fully return to battery when cycling if the trigger is held back after firing. Releasing the trigger a little allows the slide to close as the trigger resets. The barrel can be seen dropping slightly at times when the trigger is pulled indicating a very weak spring, IMO.

Just ordered a Glock OEM recoil spring which should be here next week and I am hopeful it will make this build as reliable as my others. Seems others have had the slide movement issue and this is the cure.
Overall, the seller has worked with me and refunded a portion of my payment which will cover the cost of the OEM part. I could not be more pleased with him. Disappointed in the QC at PATMOS.

Kind of perplexed on what this build is doing to fired primers. There are times when strikes are near the primer's edge and the round does not go off. Other times it looks like the dimple was "filled in" for lack of a better way to say it. Almost like a weld. The rear cover to the slide was been found to be loose after the last range trip, and I know it was installed correctly when it was reassembled. Thinking the striker spring cups may be out of spec or need to be replaced after trying to use them in a scarred up striker channel. Perhaps this is related to the recoil assembly, and will be corrected with the OEM part.

I would not recommend the PATMOS Arms kits to anyone lacking very good mechanical skills. Even then, it is much easier to get reliability using OEM internals.

hypothetically i cycled my patmos upper at least one hundred times before trying to chamber a round , it seemed to work out fine , it goes bang when you pull the trigger .