Issue with Glock G17

[CharlieFoxtrot]

Ok so I tried to build a slide for my Gen 3 G17, which by the way works fine with current slide (Which I also built from a Brownells slide- bottom is stock OEM Glock). Built this with no (apparent) problem. Dry fires fine. Works fine with snap caps. By this I mean trigger resets when racked and clicks when you pull it. When I load it with real ammo- nothing. I chamber a round and it seems like the trigger/striker is not cocking and or setting. Won’t fire. Taken it all apart and reassembled twice. Same results. Fires fine with first slide.

Thoughts? This has got me stumped. Thanks

For anyone wondering why I wanted another - I wanted a slide with a cut out to mount an RMR.

 

[Melnic]

There is a button on the bottom that slide that if the tab sticking up from that trigger bar thingie is not pressing it in, the striker won't go all the way forward. Its supposed to make sure the slide is all the way forward before the striker can hit.
You will notice that if you pull the striker back w/ the slide off the lower, it won't pop out the hole at the back unless that button is in.
(hope I'm describing that correctly)
If you reloaded, you can take a sized case with just a primer and test on the bench (with ear pro). I have never tried this but you may also be able to take a fired shell, thin enough punch and punch the primer back flat, then look for the primer strike to test.

 

[Bountied]

Ok so I tried to build a slide for my Gen 3 G17, which by the way works fine with current slide (Which I also built from a Brownells slide- bottom is stock OEM Glock). Built this with no (apparent) problem. Dry fires fine. Works fine with snap caps. By this I mean trigger resets when racked and clicks when you pull it. When I load it with real ammo- nothing. I chamber a round and it seems like the trigger/striker is not cocking and or setting. Won’t fire. Taken it all apart and reassembled twice. Same results. Fires fine with first slide.

Thoughts? This has got me stumped. Thanks

For anyone wondering why I wanted another - I wanted a slide with a cut out to mount an RMR.

Only things I can think of is the extractor doing something weird, the firing pin is not right for the slide, or the striker spring is wrong. What are the part numbers of the components you have?

 

[Melnic]

Jump to 1:15 of this video is what I'm talking about



If there is one thing I'll say about building a G17 Poly 80 lower is that I learned a LOT more (still could learn more) about how the gun operates as I had to tweek stuff on that Poly 80 to get it as reliable as my Factory G17 Gen 3 is. After paying for the Serial # compliance, that darn thing cost me more than a new gun I think. The experience was priceless though

 

[erwos]

My gut feeling is that your striker safety is in wrong, or your striker is somehow out of spec. If your frame is stock Glock, there's really not a ton that can go wrong otherwise.

 

[Bountied]

Jump to 1:15 of this video is what I'm talking about

It could be the firing pin safety, but then I would think the snap caps would not work either. I wonder if the bolt face is not milled correctly or the coating is too thick. The rim on a snap cap may be thinner than a real cartridge. Is the slide in battery with a real cartridge? If the only thing that changes from working to not working is real ammo vs snap caps I would look at the differences between those to shed some light on this.

 

[outrider58]

Did you lube it before testing?

 

[brianns]

Can you verify the firing pin/striker comes out of the opening in the slide face when it does release? Do you have the liner in the slide?

 

[outrider58]

Can you verify the firing pin/striker comes out of the opening in the slide face when it does release? Do you have the liner in the slide?

I have had two after market strikers break off at the firing pin.

 

[brianns]

I have had two after market strikers break off at the firing pin.

Wow! You need to stop using the tungsten primers.

 

[erwos]

It could be the firing pin safety, but then I would think the snap caps would not work either. I wonder if the bolt face is not milled correctly or the coating is too thick. The rim on a snap cap may be thinner than a real cartridge. Is the slide in battery with a real cartridge? If the only thing that changes from working to not working is real ammo vs snap caps I would look at the differences between those to shed some light on this.

The thing is, the Glock trigger will "reset" with even very minimal slide movement. That's not the same as the striker being (half-)cocked or the connector having any engagement with the striker. I'd hope that the OP could tell the difference, but I suppose you never know.

 

[smokey]

Verify the gun is unloaded/safe and then flip the gun over so you can look up the magwell with a flashlight as you press the trigger. You'll be able to see the striker safety plunger and the tab on the trigger bar as you press the trigger from there. Look to see if those two parts are interacting as they should, then move on to the striker. Look to see if the striker is chewed up at all where the striker safety plunger would bang in to it if not fully pushed up when you fire it.

You've also got the other test... toss a pencil, eraser first, in to the barrel with the gun pointed up(and empty of course). Fire the gun and see if the pencil jumps out of the barrel.

Also... is the gun going in to battery with live ammo?

 

[outrider58]

Wow! You need to stop using the tungsten primers.

Damned injection molded trash. Thought I'd gotten rid of them.

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

My gut feeling is that your striker safety is in wrong, or your striker is somehow out of spec. If your frame is stock Glock, there's really not a ton that can go wrong otherwise.

Yeah, that’s a suspicion. I used just a bunch of parts I had lying around so I’m not sure where they are from. I think first thing I’ll do is order an OEM striker and spring and see if that works. I thought about swapping with the parts from the other slide, but that works fine so I’m not sure I want to mess with it.

Did you lube it before testing?

Yes, but just the usual places. Nothing inside the striker area.

There is a button on the bottom that slide that if the tab sticking up from that trigger bar thingie is not pressing it in, the striker won't go all the way forward. Its supposed to make sure the slide is all the way forward before the striker can hit.
You will notice that if you pull the striker back w/ the slide off the lower, it won't pop out the hole at the back unless that button is in.
(hope I'm describing that correctly)
If you reloaded, you can take a sized case with just a primer and test on the bench (with ear pro). I have never tried this but you may also be able to take a fired shell, thin enough punch and punch the primer back flat, then look for the primer strike to test.

I’ll try that.

Can you verify the firing pin/striker comes out of the opening in the slide face when it does release? Do you have the liner in the slide?

Liner is in. I’ll check tonight

Thank to everyone for the suggestions. I’ll try these ideas and report back.

 

[erwos]

Yeah, that’s a suspicion. I used just a bunch of parts I had lying around so I’m not sure where they are from. I think first thing I’ll do is order an OEM striker and spring and see if that works. I thought about swapping with the parts from the other slide, but that works fine so I’m not sure I want to mess with it.

Striker isn't very expensive, so that's a good idea.

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

Verify the gun is unloaded/safe and then flip the gun over so you can look up the magwell with a flashlight as you press the trigger. You'll be able to see the striker safety plunger and the tab on the trigger bar as you press the trigger from there. Look to see if those two parts are interacting as they should, then move on to the striker. Look to see if the striker is chewed up at all where the striker safety plunger would bang in to it if not fully pushed up when you fire it.

You've also got the other test... toss a pencil, eraser first, in to the barrel with the gun pointed up(and empty of course). Fire the gun and see if the pencil jumps out of the barrel.

Also... is the gun going in to battery with live ammo?

Great suggestions. Cant wait to get home now and try these. The MDS hive mind is awesome!

 

[Bountied]

I'm just confused why it works fine with snap caps, empty, and not with real ammo. If the gun wasn't functioning at all I would check the internals but the only difference from what the OP said is with live ammo. What would cause this? In the past I've put a piece of tape on the snap cap over the rubber primer and fired to see if there was a rip indicating that the striker is hitting the rubber primer. If this works with snap caps why won't it work with real ammo? If the slide is out of battery this will happen. You only need to push the slide back about 2mm for the trigger to not function properly. What kind of barrel are you using? When you chamber a round are there any marks on the bullet or case?

 

[outrider58]

It's got to be the slide if the gun works with the original slide. Is the red dot mounted?

If nothing else works, take all the parts from the original slide and swap them into the new slide. That will hopefully tell you whether it's the slide or the parts that need looking at.

 

[Bountied]

It's got to be the slide if the gun works with the original slide. Is the red dot mounted?

If nothing else works, take all the parts from the original slide and swap them into the new slide. That will hopefully tell you whether it's the slide or the parts that need looking at.

That's what I'm thinking but I was wonder if the dimensions of the snap caps allow the pistol to function but the real ammo does not?

 

[outrider58]

That's what I'm thinking but I was wonder if the dimensions of the snap caps allow the pistol to function but the real ammo does not?

That very well could be. For testing pistols, I refer to make my own caps out of real brass and bullets.