Any Glock models to avoid??

[bjl95mustang]

I'm thinking of buying a Glock. I found a few used ones for sale at a reputable gun shop all going for about $300.

I can't remember what model's they were but most of them were .40's. Some of them had the newer grips.

Are there any models I should avoid.

 

[Texas42]

. . . the ones you don't like.

 

[okie556]

I'm thinking of buying a Glock. I found a few used ones for sale at a reputable gun shop all going for about $300.

I can't remember what model's they were but most of them were .40's. Some of them had the newer grips.

Are there any models I should avoid.

I would buy all the used Glocks I could find for $300.00!! Owned or now now own G19, 17, 22, 23, 31 & 27. All had or have 100% reliability.

 

[ftw13]

G36 single stack 45 is the only one i've heard have problems

 

[Burt Gummer]

If they give you problems, send them to me at no cost to you! Three hundred is a good deal.

 

[Texan2]

I own or have owned almost every Glock there is. If I were looking at a used gun store, I would try to avoid the Gen 1 Glocks if I could. There are tons of Gen 3 models out there for sale at reasonable prices. I put a WTB ad on TX Gun Trader the other day looking for Glocks. I got berated for offering between $300-$400. Goes back to lots of folks thinking that cause they paid $600, I should pay THEM $600...lol. But back to the point...almost any Glock you get is gonna run great. I tend to stay away from any Glocks chambered for the 45 GAP as it isnt the easiest ammo to find and the caliber never took off like Glock hoped it would, but other than that get what caliber you like and blast away.
(FYI...I have a source for $300-$350 used Glocks too, PM me if you dont find what you are looking for)

 

[Texas1911]

G36 is the most finicky of all the Glocks.

 

[thopkins22]

Per Larry Vickers and many(obviously not all) other serious trainers, the 9mm Glocks are the ones to stick with. The 22 and 23 have the most problems, particularly when there is an aftermarket light mounted. Supposedly the extra weight reduces the frame flexes and speeds the whole cycle up to the point that the magazine can't keep up. They "fixed" it by changing the mag springs in the .40s&w guns, and now in the Gen4 guns the general consensus is that those problems are why they've changed the recoil spring to some fancy dual or triple spring setup.

Chances are that you will get a 22 and it will work, but if you're going to mount a heavier light on it(Surefire, Streamlight etc...) make sure that you run it through the ringer hard before you consider it good to go.

I see that I'm going against the grain here, but it's pretty well proven at this point that the .40s&w guns are Glocks problem children. It's probably also worth noting that two of my three autoloaders are Glock 19s, with an M&P and an LCP rounding out the mix. I like the platform, but I'm level headed enough to realize that it isn't perfection.

 

[Texan2]

I see that I'm going against the grain here, but it's pretty well proven at this point that the .40s&w guns are Glocks problem children. It's probably also worth noting that two of my three autoloaders are Glock 19s, with an M&P and an LCP rounding out the mix. I like the platform, but I'm level headed enough to realize that it isn't perfection.

Wow.... I wont go into the flashlight point as a Glock may not work as well with one on there, but I have owned a half dozen G22, G23 and G23Cs and regularly train with lots and lots of LE that carry G22s...that having been said I cant remember the last time I saw any malfunction that was not due to the shooter. Even then we go literally thousands and thousands of rounds between a malfunction with G22s. I know numerous Glock armorers and have never heard one of them make any statement about G22s being the "problem children" in the Glock family. Your experience may be different than mine, but I think saying that "its pretty well proven that the .40s&w guns are Glocks problem children" is a bit of a stretch.....my 2 cents

 

[Byaah_19]

What he said

 

[BurkGlocker]

I own or have owned a G17, G19, G22C, G22, G23, G21SF, G27 and a G31 and the only one that gave me a problem was the G22 and it wasnt the pistol's fault. It was received in a trade for my G21SF, and went to the range to test it out, and after every shot it hung the slide up. Someone put an extended slide release on it and put the pins in in the wrong order. 5 mins later, I had it working and havent had a problem with it since. Not one of my Glocks have had a hiccup, no matter what ammo was run through it. And each of them have had ALOT of ammo put through them except the G27... Its new...

BG

 

[thopkins22]

Wow.... I wont go into the flashlight point as a Glock may not work as well with one on there, but I have owned a half dozen G22, G23 and G23Cs and regularly train with lots and lots of LE that carry G22s...that having been said I cant remember the last time I saw any malfunction that was not due to the shooter. Even then we go literally thousands and thousands of rounds between a malfunction with G22s. I know numerous Glock armorers and have never heard one of them make any statement about G22s being the "problem children" in the Glock family. Your experience may be different than mine, but I think saying that "its pretty well proven that the .40s&w guns are Glocks problem children" is a bit of a stretch.....my 2 cents

My experience is put to shame by these two folks, whom annually see more rounds sent downrange than 99% of most(don't know about here,) gun boards combined.

There are plenty of people who have consulted for Blue Force Gear, Heckler & Koch, Crimson Trace Lasergrips, Daniel Defense, Surefire, Schmidt & Bender, and Aimpoint. There are other premier trainers who served long careers in "Delta Force." There are other people who were in charge of Special Forces weapons development and small arms training. There were other people who helped found IDPA. There are other members of the American Pistolsmith Guild. I can't even begin to list all of his accomplishments without a few hours of extra research. The point is that I don't think anyone except for Larry Vickers can claim ALL of those things. To boot, he's called the G17 the ideal duty pistol and shoots one in most of his classes, he's not anti-Glock.
Per Larry Vickers

As of right now I cannot recommend Glock's in calibers other than 9mm - period

And from here My take on Glock's - M4Carbine.net Forums

Gents

I see the old sand test I was part of years ago has stirred up a hornet's nest over on another forum - I tried to post this thread there but found out I was banned - not sure why that would be so I decided to post this here - in addition it answers several questions I get in nearly every class about Glocks- here goes;

1) IMO the Glock 19 and 17 are the best Glock's made - both are excellent pistols - I own, use, and recommend both

2) I do not recommend the G22, G23, or G21 - based on my experience these pistols have problems (breakage, won't function with rail mounted lights, etc.) and I feel there are better choices in 40 and 45

3) Glocks as a rule are not as accurate as many other service pistols - partly due to the enlarged chamber - this can be fixed with aftermarket barrels

4) I recommend 3 things for a Glock 19 or 17; good sights (Heinie, Novak, 10-8and Warren are my current favorites) , a buttplug to keep debris out of the trigger mech (cheap insurance), and my mag catch made by Tangodown. Optional but highly recommended is frame texturing by Dave Bowie (I like the finger grooves removed also)

5) They are incredibly forgiving in maintenance and lubrication - amazing

6) Incredibly simple to operate - 2 levers/buttons and 1 is optional

7) Always remember the golden rule with a Glock; keep your finger OFF the trigger until you are ready to shoot - if you don't adhere to this expect a loud noise at some point

Bottom line Glocks in 9mm are excellent pistols - they are not my first choice in other calibers however - the S&W M&P has been called a product improved Glock ; this may be true but the verdict is still out as the M&P is a relatively new handgun vs millions of Glock's in service (mostly in 9mm I might add) and S&W has a spotty record in terms of autoloading pistols - time will tell

hope this helps

Larry Vickers

From Todd Green of pistol-training.com who has worked for Sig, S&W, and as soon as he gets done working the P30 for H&K is about to start a project for Glock with the Gen4 guns. I think it's safe to say that the manufacturers consider him impartial.

I would say the G23 is the most problematic model I've seen, both in my personal experience and the experience of various individuals and agencies I've dealt with. The .45 GAP guns could probably beat it in the "don't touch" department but they're so rare it's hard to get a serious read on them. The one unit I know that tested the .45 GAP Glock rejected it, and I know Pennsylvania State Police had a stoppage the first time one of their G37's was used in a fight.

The major issue with the G21 has been magazines, from what I've seen. Glock has been through multiple iterations of the mag.

I'm amazed that anyone who is involved in serious regular training (as a student, instructor, or both) can say he's never seen a Glock fail in a class. I've experienced it personally with both a G23 and a G19, and I've seen it countless times among students. Of course, Glocks also frequently make up half or more of a class's population so it's only fair to factor that into the equation.

I have nothing against the Glock 9mm pistols (though I don't think they're any better than the competition, either). In other calibers, they are much more hit and miss.

One final thought about the G21: it doesn't surprise me at all that people have put thousands of rounds through their own G21's. The difference between a car considered extremely reliable and one considered extremely unreliable is usually just a few percentage points in returns/complaints. I've spoken to people who have flawless Jennings, too, and certainly that doesn't prove the brand or model is great. Are G21's all going to have problems? No ... especially under the common conditions most users will face at the round counts they're likely to see. But is it more likely to have problems than some of the competition? Probably.

People get far too emotionally attached to their handguns and defensive when anyone suggests that they're anything but perfect.

edited to add: Without question, the 1911 is by far the most stoppage- and malfunction-prone gun I've seen in classes. Stock guns, custom guns, and everything in between.

 

[Adionik]

I love my Glock 26, hard to go wrong if you want to carry a 9mm. I believe it will go bang when I need it to.

 

[gringogigante]

Stay away from the ugly ones.... oh wait, they're ALL ugly! :-)

I have 7 Glocks, and they all are excellent. They never misfire, they eat any and all types of ammo you put in them, and they are the most accurate out of the box guns I've ever owner.

I say get G23 (.40) for primary CHL, a G26 (9mm) for your back up gun, and a G21 (.45) for your bedside table.

Then, for the fun of it, get a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 for a trunk gun/survival gun (it takes Glock mags).

 

[txgolfer45]

My G23 is a jam-o-matic with a light on the rail. Totally reliable without light on the rail. It's a Gen 3. The light is now on my G19. It's totally reliable with or without the light attached. Go figure.

 

[Texan2]

"I do not recommend the G22, G23, or G21 - based on my experience these pistols have problems (breakage, won't function with rail mounted lights, etc.) and I feel there are better choices in 40 and 45"

I am not debating that these were HIS results. I was merely stating that it is my experience after tens of thousands of rounds fired and watching tens of thousands more fired by others that the G22 and G23s are great shooters. Glock has 85% of the Law Enforcement market and the G22 has 80% of that. I am not sure with the torture tests that dozens of departments put these guns through that they would have have missed the boat and gone with the G22 anyway if it were not a top notch gun. It is my position that he simply likes other guns in the .40 which is his right.

In addition, while I am glad he likes the G17, I wouldnt use any 9mm pistol for a primary duty gun. Way too many police shooting in which the 9mm didn't get the job done...thats why police departments went away from it in the 80's and early 90's

 

[gringogigante]

As an instructor and eternal student, I too have shot tens of thousands of rounds through my G22 and have never had a breakage or malfunction. I've taught a low light/no light class and shot with a tactical light....never once a problem. Ever.

 

[KellyAsh]

Here's a great webpage discussing the Glock and catastrophic failures.

http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/glock-kb-faq.html

 

[Texas1911]

I have seen probably a hundred thousand rounds fired out of Glocks in the past year, and I cannot say the .40s have a significant rate of failure over the 9mm guns.

I don't discredit the guys that say that they experience them, but honestly ... there's alot of people out there that come from hard use environments and will negate a single pistol or gun for something that doesn't translate well to a civilian standpoint. If Gun A will hammer down 500 rounds before it gets problematic and Gun B will do 5000 rounds, then you'll find 1000 people on the internet downtalking Gun A for being a worthless pile of junk because Delta Force / SEALs / SAS / Mall Police don't use it and they heard it was a pile of junk because some guy stuck it in a block of ice and covered it in concrete and the gun didn't fire.

I only need 10 good rounds in all fairness. I'll take more, but it's not a necessity. More people need to be honest about choice and understand where opinions are coming from and what they are based off of before passing their own judgment.

 

[Texan2]

Here's a great webpage discussing the Glock and catastrophic failures.

http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/glock-kb-faq.html

I read this article and it attributes most catastrophic failures to "case failures" and to overly hot hand loads. It goes on to say that most other makes of firearm experience these failures, but the best stats are kept on Glocks (i would guess this is due to Glock having 85% of the LE market and LE keeps stats on everything). It is an informative article but I dont see it as an indictment of Glock products.