Glock 19 malfunction. Video and description of a unique slamfire and stovepipe failure with the Glock Pistol.
Everyone knows based on my previous posts and purchase history, that I am an avid Glock fan. I’ve ran thousands upon thousands of rounds through my Glock 19 with no gun-related issues. Most if not all of my malfunctions were based on bad ammo, or my own poor reloads when I first began reloading 9mm. However, a recent experience has shattered that perfect history.
Glock 19 Stovepipe Malfunction
During my last match, during the second stage, there was a mandatory reload when you reach the second shooting box. I used my factory Glock 10 round magazine, which has had a slight history of feeding issues when manually chambering a round, but never when the gun cycled by itself when fired. However, this time around, my first shot with that magazine caused a stovepipe malfunction, perhaps due to too much tension from the magazine being pushed up into the bottom of the barrel. Regardless, it was a simple and common type of malfunction. I performed a basic clearing drill and racked the slide to allow the spent casing to fall out. Upon releasing the slide, the Glock 19 slam fired, sending another round into the dirt. Luckily I had the gun pointed in a safe direction, so no one was hurt. After the malfunction induced discharge of the second round, that case also stovepiped. See the video of the malfunction here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15GehSGRdGE&t=1m38s
Obviously when a malfunction like this happens, you want to stop and inspect the firearm, which I did. I’ve never had something like this happen with my Glock, so I locked the slide to the rear, and inspected the chamber and the breech face for any obstructions that may have caused the Glock to mis-fire. I found nothing to be wrong with the Glock, so I continued on with the rest of the match with no additional problems.
It’s just a shock to me that something would happen with my Glock. I’ve always trusted the Glock reliability and safety mechanisms. This was one freak incident, which goes to show you that anything can fail. I have no doubt that this type of malfunction could happen with any firearm. I do not place blame on the Glock, nor have I lost any faith in the Glock design. The point is, no matter how great of a track record something can have, it is not immune to failure or malfunction. We have to be diligent and attentive to our equipment to make sure that all components are in good working order. This also demonstrates the absolute need for obeying the 4 basic rules of firearm safety.
See the full match video below.
I used my factory Glock 10 round magazine, which has had a slight history of feeding issues when manually chambering a round…
May I ask why you continued to use a magazine that had a history of dysfunction?
Obviously I wasn’t there to witness how the spent casing was stuck in the breech during the stovepipe, but was there a possibility that could have been placing lateral pressure on the striker safety? If so, some residue may have held it in place(in the unsafe position) while the slide went forward. That’s the thought that jumped into my head.