Glock 19 gen 4

[MarcS]

Originally Posted By: HouseTiger
I'd still like to know what the problem was with the original flat-leaf type coil springs that Glock used for three generations.

You don't fix what ain't broke.


They weren't strong enough for some of the larger caliber guns, which is why they occasionally had feeding issues with their earlier 40 caliber guns when lights were attached or when their magazine springs started getting weak. Also, they have always used dual captive springs in their subcompact pistols, so it's hardly a new idea for them.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
When they release the next model to the public I will buy 4 or 5 of them to replace my older ones.

Just curious. What do you do with 4 or 5 of the same model?..Other than because you can

 

[IndyFan]

Originally Posted By: HM12460
Bought a new one at my LGS Saturday afternoon. Very nice shooter, very nice firearm to own. This is a popular firearm, so I'm interested in hearing from other owners concerning their thoughts and comments.


Great gun! The Gen 4 Glock 19 is my choice for SHTF. It does everything well. It does everything a full sized gun does, but is concealable. I've got many very good handguns. If I had to give them all up except for one, the one would be the G19.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: HouseTiger
I'd still like to know what the problem was with the original flat-leaf type coil springs that Glock used for three generations.

You don't fix what ain't broke.


It has a short life, and needs replaced every 4000 rounds or so. I'm not sure what the Gen 4 spring is rated for, but I bet its more robust than the older type.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
When they release the next model to the public I will buy 4 or 5 of them to replace my older ones.

Just curious. What do you do with 4 or 5 of the same model?..Other than because you can

Who said I have 4 or 5 of the same models? I have G17, G19(x2), G26, G43, G42, G31, G21.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime


Who said I have 4 or 5 of the same models? I have G17, G19(x2), G26, G43, G42, G31, G21.

My bad.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: MarcS
Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD
Originally Posted By: 64bawagon
Have a gen3 that I love, my gen4 has had several failures and has been relegated to the lock box due to trust issues.
What type of failures? It would be interesting to hear what is happening with it.
On early gen4 9mm's the dual captive recoil spring was sprung too tight to cycle light-loaded 9mm target loads. As that's what most people plink away with, it gave the gen4's an undeserved reputation for poor reliability. The issue was resolved very early on with a revised recoil spring. There was never really an issue with full power ammo and it tended to work itself out with some break in anyway, but the revised spring has been in place for years.
64bawagon's post seems to suggest that it was more than one type of failure so I was curious. All of my Glocks are G4 with the exception of my G30s and other than an issue with Fiocchi ammo in my G27, I have had zero issues in any of them--they tend to eat whatever I feed them, but I usually shoot my own handloads.

 

[HouseTiger]

Originally Posted By: MarcS
Originally Posted By: HouseTiger
I'd still like to know what the problem was with the original flat-leaf type coil springs that Glock used for three generations.

You don't fix what ain't broke.


They weren't strong enough for some of the larger caliber guns, which is why they occasionally had feeding issues with their earlier 40 caliber guns when lights were attached or when their magazine springs started getting weak. Also, they have always used dual captive springs in their subcompact pistols, so it's hardly a new idea for them.



I picked up a first generation of the G26 @ 1996, so I know about the spring setup. Have used the G17 (since 1989), 19 (since 1990) and 34 (since 2000) and put more than a few dozen cases of 9 downrange over the years and never had feeding issues that was not traceable to a tired magazine spring. Never used the .40, never liked the .40, will never own a .40 . . .

 

[MarcS]

Like i said, it wasn't a change made for the benefit of their 9mm guns

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: HouseTiger
I picked up a first generation of the G26 @ 1996 [...]
I had one too and it was the gun that caused me to despise Glocks from then until late last year when I rented a G19 G4 while training for my CHL. Definitely some serious improvements during the past 20 years. With the exception of a S&W Shield, Glocks are all I carry these days.

 

[Joseph Fihn]

A couple of years ago, I bought a Glock 19, Gen. 4 and took it out to the desert, set-up a cardboard box as a target and found that at about 20', I was consistently hitting the target at about "4 o'clock" at the "outside edge" of the box. The box was about 14" X 24" with the long side upwards.
I recently joined Front Sight Firearms Training Institute in Pahrump, NV. and watched a number of their video's. I noticed that the vast majority of students were using semi-auto's. I think I only saw one revolver. In the past (early 1990's) I had taken four or five classes on handgun use from the U.S. Marksmanship Academy in Phoenix, AZ. At that time, I used a slightly modified Smith & Wesson Mod. 66, .357/.38 with a 4" barrel. Over time, I became (surprisingly to me) good with that handgun and the help of the classes. I could reliably hit what I was shooting at!!!
I guess I expected the skills I learned with my S&W 66 would have transferred to what ever other handgun I was using. It appears that is not true, for me.
I haven't been shooting much, at all, in the years since taking the initial classes due to owning a business and just not having the time. I'm now retired and would like to re-learn my lost shooting skills. I'm 71 y/o.
Before buying a semi-auto, I did my research and found that the Glock's seemed to have a wonderful reputation for reliability & quality and that is why I bought this handgun. I'm pretty sure that the gun is not at fault in my case, considering its great reputation. If that's true, do you folks have any suggestions as to what I may be doing wrong when shooting my Glock 19, Gen. 4? I'd hate to show up to classes and not even be able to hit paper with my new purchase. My guess is that I'm doing something wrong with my grip on the handgun.
Any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!
Joe F.

 

[Al]

Honestly Joe you need to get a personal instructor who can feed back what you are doing wrong. The first thing to do is bench it and shoot at say 7 yards. That is the standard shooting distance. I doubt it is inaccurate. Check the rear sight..it should appear centered left to right.

If it is accurate..until you find an instructor:

Assume you are right handed..use the thumb over thumb method (look it up)

1. Crouch down..feet at shoulder width left foot front like you just took a step
2. grip the grip t-i-g-h-t. Pull back with left hand, push forward with right. Keep your left thumb tight against the frame (don't ride the slide)
3. keep the sights at eye level. People have tendency to look over top the sights (in other words get the head down where the pistol is)
4 Pull the trigger straight back.
5. DO Not use the 4 fingers of your right hand to tightly squeeze the grip (this is called torquing)..tends to make you shoot to the RIGHT.
instead use your LEFT hand to create tightness and remember pulling back with pushing with right.
6. Keep the right hand thump "neutral"..do not push it down over your left thumb. My instructor has me keep it almost pointing "up" to remind me to keep it loose. Keeping this thumb tight affects how you pull the trigger. That is also the reason not to clench the pistol with your right hand.

7. 4 years ago I could not hit the side of a barn. I became an instructor and now take lessons once a month from a very good ionstructor. It costs me $75/hour.

I am 71 and my instructor has told me he has never seen anyone shoot my G42 better than me. Not bragging just giving encouragement to you. My goal is to get as good as possible. I only train and shoot with my G42 bc it is the only gun I carry. If I could own only 1 gun..it would be that one. With my training ..all other things being equal..I would fare way better than someone carrying a 9mm with 16 bullets. If you can shoot quicker with more accuracy..more bullets are irrelevant. You won't be around to use them.

That leads me to another suggestion..consider a G42. As we get old we lose hand strength. You may (depending on the size of your hand) be able to hold it more solidly. My 43 and 26 are more difficult for me to control. Remember..if your grip is rock solid there is no such thing as "trigger jerk" only trigger anticipation"

I have taken loses on numerous guns bc they proved to be inadequate (for me)..don't worry about..just get did of it.

Again get a good instructor..its the only game in town.

Good luck..let us know how you are doing!

Don't worry about looking bad in class. Its not the end of the world. Just get something out of the class. And if the class was good..take it again. At this point I am totally done with the NRA and their classes. But if you get a good instructor..that makes all the difference.

Remember the 3 things that they stress KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ATTITUDE. Most instructors (including me) but the mose emphasis on ATTITUDE (of cource safety number one thing to practice But safety is part and parcel of those three themes. Again ..don't sweat it.

 

[KCJeep]

Originally Posted By: Joseph Fihn
A couple of years ago, I bought a Glock 19, Gen. 4 and took it out to the desert, set-up a cardboard box as a target and found that at about 20', I was consistently hitting the target at about "4 o'clock" at the "outside edge" of the box. The box was about 14" X 24" with the long side upwards.
I recently joined Front Sight Firearms Training Institute in Pahrump, NV. and watched a number of their video's. I noticed that the vast majority of students were using semi-auto's. I think I only saw one revolver. In the past (early 1990's) I had taken four or five classes on handgun use from the U.S. Marksmanship Academy in Phoenix, AZ. At that time, I used a slightly modified Smith & Wesson Mod. 66, .357/.38 with a 4" barrel. Over time, I became (surprisingly to me) good with that handgun and the help of the classes. I could reliably hit what I was shooting at!!!
I guess I expected the skills I learned with my S&W 66 would have transferred to what ever other handgun I was using. It appears that is not true, for me.
I haven't been shooting much, at all, in the years since taking the initial classes due to owning a business and just not having the time. I'm now retired and would like to re-learn my lost shooting skills. I'm 71 y/o.
Before buying a semi-auto, I did my research and found that the Glock's seemed to have a wonderful reputation for reliability & quality and that is why I bought this handgun. I'm pretty sure that the gun is not at fault in my case, considering its great reputation. If that's true, do you folks have any suggestions as to what I may be doing wrong when shooting my Glock 19, Gen. 4? I'd hate to show up to classes and not even be able to hit paper with my new purchase. My guess is that I'm doing something wrong with my grip on the handgun.
Any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!
Joe F.


I am betting you are left handed.... or right handed and left eye dominant.

For right handed shooters the "low and left" Glock syndrome is well documented. I won't go through the long list of contortions required to get a Glock to shoot straight here, but there are plenty of instructions on the web.

Glock armorers and fan boys will berate you and tell you it's not the gun you are holding it wrong. After decades of shooting Glocks I can tell you YES it is partly the gun. My suggestion is a minor sight adjustment and careful grip modifications.

My Glock Gen 4 G22 is a wonderful weapon that now shoots a single ragged hole point of aim but it took a little work to get there.

Glocks are great guns, reliability and simplicity is definitely among their strongest points but the "Glock Perfection" marketing stuff is a myth.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: Joseph Fihn
My guess is that I'm doing something wrong with my grip on the handgun.
Any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!
Joe F.

Here is additional information which "may" be at odds with the information I presented.

https://gunsmagazine.com/why-tight-is-right/

But this article deals (more so) with very rapid shooting. I am not there (yet). I shoot six shots in about 5 seconds and I can do that accurately. I suspect you would be happy with that. My instructor gave me this article.

You might also want to check "The Sheriff of Baghdad". My instructor has trained under him.

 

[HouseTiger]

One thing to remember, and to learn with the Glock is that (a) it has a two stage trigger, and (b) learn to feel the trigger reset.

Two stage trigger (like the M14 for those old enough to remember it) - take up the slack, feel resistance and release. In the Glock you're cocking the striker to its final break point, and as you press through (don't yank it), the connector bar is drawn down and the striker is released firing the gun.

The reset - it's actually wonderful in a way. As the slide cycles in firing, the connector bar is reset to catch the tail of the striker. As you release the trigger you will hear the back of the trigger bar slip back under the connector lip. You don't need to release the trigger the entire way. Hold it at the resent, press, and fire.

Dry fire practice is paramount - think 250 dry fire cycles at home for every live round you throw down range. The live fire should serve as a confirmation that your dry fire practice is effective.

After a while, you'll be amazed how accurate you can get with Front Sight, Trigger Press, and Follow Through, but the key element is trigger control . . .

 

[Joseph Fihn]

Al, KCJeep & House Tiger,
Thank you for taking the time to help me with my problem with a Glock 19, Gen 4. You have good ideas and give me food for thought. Like Al, I'm 71 y/o, smaller in stature (5'6" & about 165 lbs.) I've wondered if the "blocky" shape of the grip on the Glock is just too big, for my hands & if I may have been better served with one of the S&W semi-auto's that seem to have smaller handgrips. At the time, I was quite concerned with the reliability of semi-auto's. When I was taking classes back in 1991, many of the students that were using semi-auto's (mostly 1911's) were having problems with failure to shoot, stove piping, etc. problems with those guns. My S&W Mod. 66 revolver was totally reliable and if I were to have a problem, just pull the trigger, again, and you are back in the fight. The Glock instilled confidence in semi-auto's and that is why I bought it. I knew it didn't fit all that well but, I figured that I could learn to shoot it accurately.
I enjoyed the classes I took. They weren't easy but, later on, I could tell that they were allowing me to become much better at shooting, accurately. I think that all I learned, so many years ago, would easily transfer to my new Glock. It didn't!!!! However, I'm looking forward to learning to use the new pistol. I have watched a number of YouTube video's including one from "The Sheriff of Bagdad". I think I need to get out and try to learn to use this new handgun. Hiring a good instructor seems to be a good idea. I learned a lot from the classes I took so, I think this might be repeatable. Thanks, again, for all your time & help. I really appreciate it. Joe

 

[Al]

Great. Yea..put yourself out of your comfort zone. It will pay off in self confidence. You can do it!!

 

[KCJeep]

I was a die hard revolver guy, it really does take a while to get used to and to learn to shoot semi-autos well.

Make sure you don't have any of the back straps on, sounds like you need the "small" size grip on the Gen 4. I am 6-1 and over 200 pounds with large palms but average length fingers, and I need the smallest G4 grip to shoot my best.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep

Make sure you don't have any of the back straps on, sounds like you need the "small" size grip on the Gen 4. I am 6-1 and over 200 pounds with large palms but average length fingers, and I need the smallest G4 grip to shoot my best.

Quoted for truth. I have an LCP and handed it to my Bo-in-law. He put it in his average size hand..slightly bigger than mine and gave it a "[censored]" and held it like it was an under size toy not worthy of shooting. I'm like "you are clueless"..no I didn't say anything. If your pinky or ring fingers don't fit around the grip..who cares. ..you have no grip strength in these fingers anyways.

 

[Joseph Fihn]

Gentlemen, thanks, again, for your help with my problem. I know what you mean, I think, about getting out of your comfort zone. When taking the shooting classes, they would have us do drills and slowly shorten the time we had to complete the drills. I felt like I was getting worse at shooting, however, I actually was improving. I started the classes with the handgun my Dad bought me after I got out of the Air Force, during Vietnam (a S&W Highway Patrolman, .357 Magnum) It was so heavy that the instructor told me to get something smaller and the owner of the school was using a semi-custom S&W Mod. 66, which, he let me try and I loved it!!! So, I had the identical gun built for me & have always loved it.
My Glock did not come with extra backstrap's but, I was able to find 2 more at a gun show. One has an "M" on the inside and the other has an "L" so, I'm assuming that the one on the gun is a "S"(small).
Before joining the Air Force in 1965, I had never shot any gun's other than a Daisy Air Rifle (B-B Gun). My grandmother was better with it than I was. I, then, shot the M-16 while in Basic Training. I'm from Detroit and while I was in the service, we had 2 riots in the city. I got back home in late 1969 and people were really scared as the rioters were threatening to riot, again but, they were going to burn down other neighborhood's instead of their own. Everyone was really scared and my Dad had nothing to defend our home and family. He talked with the neighbor's that felt scared, also, and had formed a neighborhood militia with a plan to defend the neighborhood. Lots of the guys were deer hunters and had rifles but, my Dad only had our B-B guns. That's when he started researching defensive weapons and armed himself, my Mom, Brother and Me. That's how we got our first guns.
Thanks, again, for all your suggestions! I really appreciate your help.
Joe