If you are new Glock handguns, you may experience some ammunition feeding or cycling problems (usually called "jams") as you begin to familiarize yourself with your pistol. This note attempts to explain a common cause of these malfunctions, and to prescribe a cure.
The Glock is a recoil-operated pistol: in order for it to cycle completely (fire, extract, eject, reload) the slide must fully retract under recoil and then go fully forward into battery.
During the recoil operation cycle, the pistol frame must be held steady against the pressure of the slide recoiling. If the pistol is not held steady, the slide will not retract fully and the cycle will not complete, resulting in a jam.
The comparatively light weight of the Glock offers less inertia than a heavier steel-framed pistol to resist recoil and help the pistol cycle. You must replace that inertia with a firmer grip in order to make the Glock function smoothly. This is the case with every other lightweight polymer-framed pistol, it is not unique to Glock.
If you don't hold the pistol firmly, allowing it to move back too much under recoil, you are preventing the slide from retracting fully, and you will experience cycling problems. This inability to control the pistol sufficiently is often called "limp wristing", an odd but accurate description of the cause.
The cure for this problem is a correct, firm grip. I recommend the two-handed "thumbs forward" grip, which is very commonly taught in handgun instruction.
We have literally dozens of threads on this topic, here is one to begin with: http://glock.pro/glock-pistols/5672-while-range-how-grip-glock-pistol-3.html#post63427
Chris
The Glock is a recoil-operated pistol: in order for it to cycle completely (fire, extract, eject, reload) the slide must fully retract under recoil and then go fully forward into battery.
- If the slide retracts and closes fully, after firing the empty cartridge case is extracted from the chamber and ejected from the breech, then a new cartridge is stripped off the magazine by the slide and loaded into the chamber, ready for the next shot.
- If the slide does not retract fully, depending on how far it cycles you may experience a variety of malfunctions, including failure to extract fully, failure to eject completely, or ammunition feeding jams.
During the recoil operation cycle, the pistol frame must be held steady against the pressure of the slide recoiling. If the pistol is not held steady, the slide will not retract fully and the cycle will not complete, resulting in a jam.
The comparatively light weight of the Glock offers less inertia than a heavier steel-framed pistol to resist recoil and help the pistol cycle. You must replace that inertia with a firmer grip in order to make the Glock function smoothly. This is the case with every other lightweight polymer-framed pistol, it is not unique to Glock.
If you don't hold the pistol firmly, allowing it to move back too much under recoil, you are preventing the slide from retracting fully, and you will experience cycling problems. This inability to control the pistol sufficiently is often called "limp wristing", an odd but accurate description of the cause.
The cure for this problem is a correct, firm grip. I recommend the two-handed "thumbs forward" grip, which is very commonly taught in handgun instruction.
We have literally dozens of threads on this topic, here is one to begin with: http://glock.pro/glock-pistols/5672-while-range-how-grip-glock-pistol-3.html#post63427
Chris