my Glock 19 is jamming

[glockowner]

if it's human error i can fix it, seems to be the case. is this limpwrist malfunction common on any slide action pistol?

[The Annoyed Man]

if it's human error i can fix it, seems to be the case. is this limpwrist malfunction common on any slide action pistol?

A certain number of problems with semi-autos of all designs can be traced to limp-wristing. Some times it's other issues, like magazine problems or bullet shape. My Kimber has never had a malfunction since brand new, except for when I first bought it I had to swap out the slide stop lever because the slide would lock back on a full magazine. Since then it's been flawless. However, my wife has had a malfunction with the Kimber, which we rectified by having her tighten up her wrists. The only time my USP Compact has ever had a malfunction, I assumed it was a limp wrist problem and tightened up my wrists, and was unable to replicate the malfunction after that.

Glocks have an excellent and well deserved reputation for reliability. The 19 may not be ideally suited for your hand size. My USP Compact has a grip extension on the magazine, enabling a full grasp of the pistol with a solid rest for my pinkie finger, and making it easier to control. If you're not able to keep your pinkie finger on the grips under recoil, that might be your problem there. That's a little bit of a problem for me with my Kimber, which is an Ultra sized pistol, but putting some grip tape on the front strap solved that. Maybe your Glock could use a little something to make the grips "grippier" for your hand.

Some times the solutions can be pretty simple, and not require much in the way of money to rectify.

[Excaliber]

[quote=TheAnnoyedMan]Maybe your Glock could use a little something to make the grips "grippier" for your hand.[/quote]

Try the A Grip material from Brooks Tactical. It's custom fit for the individual weapon, goes on extremely easily, and makes the Glock's hard plastic grips feel as if they're covered in suede leather. I use them on all my polymer framed guns.

[boomerang]

Get a 1911.

And sell me your "broken" Glock cheap!

[NcongruNt]

if it's human error i can fix it, seems to be the case. is this limpwrist malfunction common on any slide action pistol?

It really depends on the person. I have a Hi-Power that I have put 2,000 rounds through with absolutely no failures. I have put the same gun in the hands of a new shooter on two different occasions who experienced stovepipes and FTE failures. It was certainly a grip issue with the individual, not necessarily a strength issue. I've had probably a dozen or so other people, some of which were considerably less endowed in the hand strength department (including a <100lb Japanese girl - see image below) fire the gun just fine. It's possible that the ergonomics of the Glock (such as the more aggressive grip angle) do not work well with you in particular. It may also be possible that you're just not holding it quite right. I'd see if you can get some range time with an experienced shooter, to see if there are changes that can be made to your grip or stance to correct the issue. One thing I've noticed with relatively new shooters is that they tend to lean their bodies and heads back when shooting. Not only does this affect your accuracy, but it affects your ability to keep a positive stance and proper control. This can easily lead to excessive muzzle flip and as a result, stovepipe failures. If this is the case with you, you may want to focus on your stance, leaning slightly forward and keeping your head level. Here is an example of the stance that I take:



And here is the above-mentioned twiggy Japanese girl shooting the Hi-Power.

[glockowner]

yeah, i've been actually experimenting with my grips and havn't settled on one yet. in practicing my draw, the left finger in front of the trigger guard comes naturally. i know it may not be the best but my buddies have been using that grip for many years. still learning and yes i do need some personal private instruction.

[Excaliber]

yeah, i've been actually experimenting with my grips and havn't settled on one yet. in practicing my draw, the left finger in front of the trigger guard comes naturally. i know it may not be the best but my buddies have been using that grip for many years. still learning and yes i do need some personal private instruction.

That method is not mechanically strong. When it was new, quite a few folks, including law enforcement officers and the top guns on the competition circuit tried it and found it wanting. You'll rarely see it used among well trained armed professionals today, even though some guns like the Glocks still carry the squared off trigger guard that was made to accommodate it.

If you're willing to give something else a try, I'd suggest the Ayoob Wedge for the off hand:

Grip the gun normally with the strong hand.
Wrap the middle finger of the off hand directly against the underside of the trigger guard and around the strong hand, with the ring and pinkie fingers immediately below it.
Then wedge your first (pointer) finger between the trigger guard and your middle finger.

The link here gives you a better explanation, along with a lot more information on grip and stance. Focus on pages 153 - 165.

If you're using the Weaver stance (shown on page 164 on the left), you may benefit from switching to the isosceles stance shown on the right side of the same page. It's less complex and works extremely well for many folks, including me.

I think you'll find this will feel like you've got the gun locked in a vise and may well help resolve your smokestacking issue. I'd be willing to bet it will improve your scores as well.

[Roshi]

still concerned with the metal flaking

Likely this is a tiny bit of material coming off the cartridge case when the extractor grabs it.

[Excaliber]

still concerned with the metal flaking

Likely this is a tiny bit of material coming off the cartridge case when the extractor grabs it.

What color is it? How big are the flakes?