Well, I guess I shoulda known it was coming. I'd shot enough rounds through that G19 to feel comfortable having it in the EDC rotation, and finally had a full complement of holsters for it. I have a CBST, an OWB leather and a Fobus paddle holster. That means that there's almost no occasion on which I couldn't use the G19 for carry. I had even admitted to myself, and to the world (see above) that I
like my G19. . .
Then it happened. My Glock broke. Yep! Broke. And I'm not talking about "I was doing force on force training on a skyscraper and it got kicked over the edge of the building to plummet 30 stories." No, this was something far more sedate. I'm talking "standing in my living room and a part fell off." Aren't Glocks supposed to be famous for their durability and reliability?
Well, Mrs. McGee works every other Saturday, so I often use those days to clean guns, if they need it. I decided that yesterday was just such a day, having not cleaned my guns since their last range trip. Now, bear in mind that I only put a magazine or two through the G19 at the last trip. That means that I've only got, maybe, 400 rounds through it. I've also been looking at new (to me) lubrication products and just got in a bottle of WeaponShield that I wanted to try out. I mentioned in my last big post that I was thinking about keeping it on the McGee Minimal Maintenance Program for about 500 rounds to see how she did. With the new bottle of WS in, this seemed like a perfect opportunity. So, while Mrs. McGee was a work, I got out the G19, field stripped, cleaned and lubed it, as directed.
Later in the day, I was just about to drive the Little McGee to something she had going, and pulled out the G19. I'd had it in the Fobus for most of the day, and noticed a drop of WS seeping out around the RSA plug in the slide. Naturally, I figured I'd pull the slide, do a quick wipe of any excess lube in there, and off I'd go.
Drop the mag, double-check the chamber, pull the trigger, pull down on the slide lock, and off comes the slide. Then I hear a small "thunk." I looked down and saw a small part that looked like
this on the floor. I eventually figure out that it's Part #21 in
this drawing. It's the slide lock. *Sigh* I put the now-disassembled G19 away, and Little McGee and I head off for her function. On the way, I call my buddy, the gunsmith. He and I discuss the matter, and he tells me that there should be a spring somewhere. An itty-bitty one. *double sigh* I send the picture of the slide lock to another buddy of mine. Buddy #2 has told me on many occasions how he's been shooting them for 20+ years and has never seen a malfunction that he didn't intentionally induce for training purposes. Naturally, his response is, "You broke a Glock?!?
"
When I arrive home, I get out a flashlight and scan the floor, but my slide lock spring, to all appearances, has jumped off the pistol, into the next dimension, never to be seen again. Or so I thought. When I went to gather up the still disassembled G19, lo and behold, the slide lock spring is there, with one end stuck in between the RSA and a barrel lug.
Digging through my documents, I find out that I purchased the G19 on April 22, 2013. This event happened on April 19, 2014, a mere 3 days shy of the 1 year period for the warranty. I don't know if this is covered by the warranty, but I am at least not time-barred.
For the time being, the G19 has been removed from the EDC rotation, and we'll see how Glock's CS works out.