Glock 26 Gen 3 brand new - constant fails

[Josh17]

Okay, so I am BRAND NEW to semi-autos. So this very well could be a user problem. But when I test fired my Glock 26 Gen 3 for the first time, it jammed/malfunctioned on nearly every shot. I shot maybe a total of 20 rounds. I think the most rounds I could get it to fire, in a row, was two. Otherwise everytime I fired, it failed to eject the round from the slide. From what I've read online, there are three times of 'fails' for Glocks- type 1, type 2, and type 3. I believe I experienced all three.

I can't figure out why. I used 115G FMJ ammo. I aimed the pistol, fired, first round of course was fine, but almost everytime the ammo would fail to eject out the slide. So I'd have to pull out the mag, pull the slide back to let the ammo fall out, re-insert the mag, pull the slide again to chamber a round, fire it, but then same problem again - it would fail to eject the round of the slide. So pretty much I could only fire one round at a time, as it'd fail to eject everytime. This was also the first time I ever fired the gun.

The only thing I can think of is I'm limp wristing it. But I have no idea..... because as I said, I'm new to semi-autos (always used Revolvers) but I'm not really sure HOW to tell if I'm limp wristing it or not... The problem with the 26 Gen 3, is there is no place for your pinky finger to grip on the gun. So perhaps I'm gripping it wrong? I don't know. I gripped the gun very firmly, with two hands, but perhaps I'm gripping it the wrong way... Whatever the case, the gun almost never would eject the round out of the slide after I fired. The most I got it to fire in a row without a problem was 2 shots in a row, then it failed to eject the round again.

I know Glocks are super reliable, but is this a problem with the G26 for new semi-auto users? Is it because the grip is so small, it causes new users to fire it in-correctly thus causing the failure to eject? I'm not a very strong guy, so don't have "strong wrists' so it's possible I could be limp wristing it. But what else can I do, besides only to hold it as firmly as possible, to avoid limp wristing it? Is there a special way to hold it? A picture perhaps?

Sorry I know I'm a newb to Semi-autos/Glocks, but everyone starts off as one at one point. I fired a Glock once before with a friend at a shooting range, it was a full sized one, and I was able to shoot 10 or 15 rounds in the mag without a single problem. But maybe it was because I was able to get a firm grip on the full size glock vs the mini g26.

[MonsterB]

Well, it could be a few things. From your post I would think it could be limpwristing, like you say, or bad amo. It is pretty hard to find any amo a g26 wont shoot though, I have two of them and I have shot just about every kind of 9mm amo made through them and everything works. My first g26 had one stovepipe at about 700 rounds, and then went 7-8 thousand more without a single jam. Both are gen 3's. My newer one (bought in Oct 2010) I was able to get to jam on the first day I shot it. I was with my buddy shooting outside and we were practicing shooting from the hip, basically pulling the gun and shooting quick. It jamed almost every time I shot it, which was about 10 rounds and then I quit shooting llike that. I realized that I was actually limpwristing by trying to shoot that way, and it produced a failure almost every time. Went back to shooting with a regular grip, and Ive never had another jam with it. I also wonder if you cleaned the gun first? That could be part of the problem as well. Dont give up on the grip, its different but after you get the hang of it, and do some practice, you should find that you dont need the pinky finger on the gun, and the hump on the backstrap is higher than on the bigger Glocks, which makes it really fit into the palm of your hand well, and you can get a really good grip on it.
If I was you, I would find someone who is familiar with Glocks, let them shoot it, and see what happens. They most likely can give you some tips on how to make it work for you. If the gun has a problem at that point, which I doubt it will, you can then send it back to Glock and they will take care of it. Sorry you had such a bad experience, but keep positive, Glocks are some of the finest polymer guns made.

[Mrgunsngear]

Is limp wristing possible--yup but I highly doubt it if the fail rate is this high. I have 2 G26s and even if I try to induce a FTE, I can't.

Was this gun new when you bought it? If not, are there any aftermarket parts? I saw a 9mm G19 with a .40 ejector in it once that almost never ejected; swapped it out and it was 100% after that...

I recommend putting your address on here; there's a ton of great guys on here that will help you out and check your gun out for you if they live nearby.

[geetarman]

Have you had someone else shoot the gun?

What you describe is a classic symptom of limp wristing.

Geetarman

[Dashunde]

Take it to your local range and ask almost anyone there to do a field strip, inspection and test fire.
That may reveal a lot.

If you can, pick someone who is already shooting a Glock, otherwise ask who is familiar with them.

[SickSadLittleWorld]

Take it to your local range and ask almost anyone there to do a field strip, inspection and test fire.
That may reveal a lot.

If you can, pick someone who is already shooting a Glock, otherwise ask who is familiar with them.

^This. If it is malfunctioning practically every shot, the problem is probably obvious once someone who knows what they're looking at can take it apart and inspect it.

Hope you figure it out...I've run almost 1500 rds through my G26 without a single malfunction, limp-wristed or not.

[AKsRul.e]

Have you ever played Golf , Baseball, or Bowled?
All of these activities require a firm grip and a locked wrist.

When you fire a handgun ,ANY handgun,the recoil should be absorbed
by your arms and body - NOT letting the gun try to flip out of your grasp.

EXAMPLE......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh9JhCyFFxA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9LOiHu4ThY

[Derekc294]

I have about 2k rounds through mine and zero issues. Bad magazine? Not feeding properly perhaps?

[Josh17]

Thanks for the replies! I think about everyone who posted has a good idea. I'm going to let someone who is familiar with Glocks fire it and see what happens. If it goes bang every-time then I know I'm limp wristing it.

If that's the case, then it's just a matter of getting used to the grips on the G26.

If that doesn't work strip it down and see. Also, it was brand new, but I didn't clean it before shooting. I forgot about doing that. Didn't know if you needed to or not on brand new semi-autos. But it makes sense now.

Also going to see if perhaps it's just a bad mag. The gen 3 when buying new come with 2 mags - I only tested so far one of the mags. I will see if the other one it came with makes a difference.

[madmag]

I don't believe in limp-wristing. After 60 plus years of shooting, I have come to believe that limp-wristing is just a way to explain a failure that has un-know cause.

Your failures are probably due to extractor, magazine, ammo, or recoil spring issues.

Try some +P or 124g ammo and see if you have the same issues.

[ZipnZim]

"Short Recoil" can be, too short. In Glocks, it's Way too short.
Look for whether your firing pin indentations are smeared. If they are, breeching is occurring while there is still lots of thrust on the case head. When the recoil provision in the machine is too short for the cartridge being used, unlocking occurs too early in the firing cycle.

[roadrash]

I can induce a stovepipe every time in my Glocks ,by holding the grip with just my middle finger and thumb while firing,they run 100% when I fire them with a normal grip.So limp wristing is real.

[iamdb]

Should have bought a Ruger.

[thegunsmith]

Was the ammunition new factory rounds? Range reloads? handloads from a buddy?

Is the gun clean and lubed properly, without too much?

Have you field stripped the gun and looked at the components to determine if anything seems out of place or broken?

Is the recoil spring awkwardly wound or off the rod?

Is there a full ejector in the ejector block?

is there striations on the bottom of the slide in any of the "channels" or on the "bolt" area?

Is the slide particularly hard to hand cycle?

Have you played a lot with the gun by cycling live or dummy rounds through it?

Do you feel like after the gun fires that the gun slips in your hands at all? Are you shooting it in a normal slide on top manner?

Is the recoil spring an aftermarket spring?

Is there roughness in the chamber?

Does the extractor get seated on the casing properly? I.e. is it a failure to extract or eject?

You mention failure to "eject" but there is a distinctive difference between extraction and ejection...

Is the casing underneath the lip of the extractor but not coming completely out of the chamber?

Is the casing damaged in any way after it is removed from the chamber post-firing?

Answering any of these questions may help to diagnose the problems. If you have these answers, I can probably help you determine the cause, let me know.

As for the magazine being bad, that wouldn't cause a failure to extract usually, even with heavy spring tension. If you can comfortably load the mag fully, then the mag is usually not the cause of an extraction issue, though dirty ammunition can be.

[warbirdlover]

Should have bought a Ruger.

Or a Hi-Point!!

[madmag]

Originally Posted by ZipnZim

Look for whether your firing pin indentations are smeared.

Does not indicate a problem, this is fairly normal for Glock (which I also own) and many other brands.....including my Ruger LC9 and P90.

Originally Posted by roadrash

So limp wristing is real.

No, but limp finger is real.

[Dashunde]

Hey Josh, take it apart / have it taken apart and inspected before its shot again.
Something could be broken.

[Lee McNelly]

135.00

[Jeremiah/Az]

It may not help with your ejection issue, but get the Pearce ext. for your magazines. That will give you a place for your little finger. I have them on my mags. My G26 has been flawless from day one.

[amd6547]

"Short Recoil" can be, too short. In Glocks, it's Way too short.
Look for whether your firing pin indentations are smeared. If they are, breeching is occurring while there is still lots of thrust on the case head. When the recoil provision in the machine is too short for the cartridge being used, unlocking occurs too early in the firing cycle..."...Zipnzim

Nonsense...the Glock was originally designed precisely for the 9mm, and the G26 is a true jewel of the line.
Mine has been faultless.
Many owners prefer not to use extensions on their G26 mags. I use mags both with and without them.

[Josh17]

I hope nothing would be wrong with the gun, since it's brand new from the store, but I guess there is always a chance.

In response to thegunsmith, I wish I could answer all those questions, but being brand-new to semi-autos I really don't have a clue. But I can answer a few:

1. Type of Ammo: Right from the box reads "PMC Bronze Ammunition. Centerfire cartridges. 9mm Luger. 115 GRS. FMJ"

2. Question "failure to extract or eject?". Answer: I think it may be both? A couple of times I was able to simple pull the slide and let the stuck round fall out, then fire again. But 99% of the time I encountered this problem almost every other shot. Here's a Pic i found online that looks exactly like it: http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...t/PICT1162.jpg

3. Question: "Is the gun clean and lubed properly, without too much?" Answer: Well, I didn't lube it before going out shooting. I thought it was done at the factory, but perhaps I should do that before-hand. I wasn't sure if you had to lube brand new semi-auto guns or not.

4. Question "Have you played a lot with the gun by cycling live or dummy rounds through it?". Sort of. The mags at first, where extremely hard to load roads into. So I kept loading rounds into the mag and taking them out, to try to loosen it up. I also would load the mag, put it into the gun, and pull the slide and let the round fall out. I did that with at least 20 rounds. So I pulled the slide 10 times in a row, letting each round fall out one by one. Every-time I would do that test, it never got stuck or had a round not come out.

I haven't taken the gun apart and inspected anything, because if I did I really would have no idea what I'm looking at. Sadly I'm still learning semi-autos. But when loading ammo into the mags, it sure was extremely hard the first few times. Now it's a little easier. But I guess since it's brand new the springs in the mag must still be very stiff. It def cannot fit 10 rounds in it yet, I can only get 9 max in so far.

As for the Mag Extensions for the G26, does it make any difference in terms of being reliable? I would assume no, but figured I'd ask.

[Powderman]

You ARE limp-wristing.

This is usually caused by having a grip that is too low on the grip itself. Your firing hand needs to be up as far as it can go on the grip; the web of the hand must be firmly against the upper "tail" of the grip.

As far as lube is concerned, the Glock handgun doesn't need much. Clear the pistol and field strip, following the instructions in the manual. You should have the receiver, (frame) barrel, slide and spring assembly.

The receiver gets five drops of lubrication with a good oil. One drop on each rail; one drop on the connector (looks like a half-moon tab at the right rear of the receiver assembly); the barrel gets one drop on the locking recess (the groove of the lug underneath the barrel.

The following parts get NO oil WHATSOEVER:

Firing pin
Extractor/extractor spring/spring loaded bearing (the little part of the rod you see behind the extractor)
Trigger
Recoil Spring assembly
Pins

I usually put a light coat of oil on the outside of the barrel, but that's my preference. I'll also put a coat of oil on the outside of the slide, let it sit for a few minutes and then rub it off well with a lint free cloth. Again, that's personal preference.

By the way, where are you located?

[Josh17]

Thanks, I'm gonna try to bring it to the range tomorrow if I have enough time and test it. I'm gonna grip it as firmly and as high up as I can get a grip on it and see what happens. Hopefully I am just limp-wristing it and nothing is wrong with the gun. But even if that's the case, I'm surprised that it would fail to extract/fail to eject 100% of the time (though I only fired probably 15-20 rounds). I'm in Colorado. Thanks for the replies, this forum is def very helpful

[Powderman]

You don't have to put the cat-like Ninja death grip on it....:-)

Seriously, a firm grip (firm handshake grip) is all that is needed. But you MUST get that pistol DOWN in your firing hand. The "tail" on the pack should be sitting firmly on the web of your hand when you pull the trigger.

After you try this, as long as the pistol functions correctly, post again, and I (or someone else on the forum) will tell you how to fire from the reset.

[Eppie]

Josh, I never fire a new firearm without cleaning thoroughly. It helps me become familiar with it and establish a base line of knowledge/operation of the firearm.

You should first clean that G26 down to the firing pin. There are lots of videos on YouTube to show you how. All the Glocks are the same, I own a G17, G26 and G34. I stress to get down to the firing pin because when most firearms are shipped from the factory with a very light coat of packing grease. This grease in an excellent rust inhibitor while the gun is on the shelf but a terrible lubricant.

The good thing is that Glocks are not only the simplest of all pistols but also have the fewest parts. Don't bother to take the frame or trigger mechanism apart as some videos show. That is way to extreme and unnecessary. I just spray some rem oil around the trigger and hammer, wait a minute and then use my compressor to blow everything out.

Another thing to consider is polishing the feed ramp, only custom guns come with polished feed ramps, this is very easy to do and takes only a minute with a dremmel.