New member here, and I am very glad to have found this site because 10mm now is my favorite auto pistol round!

I purchased a new Glock 20 about a year and a half or two years ago, and due to the lack of store stocked ammunition at the time, I just put it in the safe and sort of forgot about it. I finally got around to ordering some ammo, and some Lee reloading dies, and got to shoot it for the first time about two weeks ago.

I ran some UMC 180 gr. FMJ through it , and it just quit shooting after five rounds. I collected all my brass, packed everything up and went home. I discovered that the original 4256 trigger bar did not adequately depress the striker safety plunger. After searching around on various forums, I learned that there was an updated trigger bar, the 4256-1. I ordered the 4256-1 bar, and installed it. The G20 now fires just fine, but I am still bothered by the lack of the amount of contact by the 4256-1 trigger bar on the safety plunger. When viewed from the empty magazine well, the nub on the trigger bar appears like it just barely touches the chamfered edge of the safety plunger, and if it were not for the indentation or punch mark that rides against the inside of the slide, then there would be no contact with the plunger. I examined another new G20 at Sportsmans Warehouse this weekend, and it appeared to have the same very shallow contact between the safety plunger & trigger bar.

Since the indentation on the safety plunger nub rides against the slide, then it will obviously wear with time. I can see wear marks on the original 4256 bar, and the new 4256-1 bar in this area, even with very little usage. It is apparent that very little wear in this area will make the gun useless again. Other than removing the safety plunger, is there another solution to this dilemma? I love and own several Glock pistols, and this is the first one that has ever let me down. At this time, I just do not trust my G20 to reliably function in its stock configuration.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

m4coyote, Welcome to 10mmTalk!

Have you called and asked about any ideas from Glock at Smyrna, GA? They might offer some insite to help the situation!

Anyway enjoy youself here, please let us know how it goes.

Good luck!

Thank you for the warm welcome Shadow!

I talked to Glock's tech department, and they said that the problem was unheard of, but that the 4256-1 trigger bar would cure the light strikes. I went ahead and installed it and was very anxious to get to the range.

Well, I took the G20 to the range yesterday, and after about 20 rounds, the light strikes started happening again. This time I stripped the slide, and removed the safety plunger all together. This enabled the gun to fire, but the mark on the primer looked pretty light. My G19 hits the primers with much more authority than the G20.

I received a PM from a very knowledgeable member on Glock Talk, and he told me that he went through the exact same thing with both of his G21s in 2006. He made multiple calls to Glock, and they were of no assistance. Finally, after several state police agencies started having the same trouble, Glock released an "improved trigger bar". His ultimate solution to the problem was to install an extra power 6lb Wolff striker spring, the Wolff steel recoil guide rod & factory weight spring, and finally the updated 4256-1 trigger bar. I am on the fence about this fix, because I wanted to make the trigger pull lighter on the G20, not spend money to make it heavier. I ordered the parts, and will soon determine if the gun will run.

If this does not fix it, then the all the stock parts are going back in, and it is headed back to Glock. When it arrives back at my door, it will immediately be up for sale. This is the first so called "quality" gun I have owned that did not go bang. At this point, I am just sort of sick of worrying about, looking at, and fooling with the G20. My Kel Tec P3AT would not hit the broad side of a barn, but even it went bang every time.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no other high capacity 10mm pistol manufactured today, other than the EAA Witness, but after reading some of the posts on here, I do not want one of those either. Too much tinkering seems to be involved to make them run reliably. I like making improvements to new guns, but not diagnosing why they will not function correctly in the first place.

For my application, I do not have much use for a 1911 10mm platform. My main concern was for a trail gun with high capacity, and simplicity. There are several large packs of relatively fearless wild dogs in my area, and black bears & wild hogs are also pretty common here. If necessary I will revert back to my heavier, but rock solid dependable S&W 629 Mountain Gun. The .44 magnum Mountain Gun only gives up two rounds to the 1911 10mm guns, is extremely accurate, and unquestionably more powerful.

This post has been edited by m4coyote: March 26th 2008 3:25 AM

m4coyote, I feel your pain. I sure hope this doesn't happen with my Glock 29, it has been very reliable but I haven't shot it very much, maybe 200 rounds so far. Some of those are through the Storm Lake 10mm and the 40 S&W conversion Barrels. No failure to fire situation (KNOCK ON WOOD!)

Best of luck getting it resolved!

Hey M4......

I wouldn't lighten up your striker spring anyway.... for ultimate reliability I stick with at least the factory weight. As well, a "lighter" striker spring does not necessarily make a better trigger. I've had lighter springs in various Glocks and the result was "mushy" more often than not. I have the Wolff 22# recoil spring and their corresponding striker spring in my 10 now... it's slightly "heavier" than the reduced power striker spring I tried in there at one time, but has a much more crisp break.

On your trigger bar... I haven't had any problems with either of my Glock 10's. My OD 20 was made in mid 2004, and my (wife's) black frame 20 was made in mid 2006. I have a Ghost 3.5 lb disconnect with travel stop, and she has the Glock 3.5 lb. Both of them work well... no issues with light strikes. Mine has 1k+ through it, and my wife's has a 4-500; I will keep an eye on them. Let us know if you find anything else out.

User Name,
Thank you for the reply.

As it is, it looks like I am going to have to go with an increased strength striker spring - six pound rather than the stock five pound unit. I was hoping to be able to use the same recipe that has been so successful in my G19. My G19 has never had a light strike in several thousand rounds of my reloads and factory rounds. It has a very light crisp trigger pull, and the modifications include a Lightning Strike light weight steel striker, Wolff reduced strength four pound striker spring, Lone Wolf 3.5 lb. connector, trigger bar mods to reduce takeup, and a polish job. My factory stock G20 has not been able to light off one whole magazine of factory UMC 180 gr. rounds since I bought it brand new. If anything, I am going to have to increase the tension of the striker spring - just to be able to make the gun shoot.

Guys, I'm sorry to vent about my G20 on here, but it disappoints me that my factory new & unmodified G20 cant make it through more than five or six shots without stopping. Glock tech service did tell me to box up the gun, and send it back to them if the problem persisted. The shipping and insurance will cost as much or more than all the small parts in the gun, so I will try to remedy the problem once more myself. If the parts I have ordered fixes it, then the down time would only be a few minutes, but if it has to go back to Glock, it will be there for five to six weeks.

One more possibility, is that there is something not right about the striker channel liner, and I have a new one of those on the way as well. Hopefully, it will run this time around, because there is not much else to replace.

Have you removed the firing pin from its channel and thoroughly blasted out the channel with brake cleaner, or some other spray cleaner? Could be the root of all your problems. There should be no lube in the striker channel.

Postquam,

That is a very good suggestion. I have removed the striker, and inspected the channel with a strong light, but have not used brake cleaner to try and remove any contaminants. I will try this and report back this afternoon.

Thanks for your reply!

Hey M4.... no problem on the reply. I didn't know you were talking to me until tonight when I posted something else and noticed that I was logged in as User Name instead of my normal handle. Don't know what the deal was with that!

Either way, I spoke with Glock customer service yesterday about my trigger.... I had the older trigger bar in one of my G20's and although I haven't had any problems with it I figured I'd get one to have on hand just in case.

My experience with them was not the best I've ever had. I told them what I was after and they sent me to "customer service." I explained that I wanted the updated trigger assembly, and that while I was ordering that I wanted a new striker safety plunger and spring (shoulder was chewed up a little on my current one), extractor, and an extended slide stop lever and magazine release for my wife's gun.

The guy asked me if I was having problems with my gun, and I let him know that I'd only had a couple FTE's a while back and that nothing was wring with the gun. I told him that my strikes were always a bit lighter than those on my other guns (Glocks included) and that after talking to some other 10mm people I thought the updated trigger bar couldn't hurt for a more positive strike. I also wanted to replace the other parts while I was at it.

He started by telling me that it was probably my recoil spring.... it was probably weak (WTF?!). I told him he was incorrect, and that I use a 20 or 22# spring anyway. That really got him going.... he acted like I was committing a crime by using a spring other than one supplied by the factory. I told him that I would use the factory spring if Glock supplied the correct one for the application. He told me they did. I asked if he honestly though the same spring that they use in the 9mm was adequate for the 10mm. He said of course it was. So a 200 gr load from the 10 causes the same recoil as the 124 or 147 gr 9mm load?! I told him I didn't think the slide violently stopping on the frame and ejecting brass 30 feet away was acceptable for the longevity of the gun. That's where he changed the subject and asked if I was a certified Glock armorer. I told him I am not, and he replied with "well, I can't help you then anyway unless you want to send us the gun."

I pretty much stopped the conversation there and told him I'd have to be stupid to spend 5x as much on shipping as the parts, and that it didn't require an armorer's cert to remove the slide, take off the striker assy cover, replace the plunger, put the striker and cover back on and remount the slide. He was a complete prick about it, and I ended up abruptly ending the conversation and calling a vendor that deals with Glock parts. The guy there was really cool (couldn't believe my wife had her own 10mm and actually shot it )... I mentioned my experience with Glock "customer service" and he said his experiences had been similar. I think his words were "they're arrogant and out of touch with their customers."

I can tell you one thing.... I'll won't be dealing with Glock directly again unless it's something I can't get taken care of somewhere else!

You should check your recoil spring... I'll be that's your problem.

LAK Supply,

My experience with Glock was about the exact same as yours. At the advice of a very experienced member of Glock Talk, I ordered the Wolff solid steel guide rod, the plus power 6 lb. striker spring, and the 17 lb, 19 lb., and 22 lb. recoil springs. I just installed the steel guide rod, and 17 lb. spring tonight. The Wolff 17 lb. spring definitely has much more tension than the original Glock unit. I have not tried the other recoil springs, but the 17 lb. unit definitely added a significant amount of effort required to rack the slide. Hopefully, these additions will stop the light strikes, and allow my gun to run right. It is just a shame that Glock did not sell me a new G20 that would at least run through a 15 rnd. magazine without failing. Weather permitting, I am headed to the range tomorrow, and will find out if these additions have made it dependable. I will report back with the results after my range trip tomorrow.

Yeah... their customer service leaves much to be desired. Do yourself a favor and install that 20# recoil spring for your normal 10mm loads. The hot stuff warrants the 22# for sure.

I'm running Wolff recoil and striker springs as well... they've been great. I've been thinking about it, and I think when my new trigger gets here I'm going to put it in after all... been itching to do a trigger job and I don't have any Glocks left that need it! Since I'm out of school for a month or so I think I'll occupy some time one evening after work this week with the Dremel... do another fit and polish job on the new trigger bar. I know, I know.... I have problems.

Well I went to the range today, and tested the G20 with the 4256-1 trigger bar, Wolff 6lb. striker spring, Wolff steel guide rod & 17lb spring. it worked like a charm, and functioned 100% with 100 rounds of my handloads (10.5 gr. Blue Dot and 180 gr. Hornady XTP), and 100 rounds of factory 180 gr. UMC FMJ ammo. The increased power striker spring obviously hits the primers harder, and the new recoil assembly did its job with the slide. I could not be happier, because this gun has never made it through a single fifteen round magazine without a light strike or OOB occurrence. More testing is in order, but things are now starting to look on the bright side for this G20!

This post has been edited by m4coyote: April 1st 2008 12:40 AM

That's great! Problem is you shouldn't have had any problems to begin with. I've owned, sold and shot a lot of Glocks... never had that kind of problem. One of my G20's has the old trigger bar and the other has the new one.... never had any issues with either one of them. The only Glock I've ever seen malfunction out of the box was one with a defective set of cups on the striker.... didn't let the striker function properly. Glad you got your issue resolved!

I own two G21s and a G20. Never have any light strikes. I make sure and keep the striker channels blasted out with non-chlorinated brake cleaner. The -1 trigger bar was a compensation for a certain l.e. agency's officers' squirting oil into the hole in the bottom of the slide. I have "older" trigger bars in both my G21s and the G20. I've fired tens of thousands of my reloads, using CCI primers, through these Glocks, and I NEVER have light strikes.

The firing pin spring that comes with Wolff extra-power recoil springs isn't an extra-power firing pin spring; it's "standard" power. When shooting your reloads, you have to be careful to seat primers all the way to the bottom of the primer cup.

The most common cause for light strikes in Glocks is crud in the striker channel.

Postquam,

I inspected and reinspected the firing pin channel in my G20, and never found any contaminants in there - including oil. My G20 was new from the box when it first displayed this problem. I became tired of taking the slide apart, and decided to research the situation. A very experienced shooter from Glock Talk suggested the modifications I made to my gun - 4256-1 trigger bar, Wolff 6lb extra power striker spring, Wolff solid steel guide rod, and the 17lb, 19lb, and 22lb recoil springs. The striker spring I used was not the one that came with the Wolff recoil springs, it is Wolff stock # 32247 - 6lb Extra Power Striker Spring. Since these parts have been added, my G20 has fired 200 rounds without a hitch, but it could not make it through a single magazine without a lite strike failure, or an OOB occurence, and it was tested with UMC 180 gr. FMJ, Winchester 170 gr. Silvertip, PMC 180 gr.Starfire HP, and my own handloads.

I will gladly install the original recoil assembly, striker spring, and trigger bar that came in the gun, and challenge anyone to shoot just one magazine of ammo through it without a malfunction of some sort! Unless anyone has not been following along, the original 4256 trigger bar did not depress the striker safety plunger (easily viewed from the magazine well), and the striker could not even hit the primer over half the time, and when it did, the strike was very faint. I will stand by what I originally said - Glock sold me a brand new non-functional G20.

If you guys would like for me to re-install the original 4256 trigger bar and take photos through the mag well (with a top quality 105mm macro lens) of it completely missing the striker safety plunger I will be more than glad to do so.

M4Coyote- The only person to be satisifed with your gun is you, not me or anyone else. If the above is what it took to fix your gun, then so be it. Don't get flustered by others apparent disbelief. You will find that there are some here who will often challenge a statement made for what ever reason floats their boat... perhaps too many energy drinks. Have fun with your gun.
Regards,

NMG

This post has been edited by newmexiglock: April 2nd 2008 4:31 AM

No doubt, a new trigger bar was the fix for the OP's problem. Was just passing along that I have not experienced similar problems with the "old" trigger bars. Could be the trigger bar that was replaced was out-of-spec. I would try everything short of the 6# firing pin spring. I wouldn't want to increase my trigger pull.

Hopefully, when the striker channel was inspected, it was done under magnification, with a strong light. If the trigger bar was the problem, then the 6# firing pin spring is just unnecessarily increasing your trigger pull weight.

I have felt your pain and have gone through the process of replacing the spings and the trigger bar assembly. One more place to look.

I've had this problem on my G21 and hopefully this will fix your problem:

First an explanation:

If you hold the old and "improved" trigger bar assemblies side by side there are two differences. The tang end of the cruciform is a tad longer. This streeches the firing pin spring more so it can impart more striking energy to the primer. The other difference is that nub that pushes up on the safety plunger, so the firing pin can slide freely without it binding on the safety plunger, is longer as well.

With the old trigger bar, the firing pin safety button was not being pushed down far enough, causing the firing pin to bind upon firing. In severe case like mine, after many thousands of rounds, a burr was also rasied on the firing pin (where it makes contact with the firing pin safety). The raised burr drags (digs into) inside the plastic firing channel liner, causing light strikes.

Again. you replaced the springs, take a close look at your firing pin. Replace both firing pin channel liner and firing pin and spring cups. If your gun is new, I'd ship it to Glock for a once over or take to a GSSF shoot, where the armorer will check and replace the parts in your gun for free. Good luck.