That's a new one on me, too, and I've seen a fair number of broken Glocks myself. Looking at that frontstrap, that gun could be pushing thirty, and judging by the finish wear and the way the plastic's worn shiny on the high spots, it's got some miles on it, too. I wonder what the backstory is?
See? This is why it never pays to be jaded. Thinking you've seen every way a gun can break is just plain hubris.
21 comments:
Looks like some sort of fatigue crack. I'm guessing the slide and dustcover had some interference. It might only occur when the gun gets hot. Repeated loading/unloading with each shot finally lead to crack generation and propagation.
I'd be willing to bet that it still functions fine.
Brian Miller,
"I'd be willing to bet that it still functions fine."
Nope. That frame is probably totalled. Guess why.
(...and yes, mechanically it'll probably still run.)
That failure is an example of the evil Glock serial killer that the "shoulder thing that goes up" crowd keeps warning us about..
Question...is that one with a light rail? Based on that part being upside down, I'd wonder if there was a light aboard and it contributed to said breakage?
Based on smoothness of the plasti...er, polymers, I'm pondering that it's pre-rail, so probably not.
Likely just a high mileage Block that got shot a lot, shot a lot more, and probably, shot quite a bit more.
"evil Glock serial killer"
That's almost poetry, but it's certain punny.
Nope. That frame is probably totalled. Guess why.
(...and yes, mechanically it'll probably still run.)
HONEST QUESTION ALERT:
Not being a smartass here, but I'm missing something with the above. Can you 'splain?
Ever watch a Glock filmed with a high speed camera? The frame almost looks like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge oscillating in the breeze. Wasn't frame flex purposefully designed into the gun by Herr Gaston?
Pakkinpoppa,
Unless it's had a lot of custom work done, that's a Gen 1 Glock - there are no finger serrations on the grip. Gen 1 Glocks didn't have the light rail (Gen 3? IIRC).
As for it being totalled, I'd wager it's because there's no decent way to reattach that piece and restore the structural integrity. It'll function, but I'd sure as hell keep my hand out from under that entire area should that spring go south...
SpeakerTweaker, the serial number plate is gone. So essentially (and legally) you have a handgun with the serial number defaced, just as if you had filed off the S/N. ATF frowns on such a thing.
Several years back I observed the remains of a G17 that some clown installed a ported barrel in. Said clown failed to realize that the ports needed to be in the slide as well. The slide and frame mostly parted company at the first shot. I bitterly regret not getting a picture. :(
Speaker Tweaker,
"Not being a smartass here, but I'm missing something with the above. Can you 'splain?"
See Al T.'s comment above. :)
ATF has been pretty flexable about remarking serial numbers on title 1 firearms. NFA, they have been sticklers.
But yeah, that can be remarked under variance - not a big deal at all.
Wally,
Oh, I'm well aware of that. Were it a steel-framed gun, that'd be the remedy.
Given the annoyance inherent to re-attaching a metal tab in the frame to BATFEIOIO satisfaction, it's easier to just send it to Smyrna for replacement.
(I even knew a guy who'd received a S&W Victory Model that had had the serial number obliterated, probably by a returning GI with a guilty conscience, and when the guy called the feds about it, they just told him to put the gun in the safe and called him back a few days later with a fresh s/n. I believe it was "2003-123A" or somesuch...)
It is common practice, and well accepted, to mark polymer framed guns in polymer. Think of a glock registered as an SBR - the gripframe needs to be marked, where is that going to be located ?
As long as the marking standards are met .06" tall, .003" deep, it is kosher.
Wally,
"It is common practice, and well accepted, to mark polymer framed guns in polymer. Think of a glock registered as an SBR - the gripframe needs to be marked, where is that going to be located ?"
Hadn't even stopped to think about that. Never put a shoulder stock on a Glock that didn't already have Da Switch already installed.
So, why do all 07's that make poly-framed firearms put all the mfr info on the plastic but use a metal insert for the s/n?
(I well understand that the plastic is fine for the manufacturer's add'y...)
Yet the mfg addy is required under the same standards as the SN...
I do not believe anything is specifically required (per USC) to be marked in metal versus simply "on the receiver". It is my understanding that mfgs place them there to be more tamper resistant.
In the case of a Title 1 repair, as we are talking in this thread, remarking under variance would easily be accomplished anywhere on the firearm.
As an 07/02, I am pretty familiar with marking standards, title 1 and title 2. And I would offer you a swanktastic lobster dinner next time you are in New England if you can cite where a SN needs to be in metal.
That aside, the metal is only set in plastic, so it wouldn't be much effort to stick a metal tab into some slots and melt some plastic to set it there.
Wally,
"And I would offer you a swanktastic lobster dinner next time you are in New England if you can cite where a SN needs to be in metal."
As the former sales manager and Responsible Person of an 07/02, I can't say that the issue had ever come up before, and therefore I hadn't given it much thought.
I had no intention of getting into a dick-measuring contest, which I would, by default, lose. ;)
I'll take your word for it.
And I'd still just send that frame back to Glock rather than trying to plastic-weld the dust cover and re-mark it. ;)
"I had no intention of getting into a dick-measuring contest, which I would, by default, lose. ;)"
Uh, no. By default, you'd win, as you could judge and judge and judge and judge and judge and judge ad infinium. (Firefox hates that spelling BTW)
Us guys, not so much. :(
Where do I sign up? :D
Someone's going to be making, "I had my dick measured by Tam" t-shirts in
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Check online...
Too much muzzle strike or pistol whipping practice.
Dear Tam:
Indeed. My favorite has ever been the day one of my shooting pals suddenly found his Colt Python printing down and to one side. He couldn't figure it out and asked me to take a look. I noticed that the entire barrel was canted--it had come unpinned and was unscrewing itself! So I unscrewed the barrel from the frame by hand, handed him the two parts, and announced that I thought I'd found the problem.
It didn't take much for a gunsmith to rectify it, but any device made by man can fail. By the way, it doesn't look like that weapon had a great deal of attention paid to keeping it clean. Perhaps a contributing factor over time?
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