G38 - 1st Time Out

[york2]

I've had my G38 (HCExxx) for a week and a half and I finally had a chance to take it to the range.

I started off with 50 rounds of Speer Lawman 185Gr TMJ. First round went off, then click. The second round did not seat in the chamber properly. I had to cycle the action to get the third round to chamber. It went off, but the fourth round did not chamber properly. I noticed that the slide was not closing all the way. I removed the magazine and ejected the round, then disassembled the gun. It didn't look like anything was catching the slide. So, I reassemble the gun and place a fresh magazine in. Same thing. I though I may have been limp wristing, but that wasn't it. I finally checked the slide after each round to make sure it was closing properly, and when it wasn't, I would tap the slide to make sure it closed.
I moved to the Speer 200 Gr. TMJ, and it seemed to work better. There were fewer failures to close. After finishing that box, I went back to another box of the 185 gr. It still occurred, but only infrequently.
Has anyone else experienced this? Any tips?

Thanks
York

[DannyR]

The ammo may be out of spec. Remove your barrel and drop every round in, one by one. They should all go in freely and completely and fall out freely when you invert the barrel.

Make sure your thumb is not riding the slide.

[york2]

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to check the ammo. When I tried to tap the slide, I had to rap it pretty hard to go into battery.
I don't think my thumb is riding the slide. I haven't have any issues with my 19 or 23.

[DannyR]

Then it's most likely the ammo. It happens from time to time. Your G38 was test fired 5 rounds before leaving Smyrna.

[Rusty Phillips]

Originally posted by DannyR
Make sure your thumb is not riding the slide.

+1

took me some time to get my thumb outta the way

[FP2000H]

Ha a similar problem with my new 37. The slide wouldn't close all the way. I've had only a few failure to fire's but at first that first round wouldn't seat properly. For what it's worth, the guys at Glock told me that the magazine springs were too tight and to load a full mag and let them sit for a bit to break in the strings. I don't know if that was really it but I did it and since then it has only happened once in about 500 rounds. I don't know if a Glock needs to be broken in. I thought it was a magazine problem and when I called Glock, they sent me two extra mags! What great sports! Try the mag thing and keep shooting. Good luck.

[FP2000H]

Oh yeah, resting my left thumb on the slide doesn't seem to cause me any grief. But it's probably not good form anyway.

[Pharoah Bender]

I too had FTF problems with my G38...needless to say I was distraught at having my first FTF with a Glock. I believe that the GAP is an excellent design, but I personally had FTF's with FMJ's and JHP's alike. Since then, I sold it and am looking forward to a new G39, and from what I hear, is the bees knees!

[york2]

I had the same expectation with the G38 not skipping a beat since I've had no problems with my other Glocks.

I'm going to give the magazine thing a try, and find some time to put through some rounds. Maybe this needs to be broken in a little?

[Coffee357]

My personal experiences tend to reveal more problems with short, stumpy cartridges failing to go into battery than with the slimmer cartridges (mostly with .45ACP vs. 9mm). Of course this is only my experience and not based on any serious testing. YMMV

Coffee

[ForGreatJustice]

Could you clear up this thumb thing for me? Is it people who shoot with their thumbs pointing forward who have more trouble, or is it people who shoot with thumbs pointing upwards who have trouble with the new wide-slide Glocks and their extended slide releases?

[Rusty Phillips]

Originally posted by ForGreatJustice
Could you clear up this thumb thing for me? Is it people who shoot with their thumbs pointing forward who have more trouble, or is it people who shoot with thumbs pointing upwards who have trouble with the new wide-slide Glocks and their extended slide releases?

I think it is the thumb up people who get their thumbs on the slide itself.

[alank2]

Hi,

Get a case gauge and check all your ammo prior to firing. Dillon has a 45gap stainess gauge for $9.95:

http://dillonprecision.com/template/p.cfm?maj=14&min=0&dyn=1&

At least once you've case gauge checked your ammo, you can eliminate it as the source of the problem and start looking at other things.

Also, I had a similar problem with a G30 although the rounds would make it mostly in the chamber but not lockup all the way. This was leading to off center light primer strikes. It was a tight extractor and swapping the extractor for another one fixed the issue.

Good Luck,

Alan

[york2]

Alan,
Thanks for the tip. I was also getting the off center light primer strikes when the barrel didn't lock up.

I will probably not get a chance to take her out again for another week, but by then, I should hopefully have another brand of ammo to try, and get the tool to gauge the ammo.

York

[alank2]

Hi York,

>Thanks for the tip. I was also getting the off center light primer
>strikes when the barrel didn't lock up.

I tried a bunch of other stuff before I found it to be an extractor problem. It may or may not be in your case, but you might order one for $15 (www.glockparts.com) just to try swapping out the part to see if it helps. I'm not sure if he has 45gap extractors, but you might email him to find out what to order...

>I will probably not get a chance to take her out again for another
>week, but by then, I should hopefully have another brand of ammo to
>try, and get the tool to gauge the ammo.

I recommend the Dillon one because it is stainless, I ordered a non-stainless one from Midway and it came with rust spots all over it so it was returned...

Good Luck,

Alan