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Know the condition of your Glock?

19K views 53 replies 36 participants last post by  NiceAsh 
#1 ·
Do you know the condition of your Glock just by looking at it? Without picking it up and handling it? You should be able to tell. If the trigger is forward, consider the chamber loaded! Remove the magazine, and rack the slide, and visually inspect the chamber. Once it's determined to be clear, pull that trigger to the rear (dry fire), just like you would to break it down for cleaning. Leave the trigger back. All of my Glocks are stored with the trigger back and full magazine inserted in the safe, or until deployment for the day when I manually put a round in the chamber for carry. Leaving the trigger in it's rearward position does two things....1. relaxes the trigger spring (even the Glock owner's manual states this should be done for storage), and 2. let's you know visually that the pistol has an empty chamber. There is no way to have a chambered (live) round and the Glock trigger in the rearward position at the same time unless you are shooting it. Now you should be able to tell if your Glock is loaded or not just by looking at it from across the room or the minute you pick it up. Leaving the trigger back on an empty chamber Glock should become a habit...a good habit. It's simple and might very well extend your Glock's trigger spring life.
 
#3 ·
Just to clarify.

So if you Glock is you CC weapon, you suggest you carry with one in the chamber (so the trigger would be forward). I agree, and this is how I carry.

Now, your home. You suggest, even for night time storage, that you store without a round in the chamber, the trigger back, clip in the firearm, ready to be racked.

Is this correct?
 
#4 ·
Yes, that's my suggestion. Even that way, removing it from storage won't give you a ND. This is what I do on a daily basis, and possibly more than once per day depending. Clear that Glock unless you are carrying it and dry fire on the empty chamber.


I just wanted to give the new sub-forum a boost, and also not to hear of any more ND's with Glocks for any reason.
 
#5 ·
I had not considered this option, but I appreciate the advise, and just put Glock in condition you suggested.

I tend to carry the revolver j-frame around the house (my thought process is it is the firearm I'll use to get to my Glock or shotgun).

My wife has been uncomfortable storing with one in the barrel (as it does break a firearm safety rule). Storing the ammo with the weapon also breaks a rule, but the weapon is intended for home SD, and needs to be in a secure but ready condition.

Add the other two points you bring up (valid points).

Sincere thanks Ram Rod.
 
#11 ·
I have had and carried Glocks since ... I can't really remember !
Never thought of that, great point. Thanks RR.
 
#12 ·
Thanks RR. Learned something very valuable today.
 
#15 ·
Shame on me, but I have started to carry a practice round as my in the barrel round (followed by the hollow points). I carry a Glock .357 Sig, so I feel even the practice FMJ round is a capable SD round. I always make sure to use the round I have been chambering next time I hit the range (thus no set back concerns).

There is a slightly greater concern for set back with a bottle necked round IMO. I just can't afford to keep buying the 125 GR. SXT Winchester Ranger rounds. I have considered purchashing a lower cost hollow point and using that as my one in the barrel round.
 
#16 ·
In my experience, it doesn't matter if it is a bottleneck round or not. I have had many bullets affected with setback issues because I did not rotate. My Glock 20 (10 mm) seems to be the worse one and I get about 3 chamberings on one round before it significantly alters the bullet setback.

Personally, all of my weapons that I use regularly for defense purposes are consistently ready to go at all times. They are either locked up or on me, and I have a different routine in how I treat those weapons. The rest of my weapons that do not see everyday use stay completely unloaded and are in the big safe for storage.

When I do carry a long gun in the vehicle, the magazines are loaded but none of them are in the gun itself. When a shotgun, I may have the tube loaded, but no rounds in the chamber.

Ram Rod wrote a good post, and he has some good ideas and they are not bad to consider in your everyday routine for your firearms.
 
#17 ·
I guess I will continue to leave my wife's 19 with one in the chamber and ready to go when in the safe. She choose the Glock because she didn't want to have to worry about a safety or decoker or any other thing if she needed to use a gun. She is still waiting on her license to get back, so she isn't carrying during the day yet.

But back to my point. She choose her particular gun because she wanted to pick it up and pull the trigger and have it go boom if she ever needed to. I don't think it is wise to leave her gun in a different condition when at home than it will be when she is carrying it. She wants a gun that will go bang when she pulls the trigger with no other action required, that is what she will have.
 
#18 ·
... She wants a gun that will go bang when she pulls the trigger with no other action required, that is what she will have.
My thoughts as well. However, with the trigger set back, it is clear the slide needs to be racked.

Still, I can't disagree with what you are stating farronwolf. To each their own.

I think I'll contine to go as ramrod stated because it more closely satisfies firearm safety rules and less wear on the spring.
 
#19 ·
Been leaving the glocks I'm going to be using anytime soon loaded since 88 with the first gen g17.

I see no need to unload, rack slide, visually check chamber, slide down and pull the trigger all the time. I presently have three glocks loaded in the house, the 21sf I'm carrying and two g17 3rd gens in the bedroom walk in closet.

The rest of the 12 glocks [ 9 of them sit with mag in gun, no rds in mag or chamber just the way I buy them and they come shipped in the box.

I understand RR's reasoning, but I know which guns are loaded, I don't put the booker hook inside the trigger guard when I pick up a handgun [ or any other firearm ] and know the two 17 and the 21sf are loaded at all times so there's no question if they have rds in chamber and are "good to go" when and if I pick them up.

Not to take the thread adrift, but bullet setback has ocurred loading and unloading the same cartridge, I've seen it myself on more than one occasion myself. Not often, but it's something one needs to watch for when re-chambering rds repeatedly.

Brownie
 
#23 ·
My DC is always "hot." No need to wonder it's condition.

If there were, a simple "Chamber Check" would suffice to let me know.

BTW Chamber Checks can be done in the day light and total darkness, safely (with practice).

Oh and BTW todays Glocks come with and most can be retro fitted with a Loaded Chamber Indicator. Simply a added bump on the extractor that you can feel and see.
 
#24 ·
Yeah...my G19 came that way. it's the only one I have with a feel bump on the extractor. Obviously Glock felt the need to do this to prevent the uneducated dumbness that makes some Glock owners shoot themselves.
 
#25 ·
I keep mine (at least the one I carry) loaded unless I'm unloading it to clean it...no reason to fiddle with it. I don't see how leaving it loaded and knowing it's always loaded is going to induce complacency. If anything, messing with it several times per day would seem to increase chances of a ND.
 
#26 ·
If anything, messing with it several times per day would seem to increase chances of a ND.

I agree, the less you are loading/unloading and manipulating the firearm [ unless absolutely necessary for some reason ], the less chance of having an ND.

Brownie
 
#30 ·
Contrary to popular belief, you can store a Glock with a round in the chamber and the trigger in the pulled position. Please just take my word on this and DO NOT try to do this with a live round, there simply is no reason to store a gun in this position.

Please follow the owners manual that came with your firearm for the proper storage techniques.

Even storing an “empty gun” requires that you treat it as a loaded firearm until you determine it is, in fact, unloaded. Ever time you pick your gun up after is has been out of sight IMO you should use good judgment and check the condition.

Please remember too, always ensure the slide is in the locked open position before handing a Glock to another person so they can check the chamber too for their safety.
 
#31 ·
Load 'em and leave 'em be. All my handguns are loaded at all times, the ones in the safe are all set for easy grabbing and ready to go, including my ole 1988 Bianchi revolver.
 
#33 ·
In re-reading this thread I see no one mentioned, "how" their loaded firearms are stored/stowed.

Personally, I store my ready service arms in a holster. What better way to use those extra holsters we all seem to accomolate? Do make sure the selected holster will fully cover & protect the trigger too; and if it has a retention device, I would employ it also!
 
#38 ·
Personally, I store my ready service arms in a holster. What better way to use those extra holsters we all seem to accomolate?
Same here. Far safer to simply transfer it from the holster on my belt to the one on my nightstand or in my safe than to mess about loading and unloading the gun all the time.
 
#35 ·
Something to think about...Thanks RR.:hand10:

I have my wife's Glock in the safe, in a rack and the trigger is back...

My G-36 is in the holster in the safe. I see no need to store this one in that fashion...if it's in the holster, it's loaded (of course, it's ALWAYS loaded, but you know what I mean...).
 
#36 ·
I store my Glocks in holsters. Since the OP, I do store the G31 with the trigger back. However, I just leave the G33 with one in the chamber. It is my most common carry. I started to worry I would make a mistake clearing the chamber everyday. I keep it holstered, and ready to fire.
 
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