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Glock 26 seawater test

13K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  G-man* 
#1 ·
While on vacation at the beach this past week, I got to thinking a out all the glock torture tests I have read over the years. So since I had my g26 with me I decided to test the seawater exposure test my self . So for the whole time I was there , I carried my g26 on the beach, often times getting it wet in the surf. I always rinsed it off at night with freshwater, and noticed no effect on the gun, other than the lube completley washing off. I did not relube, just did a function check and made sure it was working properly

On Wednsday night, I decided to unload it and with the slide locked back, completely submerge it in the shallow part of the surf where all the sand is churned up. This is where I had my only issue. The sand infiltrated every part of the gun, effecting trigger pull and not allowing the slide to snap forward. I could strike the slide with my hand, and it would go into battery, and the firing pin was still striking with enough force to propel a pencil from the barrel. Not feeling that the pistol would be reliable in the condition, I completely rinsed it out, function tested it and everything worked fine. Still no lube was applied.

Not one to leave well enough alone, on Thursday night, I unloaded the glock, took it out in the surf in waist deep water where there is not as much sand in the water, and held the gun under water for about a minute. My goal here was to test the long term effects of seawater exposure, while not causing any sand induced problems, as this was my only carry gun. I let it dry out overnight in the ocean air on our balcony. The next morning I checked it for proper functioning, and loaded and holstered it. This is now the fourth day with no lube or cleaning. The only rust is in the recoil spring guide rod, and a very tiny place on the inner part of the slide. I will disassemble it this afternoon for a good cleaning and lube, and post pictures for you to see.

Lessons learned is that this gun has amazing corrosion resistance. But another lesson is that an overdose of fine sand will even jam up the slide of the mighty glock. But, the quick fix is a simple rinse. I am even further convinsed that this is the most durable pistol made. Even my Cold Steel neck knife succumbed to the effects of sea water, and it is stainless steel.

Guess I had an itch that needed to be scratched, but I hope some of you find this interesting and imformative. Sometimes I just have to see for myself.:bier:
 
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#3 ·
Update; I now have it completely disasembled, and found a small amount of rust on the inside of the endcap that bust be removed in order to remove the firing pin and extractor plunger rod. The small springs to all these parts including the trigger disconnect spring are completely rust free. There is no rust visible in the extractor housing or it's retaining pin.
 
#6 ·
Yes, I saw that one and others. But, I actually carried mine as my primary and only defensive handgun during and after the tests. My goal was to simulate a realistic scenario where if the firearm was subjected to seawater, and you could not clean it for a few days, if it would remain operable and still function. I think seawater is diferent than rock salt, as it is prone to flow into all the little places of the gun. Plus, I felt like any corrosion that would take place, would be at it's worst a few days AFTER submersion, giving the oxygen, moisture and salt residue time to chemically react with the metals. I believe that this is a more realistic and more potentially damaging test of the firearm.
 
#9 ·
I, uh, don't think I'll be buying a used G26 for a while.

A realistic test of what many of us might find ourselves exposed to, more so than throwing it out of an airplane. Thanks for "taking the plunge."
 
#10 ·
Nice 'testing report'.
Now you can understand why a Glock that isn't put through all that torture is REALLY a dependable firearm.:yup:
 
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