Glock Customer Service

JKP

I visited holy land today - the Glock HQ in Smyrna GA. 

Due to Covid they do "carside" service but it was easy enough and the armorer was waiting for me as I parked. Nice guard at the gate had already checked in my pistols and put a weapon lock on them. I explained my issues to the armorer, he said come back in about an hour or wait. I grabbed lunch and returned per his estimate and he was spot on.

Regarding the service, he replaced a lot of parts in a well worn gen 2.5 G21 (extractor, load bearing spring LCI, extractor plunger spring, firing pin safety, pressure spring, recoil spring, slide cover plate, slide lock spring, housing with ejector, trigger spring, trigger with trigger bar). He also replaced a Ghost connector in a 43X that he said was bent (the connector was installed by the distributor that did the cerrakote). 

He left the Ghost connector I had in the G21 per my request and suggested I not run a Ghost connector (bent or not) in the 43X.

Cost out the door - $0.00 plus I got some SWAG at the gate. One year warranty? Pffffttt! The 21 is 1998 vintage.

Zee

Good is good in many ways. 

Wambli Ska

Did he mention why it’s a NO on the Ghost Connector on the 43x?  I have them on all my guns and I’m very happy with them.  It’s become an immediate, no thought upgrade to every Glock I buy.

JKP

Wambli Ska said:

Did he mention why it’s a NO on the Ghost Connector on the 43x?  I have them on all my guns and I’m very happy with them.  It’s become an immediate, no thought upgrade to every Glock I buy.

His (albeit conservative) comment was it's already a 5 lb trigger on a carry gun, why mess with it and possibly introduce an issue. Now this one was probably bent during install...

I also have upgraded (probably) every Glock I own with Ghost connectors. I was surprised to see it in the 43x when I looked as there's no real reason for a distributor to replace that part when cerakoting. Just speculating, but maybe while stripping it down to cerakote they bent the original.

I also confirmed the cerakote wasn't factory - he indicated beside the handful of silver slides they produced (with an eye roll) and the current 19x everything leaves there black.

Wambli Ska

Thanks for the extra details.  I really appreciate it.  I don’t install the Ghost Connector to decrease weight as much as I do to get rid off or at least attenuate the “wall” on the standard trigger pull.  By the time I’m done with the Ghost C and the Dremel polish job I have a pretty constant resistance short trigger pull that I like better.  But hey his thinking is sound and he is, I’m sure, in line with his corporate doctrine.

JKP

I was a bit surprised at how open he was to leaving the Ghost part in the G21. He said he really didn't have an issue with them but wouldn't necessarily recommend for a carry gun. 

JKP

Another interesting conversation was with the guard at the gate. She checked in the guns and came back and said "That gen2 sure is an old one, we don't see many of those!"  

I was tempted to reply that's what she said but didn't want to press my luck. 

Bigslug

Going down your list, it looks like they pretty much just re-gutted your gun in its entirety minus the firing pin assembly -  which I'm kinda surprised they left - and called it a day.

I LOVE a system where the interchangeable parts actually interchange!

Wambli Ska

JKP said:

I was a bit surprised at how open he was to leaving the Ghost part in the G21. He said he really didn't have an issue with them but wouldn't necessarily recommend for a carry gun. 

I don’t think they are for everyone.  They do require good trigger discipline.  But then again if a shooter has a trigger discipline issue Glock is probably the last handgun they should carry.

Wambli Ska

JKP said:

Another interesting conversation was with the guard at the gate. She checked in the guns and came back and said "That gen2 sure is an old one, we don't see many of those!"  

I was tempted to reply that's what she said but didn't want to press my luck. 

See that’s an interesting observation for me.   I would have asked, why!  It’s not like they wear out so much that they are ultimately disposed off like cars.   Or are they??? You would think a lot of the older guns would come in for refurbishing or warranty repairs.

Bigslug

Wambli Ska said:

JKP said:

Another interesting conversation was with the guard at the gate. She checked in the guns and came back and said "That gen2 sure is an old one, we don't see many of those!"  

I was tempted to reply that's what she said but didn't want to press my luck. 

See that’s an interesting observation for me.   I would have asked, why!  It’s not like they wear out so much that they are ultimately disposed off like cars.   Or are they??? You would think a lot of the older guns would come in for refurbishing or warranty repairs.

They aren't necessarily "disposed of", but as "working guns", the pre-light rail models probably get migrated to the backs of a lot of safes and simply aren't getting the round count.  Also, with the exception of the VERY earliest .40's, they're all 9mm or 10's and .45's with A LOT of slide mass - pretty durable stuff.

I bolted a Recover rail onto my old 19 with the thought of it becoming one of the HD crew, and that's probably all it'll ever be at this point, since any holster for it will be a custom job.

The Gen 3's are going to be where the spare parts replacements are heaviest.  There are more of these by far than anything else, and there were a number of hidden "sub-revisions" within that generation to work through the .40/.357 pounding problem (answer: invent the Gen 5).

I'm very eager to see what my first wear-related Gen 5 repair is going to be.  It's a gun with a lot of reinforcing done around problems that didn't exist until we had the .40; and they're mostly going to be 9mm.  They should be Energizer Bunnies.

It'll be interesting to see how the Gen 4's fare long term, as they have the most potential to be the forgotten "middle child".  I've come to think of them as the temporary .40 caliber Band Aid - they run on some Gen 3 parts and some model-specific stuff.  Glock will likely keep spares for them in the pipeline for years to come, but if there's ever likely to be a Glock guts shortage, it'll probably be for those.

Wambli Ska

Thanks for the explanation.  Makes sense.

Ernie Bishop

Cool Thread!

JKP

Good point about the older stuff being used less. The G21 in question saw lots of rounds but not much lately. I've got several other similar gen2 Glocks - relegated to the kitchen cabinet, in my office, etc.

Seems like there is always something newer and shinier taking the range trips but the Glocks rise to the top from an SD perspective.

Bigslug

JKP said:

Seems like there is always something newer and shinier taking the range trips but the Glocks rise to the top from an SD perspective.

They WORK.  They're REALLY easy to use and service. They don't rust.  Those expressing "needs" beyond this often sound pretty fussy/whiny. 

burroughs85

I have a brand spankin' new Glock 45 on the way to Lawton, Oklahoma from a Gunbroker seller. I don't know about Ghost connectors and all that jazz, but I expect this gun will be a great fanny-pack carry pistol in Oklahoma. My 5-shot Smith & Wesson Airweight 642-2 revolver will then be committed to my kitchen drawer next to the silverware for additional home security. Don't worry. There are no children in this bachelor pad of mine. Oh, this 45 shoots nine millimeter, by the way. There used to be debates in gun rags about 45 vs 9. With a Glock Model 45, I will have BOTH numbers in the same autoloading handgun! Glock 17 is the original Wundernine. My new Glock "45" will have a 17 (speaking of that number) round capacity and comes with three mags.

Speaking of ghosts, I have heard of ghost ring sights also but I don't understand that sort of thing either. I just cannot "connect" scary Halloween apparitions with firearms other than I suspect that a bad guy might give up the ghost if he tries to hurt an armed law-abiding person or his loved ones. 

MileHighShooter

I keep forgetting I need to call glock in GA about replacing a broken 30 slide.  I bought the gun broken,  but it came with a letter from glock detailing replacement costs/options, even says this letter must accompany any sale until repaired.  Doubt they'll honor the prices with today's shortages but who knows,  they might surprise me

JKP

MileHighShooter said:

I keep forgetting I need to call glock in GA about replacing a broken 30 slide.  I bought the gun broken,  but it came with a letter from glock detailing replacement costs/options, even says this letter must accompany any sale until repaired.  Doubt they'll honor the prices with today's shortages but who knows,  they might surprise me

If you are ever in the area, stopping by is rumored to result in lots of free repairs. Not sure if that would extend to a broken slide, but I'm not sure why not...

JKP

And notwithstanding Zee's special skills to break anything, how does one go about breaking a Glock slide?

Wambli Ska

I was JUST about to ask that!!!!!

MileHighShooter

no idea! it was in the vault for a few years.  when the manager left the store we went through and clearanced out a bunch of guns we'd been sitting on.  i said I'd give $200 and the new boss said ok! 

its cracked around the guide rod