[Non]

I just finished assembling my first p80 g19. I checked the trigger reset, and it seemed fine. I went ahead to disassembly the slide first by pulling the trigger, depress the slide release when i found out the slide can only move forward an inch or so. I dont think the guide rod was in the wrong angle, as i was able to insert a piece of thin metal under in between the guide rod and the frame.

so what is my next step? Thanks for all the help in advance.

 

[0311INF]

P80 threads don't do well here. Just FYI.

 

[racer88]

I went ahead to disassembly the slide first by pulling the trigger, depress the slide release when i found out the slide can only move forward an inch or so. I dont think the guide rod was in the wrong angle, as i was able to insert a piece of thin metal under in between the guide rod and the frame.

A lot of this isn't quite making sense, but it may be that you're confusing some of the nomenclature.

First, let me ask.... have you owned a Glock before? Familiar with the field strip process?

To field strip a Glock (or P80):

1. Pull the trigger (after being SURE the pistol is unloaded!)

2. Grasp the back of the pistol with your fingers over the slide and your thumb behind the "beavertail" and pull the slide back just slightly... like about a quarter inch. If the trigger resets, you went too far. Start over.

3. With the index finger and thumb of your other hand pull the SLIDE LOCK (not the slide release / slide stop) down.

4. Let the slide go with your right hand, and it should slide forward. Pull it off the rest of the way.

Here's a video of how to do it as I described (not my video):

I apologize if that exactly what you did. But, I was confused by your terminology.

I dont think the guide rod was in the wrong angle, as i was able to insert a piece of thin metal under in between the guide rod and the frame.

I'm really not sure what this means.

That all said, I would HIGHLY recommend you watch Marine Gun Builder's P80 video series on YouTube.

Screw the spoilsports here who bristle at the mention of P80 guns. It's funny that they hate P80s (for no good reason) but will spend inordinate amounts of time on P80 threads expressing their unfounded derision. All kinds of other brands of guns are discussed here. But, for some reason, they are triggered by P80s.

Let me know if you're able to get the slide off as described above. If not, there are other ways to get it disassembled if something is jammed up inside.

 

[Non]

That was exactly how i used to field strip this handgun. And the slide was able to only come forward an inch before it is stuck. I googled and found quite a few posts on this topics, remedy including using a hammer on the back on the slide or disassemblying the backplate and remove the striker. I just want to ask here to make sure i don’t goof up anymore than i have to. Again, thank you.

 

[racer88]

That was exactly how i used to field strip this handgun. And the slide was able to only come forward an inch before it is stuck. I googled and found quite a few posts on this topics, remedy including using a hammer on the back on the slide or disassemblying the backplate and remove the striker. I just want to ask here to make sure i don’t goof up anymore than i have to. Again, thank you.

Negative on the hammering!

Lock the slide back and remove the slide backplate. Know how to do that? It should slide off then. If somehow that doesn't work, knock out the frame pins and it will come apart that way for sure!

Then it might help to see photos of your assembled frame (without the slide) from all the different angles. Also photo of the bottom of the slide.

If you want to hang out on a forum dedicated to P80s, check out MarineGunBuilder.com. Lots of very knowledgeable people there.

 

[Oldtoad the Old]

Nice looking piece.
I second the MGB website.
Finesse not Force is the way to go.

 

[Non]

I ended up punching out the frame pins and the slide came out. It appears the guide rod is rubbing the interior of the frame. I smooth out the channel a bit more and now everything works as it should. I will take it further to the mgb website. Thank you.

 

[racer88]

OK... you have a fair bit more work to do on your channel. The vertical walls should be flush with the front locking block / rails. See arrows.

Also, you can see the spring coils binding on the sides of the channel. No bueno.

Yeah... not even close...

A lot more work to do here. Besides taking away more material, it needs to be baby-butt smooth.

This is the channel in my first build:

See how the vertical walls of the channel and the front locking block are smooth and flush / even? You don't have to bevel the tops like I did. But, the vertical walls need to be smooth and flush. The recoil spring assembly needs to be able to move freely in the channel.

Also, make sure those tabs are finished down nicely. You don't want the slide binding on those, either.

 

[racer88]

Here's a video on cutting and finishing the channel by Marine Gun Builder. Watch this video. Watch ALL his videos. Worth your time.

Also... VERY important... watch his safety video:

 

[racer88]

I made this video recently about the channel finishing process. This pertains to exactly the problem you're having. My video is much shorter than the MGB videos! Ha! But, his videos ARE worth the time to watch.

 

[racer88]

And, if you're really bored or suffer insomnia... I made this 20 minute video on a new tool to use for P80 channel finishing. In this video, you'll see me finish the channel from start to finish. It's edited for "brevity." But, you'll see the process. This is my 2nd build - still in progress.

This takes TIME to get these results. But, these results pay off in a smooth, reliable gun. My first build has not has a single malfunction from the 1st shot to the 1,150th shot (so far).

 

[racer88]

My first build, completed this past September.

Today, I added a new trigger:

 

[Non]

That looks fantastic. I know i have ways to go, appreciate you guys pointing mw the right direction

 

[racer88]

That looks fantastic. I know i have ways to go, appreciate you guys pointing mw the right direction

Seriously... go watch ALL the MGB videos on his YouTube channel. Yes, they are LONG. You can click the little gear icon and increase the playback speed to 1.5x and it's still understandable. But, you may want to slow it down for some parts (or repeat them). MGB is very comprehensive and emphasizes "First Time Quality." FTQ! I'm tellin' ya... if you subscribe and adhere to the FTQ approach, your gun WILL WORK and work very well.

MGB may seem long-winded or "over the top" when it comes to the finer nuances of finishing and polishing all the P80 bits. But, again... I'm tellin' ya... pay attention. It works!

I think it's just our nature to be in a hurry. We're building a gun, and that's exciting! Naturally, we want to get it done SOON, so we can show it off and shoot the s**t out of it.

But, if you rush the process, you'll end up very frustrated and want to pitch the gun into a lake. Take your time. Go SLOWLY.

My first build, the gray G34, is now my favorite range gun. And, I've got a decent collection of factory guns, including 3 factory Glocks, and a couple FNH pistols, among others. My OWN home-built G34 beats them all at the range. I'm not lying when I say it has not has a single malfunction in 1,150 rounds fired so far.

Mind you, I also had some frustrations along the way. But, I just had to slow down... and step away occasionally. I referenced the MGB videos and joined the MGB forum. Lots of great and knowledgeable people there.

The politicians are telling the sheeple, "You can build a 'ghost gun' in just 30 minutes." Bull-puckey! I am not exaggerating when I say I EASILY spent 30 - 40 HOURS on my first build. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

But, if you're building a device designed to contain an explosion in your bare hands while launching a deadly projectile downrange at supersonic speeds... MAYBE you should take your time. Maybe you should take a lot of that time LEARNING about the best ways and techniques to build it (watch MGB's videos).

Be SURE to follow MGB's safety checks before you even think about loading live ammo in your P80.

Good luck! Enjoy in good health!

 

[Shawn 3212]

I sometimes wonder at the P80 hate here, it borders on unreasonable.

 

[Oldtoad the Old]

I sometimes wonder at the P80 hate here, it borders on unreasonable.

Jealousy, ignorance and a stock Glock is a beautiful thing.
Racer88 has spent the time, effort and $$$ to take Glock to the next level.
I'm an even bigger admirer now, sweet piece of work Racer88.

 

[Glock4life!]

I sometimes wonder at the P80 hate here, it borders on unreasonable.

Not unreasonable. It’s seems that we have weekly posts of someone doing a custom build or adding aftermarket parts to a Glock which almost always ends up in some sort of failure in some way. Then the OP comes to a GLOCK forum asking for help.

Of course the standard response is going to be “don’t waste time and money on a knock off, just buy a real Glock that will work out of the box”.

I personally think it’s a little strange to just start building guns with no prior knowledge of gun smithing or the platform you are trying to copy. Maybe buy a used Glock, learn how they work and then try to build one. It would solve a lot of problems if folks would read and research a topic first.

Finally, there are P80 resources out there. I wouldn’t go on a F-150 forum asking what Chevy I should buy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[racer88]

I sometimes wonder at the P80 hate here, it borders on unreasonable.

Pathological and self-contradictory in many cases. And amusing at the same time!

Posting about P80s (or modifying a factory Glock) is like blowing a dog whistle around here.

But, building an AR-15? Totally OK! LOL!

And, there is currently a thread about modifying the underside of the Glock trigger guard to prevent "Glock knuckle." Nobody squawked about THAT modification. And, they noticed that when they did that, there was the "unexpected" benefit of a higher grip! Ha! You mean like the trigger guard and grip of the P80 frame design? Like that?!? LOL!

Anyway, it's all fun to me.

 

[racer88]

Jealousy, ignorance and a stock Glock is a beautiful thing.
Racer88 has spent the time, effort and $$$ to take Glock to the next level.
I'm an even bigger admirer now, sweet piece of work Racer88.

And, that was my first one! But, I'm a freak.... a bit of a perfectionist, and I work with my hands every day.

The biggest issue I've seen in the few months of time I've spent in the P80 world (learning a TON) is that most guys are simply rushing through it. Perhaps they've been influenced by the media and politicians who insist that all you have to do is "get the kit" and slap it together like Legos in 30 minutes. The president, himself, said it only takes 30 minutes!

So, maybe a lot of builders believe that there's "nothing to it." There's a LOT to it. A LOT!

I think there's also the understandable desire to get it done quickly so we can show it off and go shoot it. The little kid in us comes out. Are we there, yet??

If you want a pistol that functions as well as a factory gun, you're going to have to SLOOOOOW DOOOOWN. Pretend you're operating on a small creature. It's a delicate process. Drilling, grinding, and sanding plastic with PRECISION takes FINESSE. Channel your "inner perfectionist!"

Sure, there's a jig to drill the holes, right? Can't miss, right? That's like saying, "If you have a scope (or laser) on your gun, you can't miss." You sure as ***k can miss. And, a lot of guys DO miss when they drill the holes! The jig is made of plastic even softer than the pistol frame. If your holes are off by a fraction of a millimeter, you WILL have problems.

The tabs are fairly easy, but I see a lot of them that are not completely removed.

The RSA channel is another challenge. I see a LOT that are incomplete, and they look like a rat on flakka chewed them up. I'm not picking on the OP. His example is common. I think a lot of people don't realize that this is a precision device that requires precision work and fitting. Slooooow dooooown.

Even polishing all the bits is important. Smooth surfaces play together better than rough surfaces. This is a machine. The parts need to be smooth!

Polished internal parts:

Smooth RSA channel and tab removal:

Building a pistol that works (and looks good!) is neither easy nor quick. Like I said before... I easily spent 30 - 40 hours on my first build. But, not a single malfunction or stoppage in 1,150 rounds. Not one!

I'm currently working on my 2nd build. It might be going a little quicker, but it's still taking me many hours to fine-tune everything.

By the way... after adding that new trigger to the first build, I'll be drop testing it today. SAFETY FIRST!

I also see WAY too many new builders function testing (cycling) with live ammo at home. STOP! The safety tests, as demonstrated by MGB in his video, are IMPERATIVE. All function and safety testing must be done with snap caps or dummy rounds. Also, an armorer's backplate is NOT optional. You must be able to inspect the sear engagement. At least 2/3rds engagement. Preferably 3/4+.

Once the pistol has passed the safety tests, THEN you go to the RANGE to load the first live round. That means ONE round loaded and chambered with the gun POINTED DOWNRANGE. That way if there is a slam-fire, everyone stays safe. Load ONE round. Fire. Did it go bang? Did the slide lock back? Yes? Good.

Now, load TWO rounds in the mag. Chamber one (pointed downrange!). Get a GOOD GRIP and fire. Did it cycle? Yes? Good. Did it "double-tap" (full-auto)? If yes, then STOP. No? Good. Fire again. Slide lock back? Good.

Now, load three rounds. Rinse and repeat. SAME RULES. Load while pointed downrange. Get a good grip (in case it goes full-auto) and fire. If all good. Load 6 rounds. Still good? Load a full mag and have at it! And again. And again... before you can be confident in the safety of your build.

NO LIVE AMMO in your build until you do this. PLEASE.

Done right and safely, building a gun is a VERY cool experience (and frustrating at times) . I've learned a ton about how Glocks work (and sometimes don't work). The Glock action and safeties are actually a simple design, but it's GENIUS. There's a lot of pride in having built your own functioning pistol. And, I'm learning it's addictive!

 

[racer88]

Not unreasonable. It’s seems that we have weekly posts of someone doing a custom build or adding aftermarket parts to a Glock which almost always ends up in some sort of failure in some way. Then the OP comes to a GLOCK forum asking for help.

A lot of newbie shooters don't know the fundamentals of marksmanship. They have problems... can't load the gun... can't hit the target.... can't shoot decent groups... experience slide bite.... and so on. They don't even know how to HOLD the gun. They FAIL to shoot properly or competently. So, they post on a GUN FORUM, asking for help. OMG!

Of course the standard response is going to be “don’t waste time and money on a knock off, just buy a real Glock that will work out of the box”.

Well... I have THREE factory Glocks that have worked PERFECTLY out of the box (going back to 1992). I also have two FNH pistols that work perfectly. A S&W revolver that works perfectly. A Chiappa Rhino revolver that works perfectly. A Ruger pistol that works perfectly. A Colt pistol that works perfectly. And several rifles that work perfectly.

Owning factory firearms and building your own are not mutually exclusive. To suggest, “don’t waste time and money on a knock off, just buy a real Glock that will work out of the box," is to assume it's an either-or situation. You know you can do BOTH, right?

I personally think it’s a little strange to just start building guns with no prior knowledge of gun smithing or the platform you are trying to copy. Maybe buy a used Glock, learn how they work and then try to build one. It would solve a lot of problems if folks would read and research a topic first.

More assumptions. I've owned factory Glocks for almost 30 years. Admittedly, I had done nothing more than shoot them and field strip them for cleaning. I knew nothing of how they worked internally. But, it's not rocket science, and with the interwebz, it's easy to learn! But, as I mentioned in my previous comment... go slooooowly.

Finally, there are P80 resources out there. I wouldn’t go on a F-150 forum asking what Chevy I should buy.

Correct! There are tons of resources out there. But, it's not sacrilegious to talk about other brands of guns here. We even have sub-forums for other brands. It's a GLOCK forum, but we talk about GUNS. P80s are another gun. Simple as that.

I think it's just a matter of guys being in a bit of a hurry to build their gun and have fun with it as soon as possible. It's really not any different than a person who has never fired a gun, buying a gun and then rushing to the range to shoot it.

Sloooooooooooow dooooooown. Right? Take some lessons from an instructor or at least from an experienced friend. But, we don't castigate those new shooters for daring to come to a GLOCK forum to ask questions about HOW to shoot their new Glock... or S&W... or FNH... or Ruger. Riiiiiiiiiiight?

Sure, it's a GLOCK forum. But, we talk about all kinds of guns and brands here. Riiiiiiiight? We even have sub-forums where we talk about custom built AR-15s! OMG! Riiiiiiiight?

Wait... some people even build their own AMMO! Whaaaaaaaaa? That's just crazy! They should just buy factory ammo that "works perfectly out of the box," riiiiiiiiiiiiiight? And, don't dare talk about loading ammo on this here GLOCK forum!

Learning to build or customize a gun is no different than learning to shoot. It's just another facet of the wide-ranging firearms hobby. That's the cool thing about this gun hobby. So many different paths you can take. And, you don't have to choose just one path. You can choose many!

Building a firearm will be fraught with challenges, JUST like building or customizing a car. It's not necessarily avoiding buying a factory car (or gun). It's an ADDITIONAL endeavor into the hobby. It can be very satisfying too!! Ask me how I know!