[PilatusTurbo]

Yeah, as I said in my OP, not too too worried at all about it. Just interesting conversation.

Trigger springs, all two of them, have been the only thing Ive had go, and they were on a high round count gun. 90K and 120K in that case.

I use the slide stop to drop the slide on all my guns and haven't had one of those springs go, yet anyway.

RSA's get changed twice a year on guns I shoot a lot, and I do "the test" every time I clean any of them. I have yet to have one gun fail that test too, even when I know I was beyond the older 7500 recommended change.

Realistically, if you feel the need to get parts, Id just get one spare parts kit and be done with it . You don't need one for every gun, just one for all of them. Chances are, unless you're shooting tens of thousands of rounds a year out your guns, you'll likely never even open the bag that holds the parts.

The only other thing would be RSA's for each model you have. Thats really the only part you need or should be worried about.

What is "the test" for RSAs? I'm always learning.

 

[geodan]

Point the unloaded pistol straight up, retract the slide, then ride it home to point where barrel is about to cam up into locked position. Gently release slide, if it goes into battery RSA is OK.

I don't use this test, replace springs before they reach that level of wear.

 

[9x45]

On my oldest 2 pin, just clocked over 350,000 rounds: 7 RSA's, 3 trigger reset springs, 5 firing pin springs, slide lock (sheared the tab off), one set of spring cups, one slide stop(spring went dead). Cracked a slide from running about 25,000 +P+ rounds (not a good idea, Glock replaced it), worn out claw on the extractor around 200,000, replaced it with a MIM that chipped 50K later, then found 4 cast steel extractors on ebay. OEM barrel, firing pin, spacer, locking block and trigger group.

 

[RobertF]

The RSA test is not an accurate indicator of whether your recoil spring is good or bad, as brand new springs can be made to fail the test. This is why there is a suggested interval for replacement.

Some people like to pick that interval apart and claim it's too low because they got 15,000 rounds or they got 20,000 rounds from a single RSA spring. And, good for them. For a range gun, it doesn't really matter as much other than ending your range day at the most compared to something that might get carried for self defense or duty use that needs to be kept in working order, it becomes more critical.

The suggested intervals can be thought of as a predictable lifespan where the spring can be expected to function during that lifespan. After that poin it may or may not continue to function reliably, the spring blows apart, or any number of other things people have problems with on high round count parts.

 

[9x45]

RSA's do not blow apart. They just slowly get weaker and weaker to the point the slide won't close.

 

[ActanonVerba70]

Yeah, as I said in my OP, not too too worried at all about it. Just interesting conversation.


What is "the test" for RSAs? I'm always learning.

From Glock Armorer's Manual under Field Inspections:
(#6)

 

[RobertF]

RSA's do not blow apart. They just slowly get weaker and weaker to the point the slide won't close.

 

[PilatusTurbo]

From Glock Armorer's Manual under Field Inspections:
(#6)
View attachment 1289558

Thank you, sir!

View attachment 1289559

Yeah, they can. As evidenced by this photographic exhibit. Can't say things such as "that doesn't happen." Because as soon as you say that, you'll probably be proven wrong. As you stated, those round counts are probably like the best by date on milk. Yeah, it MAY be fine after this, but ya probably ought to replace it, because we're not guaranteeing it beyond that. Sure, it could fail before that date, too.

@9x45 No offense intended, but that's a Paul Harrell lesson.

 

[9x45]

Robert,Pilatus: I was talking about the one piece RSA's. The two piece units are a bad design. You can switch to a single with a nose ring adapter.

More important to know what to do if your 2 piece breaks, just like if your, trigger reset spring breaks.

 

[PilatusTurbo]

Robert,Pilatus: I was talking about the one piece RSA's. The two piece units are a bad design. You can switch to a single with a nose ring adapter.

More important to know what to do if your 2 piece breaks, just like if your, trigger reset spring breaks.

Fair enough. That makes sense. So what do you do if the two piece breaks?

 

[GlockyQ]

Another part to watch out for, especially in "high millage" Glocks, is the extractor.
Not in my Gen.3 Glocks, but the claw of the original extractor in my Gen. 2 G19 broke only after a few thousand rounds while attending a 2-day defensive handgun course many years ago... I think one of the extractors' claw in my oldest G43 that is designated as my "practice gun" also broke.

The original extractor in my G19 only had brass cases, while the broken extractor in my G43 had brass and aluminum cases but not the notorious steel cases. I really do not remember the exact round count at which the G43 extractor claw broke; but it was definitely less than 10,000 rounds as I replace the extractor (along with several other parts and springs) in my Glocks at every 10,000 rounds regardless as part of "preventive maintenance". Possibly those extractors that broke might have been defective....

I've seen some uninformed people drop a round directly in the chamber and drop the slide to battery by depressing the slide stop/release lever.... That "idiot chambering" will get the extractor damaged or broken easily. The broken extractors in my Glocks have never experienced any such "idiot chambering," of course.

FWIW,
The two extractors of my G43 with which I have fired at least 7,000 rounds of steel case ammo all together did not break. When I examined them through x30 magnifying loupe, I did not see any excessive wear on the claw. They were simply replaced when each of them had 10,000 rounds - regardless of the case materials.

 

[9x45]

So what do you do if the two piece breaks?

Don't own any of those guns. Would ask those that have had the two piece break, did it stop functioning during firing, or was it discovered when you went to clean the gun?

 

[geodan]

We had a Gen5 G17 lock up when the guide rod disintegrated during a LE training. I do not know how the situation was resolved, but I later saw the pieces of the RSA after an armorer was able to disassemble.