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Accidental Discharge

26K views 110 replies 71 participants last post by  GlockFan7  
#1 ·
I was wanting to know how many has ever had a discharge on their Glock before they were ready. I mean by actually pulling the trigger, catching the trigger on something, or having a part in the gun break (from manufacturer defect) or any other way you can think of. I just wonder how safe the "safe action" trigger really is?

Freddie E
 
#5 · (Edited)
Glocks have 3 safeties.

If the trigger isn't pulled, it won't fire.

Don't do anything you shouldn't internally, use a proper holster that covers and protects the trigger/trigger guard, and follow rule #3.
 
#9 ·
Not a single one.

The Glocks simply cannot fire unless that trigger is pulled. It is your job to make sure the trigger only gets pulled when desired, and, as a poster above mentioned, keeping your gun in a proper trigger is key.

If you keep your gun in a holster, the trigger won't be accessible to any foreign objects (or your finger) and thus cannot be pulled. Practice drawing and holstering it, unloaded, until those become routine. I suspect a lot of the problems people encounter are when they are either re-holstering, or (foolishly) carrying without a holster.
 
#10 ·
None for me.

Of the things you listed:
Pulling the trigger - Has nothing to do with Glock and any gun will discharge when you pull the trigger (at least it should).
Catching the trigger on something - Also has nothing to do with Glock and any gun can discharge if you catch the trigger on something. Glock and other guns with trigger safeties are actually more safe in this respect than some other guns because the trigger safety has to be manipulated to pull the trigger.
Having a part in the gun break - Also has nothing to do with Glock, is extremely unlikely, and can happen with any gun.

Of the accidental/negligent discharges I've seen, they were all cases of the shooter pulling the trigger and only one was a Glock. The others were a Sig, a 1911, and a HK USP (the HK came very close to getting me).
 
#11 ·
Never.

Holstering a Glock type gun requires special care, and I'm glad to see this topic get raised every so often.

I carry in high quality holsters, and verify that the holster is clear of obstructions before holstering. I remove dangling cords from the right side of my jackets. I also slide the gun in slowly--especially in my AIWB rig. Lastly, I make sure that the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction as the gun goes into the holster. This requires tipping my hips forward for the appendix holster.
 
#15 ·
If one keeps ones bugger hook off of the Go button or foreign object a Glock won't discharge on it's own same as any double action revolver. SJ 40
SJ--I agree about the finger, but Glocks require more care than a DA revolver. For example, you can't feel the hammer start to move when you holster if something's pushing on the trigger. Also, trigger weight and length of pull is much shorter. A wheel gun in a pocket is unlikely to fire, but I would never carry a C1 Glock unless it was in a stiff holster that completely covers the trigger.
 
#16 ·
SJ--I agree about the finger, but Glocks require more care than a DA revolver. For example, you can't feel the hammer start to move when you holster if something's pushing on the trigger. Also, trigger weight and length of pull is much shorter. A wheel gun in a pocket is unlikely to fire, but I would never carry a C1 Glock unless it was in a stiff holster that completely covers the trigger.
Agreed,I was using the comparison to a revolver in a general sense.
There is No way I would carry a Glock in any other manner than a covered trigger holster,and I've never felt the need to put a Glock in my pocket. SJ 40
 
#17 · (Edited)
I agree that for a Glock or for many/most other handguns to fire, the trigger needs to be pulled somehow, whether it is intentionally, accidentally, or negligently.
 
#18 ·
A Glock is no less safe then any other gun. You pull trigger it goes bang. A part fails inside that allows the firing pin to hit the chambered round it goes off.
The only thing that needs attention is the owners training level. A Glock DOES need to be paid more attention to because there is not external safety to put on or off. That means, re-holstering, & carry that requires the trigger to be covered.
I think I have read 3 total of AD's that have happened because a Glock part was defective.
 
#19 ·
You people aren't reading the question. Shooting from reset, especially with lightened triggers, I've had multiple instances when my Glocks have fired before I was ready (because I pulled the trigger). I.e. a planned shot is fired. The trigger is held back. After the shot, the trigger is slowly allowed forward just far enough to reset. At this point, just a little too much pressure on the trigger and the gun will fire. I even had this happen at a GSSF match once. I hadn't reacquired a sight picture, broke the shot and was worried I might have a miss. It still ended up in the A/B zone.

This sort of thing is making me wonder if I should go back to 5lb connectors with their much crisper break than Glock's 3.5lb part.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire
 
#20 ·
Mechanically, Glocks are no less safe than any other quality firearm. However, they are reasonably unforgiving of mistakes. The relatively light and short trigger movement before the loud noise doesn't provide as much warning as some other systems, such as a DA/SA auto. If you put your finger on the trigger under stress, reholstering, etc, it will go bang, just like a DA/SA that hasn't been decocked.

Most NDs I'm personally aware of came from a deliberate trigger pull. The mistakes were thinking the gun was unloaded and more than one came from reversing the unloading sequence (cycle slide then drop the mag).

I've seen, and investigated, NDs from just about every common law enforcement weapon system ranging from DA revolvers to ARs. It was never the fault of the weapon, always the user.

Ken
 
#21 ·
You people aren't reading the question. Shooting from reset, especially with lightened triggers, I've had multiple instances when my Glocks have fired before I was ready (because I pulled the trigger). I.e. a planned shot is fired. The trigger is held back. After the shot, the trigger is slowly allowed forward just far enough to reset. At this point, just a little too much pressure on the trigger and the gun will fire. I even had this happen at a GSSF match once. I hadn't reacquired a sight picture, broke the shot and was worried I might have a miss. It still ended up in the A/B zone.

This sort of thing is making me wonder if I should go back to 5lb connectors with their much crisper break than Glock's 3.5lb part.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire
Yep, sorry about that.

I think the answer is shooting more and becoming more familiar with the reset and how much it takes to fire the shot. Ideally, IMO, you should be resetting during recoil and be ready to apply the needed pressure when the sights settle on the next target.

For what it's worth, every Glock I own, and carried for may years on and off duty, have Glock 3.5 connectors.

Ken
 
#22 · (Edited)
The mistakes were thinking the gun was unloaded and more than one came from reversing the unloading sequence (cycle slide then drop the mag).
I was in a room where this almost happened. Guy was wanting to show a group of guys something on the internals of his Glock. I was away from the group but one of the group happened to notice he racked before dropping and was about to pull the trigger (in a safe direction thankfully) to disassemble but the other guy quickly asked him to rack the slide one more time. When he did, out flew the round. While no one would have been hit, no one was wearing hearing protection and it was still unsafe.
 
#26 ·
Never had anything like that happen. The only way to have your Glock fire is to press the trigger. People who claim "accidental discharge" usually mean negligent discharge and they are at fault.

The safe action trigger is as safe as you are, that's the best way to explain it really. If you do things right, you won't have any issues.