[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Glock 20 reliability issues? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 7/4/2021 7:07:11 PM EDT
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I'm thinking about getting a Glock 20 for when I go camping or hiking. My current woods gun is a Smith and Wesson 686 and I love it, but it's barrel length is 6 inches so it's not that easy to bring around. I heard that 10mm handguns tend to be very ammo sensitive and that's what's holding me back from getting a Glock 20. If I buy a Glock 20, how likely is it that I'm going to have to mess around with aftermarket barrels and springs. The sights are definitely going to be switched since I hate the factory Glock sights, but will I have to mess with other stuff as well? I'm also told that I should switch out the guide rod to a metal one, is that something I should do? |
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I have had a G20 since they came out. I have never heard of ammo sensitivity. I have .40 S&W and .357 SIG barrels and using the same recoil spring are 100% functional. I have even fired .40 S&W and .357 SIG out of the 10mm barrel to see if unintentional wrong ammo in the magazine would "jam" the pistol. The only time I have seen problems with any Glock was beginner shooters "limp wristing" that caused shooter induced problems. |
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My stock G20 shot standard personal defense ammo just fine but had excessive slide velocity with max power hardcast grizzly loads (Buffalo Bore and Underwood). Slide would bottom out so hard the slide stop would engage due to inertia. I added a threaded barrel and comp. This reduced slide velocity and now it shoots the heaviest loads with 100% reliability. It was worth it. |
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Quoted: I'm thinking about getting a Glock 20 for when I go camping or hiking. My current woods gun is a Smith and Wesson 686 and I love it, but it's barrel length is 6 inches so it's not that easy to bring around. I heard that 10mm handguns tend to be very ammo sensitive and that's what's holding me back from getting a Glock 20. If I buy a Glock 20, how likely is it that I'm going to have to mess around with aftermarket barrels and springs. The sights are definitely going to be switched since I hate the factory Glock sights, but will I have to mess with other stuff as well? I'm also told that I should switch out the guide rod to a metal one, is that something I should do? Glock barrel is garbage. Non supported chamber. You will need a better one right away or risk kaboom with 10mm pressure ammo. |
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Quoted: Glock barrel is garbage. Non supported chamber. You will need a better one right away or risk kaboom with 10mm pressure ammo. It's been a quarter century and I have fired thousands of full power rounds through my Gen 2 G20. Edited. Gen 2, serial BADXXX, 1994 manufacture. |
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Quoted: I'm sure you have. Mine exploded at 170rds. Quoted: Quoted: It's been a quarter century and I have fired thousands of full power rounds through my Gen 2 G20. I'm sure you have. Mine exploded at 170rds. On what ammo? Factory or handload? Bullet-weight, velocity (alleged)? ... Details? 
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Yes, mine was finicky. Heavy hand loads were beating it up, so I replaced the stock spring with a heavier spring. That's where the problems started. It seemed to run well with over the counter .40 level stuff and the stock spring. That's not why I bought it though. ETA: brass bulge too. Mine was a Gen2 |
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Quoted: Hand loads well within published data. If it cant handle what my hi point carbine has no problem with, it's garbage. Quoted: Quoted: On what ammo? Â Factory or handload? Â Bullet-weight, velocity (alleged)? Â ... Details? Hand loads well within published data. If it cant handle what my hi point carbine has no problem with, it's garbage. And there's no chance the brass had been used beyond it's useful life? No chance there was half a grain of powder more in that round? etc I'd be surprised if Glock even gives you the time of day...Gen4 barrels cover a bit more of the brass than Gen3 or 2 barrels did. I mean shit happens, but that it was handloaded with used brass...yeah, I doubt it'll get any traction. Again I wouldn't run 220 or 250gr hardcast wadcutters through them; that tends to throw problems...but 200 or 180s should be fine |
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Quoted: Hand loads well within published data. If it cant handle what my hi point carbine has no problem with, it's garbage. Would you mind sharing your load date with me via IM? I recently bought a G40 and I'm in the process of shooting factory ammo until I collect enough fired brass. ETA- can you post some pics? |
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Quoted: And there's no chance the brass had been used beyond it's useful life? No chance there was half a grain of powder more in that round? etc I'd be surprised if Glock even gives you the time of day...Gen4 barrels cover a bit more of the brass than Gen3 or 2 barrels did. I mean shit happens, but that it was handloaded with used brass...yeah, I doubt it'll get any traction. Again I wouldn't run 220 or 250gr hardcast wadcutters through them; that tends to throw problems...but 200 or 180s should be fine 180s with a fairly mild load. There's a chance of anything in all things, even with starliner new brass. Glocks design just isn't strong enough for large calibers. |
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Quoted: Would you mind sharing your load date with me via IM? I recently bought a G40 and I'm in the process of shooting factory ammo until I collect enough fired brass. ETA- can you post some pics? I'm going to respectfully decline. My advice is to use low powered factory ammo. |
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Quoted: Anyone own an XDM 10mm? I haven’t heard anything bad . Seems like a viable 2nd option for the OP. I handled a G20 at the gun shop and damn it’s a chunky bitch lol. I’ve only handled one as well. I have a Gen 3G20. I’d rather have the XDM 10. Only reason I bough a G20 was for a woods gun and ended up only carrying it a few times. I liked the capacity and power. Then found other calibers that caught my attention. 45 super and 460ROWLAND. The G29 and G20 10mm guns sit in the safe now. |
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Quoted: I'm going to respectfully decline. My advice is to use low powered factory ammo. Quoted: Quoted: Would you mind sharing your load date with me via IM? I recently bought a G40 and I'm in the process of shooting factory ammo until I collect enough fired brass. ETA- can you post some pics? I'm going to respectfully decline. My advice is to use low powered factory ammo. Then why get a 10mm only to shoot 40-level '10mm' ammo? Get a .40. You can reload for that too and the .40 brass will be less spendy. |
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Quoted: Hand loads well within published data. If it cant handle what my hi point carbine has no problem with, it's garbage. Quoted: Quoted: On what ammo? Â Factory or handload? Â Bullet-weight, velocity (alleged)? Â ... Details? Hand loads well within published data. If it cant handle what my hi point carbine has no problem with, it's garbage. Bad/overworked brass or operator error. The G20 works just fine with Underwood or anyone else's real deal 10mm ammo. |
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Quoted: I'm going to respectfully decline. My advice is to use low powered factory ammo. Well... I understand, but I figured perhaps you would realize I'm more interested in what specific load caused you a problem vs. trying to duplicate your load. Can you post some pics of the damage? |
| I purchased the GEN 2 G20 when Glock started to chamber for the 10mm. That pistol had light strike issues. I never fixed it and just sold it. I currently have a GEN 4 G20 and it's flawless. I have seen one other G20, don't know the GEN, but it had light strike issues also. I am sure Glock customer service will correct any issues you may have. |
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Quoted: 180s with a fairly mild load. There's a chance of anything in all things, even with starliner new brass. Glocks design just isn't strong enough for large calibers. Quoted: Quoted: And there's no chance the brass had been used beyond it's useful life? No chance there was half a grain of powder more in that round? etc I'd be surprised if Glock even gives you the time of day...Gen4 barrels cover a bit more of the brass than Gen3 or 2 barrels did. I mean shit happens, but that it was handloaded with used brass...yeah, I doubt it'll get any traction. Again I wouldn't run 220 or 250gr hardcast wadcutters through them; that tends to throw problems...but 200 or 180s should be fine 180s with a fairly mild load. There's a chance of anything in all things, even with starliner new brass. Glocks design just isn't strong enough for large calibers. Fair enough, and I agree - I would NOT step beyond factory 10mm loads to be honest...even Sig 180gr/1200fps loads would make me a little ehhhh in the gun. Having said that...I still need to get a G40 MOS, because I have ~15 G20 mags laying around from when I used to have a G20C...that I sold and never replaced  Until then though, in 10mm, I have a 5" Sig P220 that slightly scratches that itch...it's not 15 rounds of 10mm awesome, but it is fairly slim DA/SA 10mm awesome.. |
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Quoted: My stock G20 shot standard personal defense ammo just fine but had excessive slide velocity with max power hardcast grizzly loads (Buffalo Bore and Underwood). Slide would bottom out so hard the slide stop would engage due to inertia. I added a threaded barrel and comp. This reduced slide velocity and now it shoots the heaviest loads with 100% reliability. It was worth it. Same experience here-the Underwood I had was HOT |
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My G20 isn't quite stock. Wolff 22# (? - its been decades) spring and the NY1/3.5 connector combo plus extended controls. Still I have fed everything from Blazer to Buffalo Bore through it. 135gr DoubleTap screamers to 200gr Underwood. Plus some .40 Short and Weak for chucks. Zero issues. Ever. |
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Quoted: Anyone own an XDM 10mm? I haven’t heard anything bad . Seems like a viable 2nd option for the OP. I handled a G20 at the gun shop and damn it’s a chunky bitch lol. Yeah I was considering the XDM 10mm because I'm not a fan of the chunkiness of Glocks. However my uncle told me that 10mm handguns besides the Glock tend to be less reliable. My uncle is a Glock enthusiast so there might be some bias in that statement. I'm going to be heading to a gun show next week to see if I can find some to compare but I'll most likely be going with a Glock 20 unless it's chunkiness is way too unbearable for me. On a side note, does anyone know what a good price for a new Glock 20 gen 4 these days? |
| I have had 3 G20s over the years and currently have a Gen. 3 G20SF. I have fired everything from mouse loads to heavy factory loads to very heavy handloads and never a problem. 135gr. to 200gr. No case bulging, no FTF or FTE and certainly no kabooms. By my records at least 7k rounds through those 3 guns combined. All run with the stock RSAs, barrels, etc. I can vouch for the reliability and durability of the G20 and can recommend it with zero hesitation. Good luck in your search. |
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Quoted: On a side note, does anyone know what a good price for a new Glock 20 gen 4 these days? Kitterly Got mine Friday. |
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I had two, both Gen 4. I had some cycling issues with full power underwood 220 grain, but it would run 180 or 200 grain light loads just fine. Put in a stiffer spring to run the fast 200 and 220 hardcast and it caused it to malfunction more. In the end, it would run a 200 grain truncated cone that was running about 50- 75 FPS faster than a .40 180 grain truncated cone, so I said screw it and stuck with .40 and .45. My only hope for the G20 Gen 5 is that they tune it to run with high power ammo and not only the bullshit light loaded stuff. |
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After three separate contacts with moose cows with their calves (the first with empty hands while on a horse; the second while armed with a 4-weight fly rod and a walking stick; and the last with a Gen 4 Glock 30S) I gave my Ruger 45 Colt Redhawk to my brother and bought a Gen 4 G20, immediately replacing the barrel with a Bar-Sto for full ramp support to fire heavy Underwoods in moose, cat, and bear country. This gives me sixteen in the weapon and two in pouches as opposed to six in the cylinder with two speed-loaders. |
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Quoted: Yeah I was considering the XDM 10mm because I'm not a fan of the chunkiness of Glocks. However my uncle told me that 10mm handguns besides the Glock tend to be less reliable. My uncle is a Glock enthusiast so there might be some bias in that statement. I'm going to be heading to a gun show next week to see if I can find some to compare but I'll most likely be going with a Glock 20 unless it's chunkiness is way too unbearable for me. On a side note, does anyone know what a good price for a new Glock 20 gen 4 these days? Most of the 10mm with issues seem to be 1911’s. After looking around online and watching YouTube vids I haven’t heard of any issues with the XDM . |
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Quoted: Hand loads well within published data. If it cant handle what my hi point carbine has no problem with, it's garbage. You kaboomed your gun with your own hand loads and then have the balls to label the most trusted 10mm platform in existence as garbage? lol |
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Quoted: You kaboomed your gun with your own hand loads and then have the balls to label the most trusted 10mm platform in existence as garbage? lol Clearly misplaced trust. If their large caliber barrels weren't garbage, there wouldn't be such a strong aftermarket for better barrels. Lesson learned. |
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Quoted: Fair enough, and I agree - I would NOT step beyond factory 10mm loads to be honest...even Sig 180gr/1200fps loads would make me a little ehhhh in the gun. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: And there's no chance the brass had been used beyond it's useful life? No chance there was half a grain of powder more in that round? etc I'd be surprised if Glock even gives you the time of day...Gen4 barrels cover a bit more of the brass than Gen3 or 2 barrels did. I mean shit happens, but that it was handloaded with used brass...yeah, I doubt it'll get any traction. Again I wouldn't run 220 or 250gr hardcast wadcutters through them; that tends to throw problems...but 200 or 180s should be fine 180s with a fairly mild load. There's a chance of anything in all things, even with starliner new brass. Glocks design just isn't strong enough for large calibers. Fair enough, and I agree - I would NOT step beyond factory 10mm loads to be honest...even Sig 180gr/1200fps loads would make me a little ehhhh in the gun. Sig's 180gn FMJ ammo @ 1250fps is a decent, warm-ish, midrange 10mm load, but certainly not full-throttle for that bullet weight. Thus there's no need for the contracting a case of the heebee-jeebees if shooting it in a Gen4 G20. Having said that...I still need to get a G40 MOS, because I have ~15 G20 mags laying around from when I used to have a G20C...that I sold and never replaced I have a Gen4 G40 MOS longslide ... GREAT 10mm blaster! I've run all the hot stuff thru it (BB/UW/DT) with the factory barrel without any issues. I also handload SNS Casting's 220grn polycoated HC FPs over AA9 in NEW brass, and get 1200fps - also w/o issues. The newer coated HC boolits are the way to go since they don't lead-up the Glock factory tube. That's one reason you're seeing more and more HC boolit makers offering coated boolits across a variety of 10mm/.40-cal weights. Until then though, in 10mm, I have a 5" Sig P220 that slightly scratches that itch...it's not 15 rounds of 10mm awesome, but it is fairly slim DA/SA 10mm awesome.. Have that one too. Obviously you're a dude with good taste.  I've run all the hot stuff thru mine and again, no problems. The only two drawbacks with the 10mm P220 are (1) it's a heavy beast, and (2) the 8-rd magazine capacity is rather stingy, compared to the capacities of less pricey 10mm pistols like the XDM or the Glocks. |