13# guide rod spring

JPitts0117

Regular Member
I’m new to this idea and wanted to test it out, but seeing as how all my personal glocks are gen 4 I had to buy an adapter setup. My question is from those who know is during dry fire is the slide supposed to move rearward a little( like say 1/8”) every time I pull trigger? And secondly occasionally when I rack the slide sometimes it doesn’t go fully into battery. I purchased a NDZ performance gen 4 adapter from eBay
 

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Yondering

Regular Member
My question is from those who know is during dry fire is the slide supposed to move rearward a little( like say 1/8”) every time I pull trigger?

No definitely not. That spring is too light, and is not safe to use in live fire. If the slide moves back a little bit during trigger pull, it has a head start on the barrel/slide unlocking process and can result in a blown case or worse.

Use this test for any recoil spring in a glock: With the pistol pointed up, pull the slide back and watch to see if it returns all the way forward with the trigger held to the rear. If it doesn't, the spring is too light. You'll probably see the slide go into battery when you release the trigger; again that spring is too light and is unsafe to use.
 

chrisp2493

Amateur
I have a gen 4 34, I put the adapter, stainless steel guide rod, and 13 lb spring in. The slide doesn’t move at all during dryfire. When the gun was super dirty or dry, it had an ever so slight hangup if you let the slide slowly forward, it would catch right before it locked in battery. After I cleaned and oiled it, it’s fine. 3k rounds through it on that setup so far in the last few months
 

JPitts0117

Regular Member
The gun is currently my gen 4 g17 but I might do this for my 34 as well. My 27 stays relatively clean because I also use it as a duty weapon. Yondering, you sir were correct I performed the test you described and it did indeed not go into battery with the trigger to the rear and once I released the trigger it went into battery. Guess I need to order a new spring... Thank you gentlemen
 

JLL2013

Regular Member
I had the same problem with my G45 and the NDZ 13lb spring. Something about the angle of the firing pin safety, strength of the striker spring, etc etc led to that issue. Never experienced that problem with two G19s, three G17s, two G34s (all Gen 3) and one gen 4 G17.
 

Yondering

Regular Member
strength of the striker spring, etc etc led to that issue.

This is an important point. Strength of the striker spring directly affects the required recoil spring weight. When you pull the trigger and the striker spring is compressed (remember these are a partial double action trigger), that striker spring pushes against the recoil spring.

Lighter recoil springs are best matched with lighter striker springs for competition use. I don't like light striker springs in a serious use Glock though, so I use stock weight recoil and striker springs in mine, after lots of experimentation with different aftermarket variations of both.
 
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