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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS There are questions that we get asked on a regular basis and will attempt to answer as many as possible within this page. Is it OK to dry fire my Glock pistol? Yes, dry firing a Glock pistol will not harm or damage it in any way. What comes with a new Glock? A new Glock comes in a black plastic box along with a manual, 2 magazines, magazine loader, plastic cleaning rod, nylon bore brush, GSSF application and a cable lock with 2 keys. What is the copper colored paste that is in my new Glock? It is a long term lubrication put in at the factory to ensure that there is some lubrication in the weapon at time of purchase. It can be removed as long as you properly lubricate and clean your Glock. We do offer this long term lubrication in our catalog in our cleaning section. I have heard that Glocks never have to be cleaned or lubricated. The Glock's reliability is legendary and you could probably fire it hundreds of times a week for decades with ever having a problem. However, it will function better, last longer, and shoot straighter if it is cleaned after each use. How do I get the 10th round into my magazine? This is a common problem with brand new magazines. Fill the mags up (9 or 10) rounds and let them stay full for a week or so. If the problem still persists there are a couple of things you can do. First check the witness holes to make sure two of the rounds didn't get single-stacked. Then perform the "Austrian Stomp": slap the bottom of the magazine against your palm, thigh or table. This will settle the 9 rounds close enough together to allow you to squeeze the 10th little guy in. Why do Glocks have an unsupported chamber? First of all "unsupported chamber" is a misleading term: all barrels must support the round in the chamber. Furthermore, all guns that use the modified Browning action have _partially_ supported chambers. In order to make the Glock function reliably with the widest possible selection of ammunition it has a "less supported" chamber than other guns. This is why reloaded ammunition is not recommended in Glock pistols. If you choose to shoot reloads, please consider an after market barrel. Can I shoot lead bullets in my Glock? Glock barrels use special polygonal rifling not found in most handguns. This rifling is one of the main reasons Glocks are extremely accurate guns. However, the same rifling can cause a high degree of leading when not using jacketed bullets. In other words some lead from the bullet sticks to the inside of the barrel when it is fired. Too much leading can quickly lead to high pressures which can cause the barrel and/or gun to break or even explode. If you choose to shoot lead in your Glock please get an after market barrel. What type of ammunition do you recommend? We recommend any fresh, factory ammunition. Please remember that you often get what you pay for with ammunition. Can I shoot my Glock underwater? Just about any handgun will fire underwater -- at least once. :-) However, firing underwater is NOT recommended because it can have devastating effects on the pistol and the shooter -- a potentially dangerous activity that should only be utilized by trained personnel wearing proper equipment for protection against potential pressure wave effects of underwater detonation. The shock/pressure waves in water can really damage internal organs (ever heard of lithotripsy?). Shooting a pistol underwater can lead to property damage, serious bodily injury or even death. NOTE: Glock, Inc., specifically disclaims any and all liability from anyone performing or attempting to perform underwater firing with a Glock pistol -- you do so at your own risk. The Glock 17 may be equipped with an optional set of maritime spring cups for use in water environments. Maritime spring cups are not intended for submerged firing, but for surface use by special ops teams who operate in and around water. The maritime spring cups are two small parts within the firing pin assembly and are not included on any Model 17 sold by Glock (civilians can only get them through 3rd parties). They insure that water can pass by the firing pin within the firing pin channel, thus preventing the creation of hydraulic force within the firing pin channel -- which would slow the firing pin down, causing light primer strikes. With the special cups, the action will cycle reliably while submersed, if a little bit slower. NATO specification ammunition (such as Winchester's Ranger RA9124N) with waterproof sealed primers and case mouths is recommended. Although you may install the maritime spring cups on any Glock model, *only* the Glock 17 was designed and intended to use the modified spring cups for aquatic firing -- and only then using 9mm ball ammunition to remain within acceptable pressure limits. The foolhardy who insist on living dangerously must keep several things in mind: The Glock 17 must be fully submersed underwater. There must not be any air left within the pistol as the muzzle is pointed towards the surface of the water after submersion to allow the air in the barrel to escape. Use only full metal jacket, ball-type ammunition because the water within the barrel can spread a hollow point out within the barrel upon firing. This increases the bearing surface of the bullet to the barrel and could catastrophically increase pressures. Even if the barrel doesn't burst, the expanded bullet would get even bigger upon exiting into the water and would slow down very quickly while tumbling. Accuracy would be terrible. The marinized Glock 17 is primarily for use by various Special Warfare units operating in aquatic environments. At least one specialized Scuba diving group regularly uses G17's to dispatch sharks where they dive. The Glock 17 using NATO specification ball ammunition will completely penetrate a minimum of one 1/2" pine board at a distance of ten feet from the muzzle when fired underwater. Trained personnel who use Glocks underwater know they must obey several
rules: However, any Glock -- even those not equipped with maritime spring cups -- will normally fire while submersed underwater. But doing so may generate excessive internal pressure and may cause the pistol to literally blow up. This is especially true with the use of high-pressure rounds (such as the .40 S&W/357 SIG) or hollow-point bullets. I recall a reported incident where a Glockster on a boating holiday decided to show some friends how his Glock would fire underwater (because Tommy Lee Jones said so in the movies). He stuck his hand overboard, pulled the trigger and came back with a bunch of shredded plastic and a badly injured hand. Another reported case was the Glockster who decided to try out his Glock 23 .40 S&W in the swimming pool after seeing pictures of Glocks being fired underwater on the web. He was totally submerged, with the gun, as he fired at a piece of wood on the bottom of his pool. The Glock did fire, the .40 S&W FMJ round left the barrel and went into the wood. The chamber also exploded and implanted shrapnel into his leg. Thinking that the water would muffle the blast, he did not wear hearing protection (the blast is actually about 4 times louder underwater). He is now mostly deaf in one ear and hears high-pitched tones most of his waking life. As you can see, firing a pistol underwater is a *very* dangerous
endeavor. Even if you have the right equipment, know what you're doing and follow
the rules -- the risks for underwater firing are minimized -- but not
eliminated. Your pistol's barrel could be affected by water obstruction
and your body by damaging concussion. By using hollow point bullets (water
may cause the bullet to expand in the barrel), high pressure ammo, etc. --
you're asking for an underwater kaBoom! It you fire near solid or hard
objects, the bouncing concussion can cause extensive, perhaps even fatal
external/internal tissue injury. Why risk it?
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