Glock Model 26 9mm Sub-compact Questions

[Glockem]

I decided to go from concealed carrying a full size Glock 21c 45 acp, to a full size Glock 17c 9mm, and now I just picked up a Sub-compact Glock 26 9mm in an attempt to carry a smaller frame concealed carry pistol and that is obviously what I got.

Anyway, I am trying to get used to this G26 eventhough I have only had it in my hands for about an hour, but two things I have noticed so far. The clip release basically does nothing other than release the clip, and it does not shoot "spring" it out of the pistol like my G21c and G17c do. What does this mean?

Also, the 2nd thing I have noticed is that with the slide racked full reward and locked open, I cannot hit the slide release button and get it to close. I have to pull the slide back and then hit the slide release button. I have big strong hands, so this is not a strength issue that I know of. What does this mean?

[jdonovan]

What does this mean?

That you didn't test-drive it properly in the store.

Mags should drop free, and the slide release should release the slide.

[Molfeens]

Wow, what an informative and supportive response....

Are you doing all of this with an empty mag?

[Glockem]

I did some research on the G26 on Glock.pro forums, and apparently they are notorious for these two issues. But yes, I am doing this with an empty magazine and without a magazine installed. Most of the advice says I have to order new aftermarket parts to alleviate these issues, but I just can't accept that at this point.

[AppleaDay]

The first thing I'd do is clean and lube it thoroughly. You may just need to clean out the goop.

With regular 10-round magazines (empty) mine don't drop free. With the 15 rounders or with partially loaded mag's they drop. It doesn't concern me.
The slide should drop when you hit the release. Any chance it's getting hung up somehow? Any scape marks on the inside anywhere? That would worry me.

Which generation is it?

[ProShooter]

The mag release is a mag release....not a mag drop. It releases its lock on the magazine. Loaded mags should drop, empty ones usually just unlock but may drop as well.

The slide release is not a slide release. Its a slide lock lever. You should pull the slide back and release it (slingshot) in order to rack the slide.

[gunderwood]

The mag release is a mag release....not a mag drop. It releases its lock on the magazine. Loaded mags should drop, empty ones usually just unlock but may drop as well.

The slide release is not a slide release. Its a slide lock lever. You should pull the slide back and release it (slingshot) in order to rack the slide.

+1

Train to withdrawal the magazine as you release the support hand grip and train to rack the slide. Other techniques may be a bit faster and work fine for matches, but they are brittle for SD.

[Chasbo00]

The slide release is not a slide release. Its a slide lock lever. You should pull the slide back and release it (slingshot) in order to rack the slide.

For over two decades now, Glock's user manual has specifically stated that pressing down on the slide stop lever is an acceptable way to charge the pistol in addition to racking the slide. If the user can't do this, then the pistol needs repair or adjustment.

[Chasbo00]

Train to withdrawal the magazine as you release the support hand grip and train to rack the slide. Other techniques may be a bit faster and work fine for matches, but they are brittle for SD.

What do you base this on? I train to use the slide stop lever to charge the pistol during a reload. Are you suggesting I do it differently when I'm carrying for defensive purposes?

[popswon]

Use the left hand to release, clear if need be, reload and rack. I have very large hands myself and what I noticed was that they inhibited the "spring" of the release. So I put extensions on the mags and practiced the above over and over and have a pretty good system. I have not tried any of the extended items they make for those releases. Just the mag extensions, spring kit and guide rod.

[ProShooter]

The slide release is not a slide release. Its a slide lock lever. You should pull the slide back and release it (slingshot) in order to rack the slide.

For over two decades now, Glock's user manual has specifically stated that pressing down on the slide stop lever is an acceptable way to charge the pistol in addition to racking the slide. If the user can't do this, then the pistol needs repair or adjustment.

Yep, and someone at H&K thought that this was a good way to load cartridges in a magazine.

Don't believe everything you read.

But I digress....I'm just a firearms instructor & Glock armorer who was trained by one of the senior Glock Armorer Instructors.....what do I know?

[Chasbo00]

Yep, and someone at H&K thought that this was a good way to load cartridges in a magazine.

Don't believe everything you read.

I don't. And it was not someone at H&K who did this it was a contractor they hired to shoot the cover. Apparently this person was an artist and, unfortunately, not very gun or ammo savvy. The H&K folks could not stop the launch in time and the backwards loaded ammo in the magazine has since become a popular way to depict an H&K pistol - much to H&K's chagrin.

But I digress....I'm just a firearms instructor & Glock armorer who was trained by one of the senior Glock Armorer Instructors.....what do I know?

Well, a whole lot of people fall into that category, including me. The real pros don't mind being challenged and can provide reasons and rationale to backup what they say.

[scrubber3]

Yep, and someone at H&K thought that this was a good way to load cartridges in a magazine.

Don't believe everything you read.

I don't. And it was not someone at H&K who did this it was a contractor they hired to shoot the cover. Apparently this person was an artist and, unfortunately, not very gun or ammo savvy. The H&K folks could not stop the launch in time and the backwards loaded ammo in the magazine has since become a popular way to depict an H&K pistol - much to H&K's chagrin.

But I digress....I'm just a firearms instructor & Glock armorer who was trained by one of the senior Glock Armorer Instructors.....what do I know?

Well, a whole lot of people fall into that category, including me. The real pros don't mind being challenged and can provide reasons and rationale to backup what they say.

Proshooter was spot on with what he said regarding the GLOCK. Let me word it this way....

There are extended slide stop levers available for your 26. It's a bit harder to work a stock one on the 26 due to its size. I believe they are ~$12 and can be found on eBay or the glock store.

The small magazine isn't as heavy as the other glock mags and the mag well and magazines may need some "working in" to drop free as easily as the larger guns. This is gravity's fault. If you have any larger glock 9mm mags, you should try them.

I have the 26 and use it and a 9mm S&W shield for my deep CC. My 26 was just like yours when new. The extended slide stop is typically installed as soon as I get the pistol home. Along with a couple of other things.

HTH

[Glockem]

It is a brand new Gen 3 G26 that I got yesterday. I have always used my slide lock lever on my 21c and 17c to chamber the first round instead of manually slingshotting the slide. The other pistols never had this problem. I tried all last night to use the slide lock lever and never got it to work. My wife was laughing at me and my new toy as she pulled out her Sig P226 and said this is how it is supposed to work honey, and slammed home her slide with the lock lever.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Chasbo00]

It is a brand new Gen 3 G26 that I got yesterday. I have always used my slide lock lever on my 21c and 17c to chamber the first round instead of manually slingshotting the slide. The other pistols never had this problem. I tried all last night to use the slide lock lever and never got it to work. My wife was laughing at me and my new toy as she pulled out her Sig P226 and said this is how it is supposed to work honey, and slammed home her slide with the lock lever.

I understand your frustration. A super stiff slide lock lever happens from time to time. I don't try to diagnose pistol mechanical issues over the Internet, but I'll say that the good news is it's probably a very simple and easy fix. I note you are in Manassas. There is a very good and experienced armorer at Virginia Arms named Robb Jensen. He can probably get you happy quickly. Even left untreated, the problem may go away on its own with some actual shooting use.

[ProShooter]

We can argue this all day. I know what I was taught, and how it was explained to me. Releasing the slide from slide lock can cause the round to not get seated properly because the recoil spring has not fully expanded. This I have seen before myself. The proper way to chamber a round is to pull the slide back and release.

We can agree to disagree....no worries.

[Chasbo00]

We can argue this all day. I know what I was taught, and how it was explained to me. Releasing the slide from slide lock can cause the round to not get seated properly because the recoil spring has not fully expanded. This I have seen before myself. The proper way to chamber a round is to pull the slide back and release.

The reason I mentioned that pressing down the slide stop lever to charge the pistol has been in the Glock user's manual for over 20 years was to highlight the fact that it's not likely an error. The users manual gets reviewed by Glock engineers rather carefully with respect to the pistol's mechanical operation, care and maintenance. The legal mumbo jumbo is a sad and different story.

I wonder what the basis is for someone to state that "releasing the slide from slide lock can cause the round not to get seated properly because the recoil spring has not fully expanded." I call BS! Thousands of action pistol competitive shooters shooting Glocks use the slide lock lever to release the slide during competitions. This too has occurred over decades. Do you honestly think they would do this if it were an unreliable method to chamber a round?

I would not be so quick to take what you heard as gospel during an 8-hour Glock armorer's class, especially from a single source. Unfortunately, people sometimes tend to project their opinion as fact when it's really just their opinion. And sometimes that opinion is wrong, even when it comes from a source that should be an authority. I'll bet you won't find it in writing on anything official from Glock!

[AppleaDay]

We can argue this all day.

And while you guys have a pissing contest neither of you is addressing the fact that the original poster may have a mechanical problem with is gun but don't let us interrupt you. Thanks for being helpful.

I'm not going to sit here and extoll my qualification over the Interwebz because for all you know I'm an 8 year old girl in Swaziland who lives in a mud hut and has never held anything more dangerous than a sharp stick. That being said, I'd suggest that if you've cleaned it and made sure that nothing is getting in the way of the slide stop (had some build up after an extended range session with a Makarov and surplus ammo so that it became sluggish... but then again we're back to the possibility of Swaziland) and it's still not working properly I'd get it checked by a competent gunsmith.
Good luck, mate

[Chasbo00]

And while you guys have a pissing contest neither of you is addressing the fact that the original poster may have a mechanical problem with is gun but don't let us interrupt you. Thanks for being helpful.

Not guilty.

http://vagunforum.net/handguns/glock-mo ... ml#p158201

[gunderwood]

Train to withdrawal the magazine as you release the support hand grip and train to rack the slide. Other techniques may be a bit faster and work fine for matches, but they are brittle for SD.

What do you base this on? I train to use the slide stop lever to charge the pistol during a reload. Are you suggesting I do it differently when I'm carrying for defensive purposes?

Government pistol training/qualification taught by some of the best.