Problems With Glock Barrels

Lead Build-Up

• Glock barrels feature polygonal rifling. This prevents deformation of the bullet, and results in greater range, velocity and accuracy. Due to the tight tolerances of Glock polygonal barrels, using lead-reloaded cartridges might result in lead buildup within the rifling grooves. Lead build-up potentially leads to feeding problems. Glock recommends using only factory-jacketed ammunition. The use of reloads invalidates the warranty.

Slide Failure

• Aftermarket replacement barrels occasionally suffer from failure to feed; this is the failure of the barrel to properly position itself, and feed the next bullet into the chamber. This problem is sometimes caused by flaws in manufacturing, and the barrel being outside Glock's standard tolerances.

Slide Locking

• The barrel might lock the slide in the rear position -- rendering it inoperable -- if it was produced substantially outside of tolerances. These problems are rare, but might cause damage to your Glock if they occur. This is why Glock considers the use of non-Glock parts grounds to void the warranty.

Bullet Jam

• Bullet jam is extremely rare if you're using your Glock as intended. If the casing of a bullet is forced into the chamber at the end of the barrel -- to the point that it cannot eject -- an internal explosion might occur when the bullet is fired. This causes the pistol to break apart, and possibly cause physical injury.