Help with a loose firing pin

[studly do-right]

So, I've got a G23 3rd Gen that only has about a thousand rounds through it. A few days ago I noticed that when the trigger is depressed I can hear the firing pin rattling pretty bad. I can tell that the firing pin safety is not trapping the pin after depressing the trigger and that's why it's rattling. However, compared to my G22 it sounds MUCH more loose, when the slide is off of the frame. My friend, who's a Glock armorer, said to replace the extractor plunger spring and the firing pin safety spring, BUT when I swapped parts from my 22 to my 23 it did not solve the problem. I've tried swapping all the parts, just those two springs, and just the firing pin assemblies. The only thing I can think of is that the firing pin channel is possibly out of spec.

Any thoughts?

[David Hineline]

It's normal of course the firing pin is loose once the trigger is pulled, it won't be cocked onto the firing pin safety till the slide cycles again.

[JohnnyO]

Is the plastic striker channel liner in place?

[studly do-right]

No, this isn't normal.

And yes, it's in place.

[dj_fatstyles]

its normal. when the trigger is pulled on a glock, the firing pin safety is depressed so the firing pin can move freely. when you reset the trigger by pulling the slide back the trigger will be pushed forward thus causing the firing pin safety to move back into the safe position and block the firing pin. when you take the slide off, press on the firing pin safety and hold it down, start moving the firing pin; the firing pin will move freely. now, while the firing pin is in the "fired" position (all the way forward) take your finger off the firing pin safety and move the firing pin back to the "ready" position; the firing pin safety will pop towards you and block the firing pin from moving forward. now try to move the firing pin, it wont move very much if at all.

[goteron]

Normal, unless the firing pin channel is so dirty it doesn't move freely.

[Selectedmarksman]

It's normal. They're called 'zip-guns' for a reason.

Think of the striker mechanism of a glock like a slingshot. When there's no tension on it, it can flop back and forth. Cycling the action cocks the gun, akin to pulling the sling shot back enough that the bands are straight and you've got a rock in the sling. The act of pulling the trigger actually pulls the striker further rearward before the disconnector releases it, sending the striker flying forward to hit the firing pin (like letting go of the sling and flinging the rock). We're back to flopping back and forth until the action is cycled again.

You might think this is a safety problem, but it shouldn't be. The only way to get the striker in this 'loose' position is to pull the trigger. I can't think of a way to have a functional, live round in the chamber after the trigger has been pulled. If the full-power of the striker propelled by the spring hitting it doesn't discharge the round, the slight tapping of the loose firing pin won't do a thing.

[studly do-right]

No, you guys, this is NOT normal. Don't tell me it's normal. I've never had, shot, held, seen, heard or smelled a Glock that rattles like this. You'll notice in my original post that I own another Glock with which I can compare what is normal. I've also shot Glocks for years and I know that this is not a normal noise.

If you want to know what's happening, I've found that basically the firing pin safety is not blocking the firing pin after the trigger is depressed. If you take the slide off of a Glock and press the firing pin safety in and shake the whole slide, that's what it sounds like. If you can replicate that sound with the slide on the frame then you have the same problem that I am having.

I know how they work. I know what every internal (and external) piece, part, pin and facet does. Please, don't tell me this is normal any more.

I know it's not a safety problem because the firing pin safety is redundant due to Gaston's "safe-action" striker fired mechanism. It's just irritating and possibly causing unnecessary wear on the gun.

I also swapped out the trigger bars and trigger housings and the only thing I can deduce is that there's an imperfection in the frame that's causing the trigger bar to engage the firing pin safety.

Selectedmarksman, you can stop the firing pin from rattling completely if you depress the trigger while the muzzle is pointed down. Gravity will hold the pin in it's most forward position and the firing pin safety will squeeze it and trap it. Just FYI.

[David Hineline]

You are truly clueless about how this part of a Glock functions. I would draw you pictures in crayon if I thought it would do any good, but you have spent too much of your time talking and not enough time listening.

When the glock trigger pulled back and held the trigger bar is lifting the firing pin block safety which releases the firing pin to move for and aft about 3/16 " hence the rattle you hear.

Anytime the trigger is not pulled back then the firing pin block blocks the forward travel of the firing pin, which in a Glock is called a striker.

Your gun is operating normally if your other Glock does not do this, that is the one with the problem and something is dragging on the striker keeping it from moving back and forth like it should. Like another suggested perhaps your striker channel is filthy.

[studly do-right]

Hey, David, I don't know who pissed in your Cheerios this morning, but what good would a crayon drawing do from a guy that can't find his asshole with both hands? You are not understanding the problem. Go away.

Unless my gun just happens to have a Bonus: Tactical-Baby-Rattle feature, then this is the one with the problem and NOT the other dozen I just compared it to.

[David Hineline]

One would think that if a guy had a dozen plus one Glocks he could figure it out, but I suspect your other Glocks are Airsoft.

I would rather be a smart ass than a dumb ass who just confirmed it.

I have more rounds through a Glock than you have ever shot rounds through all guns together than you have shot.

[Selectedmarksman]

The only thing I can think of is there must be different symptoms than we are understanding and we'd have to be hands-on with the pistol to see what's up. Any chance of posting a video with audio of the rattle, and showing the parts stripped etc?

Do you mean the firing pin rattles cocked or just in Safe-Action Mode?

[David Hineline]

You can try over at Glocktalk.com perhaps you can fine a couple people over there that could understand your non existent problem.

[studly do-right]

The only thing I can think of is there must be different symptoms than we are understanding and we'd have to be hands-on with the pistol to see what's up. Any chance of posting a video with audio of the rattle, and showing the parts stripped etc?

Do you mean the firing pin rattles cocked or just in Safe-Action Mode?

Yeah I don't think I'm explaining it well. I was thinking of figuring out a way to make a video, but I'll have my armorer buddy look at it again tomorrow. But try this please: Take your Glock, unloaded of course, depress the trigger and shake it front to back, or muzzle to breech way. You may hear a little rattle from the firing pin knocking against the firing pin safety. Now pull the slide back about a quarter of an inch until the trigger bar disengages the connector. You can watch it through the little hole in the back of the slide and you'll hear a faint click. now shake it and you should hear a distinctly different rattle. This is because the trigger bar is now deactivating the firing pin safety. That's what my 23 sounds like if the trigger is depressed. After the trigger is depressed, the firing pin safety should be activated, or blocking the pin. It should only be deactivated briefly.

David, everyone at the gun store where I took my gun, and where I compared it to new ones, acknowledged that it is not normal. I'm not going to get in a pissing contest about who has fired more rounds through which weapons platforms because as we all know: arguing on the internet is like running in the Special Olympics; even if you win, you're still retarded. And you wouldn't sound less retarded even if you had typed that sentence correctly. Now F--k off. You're not helping anything.

[David Hineline]

activated/deactivated we are not speaking the same terms.

When the slide is in battery fully forward and the trigger is pulled and held the trigger block is activated by the trigger bar lifted up against the spring tension. This releases the striker to float full forward such that the striker tip is exposed past the breech face where it could hit a primer and if the gun is tipped back it rattles back about 3/16" till it contacts the spring cup and it prevented from going back further by the striker spring tension.

When the trigger is held back and the slide would be cracked open a bit such that the trigger bar is no longer activated it would then spring down and friction drag the striker a bit so it no longer rattles.

The whole purpose of the striker block is that if something slipped and the striker sprung forward while the trigger was not pressed the block would stop it. So when the trigger is not pulled the block stops the striker from going forward, when the trigger is pulled and slide is in battery the striker is free to wiggle back and forth.

Take your slide off the frame, push the striker block round spring loaded thing, this should release the firing pin to move forward and back a bit about 3/16ths of an inch, if you remove the barrel you should see the firing pin go past the breech face such that it could hit the primer then if you tip it back it should be back and it can jiggle freely back and forth as long as you engage the block, just like the trigger bar does. I suppose your striker spring guide could be chipped or damaged in the front such that it lets the firng pin free float further, but understand that when the block button is pressed deeper into the slide, this does release the striker to move forward to back to and fro with no drag.