12 Dec 00

After-market parts?

I just completed a Defensive Handgun Program in Georgia. One of my students used a Glock 22C, but he had replaced a Glock barrel with one made by Accu-Match. His Glock was rendered temperamental and erratic in its performance. All this, of course, to make the gun more "accurate."

The after-marked barrel lasted for one hundred rounds! During a shooting exercise, his gun suddenly seized up and refused to function. I took it from him and was unable to manually move the slide in either direction.

I then pointed the pistol at the backstop and pressed the trigger. The slide abruptly shot forward and nearly fell to the ground. An examination of the barrel revealed that the locking lug had sheared off completely!

The shooter did not have the original barrel with him, so he was forced to switch guns in order to complete his instruction.

Lesson: I will stop short of condemning all after-market parts and accessories. However, "accurizing" of defensive firearms with after-market gimmicks invariably makes them unreliable. Glocks work just fine the way they are!

/John