S.W.A.T. December 2007 - McKeesport Police Department

GLOCK ARMORER’S COURSE
wasn’t entirely true. The factory armorer’s
manual has not been updated or
re-written since 2002. We were told that
a new edition of the manual is due out
later this year. I am concerned this indicates
that—somewhere along the line—
feedback and issues from the end users
are not making it into the system.
Glock now has factory recommendations
as to when parts should be changed
out for preventive maintenance. All of
these recommendations will be in the
VICKERS TACTICAL
GLOCK MAGAZINE RELEASE
Larry Vickers is probably best known for his work on 1911s, followed by
his consulting with Heckler & Koch. He has also been identified as being
responsible for elements of the U.S. military beginning to utilize Glock pistols.
He recently entered into the realm of Glock work with a new magazine release
for the 9mm and .40 S&W size frame pistols.
The production of the Vickers mag release was announced about a week before
the armorer’s class we hosted. Thanks to Jeff Cahill of TangoDown, we were able
to get our hands on two of them for the class.
The Vickers release is 0.060” longer than the stock release but is shorter than an
extended release, making it a functional compromise between the two. The edges
around the face of the release are beveled.
No fitting of any kind was required. This
piece needed no more work or effort to install
or remove than it did to replace the
stock magazine release. It is made from the
same material as the factory stock magazine
release.
We installed one of these in a co-worker’s,
Deputy Henry Boustany’s, duty pistol, a
Model 22. Over several weeks, we fired several
hundred rounds through the weapon,
doing numerous magazine changes. After
six weeks and several range sessions, he is recommending it. Henry noted the
reloading process now feels much smoother with the Vickers release installed. He
did not notice the “size” of the release until he went to change a magazine. At that
point, he said the reload “just happened.” Not having to change his master grip
at all in order to perform a reload was also a big plus to him.
As a left-hander, I have had a difficult time shooting pistols, including Glocks,
with extended magazine releases. This is
because of a tendency on my part to unintentionally
depress those extended releases,
while shooting, with the bottom portion of
my middle finger. For me, the result is the
magazine being dumped when I don’t intend
it to. This did not happen when shooting
the Glock that we installed the Vickers
release in. I found that this release allowed
me to easily manipulate the magazine release
with my trigger finger.
If I owned and carried a Glock with a
9mm size frame, I would install this magazine
release in it.
Vickers release is longer than the
original factory release. Note that
the edges are beveled.
Length of the release does not
interfere with either a left-hand
holster or the grip of a left-hand
shooter.
Vickers and TangoDown indicated that if there is enough interest, a version to
fit the larger framed Model 20/Model 21 pistols may be produced.
Tango Down LLC is selling the Vickers magazine release directly for $15.95. §
new manual. Two of them are: replacement
of the captured recoil spring at
3,000 rounds and replacement of the coil
spring connecting the trigger bar to the
trigger mechanism housing at 10,000
rounds.
For many years the entire “tool kit”
handed out at the Glock armorer course
was a punch. Glock has realized that
this is less than sufficient. In response,
they are selling a complete tool kit for
approximately $200. The components
include re-designed tools for replacing
both the front and rear sights, along with
pliers and a reamer for various holes.
Going back several years, there have
been debates on the design of the Glock
magazines. Tueller paid sufficient attention
to the mag/mag spring issue. He
explained that the original design—metal
lining on three of the four sides—was
due to the original Austrian Army request
and their need to retain the magazine
in part due to terrain and climate.
The current magazines, with the metal
lining on all four sides, came about due
to requests from the U.S. market.
He addressed that the swelling of
Glock magazines comes from their being
loaded with ammunition. Again, due to
the original Austrian Army request, the
magazines were designed to do this.
Recently one firearms publication erroneously
had an article saying that Glock
magazines became swollen when they
got wet.
Reloads, specifically multiple speed
loads, were discussed. Dennis opined
that if one needed to conduct multiple
speed reloads in a single fight, they were
either in a very target-rich environment
or just plain were not hitting much of
anything.
A final note on magazines, regardless
of what weapon system is involved. If
any magazine is having problems, it is
prudent to replace it rather than repair it.
I am not a fan of Glock pistols; never
have been. I work in an agency that issues
a Glock Model 22, but allows the
carry of other pistols—I carry something
else. Frame size versus hand size was
the first consideration; initial caliber offering
was the second; and finally, I am
not a fan of how Glock has inappropriately—in
my personal view—addressed
their “issues” previously. The first con-
84 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER 2007 SWATMAG.COM