Pat I knew why you posted about the gun. I try to get my friends to fire a handgun before they buy. I was raised with guns in our home. I was taught to try a gun before you buy it. If you shoot much, you will know if a gun fits you with just a few shots. If a handgun doesn't fit my hand when I pick it up I know its not a gun for me.

 

Thanks for all of the advice, Keith. I wasn't really scared, but just wanted you to know what I was up to just in case you had any more suggestions. Actually, my weapon would have to be cleaned more because of dust and dirt rather than my firing it. And speaking of firing it ... something happened recently that I am not used to. Instead of doing several slow, precisely aimed shots like I usually do, I wanted to do a series of quick shots but on the third pull it jammed. So I tried it again and on the third pull it jammed again. I was told it was probably dirty but it had just been cleaned. Any ideas?

One day I spotted Lt. Arlis' weapon at the Sheriff's station and fell in love. He said it was an Astra. We were then interrupted, and we never got back on subject before he too was transferred. Soon after that he quit as did 5 other officer's. No one liked the new command, the changes or the crap. I hope he's not re-elected. Anyway, I'd like to find out more about this weapon, and get one someday.

I'm really enjoying hearing everyone's weapon stories.

 

Michelle,

What kind/type of ammo are you using??
Was this practice ammo, or 'carry' ammo that caused the 'jam'?
What is the bullet weight?? 165 grain?? 180 grain?? Possibly 155 grain??

There have been some reported issues of problems with some of the magazine followers.
Are your jams with the same magazine, or with different/several magazines?

If you look at the magazine follower, you'll see a small number stamped into the top of the plastic/polymer.
What is that number?
I can look in my books and see what the latest production is.

Also, have you (or anyone else) disassembled the magazine(s) and cleaned them???
In dusty conditions, you can get 'grit' inside, that will cause problems.

Also, one of the first things mentioned with malfunctions with semi-auto(s), is "Limp-wristing".

How long have you had this G23??
How many rounds have you fired through this G23??
Have you (or anyone else) replaced the recoil spring??


As for the officer/deputy's Astra, I'm not too familiar with Astra.
I did have a .380 made by Astra, many years ago. (Wish I still had it!)
It was an Astra "Constable". Basically, it was a "poor man's" PPK/s. .380 acp. One of my co-workers got a case of "I gotta have that" and I sold it to him.

 

Nope. No point to make, just curious about how many others open carried and how the rest of town reacted.

I guess the stereotyping is just something I would do. I imagine the Prius driving types would be frozen with fear or go running, but that's probably just me.

 

Sorry this is a bit late, but sometimes I can't always get to a computer....I definitely get your point, and from that perspective I completely agree with you. What I'm meaning is more towards the concealed carry type who might want to lean on an illusion that simply pulling a firearm is going to immediately stop a threat. A lot of times it will, but there will be certain types who that won't work on and it will come down to pulling a trigger. I just always try to tell people to be fully prepaired to use the tool they carry. Sound to me like you're good to go.

Now personally I'm not a fan of open carry for myself. Don't get me wrong, I am more than ok with anyone who wants to carry that way. It's just an observation of mine that the openly carried firearm draws a lot of extra attention (some good, and some bad). If we were in a society where people openly carrying a firearm was more of the norm I would probably feel differently. But for now that just draws too much attention to me, my family, or my party, for my taste. Rude people don't bother me at all, I have to deal with them every day all day long in my line of work. There is a certain amount of safety that comes from being just another face in a crowd to me, but then again I already stand out enough to the kind of element that causes most to want to carry in the first place. Just my own opinion and my own reason, not trying to talk anyone into anything.

 

Blazer Brass 40 S&W 180 gr. pmj. is what I practice with although they aren't actually 'practice ammo'. they are just cheaper than the hollow points. Winchester Ranger Law Enforcement Ammunition 40 S&W 155 gr. jhp hollow point: is what I keep in it but sometimes practice with when I get a notion to shoot while out in the desert and don't have my practice ammo clip with me. It was the hollow points that I ran across the problem with although I have never rapid fired with the other ammo so I don't know if the same thing would happen.

As far as the magazine ... the jams were from the same magazine and no one has ever cleaned them as you mention, that I know of anyway.

I hate to say this but I don't know what a magazine follower is. As far as the magazine itself it only has Glock and Austria written on it. I don't know what 'limp-wristing' means either but I think I have a feeling what it means, but fill me in.

I've had it a little over three years, can't remember how many rounds. Didn't shoot it for a while cuz it was hard to find ammo, and my wallet was small when I did find some. And, no, the recoil spring has never been changed that I know of. I was told it was a new gun when I got it but since I bought it from a private owner ... ya never know.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. But thanks for tryin my friend.

 

Mmmmm... Prius people? Don't see many of those in my neck of the woods. They are mainly just a lot of poor Mexicans that can't speak English. So I can't understand what is being said behind my back, except the word 'pistola' (sp). I have gotten all different kinds of reactions though. Some smile, some freeze, some eyes widen, some point, some just stare, some make a hasty retreat, and some are drawn closer to me, curious, filled with questions ... when I can understand them, that is. I'm not prejudice but I am getting resentfull that no one makes an effort to speak/learn English anymore and I feel like I'm in Mexico. I don't like that you don't know who to trust anymore either with all of the cartels, gang members, druggies, illegal's, people who don't treat their animals very well. Even the Mexicans that are citizens don't like how a lot of the ones from Juarez act. Yeah, I guess I do stereotype, but for reasons other than what you do.

 

When you're pert near the only white person in a crowd around here, you stand out even without a weapon. With the environment that I live in, and with having experienced stalkers, abuse, being raped several times, and dealing with a lot of culprits that are abusive to animals, illegal dumpers and the like, I just really don't have much respect or trust for people around here. And I want them to know that I don't want to be messed with anymore and I'm willing to stop it if they try, and have the means to do so now. So, if I walk into a store or at a swap meet or where ever and it's like the parting of the red sea (of people) when I walk through ... then I'm perfectly alright with being 'different'. Actually, if I were to go into a building filled with people and planned to cause trouble, I'd pick on the people who were defenseless, especially if I didn't have a weapon. But I can see your point too. I'm not trying to talk anyone into anything either. I don't care how flat a pancake is, there are still two sides.

 

must be awful to live where there is so much crime! i lived in arizona for a while and was armed most the time, allot of drug addicts and thieves came my way. thats forsure. glad to be the heck outa the lower 48 states again.

seems like its only gonna get worse down there with the economy in the tank! i was there when there was a good economy and it was badd badd then.

stay safe, shoot first ask ? later. its like the thunderdome down there.

 

Michelle, I think your next step should be to learn Spanish. It's one of the easiest to learn and geographically, it would benefit you in more ways than you can imagine.

 

Michelle,

I use the term 'practice' ammo for the ammo that is used at the range, or during a practice session.
For 'practice' with my G23, I usually use CCI Blazer 165 gr FMJ or some of my own loads/reloads, using 165 grain FMJ bullets.

I will use my 'carry' ammo (Federal HST 165 gr JHP for .40 S&W) for practice after 6 months or so, so that I have 'fresh' ammo in my magazine(s).
(I don't like to chamber a round, then un-load the ammo and then re-load that same ammo, more than a couple of times. There's a tendency for the bullet/projectile to 'push back' into the case, and especially in the .40, to raise pressures and/or to slightly deform the bullet/projectile shape from hitting against the feed-ramp on the barrel.)

The 180 gr .40 S&W rounds actually produce less recoil impulse than the 165 or 155 grain loads. (Basically longer/heavier bullet will 'take away' some space for powder/propellant. The cartridge has a 'limit' on how long it can be and still fit the magazine and chamber.)
Also, sometimes/most times, a different manufacturer/bullet weight ammo will shoot to a different point of aim/impact than another.


Magazine followers -
The magazine follower is the piece of polymer that is inside the magazine, and is what you load the ammo onto.
Here are a couple of pics that I found.
One is of the magazine in 'cut-away', the other is of the magazine disassembled.




There is a 'knack' to disassembling the Glock magazine, but, once you do it, it's like riding a bicycle. . . it becomes second nature.
To disassemble the magazine, you'll need either a "Glock Tool" or a 3/32" punch.
I made my first "Glock Tool" out of a piece of 3/32" brass rod and a piece of oak dowel rod.
I shaped/rounded the back of the oak and drilled a hole in the end, and epoxied the brass rod inside the hole. (Works great and cost less than the $6.00 "Glock Tool"!)

Here's a very good youtube showing magazine disassembly:
Glock magazine disassembly and reassembly - YouTube
The 'secret' to disassembling the Glock magazine is to squeeze the sides of the magazine body as shown in this video, just under the magazine floorplate.
(There is another video that is much more 'professional' in production, but, this guy doesn't show squeezing the magazine body, and he's in the business of selling stuff. He just 'brutes' the floorplate off!)

Once you have your magazine(s) disassembled, wipe them out with a clean, lint free cloth and re-assemble. Do NOT put any lube/oil in the magazine!!!
It doesn't need it and will actually cause the magazine to collect more dust and will also 'gum up' and cause jams/failure to feed.

Hint: Glock(s) like to be slightly 'dry' - use very little lube in/on the pistol!
A total of three (3) DROPS of oil are all that the Glock needs. (I use Breakfree CLP for lube in my Glock[s].)

Limp-wristing -
This is when a shooter's wrists aren't 'locked' and especially with a semi-auto pistol, the pistol will move/recoil instead of being held firmly in place, and the action of the pistol is such that the slide won't come back fully to extract/eject the fired brass case and then strip a round out of the magazine and push it into the chamber.
"Stovepipes" (when a fired piece of brass sticks out of the ejection port and looks like a stovepipe 'standing up') occur (sometimes) from limp-wristing.
Failure to feed also happens when limp-wristing.

One thing I don't think I asked. . . . .
Please describe what your 'jams' do/look like.

Personal observation - The .40 S&W recoil is more of a "Jab" and is quite "Snappy" compared to the 9mm Para and/or the .45 acp.
The 9mm and .45 acp are more of a "Push". Especially the .45 acp.
Rapid firing the .40 S&W CAN cause 'jams' and/or failure to feed (aka/FTF).

Lastly -
I'm FAR from being an "Expert" on Glock pistols and shooting, in general.
I have spent a LOT of time behind a trigger/triggers, though.
I'm quite sure that I've either left something out, or, I've gone too far in trying to explain something.

I applaud you in your decision to arm and defend yourself!!!
YOU ROCK!!!!!!!

 

Good example of the advice DC has been giving it's citizens ('we' the people) for decades.....and it represents the de facto immigration policy of the inside-the-beltway crowd......

 

I`m a believer in open carry although Cal just passed a law banning such practice. Long guns are o.k however. When I take quads out I always carry along with survival gear.
Kudos to you Michelle

 

That's not at all how I intended my statement. She said she can't understand what's being said behind her back. I think for additional safety, seems to be a concern of hers, learning Spanish would be vital.

If I lived on a border that consisted mainly of a foreign language, you'd better believe I'd learn their language. Threat or not, 'politically' right or wrong, it's only going to make your life easier.

 

I live in Acworth, Georgia. If I am not mistaken It is legal to open carry in this state (as long as you are legally allowed to own a gun). That being said, my wife and I both have a concealed carry permit (and do so accordingly). The town next to the one we live in (Kennesaw, GA), has a law that says if you are a homeowner you must have a gun in your house. It has proven to be a very effective crime deterrent. I always carry mine with me, whether it is holstered, in a pack, or in my car (when I am). I really don't care what anyone says to me about it, if they ask me to leave, I will. And I probably won't go back to do any business there again. I also tell them not to look for me to be there to help them out if someone tries to rob them. I am a Lifetime NRA Member, and a firm believer in Right to Carry laws. The criminals don't do it legally.