HELP - Weapon Mounted Lights

[motorsporting]

Hey people, we have some issues with our TLR-1 lights on the G22. Some of the shooters, including our training Sergeant, have had a few FTFs/FTEs with the lights attached. It was enough to cause our commanders to mandate removing all the lights until we can get to the bottom of it. Of course Glock says it's not the guns, but with two senior Officers/firearms trainers experiencing the problem, we do not believe it is the shooter either. Anybody else experience this problem? Any thoughts? Thanks!

[JLarsson]

How heavy are those lights? Any mass out there is going to change the recoil characteristics of the weapon, though apparently many people employ the lights without trouble.

Nobody (including me) wants to say anything about "limpwristing", especially when it comes to professionals, yet could it be that those who are experiencing problems are relaxing their wrists somewhat, not enough to have the problem all the time, but only when the lights are attached?

Have you tried other lights? Are the lights deforming the frame somehow?

I've never mounted anything on either of my Glocks, but just thinking "out loud" here.

[freakshow10mm]

There is a post either here or on GT about weapon lights malfing guns and the fix for it. Can't recall what it is.

[motorsporting]

How heavy are those lights? Any mass out there is going to change the recoil characteristics of the weapon, though apparently many people employ the lights without trouble.

Nobody (including me) wants to say anything about "limpwristing", especially when it comes to professionals, yet could it be that those who are experiencing problems are relaxing their wrists somewhat, not enough to have the problem all the time, but only when the lights are attached?

Have you tried other lights? Are the lights deforming the frame somehow?

I've never mounted anything on either of my Glocks, but just thinking "out loud" here.

Limpwristing was a fleeting thought, as these are advanced firearms trainers and veterans of the department. The mass is most likely what we're attributing to. Would it be possible for the screw used to tighten the light on the rail to "bind" the frame/barrel at all? That is another thought. Any others experienced the problem? Thanks.

[918v]

The added mass of the light would compensate for the limpwristing by weighing down the receiver. The light does not touch any moving part of the gun. it cannot possibly cause a MF.

[LJUnaTic]

I seem to remember some issue related to frame flexing with a light, that allows more slide speed due to reduced friction. IIRC the magazines couldn't keep up with the slide , and the fix a stronger recoil spring

[918v]

The clearance between the frame rails and the slide is so large on a Glock, that frame flex cannot possibly influence slide velocity, especially because the front rails are positioned behind the light. There is as much as .040" of up/down movement between the slide and the drame when the slide is in battery.

[LJUnaTic]

check out this post
http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1142301#post1142301

[LJUnaTic]

and this one

http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11118

[918v]

check out this post
http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1142301#post1142301

He's an idiot. The frame does not flex to slow down slide velocity. The additional weight of the light counteracts the effect of limpwristing on slide velocity.

[motorsporting]

Very interesting stuff. Keep it coming!

[Glockgirl]

I carry a Glock 22 with an M3 attached on duty, and have had FTF's in the past during quals. I had heard that putting the heavier springs in the mags would help this issue, but haven't tried it myself. The last few times I've had the 22 out it ran flawlessly, and I also put the M3 on my Glock 19 and ran a couple hundred rounds through it with no problem. We had wondered if the Glock 22 might have some feeding issue with whatever that more snub nosed .40 ammo is, that the department had for practice stuff. I always run the WWB personally, and have no issues with any gun, or any caliber, with that.

[CZ93X62]

GlockGirl brings up a good point--did these failures occur with carry ammo, or with training ammo? The less expensive/generic FMJ can--infrequently--set up feeding issues. The WWB 40 S&W runs about 50-75 FPS slower in my pistols than does the SXT Ranger, both 180 grain bullets.

[DssG19]

Personally I roll with the harries flashlight technique. It's how we trained in the academy and it's one less thing to change batteries on. It hasn't failed me yet.