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Sidearms & Scatterguns Hollowpoint Feeding - Glock 19

Grumulkin

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
I have a Glock 19, probably first generation as I bought it a long time ago, that chokes on hollowpoint bullets. I was wondering if changing to an after market barrel of current manufacture would alleviate this problem?
 
Take a look at the feed ramp - does it look like it needs some polishing? I am sure with some proper polishing you would slick up the ramp and it would feed most anything. I would work on the barrel you have vice going to the unknown.
 
The first thing I might do would be to investigate other sources of feeding woes, such as swapping in a new recoil spring and trying some fresh mags. Given my past experience, it's usually best to avoid touching the expensive parts until the cheap consumable components have been eliminated as the source of problems.
 
The first thing I might do would be to investigate other sources of feeding woes, such as swapping in a new recoil spring and trying some fresh mags. Given my past experience, it's usually best to avoid touching the expensive parts until the cheap consumable components have been eliminated as the source of problems.

I agree 100%, buy a new factory recoil spring and run some ammo through the gun. My 19 runs on anything I put in it.
 
Try a new recoil spring and while your at it replace all of the other springs as well
A good tune up usually helps
 
The recoil spring is about 6 months old. The bullets are Barnes 115 gr. XPB bullets which have a pretty wide hollowpoint that catches on the barrel a little below where the feed ramp starts. I don't think polishing the feed ramp would help; I think the feed ramp would actually have to be modified. I'll probably just forget using those bullets in my Glock; my Kahr likes them just fine.
 
If the recoil spring is newer and you can actually see the round catching on the feed ramp, you are correct in needing to find a different round. Something with a more pointed cone to avoid catching the edge of the feed ramp like Cor-bon DPX or the Hornady Critical Duty or Critical Defense would work more reliably.
 
On top of the other ideas I've been very happy over the years with the rounded nose of Speer Gold Dot bullets. Give them a try. Um, assuming you can find any for sale!
 
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Change your mag springs and try a more recognized HP. Federal HST, Hornady Critical Defense, CCI Gold Dot are all good feeders... If the gun is old and the mag springs have not been changed in a long time, when the slide goes forward the nose of the bullet can dip. This is especially true with 9mm as it has a tapered case (more narrow toward the tip or front of the cartridge). When you stack 9mm ammo in a mag the bullet wants to tip down or dive due to the case design. .40 and .45 don't have this issue as their cases are straight. A strong mag spring helps to keep the nose up.
 
Try some of the lastest generation factory followers for your mags. This was a common problem for the 19 in years past. The factory redesigned the followers to let the round sit higher. I've even heard of the factory replacing magazines and/or followers for this very reason.
 
replace your mag springs and followers, if the springs sticks out less than 5 coils above the bottom of the mag, they are worn out.