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Introduction: Glock pistols sometimes produce erratic ejection of fired cartridge cases. Instead of dropping the cases into a neat pile off to the right side, sometimes they come straight back at you, sometimes they barely fall out of the gun, and sometimes they spin off to the left or forward. Here is a checklist to help you solve the problem, organized into sections dealing with parts (out of date or broken), ammo, and the shooter.
1) Out-of-Date RSA: If your gun is a Gen4 Glock, it is possible that you have an out-of-date Recoil Spring Assembly (RSA) in the gun, and that could contribute to the problem. RSA Markings are found on the end of the RSA that fits into the cutout in the barrel. In order to find the RSA Marking the gun needs to be field-stripped so that you can remove and examine the RSA.
Because Glock does update the parts list occasionally, rather than include the part numbers and descriptions here, we will point you to the parts list. Look for "RECOIL SPRING ASSEMBLIES" to find the right part number and markings for your gun: http://us.glock.com/documents/GLOCK_Parts_Order_Form_Certified.pdf
Here is an illustration of current Gen4 RSAs:
![Font Circle Screenshot Number Clock]()
2) Out-of-Date Ejector: An incorrect ejector can also be the cause. Glock made significant changes to the shape of the ejector in several Gen4 models, which dramatically improved ejection. Also, if you have performed a "conversion", making a 9mm Glock into a .40 Glock (or the reverse), a change in ejector is required. Changing the ejector is only done by changing out the Trigger Mechanism Housing, which contains the ejector, since ejectors are no longer sold as individual parts.
Use the link to the parts list (above) to find the right ejector marking for your gun. If the ejector in your gun is not current, contact your Glock dealer or an Armorer to get the right part and have it installed. Here is a photo of a marked ejector as a guide:
![Automotive design Bumper Automotive exterior Carbon Font]()
3) Damaged Parts: Erratic ejection can be caused by a damaged extractor. This is not all that rare, an extractor can be chipped by putting a round in the chamber manually and slamming the slide home repeatedly, and sometimes extractors just break. A quick visual inspection of our extractor can be done by field-stripping the pistol and looking at the extractor from a few angles. Here are photos of a good extractor to be used as a guide:
![Land vehicle Vehicle Automotive lighting Grille Car]()
![Material property Font Automotive design Gas Carbon]()
![Automotive design Automotive exterior Gadget Font Gas]()
![Automotive design Rectangle Auto part Composite material Fashion accessory]()
4) Extractor Function: With a new Glock that has not fired enough ammunition to wear off some of the coating on the extractor, we experienced BTF at an unacceptable rate. The thick, new coating on the extractor may slow down the extractor just enough that the it does not have the empty case held flat against the breech face by the time the ejector hits the case. With the empty case slightly out of position when the ejector strikes it, the case comes back toward the shooter instead of off to the right or right rear of the shooter.
Lightly sanding some of the coating off the extractor often solves this problem. I do not know how much you would have to shoot the pistol to get this to "break in" or wear down enough to solve the problem, I guess it would depend on the thickness and hardness of the coating. We do know that it's pretty easy to sand the coating down by laying a piece of fine (600 grit or higher) sandpaper grit-side-up on a pane of glass (to make sure that you sand it flat) and then rubbing the part against the sandpaper, carefully, just enough to take some of the coating off.
Make it look like this:
![Rectangle Font Automotive exterior Fashion accessory Auto part]()
![Wood Rectangle Font Automotive exterior Metal]()
Think of this as an extension to the "25-cent trigger job": all you're doing is accelerating break-in by taking off some material that would wear off anyway. You're just not going to plow through several hundred rounds of ammo to get the pistol to stop spitting brass into your face.
5) Magazine Problems: A sharp-eyed observer noticed that a G19 was spitting back the last round of one of the magazines, and only the last round. We were able to reproduce the problem with that magazine consistently. I'm still not certain about the cure for this, but if you experience BTF regularly on the last round of a certain magazine, take a close look at the magazine itself. The follower may not have been snapped on to the spring when the magazine was assembled, or the follower may be damaged. Also inspect the magazine spring for any damage.
6) Ammunition: Consistent ejection is enabled by a reasonable match between the power of the ammunition and the RSA. For example, typical "target loads" like Winchester White Box, will eject differently than some super-hot defense loads, from the same gun. Although rare, there are cases where a given brand or load of ammo will simply not work well in a particular Glock.
We have seen cases where the use of steel-cased or bimetal-case ammo in Glocks is associated with cycling problems. Originally I though this was caused by the coating on the cases coming off an gumming up the chamber, but there's a much better explanation: steel-based ammo doesn't stretch as much as brass, so there is a lot of bypass of soot out of the case and into the chamber. That will quickly build up and cause a variety of cycling-related problems.
The solution? Don't use steel-cased ammo in Glocks, or if you do use it, clean the gun regularly, every few hundred rounds.
Glock chambers are known for tolerating almost any ammo, which means in many cases that they are a little loose, on the high side of the SAAMI specification for chamber sizes. Combine that with cartridge cases that do not stretch enough to seal the chamber, and you've got a fouling problem.
You can spend a lot of time anguishing about this, but if you want to solve the problem the most direct approach may simply to change ammo. On the other hand, if you insist on shooting either very light or very hot ammo, reply to this thread and we'll get some recommendations for upgrading your RSA so that it will work with your ammo. Rather than attempting to list the many combinations of loads and springs that work well, just reply to this thread listing what you are using and the Members will come back with some recommendations.
Hot ammo can also reveal a worn RSA. Glock parts do last nearly forever, but sometimes an old RSA just needs to be replaced to solve the problem. If your gun has fired a few thousand rounds, don't rule out replacing some parts. The service life of the pre-Gen4 RSA is 5,000 rounds, so if yours has seen more use than that, a replacement is likely in order.
7) Shooter: Shooting a Glock well and making it perform well require a good grip on the gun. It's that simple, people. If you are a new shooter, or if you have been shooting something else and are just coming back to your Glock, your grip may have deteriorated.
A good way to determine if grip is your problem is to have a friend shoot your gun, to see if he or she has the same ejection problems that you are experiencing. If not, then your grip could be the cause.
Here is a link to a thread on establishing a good grip: http://glock.pro/training-tactics/5692-basic-action-shooting-grip-trigger-pull.html#post63665. Arm position and posture also play a role because your arms are important in managing recoil, here's a link to a thread on that topic: http://glock.pro/training-tactics/5693-basic-action-shooting-stance.html#post63667 .
If you haven't solved your Erratic Ejection problem by following the advice in this post, please post a reply to this thread so that we can solve your problem, learn from the process, and update this post!
Chris
1) Out-of-Date RSA: If your gun is a Gen4 Glock, it is possible that you have an out-of-date Recoil Spring Assembly (RSA) in the gun, and that could contribute to the problem. RSA Markings are found on the end of the RSA that fits into the cutout in the barrel. In order to find the RSA Marking the gun needs to be field-stripped so that you can remove and examine the RSA.
Because Glock does update the parts list occasionally, rather than include the part numbers and descriptions here, we will point you to the parts list. Look for "RECOIL SPRING ASSEMBLIES" to find the right part number and markings for your gun: http://us.glock.com/documents/GLOCK_Parts_Order_Form_Certified.pdf
Here is an illustration of current Gen4 RSAs:
2) Out-of-Date Ejector: An incorrect ejector can also be the cause. Glock made significant changes to the shape of the ejector in several Gen4 models, which dramatically improved ejection. Also, if you have performed a "conversion", making a 9mm Glock into a .40 Glock (or the reverse), a change in ejector is required. Changing the ejector is only done by changing out the Trigger Mechanism Housing, which contains the ejector, since ejectors are no longer sold as individual parts.
Use the link to the parts list (above) to find the right ejector marking for your gun. If the ejector in your gun is not current, contact your Glock dealer or an Armorer to get the right part and have it installed. Here is a photo of a marked ejector as a guide:
3) Damaged Parts: Erratic ejection can be caused by a damaged extractor. This is not all that rare, an extractor can be chipped by putting a round in the chamber manually and slamming the slide home repeatedly, and sometimes extractors just break. A quick visual inspection of our extractor can be done by field-stripping the pistol and looking at the extractor from a few angles. Here are photos of a good extractor to be used as a guide:
4) Extractor Function: With a new Glock that has not fired enough ammunition to wear off some of the coating on the extractor, we experienced BTF at an unacceptable rate. The thick, new coating on the extractor may slow down the extractor just enough that the it does not have the empty case held flat against the breech face by the time the ejector hits the case. With the empty case slightly out of position when the ejector strikes it, the case comes back toward the shooter instead of off to the right or right rear of the shooter.
Lightly sanding some of the coating off the extractor often solves this problem. I do not know how much you would have to shoot the pistol to get this to "break in" or wear down enough to solve the problem, I guess it would depend on the thickness and hardness of the coating. We do know that it's pretty easy to sand the coating down by laying a piece of fine (600 grit or higher) sandpaper grit-side-up on a pane of glass (to make sure that you sand it flat) and then rubbing the part against the sandpaper, carefully, just enough to take some of the coating off.
Make it look like this:
Think of this as an extension to the "25-cent trigger job": all you're doing is accelerating break-in by taking off some material that would wear off anyway. You're just not going to plow through several hundred rounds of ammo to get the pistol to stop spitting brass into your face.
5) Magazine Problems: A sharp-eyed observer noticed that a G19 was spitting back the last round of one of the magazines, and only the last round. We were able to reproduce the problem with that magazine consistently. I'm still not certain about the cure for this, but if you experience BTF regularly on the last round of a certain magazine, take a close look at the magazine itself. The follower may not have been snapped on to the spring when the magazine was assembled, or the follower may be damaged. Also inspect the magazine spring for any damage.
6) Ammunition: Consistent ejection is enabled by a reasonable match between the power of the ammunition and the RSA. For example, typical "target loads" like Winchester White Box, will eject differently than some super-hot defense loads, from the same gun. Although rare, there are cases where a given brand or load of ammo will simply not work well in a particular Glock.
We have seen cases where the use of steel-cased or bimetal-case ammo in Glocks is associated with cycling problems. Originally I though this was caused by the coating on the cases coming off an gumming up the chamber, but there's a much better explanation: steel-based ammo doesn't stretch as much as brass, so there is a lot of bypass of soot out of the case and into the chamber. That will quickly build up and cause a variety of cycling-related problems.
The solution? Don't use steel-cased ammo in Glocks, or if you do use it, clean the gun regularly, every few hundred rounds.
Glock chambers are known for tolerating almost any ammo, which means in many cases that they are a little loose, on the high side of the SAAMI specification for chamber sizes. Combine that with cartridge cases that do not stretch enough to seal the chamber, and you've got a fouling problem.
You can spend a lot of time anguishing about this, but if you want to solve the problem the most direct approach may simply to change ammo. On the other hand, if you insist on shooting either very light or very hot ammo, reply to this thread and we'll get some recommendations for upgrading your RSA so that it will work with your ammo. Rather than attempting to list the many combinations of loads and springs that work well, just reply to this thread listing what you are using and the Members will come back with some recommendations.
Hot ammo can also reveal a worn RSA. Glock parts do last nearly forever, but sometimes an old RSA just needs to be replaced to solve the problem. If your gun has fired a few thousand rounds, don't rule out replacing some parts. The service life of the pre-Gen4 RSA is 5,000 rounds, so if yours has seen more use than that, a replacement is likely in order.
7) Shooter: Shooting a Glock well and making it perform well require a good grip on the gun. It's that simple, people. If you are a new shooter, or if you have been shooting something else and are just coming back to your Glock, your grip may have deteriorated.
A good way to determine if grip is your problem is to have a friend shoot your gun, to see if he or she has the same ejection problems that you are experiencing. If not, then your grip could be the cause.
Here is a link to a thread on establishing a good grip: http://glock.pro/training-tactics/5692-basic-action-shooting-grip-trigger-pull.html#post63665. Arm position and posture also play a role because your arms are important in managing recoil, here's a link to a thread on that topic: http://glock.pro/training-tactics/5693-basic-action-shooting-stance.html#post63667 .
If you haven't solved your Erratic Ejection problem by following the advice in this post, please post a reply to this thread so that we can solve your problem, learn from the process, and update this post!
Chris
