Glock 20 Slidelock Error

dplev4 · Apr 4, 2020

Field stripped my Glock 20 Gen 4. The slidelock and slidelock spring came out onto my bench. The slide lock spring looked slightly bent to the side, so I made a very slight straighten to it and then put things back in (and this is where I must have screwed up). Put slide back on. Felt a little rough but racked it and it seemed to set and looked fine.

Ordered a new spring and then started reading about specific problems with this Gen Glock. So I went to field strip it again to check the spring and couldn't. The slidelock isn't pushing down the spring (pretty sure I put the slidelock over the spring) but when I push the slidelock down it goes down on one side but the other stays up. So it wobbles and now I can't get the slide off because the slidelock is crooked and I am guessing, not pushing the spring down.

I plan to call Glock Monday and will probably end up shipping it back to them for help. However, I thought I would ask the forum for any ideas to get the slide off without wrecking the gun further. Any help would be appreciated. Not one of my finer mechanical moments.

Ops · Apr 4, 2020

your best bets to watch you tube videos. never bend a SLS and the lever goes in a certain way

dplev4 · Apr 4, 2020

Thanks. I have watched various gunsmithing videos. The bend in the spring was slight but may have happened from coming out or before, since normally it is very well seated and needs to be pried out. This time it just fell out with the slidelock.

bbbass · Apr 4, 2020

dplev4 said:
(pretty sure I put the slidelock over the spring)

Not sure that is even possible (to put it under the spring). Nor if it is possible to put the slidelock in upside down. But it is sure odd. Sounds like something is blocking it in the center. I'll be following to see what the answer is...

dplev4 · Apr 10, 2020

Fixed!

Didn't seat the slide lock spring deep enough. Was able to get the slide off. Seated the spring and slide lock worked fine. Ordered another spring ($4) just to have one on hand should I ever repeat this user error again.

DirectDrive · Apr 10, 2020

dplev4 said:
Fixed!

Didn't seat the slide lock spring deep enough. Was able to get the slide off. Seated the spring and slide lock worked fine. Ordered another spring ($4) just to have one on hand should I ever repeat this user error again.

So if this is the L-shaped leaf spring (not coil spring) replace it as soon as you can with a fresh one since this one has been monkeyed with.
Glock changed the design to a coil spring because of breakage of the leaf spring.
If it breaks off in the spring pocket it can be almost impossible to get out.

dplev4 · Apr 10, 2020

Yes. You are dead on. I ordered 2 new springs in case I screw this up again, but everything slides and un-slides just fine. I'm not going to shoot it until I replace the spring.