Maintenance, Cleaning, & Troubleshooting for Glock Gen 3 Explained

Even the most reliable tools demand respect, care, and a keen eye for detail. Your Glock Gen 3 is no exception. While renowned for its "perfection," understanding the nuances of its Maintenance, Cleaning, & Troubleshooting for Glock Gen 3 isn't just about fixing problems—it's about building an unbreakable bond of trust and ensuring peak performance when it matters most.
This isn't just a manual; it's your expert guide to keeping your Gen 3 running flawlessly, diagnosing issues like a seasoned pro, and extending its legendary lifespan. We'll dive deep into common hiccups, preventative measures, and the subtle signs that tell you something's amiss, empowering you to maintain confidence in your firearm.

At a Glance: Your Glock Gen 3 Blueprint

Regular cleaning is non-negotiable: Every 300-500 rounds (more often for heavy use). Crucially, keep that striker channel dry!
Know your malfunction types: Feeding, ejection, firing, and slide issues each have distinct signs and solutions.
Magazines are often the culprit: Many issues trace back to weak springs, damaged followers, or bad feed lips.
Springs are consumables: Don't wait for total failure. Replace recoil, striker, and trigger springs on schedule or at the first sign of trouble.
OEM parts are your friend: Especially for critical internal components, factory parts ensure optimal reliability and avoid "tolerance stacking" issues.
Inspection is key: Regularly check frame rails, barrel lugs, slide rails, and spring cups for wear or damage.

The Foundation: Why Maintenance Matters for Your Gen 3

Your Glock Gen 3 is a workhorse, a simple and robust design that excels under pressure. But even the toughest workhorse needs grooming and care. Regular cleaning prevents carbon buildup and debris from interfering with crucial tolerances. Proactive parts replacement ensures that wear-prone components don't become failure points. And knowing how to troubleshoot means you can quickly identify and address issues, rather than letting small problems escalate into significant reliability concerns. It��s about being proactive, not reactive, and ensuring your firearm is always ready.

When Things Get Sticky: Diagnosing Feeding Problems

A firearm that won't feed reliably is a paperweight. Feeding issues are among the most common malfunctions, and thankfully, often the easiest to diagnose and fix.

Rounds Stuck or Nosediving? Check the Feed Ramp

When rounds get stuck halfway into the chamber or aggressively nosedive, hitting the feed ramp instead of sliding smoothly, you've got a feeding issue.

What's Happening & Why: This is typically caused by a dirty feed ramp or chamber, a weakened recoil spring that isn't cycling the slide with enough force, or a problematic magazine. If rounds are nosediving specifically, it could also point to a weak magazine spring, an out-of-spec round (especially flat-tipped ammo), or a tilting/binding follower within the magazine itself.
The Fix: Start by thoroughly cleaning your feed ramp and chamber. If the problem persists with a specific magazine, that's your prime suspect—label it and set it aside, or better yet, discard it. If it happens across all magazines, shift your focus to the chamber and your recoil spring.
Pro Tip: To test a magazine, load it up and press down on the top round. If other rounds visibly tilt, stick, or don't move smoothly, your magazine spring or follower is likely due for replacement.

Failure to Return to Battery (RTB): Slide's Not Closing All the Way

When your slide stops short and doesn't fully go forward into lockup, leaving a slight gap, that's a failure to return to battery.

What's Happening & Why: Common culprits include a dirty chamber, fouled slide rails, a weak recoil spring struggling to push the slide completely forward, ammunition that's slightly too long or oversized, or even a misalignment in the slide-to-barrel lock-up.
The Fix: Give your Glock a meticulous cleaning, paying special attention to the chamber, locking block, and slide rails. Ensure they are free of carbon, grit, and old lubricant.
Pro Tip: For stubborn RTB issues, apply a light coat of machinist dye or even a Sharpie to your chamber and slide rails. Cycle the slide a few times, then disassemble. Wear marks will clearly show you where drag points are occurring, guiding your cleaning or inspection efforts.

Hollow Point Headaches

If your Glock struggles specifically with hollow point ammunition, it's often a feed ramp geometry issue or a magazine specification problem.

What's Happening & Why: Some hollow point designs, especially older ones, can have a more abrupt shoulder that catches on the feed ramp. Magazine feed lips that are slightly too wide can also prevent the rounds from presenting correctly.
The Fix: Experiment with different brands and types of hollow point ammunition to find what feeds reliably in your particular Gen 3. You can also measure the width of your magazine feed lips; they should ideally be under 0.353 inches.
Pro Tip: Consistency is key. Once you find a hollow point round that works, stick with it.

Magazine-Specific Feeding Issues

If swapping magazines seems to fix your feeding problems, you’ve found a primary suspect.

What's Happening & Why: A single problematic magazine often has a weak spring, spread or bent feed lips, or a damaged follower that isn't properly presenting rounds. Aftermarket magazines, while sometimes cheaper, can also be a source of frustration if their tolerances aren't up to Glock's specifications.
The Fix: Label the offending magazine immediately. If it's an aftermarket mag, consider replacing it with an OEM Glock magazine. If it's a factory mag, you can try replacing the spring and follower, but often, it's more reliable to retire it, especially for defensive use.

Clearing the Chamber: Ejection & Extraction Problems

Once a round is fired, the spent casing needs to be reliably extracted and ejected. When this process falters, you end up with anything from a stovepipe to brass in the face.

The Infamous Stovepipe: Brass Standing Tall

A spent casing literally stands upright in your ejection port, preventing the next round from chambering.

What's Happening & Why: The most common cause is "limp-wristing," where your grip isn't firm enough to allow the recoil spring to fully cycle the slide (short-cycling). Other culprits include a dirty or worn extractor, underpowered ammunition that lacks the energy to fully cycle the slide, or a weak recoil spring.
The Fix: First, focus on your grip. A firm, two-handed grip is crucial for reliable cycling. Next, thoroughly clean your extractor and its channel. Inspect the extractor claw for wear or damage.
Pro Tip: If stovepipes disappear when you change your grip or switch to hotter ammunition, the issue is almost certainly related to your control or the firearm's timing.

Brass to the Face: Erratic Ejection

When spent brass ejects erratically, often landing on your head, face, or chest, it's annoying and a clear indicator of an ejection issue.

What's Happening & Why: This usually points to a worn ejector or extractor, a dirty or weak extractor spring, an incorrect ejection angle, or even the barrel hood making contact and disrupting the timing of ejection.
The Fix: Clean your extractor and the plunger spring channel meticulously. If the problem persists, consider replacing the ejector (Glock part #30274, even though often associated with Gen 4, check for Gen 3 compatibility or upgrades) and cleaning/upgrading your extractor assembly, including the extractor spring and plunger.
Pro Tip: If you have access to a slow-motion video camera (many modern smartphones can do this), record your brass ejection pattern. Erratic, short, or excessively vertical ejection can help confirm extractor tension or ejection timing issues.

Double Feeds: Two Rounds, One Space

A double feed occurs when the slide jams, trying to chamber a new round while a spent casing is still in the barrel.

What's Happening & Why: This is a serious malfunction usually caused by the extractor failing to properly pull the spent casing out of the chamber. This failure can be due to weak extractor tension, a damaged extractor claw, or a dirty chamber that creates too much drag on the casing.
The Fix: Focus on cleaning the chamber to reduce drag on the spent casing. Inspect your extractor claw for any damage or excessive wear and ensure it's clean and free to move.
Pro Tip: A simple test: drop a clean, spent casing into your Glock's chamber. It should spin freely and fall out easily when the barrel is tilted. If it sticks or requires effort to remove, your chamber is likely dirty or your brass is out of spec, causing excess drag.

Click, No Bang: Firing Problems

When you pull the trigger and expect a loud bang, but get only a disheartening click, you've got a firing problem. These issues often relate to the striker assembly.

Click, No Bang / Light Primer Strikes

The trigger clicks, but the round doesn't fire, or the primer shows only a very shallow dimple.

What's Happening & Why: This can be due to a hard primer on the ammunition itself, a dirty striker channel impeding the striker's movement, a weak or worn striker spring that isn't delivering enough force, or other firing pin issues. Light primer strikes are almost always a sign of insufficient force on the primer.
The Fix: First, try different ammunition to rule out bad primers. Then, thoroughly clean your striker channel.
Pro Tip: The striker channel should never be lubricated. Lube attracts carbon and debris, creating a gummy sludge that can impede the striker. Keep it dry. For optimal reliability, especially with the critical striker assembly, stick to OEM internal parts to avoid potential tolerance stacking or compatibility issues with aftermarket components.

No Primer Mark At All

The primer is untouched, indicating the striker didn't even move forward.

What's Happening & Why: This is a more severe issue than a light primer strike. Causes include a broken, missing, or improperly installed striker spring, backward or damaged striker cups, a striker that is completely bound up by carbon or gunk, or other severe firing pin issues.
The Fix: Immediately disassemble the slide and inspect the striker assembly. Clean the striker channel thoroughly (again, dry, no oil). Ensure the striker spring is correctly installed and the spring cups are intact and properly seated.
Pro Tip: This problem is surprisingly common after DIY trigger or striker spring replacements. Always double-check your work, particularly the orientation of the spring cups and the seating of the spring.

Smooth Operator: Slide & Cycling Problems

The slide is the heart of your Glock's cycling mechanism. When it misbehaves, it can lead to frustrating and dangerous malfunctions.

Failure to Go Into Battery (RTB)

As mentioned before, the slide doesn't fully close, leaving a gap.

What's Happening & Why: This can be due to a dirty chamber or fouled slide rails, a weak or worn recoil spring, out-of-spec or reloaded ammunition (too long, bad crimp), or incorrect barrel/slide lock-up geometry.
The Fix: A thorough cleaning of the chamber, locking block, and slide rails is your first line of defense. Inspect the recoil spring for any signs of wear or kinking.
Pro Tip: If using reloaded ammunition, always check overall length and crimp dimensions against factory specs.

Slide Locks Back Too Early

Your slide locks open mid-magazine, often with rounds still remaining.

What's Happening & Why: The most frequent cause is your support-hand thumb inadvertently riding the slide stop lever, pushing it up. Other causes include a weak or misaligned slide stop spring, or, less commonly, slight frame flexing.
The Fix: Adjust your grip. Be mindful of your support-hand thumb placement to ensure it's not contacting the slide stop.
Pro Tip: This is very common with modern thumbs-forward shooting grips. Consciously adjust your grip to see if the issue resolves itself.

Slide Won't Lock Back on Empty

After firing the last round, the slide stays forward instead of locking back.

What's Happening & Why: This typically points to magazine issues: a weak magazine spring, a damaged or out-of-spec follower that isn't pushing the slide stop up, or a binding/misaligned slide stop spring. Trigger pin interference can also sometimes be a factor.
The Fix: Inspect your magazines. Check the follower for damage and ensure the spring has good tension. Check the slide stop lever and spring for proper movement and alignment.
Pro Tip: With an empty magazine inserted, manually push the magazine follower up with your thumb. It should easily push the slide stop fully into the "up" position, engaging the slide catch. If it doesn't, the magazine or slide stop is faulty.

Sluggish Slide Movement

Your slide feels sticky, gritty, or simply moves too slowly during cycling.

What's Happening & Why: This is usually due to grit or fouling in the rails, a worn or binding recoil spring assembly, excessive drag from the slide-to-frame fit, or, ironically, too much lubricant attracting dust and creating a gummy residue.
The Fix: Strip the gun down and thoroughly clean all slide and frame rails. Inspect your recoil spring assembly for signs of wear or damage. Reduce the amount of lubricant if you're over-oiling.
Pro Tip: Use a Sharpie on your frame and slide rails. Cycle the slide a few times, then inspect. Wear marks on the Sharpie ink will highlight areas of contact and potential drag.

The Heartbeat: Trigger Group Problems

The trigger is your primary interface with the Glock. Any inconsistency here can severely impact accuracy and confidence.

Trigger Won't Reset

After firing, the trigger feels dead and won't reset forward until you manually rack the slide.

What's Happening & Why: This is often a sign of a broken or stretched trigger return spring, a binding or out-of-spec connector, or the trigger bar not resetting properly due to grime, misalignment, or disconnector timing issues.
The Fix: Clean and thoroughly inspect the connector and the trigger bar channel. If the trigger return spring looks stretched, bent, or twisted, replace it immediately.
Pro Tip: Trigger return springs are wear items. If you've put thousands of rounds through your Gen 3, it's a good candidate for replacement.

Inconsistent Trigger Pull

The trigger pull varies significantly—sometimes clean, sometimes heavy, mushy, or "stacking" (getting progressively heavier).

What's Happening & Why: Inconsistent pull is usually caused by a dirty or fouled connector, debris under the trigger bar or in the trigger housing, tolerance stacking from aftermarket parts, or a shifted/bent connector angle.
The Fix: Disassemble, clean, and lubricate the trigger group. Pay attention to the contact points between the trigger bar, connector, and firing pin safety.
Pro Tip: If you've installed aftermarket trigger components, revert to OEM parts and reintroduce custom components one by one to isolate the issue. This helps identify which specific part might be causing the inconsistency.

Heavy Trigger Pull

A stiff, slow, or fatiguing trigger pull.

What's Happening & Why: This can be due to an intentional NY1/NY2 spring installation (which adds resistance), a steep or improperly installed connector angle, excessive friction on the trigger bar or connector, or simple grease/carbon buildup.
The Fix: First, verify you don't have an NY spring installed (they have a distinct "U" shape). Clean and inspect your connector angle and ensure all contact points are smooth and lightly lubricated.
Pro Tip: If you're experiencing an unexpectedly heavy pull, confirm if any previous owner or gunsmith installed an optional NY trigger spring, which significantly increases pull weight.

The Ignition System: Striker / Firing Pin Problems

The striker assembly is critical for ignition. Issues here result in misfires and can be traced to springs, channels, or the striker itself.

Striker Dragging on Primer

After firing, the spent primer shows a smear or crescent-shaped drag mark.

What's Happening & Why: While a slight smear is often normal, a deep or crescent-shaped mark indicates the striker is still in contact with the primer when the barrel begins to drop during unlocking. This suggests the unlock timing is too fast, potentially due to a weak recoil spring or a sloppy slide-to-barrel fit. Over-lubricating the striker channel can also exacerbate this, as it allows the striker to be pulled back more slowly.
The Fix: If concerned, inspect your recoil spring and consider replacing it if it's worn. Ensure your striker channel is clean and dry.
Pro Tip: Some shallow drag is inherent in the Glock design. Only significant, deep, or crescent-shaped drag warrants a deeper diagnosis.

Beyond the Gun: Magazine Issues

Magazines are often overlooked but are responsible for a significant percentage of reliability issues.

Malfunctions with Specific Magazines

Your Glock runs fine with some magazines but not others, experiencing feeding issues, failures to lock back, or random jams.

What's Happening & Why: The magazine is the most dynamic part of the feeding system. Issues include weak or worn springs, followers that bind or tilt, bent, flared, or cracked feed lips, or aftermarket magazines that simply don't match Glock's exacting specifications.
The Fix: Label any problematic magazines immediately. For critical defensive use, retire them. For range use, you can try replacing the spring and follower, but ensure the feed lips are undamaged.
Pro Tip: Polymer magazines left loaded for extended periods, especially in heat, can sometimes swell or deform. Rotate your loaded magazines and don't store them fully loaded for excessively long durations (e.g., years without rotation).

Magazine Won't Lock In / Stay Seated

The magazine doesn't click into place, or it falls out during firing or handling.

What's Happening & Why: This usually indicates a worn or improperly installed magazine catch, a rounded or chewed-up magazine catch notch on the magazine itself, or dirt/debris obstructing the magazine catch hole in the frame.
The Fix: Inspect your magazine catch for wear. Check the notch on your magazines for damage. Clean out the magazine catch channel in the frame.
Pro Tip: Ensure you're firmly inserting magazines with an audible "click." Give the baseplate a gentle tug to ensure it's fully seated, especially during a reload.

Rounds Nose-Diving in Magazine

The top rounds in a loaded magazine consistently dip downward.

What's Happening & Why: This points to weak or uneven magazine spring tension, a follower that is tilting or dragging, or feed lips that are flaring slightly under the pressure of a full magazine. Over-lubricated magazines can also collect gunk, leading to follower drag.
The Fix: Disassemble and clean your magazines. Inspect the spring for any kinks or weakness and the follower for damage or burrs. If necessary, replace the spring and follower.
Pro Tip: Tap a loaded magazine on a bench. If the rounds visibly shift, tilt, or don't feel securely stacked, your spring or follower is a strong suspect.

System Safeguards: Safety System Failures

Glocks have inherent safety systems. When these fail, they can present critical issues.

Trigger Safety Won't Reset

The trigger won't move, or it feels blocked.

What's Happening & Why: This is usually due to dirt or carbon accumulation around the trigger shoe or in the trigger safety's pivot point. It can also stem from the trigger bar or connector dragging, or misaligned aftermarket trigger parts interfering with the safety's travel.
The Fix: Thoroughly clean around the trigger shoe and its pivot. Ensure the trigger bar moves freely without obstruction.

Striker Won't Release (Trigger Pull Does Nothing)

The slide cycles normally, but pulling the trigger results in no striker drop and no "click."

What's Happening & Why: This indicates a complete failure of the trigger bar to lift the firing pin safety plunger and/or to release the striker. This could be due to firing pin issues, a misaligned trigger bar, dirt/carbon in the firing pin channel, or a broken/missing spring in the striker assembly.
The Fix: Disassemble the slide and trigger group. Check the firing pin safety plunger for free movement. Inspect the trigger bar to ensure it's correctly lifting the plunger as it moves rearward.
Pro Tip: During a dry-fire test with the slide off (or with a clear backplate), you should visibly see the trigger bar lift the firing pin safety plunger just before the striker drops. If it doesn't, your trigger bar timing is off.

Firing Pin Safety Sticking

You feel a gritty resistance in the trigger pull, or the striker release is unreliable.

What's Happening & Why: Debris or carbon buildup in the firing pin channel, a worn/pitted/deformed firing pin safety plunger, spring issues with the plunger, or over-lubrication causing sludge can all lead to a sticky firing pin safety.
The Fix: Disassemble the slide and meticulously clean the firing pin channel and the firing pin safety plunger assembly.
Pro Tip: The firing pin safety plunger should move freely and spring back instantly when pressed. If there's any hesitation or grit, it needs immediate cleaning.

The Oddball Problems: Miscellaneous Malfunctions

Sometimes issues don't fit neatly into a category or seem to happen randomly.

Random, Inconsistent Failures

You experience various failures (FTE, double feed, light strikes) intermittently, across different magazines and ammunition types.

What's Happening & Why: This is often the hardest to diagnose because there's no clear pattern. It can point to multiple worn internal parts, tolerance stacking from a mix of aftermarket and OEM components, subtle dirt/carbon buildup in critical areas (striker, extractor), or inconsistent ammunition (especially poor reloads).
The Fix: Start with a full, meticulous cleaning. Then, replace all critical wear springs (recoil, striker, trigger, extractor) with fresh OEM parts. If aftermarket parts are present, consider reverting to all OEM internals.
Pro Tip: Keep a detailed log. Note the type of failure, the magazine used, and the ammunition. Even random failures can reveal a pattern over time.

Click While Out of Battery

The trigger clicks even when the slide isn't fully forward.

What's Happening & Why: Glocks are designed not to fire out of battery. If this happens, it's a serious concern. It implies the trigger bar is barely catching the connector before full lock-up, frame/slide wear is causing premature trigger bar contact, or trigger job geometry has been altered incorrectly.
The Fix: Immediately stop using the firearm and have it inspected by a qualified armorer. This indicates a potential safety hazard.
Pro Tip: Glocks have a passive safety that prevents the striker from releasing if the slide is not fully in battery. If you can get a "click" out of battery, a crucial safety mechanism is compromised.

Sudden Unreliability After Years of Flawless Performance

Your trusty Gen 3, a reliable companion for years, suddenly starts having issues.

What's Happening & Why: Even Glocks wear out eventually. This usually means several wear parts have reached their lifespan simultaneously. Common culprits are a "soft" recoil spring, a worn trigger spring or connector, increased slide-to-frame play, or carbon buildup slowly exacerbating existing wear.
The Fix: Replace all springs that are overdue (recoil, striker, trigger return, extractor). Conduct a thorough cleaning and inspection for any unusual wear patterns on the frame rails or barrel lugs.
Pro Tip: Springs are consumables, just like oil in your car. They don't last forever. If you have thousands of rounds through your Glock, replacing all critical springs is a cost-effective way to restore reliability.

The Proactive Approach: Glock Preventive Maintenance

Reliability isn't just about fixing problems; it's about preventing them. Knowing when and how to clean, and what parts to replace, is paramount.

Cleaning Frequency: How Often Is Enough?

Maintaining a clean firearm is the easiest way to prevent many malfunctions.

General Use (Range, occasional carry): Every 300–500 rounds. This keeps carbon and residue from building up to problematic levels.
Hard Use (Competition, suppressed, high round counts, carry): Every 200–300 rounds. Suppressors significantly increase carbon fouling, and competitive shooting demands absolute reliability.
Pro Tip: Remember the golden rule for the striker channel: keep it dry! Lubricants in this area attract carbon and debris, forming a sticky paste that can impede the striker. For other areas, use minimal, high-quality lubricant like Aegis Gun Care or a similar thin, long-lasting oil on the rails.

Parts Replacement Schedule: Knowing When to Refresh

Springs and small components wear out over time. Adhering to a replacement schedule (or replacing earlier if issues arise) is crucial for sustained reliability. These recommendations are based on Glock user manuals and expert consensus:

Recoil Spring Assembly (RSA):
Gen 1-3: Every 5,000 rounds
Replace earlier if shooting +P ammunition, suppressed, or competition loads that stress the system.
Trigger Return Spring: Every 5,000 rounds
Striker Spring: Every 5,000–10,000 rounds (if not part of a specific firing pin spring count)
Extractor Spring & Plunger: Every 10,000 rounds (if not using specific Extractor Depressor Plunger Spring count)
Connector: Every 10,000 rounds
Firing Pin, Firing Pin Safety, Firing Pin Spring, Spring Cups, Extractor, Extractor Depressor Plunger Spring, Magazine Catch Spring, Magazine Catch, Slide Lock Spring, Trigger Mechanism Housing with Ejector, Slide Stop with Lever Spring, Magazine Spring: Generally 25,000 rounds (or 15,000 for some springs)
Pro Tip: If you experience any reliability issues, don't wait for a round count. Replace the relevant springs immediately. Springs are inexpensive insurance compared to a critical malfunction.

Regular Inspection Points: Your Visual Checklist

Beyond cleaning, routinely inspecting key areas can flag potential problems before they become critical.

Frame Rails: Check for uneven wear, peening, or hairline cracks in the polymer.
Barrel Lugs: Inspect for peening or deformation, especially where they lock into the slide.
Slide Rails & Breech Face: Look for excessive carbon buildup, gouging, or unusual wear patterns.
Trigger Shoe: Ensure it moves smoothly and the trigger safety operates freely.
Spring Cups: Verify they are seated correctly, not cracked, and are holding the striker spring securely.
Magazines: Check for swelling of the polymer body, cracks in the feed lips, or weak springs.
Pro Tip: When you replace a spring or a magazine, write the date of replacement on it with a paint pen or permanent marker. This helps track lifespan. For a deeper dive into all things Glock Gen 3, you'll want to Explore Glock Generation 3.

Deeper Dive: Armorer-Level Diagnostics

For persistent issues or those requiring a more technical understanding, an armorer's perspective can be invaluable.

Frame Deformity/Out of Spec

Persistent lockup or feeding issues despite repeated part replacement and cleaning.

What's Happening & Why: This indicates a fundamental problem with the polymer frame itself. This could be due to manufacturing variations where the polymer frame rail heights are slightly out of spec, causing the slide to tilt or bind. It might also involve slight frame flex or twist under recoil.
The Fix: This often requires professional assessment.
Pro Tip: Remove the recoil spring and barrel. Slowly run the slide back and forth on the frame. Feel for any hitches, excessive play, or unnatural tilting that suggests the frame rails aren't perfectly aligned.

Slide Stop Lever Causing Failures

The slide locks back too early or not at all, or the lever feels lazy or unpredictable.

What's Happening & Why: This can be caused by the slide stop spring being out of position or under-tensioned, an oversized or worn slide stop pin hole, or the lever tab inconsistently dragging on the magazine follower.
The Fix: Replace the slide stop lever and its spring assembly.
Pro Tip: With the slide removed from the frame, press the slide stop lever inward with your finger. It should snap back firmly into its resting position. If it feels weak or sluggish, the spring needs attention.

Trigger Pin Fitment Affecting Reset

You experience a gritty or delayed trigger reset, even after cleaning the connector.

What's Happening & Why: This can be due to the frame holes for the trigger or locking block pins being slightly off, causing the trigger bar to drag on the pin ends or flex laterally. Aftermarket pins or connectors, if not perfectly dimensioned, can also create undue lateral pressure.
The Fix: Ensure all pins are properly seated. If using aftermarket parts, ensure they don't cause any binding.
Pro Tip: During function testing (unloaded!), apply very light finger pressure to the trigger bar from the side as you pull and release the trigger. If the resistance or reset feeling changes significantly, it suggests a pin alignment or trigger bar flex issue.

Building Unwavering Confidence

Your Glock Gen 3 is a tool designed for performance. By consistently applying these maintenance practices, understanding the tell-tale signs of malfunction, and troubleshooting proactively, you're not just maintaining a firearm—you're building an unwavering confidence in its reliability. Clean your gun, replace wear parts before they fail, use quality ammunition, and address any small issues promptly. This vigilance is what transforms a good firearm into a consistently perfect one, ready for anything.