I'm back! So, this morning I finally did it. I took my Polymer80 frame into my workshop and started the build. I used my 10 inch drill press and the bits that were supplied with the jig.
I've done 6 AR lowers in the past. This was my first time doing anything other than metal so I was really surprised to see how quickly and easily the bits chewed through polymer. Also it was really nice to NOT have to use any oil like you do when drilling aluminum.
The whole process was really easy and fast. I was only in front of the drill press for about 15 minutes from start to finish. Then I spent about 10 minutes smoothing up the frame with a metal file and sand paper.
I watched a YouTube video on how to assemble a Glock 17 slide and followed along, assembling my slide while watching. That took 3 minutes.
I watched a YouTube video on how to assemble a Glock 17 frame and followed along, assembling my frame while watching. That took about 15 minutes.
Next came the moment of truth... Time to put the slide and frame together and perform a safety / function check.
I held the slide in position and started to mate the upper with the lower. I got the slide half way on and felt resistance. I know not to force things when assembling guns, so I took my time and looked to see where the unwanted contact was occurring. It was the teeth on the bottom of the barrel contacting the locking block in the frame. Everything looked good. I couldn't figure out why the slide wouldn't go on.
So, I tried again. And then again. Over and over again, I would get the slide half way on, meet resistance, then try again. After 5 minutes of getting no where, the caveman part of my brain took over. I was not thinking clearly. The next thing I knew, I was holding a rubber mallet in one hand and a fully assembled Glock in the other... The slide was fully on the frame, but it was locked in place. It would not slide back, nor would it slide forward to come back off the frame. It was STUCK... This is where I started saying the F word, a LOT.
So, I kept fiddling with it and I got the slide pulled to the rear, but not far enough back to engage the slide lock. That's when I realized that the barrel was not engaging the locking block properly and the recoil spring was a little pinched. Now I knew what to focus on, but the slide still wouldn't come off.
So I watched a YouTube video about how to unstick a slide that won't come off. After opening the rear slide cover and removing the firing pin, the slide came right off.
After successfully removing the slide, my caveman brain kicked in again... Without thinking, I put the slide right back on! Guess what happened... Yep, it stuck on there again. I had to remove the firing pin again to get the slide back off.
So, I got the slide off again and took a closer look at the barrel and the slide. I finally realized that the barrel was not riding all the way up in the slide where it should have been. The aftermarket slide and barrel were really well made and they would have fit perfectly if not for the thin layer of cerakote on the slide. It was keeping the barrel block from seating properly in the slide, which made the teeth on the bottom of the barrel hit on the locking block in the frame. And, since the barrel wasn't seating properly, it would not allow the slide to go into battery, which was keeping the trigger from resetting for a follow up trigger pull.
So, next, I started pressing the barrel into the slide, back and forth, slowly replicating the movement of a barrel locking and unlocking as a slide would cycle. Then I squirted some oil on the "bolt face" and started moving the barrel in and out. This process immediately started to remove the excess cerakote that was stopping the barrel from locking into the slide.
The next time I attempted to put the slide onto the frame, it went right on. Finally, after an hour of cursing, I had a complete handgun.
I immediately realized that every time I racked the slide I heard a loud squeak. It sounded like a rusty screen door opening and closing each time I manipulated the slide.
That's when I got a towel and just soaked the slide in CLP gun oil. I wiped off the outside of the gun and I started racking the slide over and over and over again. I moved the slide back and forth constantly for about 15 minutes while watching TV.
When the next commercial came on, I looked down at my new gun and realized that the squeak was gone. The slide was moving freely and all was right with the world.
I spent a total of about 3 hours going from a box of parts to a (hopefully) working gun. I love the way it looks, and I'm really excited to shoot it. The best part of this was learning how every tiny part inside a Gen 3 Glock works.
I'll write back again after I put some rounds through it...
Here's another pic...
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