Tips & Techniques: Sticking Glock Mags

by
posted on July 26, 2019
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
sticking-glock-mags.jpg

Everyone who has shot a Glock has experienced it: You’re shooting a string of fire, the slide locks open and you go to perform an emergency reload only to find the magazine stuck in place—it can be quite frustrating. How can you fix it? Clean your gun differently. 

Many Glock magazines stick due to solvent or lubricant in the magazine well. To avoid this, clean the polymer frame with a baby bottle brush, dry scrubbing the dirt and debris out. These brushes have a wide but soft bristle that is designed to work well on plastic. You will see the crud come out quickly and easily compared to trying to get a cleaning patch into the nooks and crannies.

Once the frame is clean, apply a coat of car wax to both the inside of the magazine well and the exterior of the polymer magazine body. Just like on the body of your car, the wax will dry and become pasty. When it does, take a clean rag and buff both the magazine well and the magazine body. Make sure you get all of the dried wax away from the inside of the magazine release button. Your magazines should now jettison cleanly away on a reload.

Additional Reading:
Tips & Techniques: Rotate-To-Fire In Close Encounters

Tips & Techniques: Stay in the Scope
Tips & Techniques: "Take Out The Slack" To Keep Accessories In Place
Tips & Techniques: Stock Drag
Tips & Techniques: When Adjusting Sights, Remember "FORS"
Tips & Techniques: Cast Bullet Fit in Revolvers

Latest

Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1
Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Taurus Expedition

Taurus entered the bolt-action rifle market with its Expedition, a Remington 700-pattern design that's built to be versatile and affordable.

New For 2025: Charter Arms Pathfinder II

Charter Arms updated one of the oldest models in its lineup with the new Pathfinder II, which features a lightweight 7075 aluminum frame, making it more well-balanced and easier to carry.

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.