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

Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber
Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber

Review: Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber

Ruger recently released a variant of its popular 10/22 made with modern materials and incorporating performance-minded engineering: the 10/22 Carbon Fiber.

Winchester Celebrates USA 250th With Commemorative Ammo Line

Winchester Ammunition's special line of commemorative ammunition honors the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, with unique packaging that honors the American heritage.

BANISH Suppressors Introduces BANISH 556

BANISH Suppressors introduced its BANISH 556, a full-auto rated suppressor with controlled-flow technology that the company claims is the "most advanced 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem. suppressor on the market."

The Keefe Report: The Incomparable, Inimitable Phil Schreier—1962-2025

Philip Schreier, director of the NRA Museums, passed away on Dec. 29, 2025, after battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

America 250: The Tradition Of The Armed Citizen Lives On

The Declaration of Independence reaffirmed the right to self-determination—and the uniquely American practice of keeping and bearing arms allowed a new nation to thrive.

The Armed Citizen® Jan. 5, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.