Queensland police recall Glocks after malfunction discovered during testing

Queensland police will retest all service-issued Glock handguns after a fault was discovered during routine testing. The malfunction could cause the firearm to fire multiple shots unintentionally. Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Chris Stream stated, "If an officer had to use a weapon currently and discharge that weapon, there is an unknown risk currently, in terms of the weapon – an untested weapon, I should say – discharging multiple rounds."

The Glock is the standard-issue sidearm for Queensland police officers, with all 15,000 weapons being recalled for testing. Stream noted that the fault was identified in three older-model weapons and acknowledged that the issue could have occurred during the firearm's two-decade service history. Police Minister Dan Purdie expressed concern over the findings, demanding answers from the Queensland Police Service.

Shane Prior, president of the police union, indicated that the issue was raised during routine testing of Glocks returned for maintenance, stating, "when the trigger was held down, multiple bullets would be fired." He suggested that if the issue proves widespread, a full replacement of every Glock in service would be expected. Stream confirmed that no operational incidents related to the faulty handguns had been identified so far.

Queensland police continues to procure Glocks, receiving new weapons as recently as last year. The testing will be conducted across all regions, commands, and divisions in Queensland, with deficient guns set to be replaced. Officers will receive instructional materials regarding the fault during this process.