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Queensland Police Service to Test All Glock Handguns Over Multiple Discharge Risk

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QPS to Test All Glock Handguns After Potential Malfunction

Three firearms have already been identified with an issue that could cause multiple rounds to discharge from a single trigger pull.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) has announced it will test every Glock handgun issued to officers after a potential defect was identified in the weapons. The fault could cause multiple rounds to be fired when only a single shot is intended.

Testing Underway Across All Commands

Testing is being conducted across all regions, commands, and divisions in the interests of officer and community safety, according to QPS. Deputy Commissioner Christopher Stream confirmed that both operational and non-operational officers possessing a Glock handgun will have those weapons examined.

  • Firearms that meet testing requirements will be returned to service.
  • Weapons that fail will be held and removed from operational use.

The timeframe for completing the testing program is not yet known.

Risk to Officers Remains Unclear

Untested handguns will remain in use until they can be examined. Deputy Commissioner Christopher Stream acknowledged that there is an unknown risk of multiple discharges if an officer uses an untested weapon.

Despite the defect, no operational incidents related to the issue have been reported.

A Fleet Dating Back to 1999

QPS possesses more than 15,000 Glock handguns, which have been in service since 1999. Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior said the union will work with QPS to identify the extent of the issue. He noted the Glock models in question were procured between 1999 and 2003 and suggested replacement was overdue.

Other Jurisdictions Take Different Approaches

Several other Australian police forces have already moved away from the affected Glock models:

  • New South Wales Police Force began replacing their Glock models in 2023, with completion expected by the end of May.
  • Tasmania Police upgraded to the newest Glock models in the past three years and reported no issues.
  • Australian Capital Territory Policing reported no awareness of any problems.
  • South Australia Police and Victoria Police do not use Glock handguns.
  • Australian Federal Police do not use the same Glock model as QPS.