Thousands of police service weapons are being pulled from the frontline and rushed into testing after a serious firing fault was uncovered in standard checks.
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) has confirmed every service-issued Glock handgun will undergo priority testing after a malfunction was identified that could cause multiple rounds to be fired unintentionally.
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The defect was uncovered during routine testing by police armourers, when some Glock pistols fired multiple rounds when the trigger was pulled and held down instead of what should be a controlled, single discharge.
“Through a specific set of circumstances.. the weapon can fire multiple rounds,” Deputy Commissioner Chris Stream said.
“We don’t have the information with us to determine exactly what the issue is causing this currently.”
The scale of the response is sweeping: Queensland Police possess more than 15,000 Glock handguns, issued to around 11,000 officers across the state.
“Yes we’re going to test all 15,000 weapons,” Stream confirmed.
“Testing is being conducted across all regions, commands and division in the interest of officer and community safety.”
outine testing uncovered a fault that could cause some police firearms to discharge multiple rounds. Credit: 7NEWS Deputy Commissioner Chris Stream addresses the Glock malfunction, confirming a statewide testing program is underway. Credit: 7NEWS Firearms passing the test will be returned to service, while any that fail will be immediately withdrawn.
Officers will not be left without protection during the process, with replacement weapons being issued where needed.
Despite the alarming discovery, the malfunction has only been observed in controlled testing conditions so far, not in frontline policing.
“At this time there have been no operational incidents identified in connection with a service issued Glock handguns,” QPS said.
However, key questions remain about the scope of the issue.
“We don’t know exactly how many weapons are affected and that’s what the testing will reveal to us,” Stream said.
The Queensland Police Union has been briefed, with president Shane Prior warning the implications could extend further.
“The Union’s priority is to ensure we have the best possible equipment for our people on the front lines, doing an extraordinarily dangerous job every day,” he said.
The union is now working with the service to determine how widespread the defect is, but has flagged the possibility of a full fleet overhaul if required.
Many of the weapons currently in service were rolled out between 1999 and 2003, meaning they are now more than two decades old.
The development comes just months after another issue involving frontline equipment.
Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior says frontline officers must have reliable, fit-for-purpose equipment. Credit: 7NEWS Routine testing uncovered a fault causing some police firearms to discharge multiple rounds. Credit: 7NEWS Earlier this year, a defect was found in the Taser 10 holster, forcing the replacement of about 2000 units.
Now, attention has turned to one of the most critical tools carried by officers.
The QPS says it is working with suppliers to identify the cause of the Glock fault and rectify it.