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Anyone closely familiar with the Strike 80 frame will know two things about they don't want to know: Polymer 80 supplied a chronically low-quality-controlled FRLB (Front Rail/Locking Block), and a high percentage of these frames had a significant droop to the nose, or 'dust-cover/accessory-rail' area in front of the trigger-guard.
For the first problem, early in the game, Strike Industries and Polymer 80 were playing the pass-the-buck blame-game, each directing Strike 80 buyers to file their complaints with the other company. While this poor customer service tactic thankfully didn't last long, it was enough to shake a great deal of confidence in the new Strike 80 frames. Currently, I believe Polymer 80 is resolving warranty claim issues on this component. I wouldn't recommend advertising to them that your defective FRLB came with a SI-80, instead of a PF940C though...
For the nose-droop however, with the Strike 80 frames being discontinued at this point, there is no way to rectify this problem except by rolling up your sleeves, and fixing it yourself.
While the most common fix documented was to use a heat-gun to CAREFULLY heat the frame and re-bend it to the desired position, dangers of over-heating the polymer, over-bending/under-bending the frame, or bending the frame in an unintended/undesired way (i.e. twisted or sideways) were still a concern. Numbers were provided for minimum temperatures needed to effect changes in the polymer's shape, and maximum temperatures that shouldn't be exceeded to avoid damaging the polymer's chemical makeup. What to do then if this isn't a fix inside your comfort-zone?
One other option is to ignore the problem. It is mostly cosmetic, after all. OEM (factory) Glocks are known for developing 'pig-nose' problems, or a pinching of the nose up tight to the slide -this is generally caused by pressures applied to the dust-cover by prolonged use in a holster. This would most commonly be a problem for law-enforcement or CCW permit-holders using only or primarily one gun as an EDC. It is entirely likely that after a year or two of continuous use in a snug-fitting holster, a Strike 80 frame will un-droop itself, essentially correcting the droop as a half-step towards 'pig-nosing'. But... Yuck.
So, how else could this be fixed?? The 'droop' was actually caused by the frame cooling too rapidly after being removed from its' mold. I strongly suspect this was predominantly found on Strike frames because they were made thinner and lighter than their PF940C siblings, and while Polymer 80 had their formula for cooling the PF series down fine, it just didn't work out for the Strike 80 frames. One of the problems this caused was the nose-droop, but the other problem related to the FRLB fitment itself. It became standard practice and 'advised' in 1TQ videos to adjust the FRLB fitment with filing/sanding techniques. Instead, the correct solution should be to leave the FRLB fitment alone, provided it wasn't flat-out defective in the first place...
After completing all necessary frame-work to make the Strike 80 functional, when installing the FRLB in place, first install the Trigger-Pin (along with Trigger Bar assembly and Slide Stop Lever, of course). Keep the Trigger Pin holes very tight, and do NOT over-drill them. It may be necessary to tap the Pin into position with a small soft-faced mallet or hammer and punch. Secondly, insert the front FRLB pre-drilled Pin. If your frame suffers from nose-droop, it almost certainly will NOT insert easily, probably not at all without other 'fitment' work done to the Pin Holes or FRLB component... Push firmly upwards on the nose of the frame, enough to force the entire dust-cover section to shift upwards. With the proper force, this may likely allow the front FRLB Pin to line-up sufficiently to drive the Pin into place with a small mallet or similar tool.
There will be a significant force applied to the frame (which will gradually lessen in time as the frame 'learns' its' new shape), with the FRLB in tension pulling the front of the frame back up where it should have been in the first place. While I cannot say this will fix all Strike 80 nose droop problems or your FRLB fitment issue, I can say that from a relatively small sampling I've witnessed, I can verify that this method fixed 100% of the Strike 80 nose-droops I've seen, and no heat was necessary to achieve desired results.
For the first problem, early in the game, Strike Industries and Polymer 80 were playing the pass-the-buck blame-game, each directing Strike 80 buyers to file their complaints with the other company. While this poor customer service tactic thankfully didn't last long, it was enough to shake a great deal of confidence in the new Strike 80 frames. Currently, I believe Polymer 80 is resolving warranty claim issues on this component. I wouldn't recommend advertising to them that your defective FRLB came with a SI-80, instead of a PF940C though...
For the nose-droop however, with the Strike 80 frames being discontinued at this point, there is no way to rectify this problem except by rolling up your sleeves, and fixing it yourself.
While the most common fix documented was to use a heat-gun to CAREFULLY heat the frame and re-bend it to the desired position, dangers of over-heating the polymer, over-bending/under-bending the frame, or bending the frame in an unintended/undesired way (i.e. twisted or sideways) were still a concern. Numbers were provided for minimum temperatures needed to effect changes in the polymer's shape, and maximum temperatures that shouldn't be exceeded to avoid damaging the polymer's chemical makeup. What to do then if this isn't a fix inside your comfort-zone?
One other option is to ignore the problem. It is mostly cosmetic, after all. OEM (factory) Glocks are known for developing 'pig-nose' problems, or a pinching of the nose up tight to the slide -this is generally caused by pressures applied to the dust-cover by prolonged use in a holster. This would most commonly be a problem for law-enforcement or CCW permit-holders using only or primarily one gun as an EDC. It is entirely likely that after a year or two of continuous use in a snug-fitting holster, a Strike 80 frame will un-droop itself, essentially correcting the droop as a half-step towards 'pig-nosing'. But... Yuck.
So, how else could this be fixed?? The 'droop' was actually caused by the frame cooling too rapidly after being removed from its' mold. I strongly suspect this was predominantly found on Strike frames because they were made thinner and lighter than their PF940C siblings, and while Polymer 80 had their formula for cooling the PF series down fine, it just didn't work out for the Strike 80 frames. One of the problems this caused was the nose-droop, but the other problem related to the FRLB fitment itself. It became standard practice and 'advised' in 1TQ videos to adjust the FRLB fitment with filing/sanding techniques. Instead, the correct solution should be to leave the FRLB fitment alone, provided it wasn't flat-out defective in the first place...
After completing all necessary frame-work to make the Strike 80 functional, when installing the FRLB in place, first install the Trigger-Pin (along with Trigger Bar assembly and Slide Stop Lever, of course). Keep the Trigger Pin holes very tight, and do NOT over-drill them. It may be necessary to tap the Pin into position with a small soft-faced mallet or hammer and punch. Secondly, insert the front FRLB pre-drilled Pin. If your frame suffers from nose-droop, it almost certainly will NOT insert easily, probably not at all without other 'fitment' work done to the Pin Holes or FRLB component... Push firmly upwards on the nose of the frame, enough to force the entire dust-cover section to shift upwards. With the proper force, this may likely allow the front FRLB Pin to line-up sufficiently to drive the Pin into place with a small mallet or similar tool.
There will be a significant force applied to the frame (which will gradually lessen in time as the frame 'learns' its' new shape), with the FRLB in tension pulling the front of the frame back up where it should have been in the first place. While I cannot say this will fix all Strike 80 nose droop problems or your FRLB fitment issue, I can say that from a relatively small sampling I've witnessed, I can verify that this method fixed 100% of the Strike 80 nose-droops I've seen, and no heat was necessary to achieve desired results.
