[BBMW]

One of the nice things about the basic Glock design is how easy it is to detail strip it. This means if you want to tear it down as far as possible to give it a good detail cleaning is not a difficult chore. But this brings up a questions.

Does all that punching out and the driving back the pins that hold the frame parts in place cause damage/wear to the frame? Is this something that only should be done so many times over the life of the gun, otherwise the pin hose wear more open, and won't hold the pins? Are there any other negatives to detail stripping a Glock from on a semi regular basis.

A related question: If detail stripping the frame isn't problematic over time, how often should a detail strip/cleaning be done?

 

[dbarn]

Just use care and the correct Glock tool or punch size to dis-assemble. Never use excess force or hammer pins out. Especially the one holding the lock block, slide lock and trigger. Careful manipulation of the slide lock will allow easy dis-assembly. I've never had a problem.

 

[HGxyz]

Detail cleaning is never necessary unless the gun has been dropped in quicksand or some similar mishap. Removing and replacing the pins will loosen them some over time, depending on how careful you are. It would be pretty hard to cause significant damage - I think the guns used in the Glock armorer classes probably function OK after hundreds of disassembles and reassembles.

 

[S.P.F.]

I would like to jump on the "don't use a hammer", bandwagon.

You may see some advice videos, from seemingly reputable sources, wherein the "amateur armorer" is using a mallet to tap out the pins. Using a mallet can do some significant damage, and is completely unnecessary if you are using correct procedure. There is NOTHING on a Glock where a hammer is the best tool to manipulate.

 

[tenntornado]

I only detail strip the frame in order to replace parts if necessary,nothing more is needed.I detail strip the slide for deep cleaning every so often in order to clean the striker channel and extractor which I feel is more important for reliability.

 

[MajorD]

As said detail stripping properly with care doesn't hurt anything but is rarely rarely required for routine care of the pistol. A detail strip of the slide every 5000 rounds or so is fair but the general
Rule is people detail strip way too much. The gun is designed to run pretty much forever without detail stripping for cleaning. Some thing breaks or you elect to replace a part for what ever reason fine. Thinking you need to detail clean to keep
The gun working is simply wrong. My 19 is roughly 35k since I got it ( used) and has never been detail striped and runs fine. Not much you gain in detail stripping as far as cleaning goes
Clean enough to run is clean enough and if the gun needs to be white glove inspection clean to work, there is something wrong

 

[dan291000]

NO

 

[Pred8tory]

The more you take something apart and then put it back together, the looser it gets.

 

[Mike-M]

Especially the one holding the lock block, slide lock and trigger. Careful manipulation of the slide lock will allow easy dis-assembly. I've never had a problem.

There is no pin that holds the SLIDE LOCK in place...just the SLIDE LOCK SPRING under it. The SLIDE LOCK is the part that must be pulled down to free the SLIDE/BARREL/RSA from the FRAME. Shaking that all over the place won't help easy removal of the TRIGGER PIN.

You meant, no doubt, the very different part known as the SLIDE STOP LEVER.

WRT the OP's quedtion, I never detail-striped my first Glock for the first 15 years that I owned it, even though it was my EDC weapon. I have disassembled a Glock more often to show someone how it's done, rather than because something needed cleaning.

 

[harold63]

Another poster said taking it apart and putting it back together a lot will loosen things up and I agree. As long as there is hot water, Dawn dish soap, and compressed air, I doubt I'll ever fully detail strip a Glock.

 

[Anomander]

All I know is that it was a booger to change my stock slide stop lever with an extended. I tried to switch it back but I can't get the pin to budge. I have messed with it as much as I believe is prudent.

 

[rv4driver]

Yep, if you don't put oil in the firing pin channel, you don't need to detail strip anything, and as previous poster said, Dawn and and air compressor can fix that too. I just would like to "see" that there's nothing left in there.
Along those lines, aircraft are REQUIRED to be taken apart and put back together at the least once a year. They will generally work fine right up until they get taken apart and put back together. THAT is when you start to have issues. Before I built my own plane, all the factory planes I owned had most of their issues when they came back from "maintenance". I could give you a list, but you wouldn't believe it.

 

[GregP220]

The more you take something apart and then put it back together, the looser it gets.

This

 

[AZ Husker]

With plastic, true. The more you mess with a hole the larger it gets or the more the pin gets messed up. That's why I love to detail strip my 1911's. I can get them squeaky clean inside and never damage a steel part. I suppose I could use dishwashing soap, water, and a hair dryer, or blast them with brake cleaner, but why when it's so much fun to totally take apart a gun to it's basic components, understand it's workings, clean it completely, and reassemble it yourself. A sense of accomplishment. I can do it quickly now. By the way, don't try brake cleaner on your plastic guns! '-)

 

[Anomander]

. By the way, don't try brake cleaner on your plastic guns! '-)

That's what this is for.

 

[GRR]

I usually detail strip my competition Glocks before a big match and at least once every thousand rounds or so. I don't use hammers or sharp edge punches, just a Glock tool. Pins are tight, holes are fine. Nothing is loose. My G34 and G35 have been detailed stripped hundreds of times. If you do it properly, you'll have no issues.

 

[Glockdude1]

All I know is that it was a booger to change my stock slide stop lever with an extended. I tried to switch it back but I can't get the pin to budge. I have messed with it as much as I believe is prudent.

Try this: I use a empty magazine. With the slide off, gun on its side, insert empty mag into mag well. Now try to remove the pin. It has worked for me in the past.

 

[sciolist]

Based on my experience getting Glocks dirty and cleaning them, I don't think you would probably ever need to detail strip the lower just to remove normal fouling. Of course there are a lot of other reasons to take the lower apart. I clean the frame out at one of those times, maybe twice a year.

 

[druryj]

I don't know...I like to tear mine down all the way every so often because I'm all anal about cleaning...

 

[cciman]

No need to detail strip the the gun as much as you think or want to, even if you shoot hi volumes. Over doing it can make the pin holes larger.

as always....