Field stripping a Glock, step by step

Field stripping is just taking the slide off the frame and the barrel out of the slide so you can clean and oil them. Our example is a Glock 19, but the steps are identical on every Glock model (G17, G26, G34 and the rest), and on Polymer80 frames and pistols such as the PF940C, PF940V2 and PF940SC.

Strip and clean after every range trip. A pistol that sits in a safe should still get oiled every couple of months so wear spots don't start to rust.

The steps

• Clear the firearm
• Pull the trigger
• Pull down the takedown lever
• Slide the slide forward off the frame
• Take out the guide rod
• Take out the barrel

1. Clear the firearm

This one matters most, for beginners and gunsmiths alike: skipping it is how people get hurt. Drop the magazine out, then rack the slide so any round in the chamber is thrown clear. Look in the chamber to be sure.

2. Pull the trigger

With the pistol pointed somewhere safe, pull the trigger. That lets the striker fall off the cruciform, which frees the slide to come off.

3. Pull down the takedown lever

This is the fiddly part. Draw the slide back a little, not far enough to reset the trigger, and pull the takedown lever down on both sides with your thumb and index finger. An extended takedown lever makes it much easier; the NDZ one is a good choice, and our Glock 19 lower parts kit comes with an extended takedown.

4. Slide the slide forward

Do this at the same moment you're holding the takedown lever down. The slide runs forward off the frame.

5. Take out the guide rod

Push the spring forward and lift the guide rod up off the barrel. It's under spring tension, so go carefully, especially with a guide rod that isn't captured.

6. Take out the barrel

The barrel lifts straight out through the bottom of the slide. Threaded barrel? Take the thread protector off first.

Where the lube goes

We use Armite LP250F. Put it on:

• the slide rails and the frame rails
• the spot where the trigger bar meets the safety plunger
• along the barrel's top surface, or inside the slide where it rides
• the faces where the trigger bar meets the cruciform. Lubing these has dropped trigger pull by a full pound on average in our experience.

Find lubricants and cleaning kits in our cleaning section.