Disassemble a Glock (basic)

This photo blog entry goes over how to disassemble a Glock for maintenance and cleaning. This information also generally applies to most modern handguns on the market today. (IE: Springfield Armory, Smith and Wesson, H&K, etc). Click any of the photos to enlarge them.

The first step in disassembling a Glock is to make CERTAIN it is unloaded.

Then, as always, the dead horse gets a say...

#1 ALL FIREARMS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

# 2 NEVER POINT THE MUZZLE AT ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO DESTROY

# 3 KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

# 4 - BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Once you are CERTAIN the Glock is NOT loaded, proceed by gripping the Glock in a very particular way. Using your strong hand, grip the Glock as the photo below illustrates...


... thumb arcing around and all four fingers overlapping the top of the slide.

Now place the thumb of your weak hand over the Disassembly Lever. In the next photo, we will move it downward while moving the slide back slightly.


The photo above shows the direction the Disassembly Lever needs to move for the next step. It might help if you use your index finger on the other side in a pincher motion to get the Disassembly Lever to move downward.

This next photo looks more complicated than it actually is. While sliding the Disassembly Lever down with the thumb of your weak hand (and your index finger on the other side in a pincher motion), move the slide backward slightly with your fingers of your strong hand, using your thumb of your strong hand to steady the Glock.


You don't want to move the slide all the way back. Just maybe 1/4 an inch. You will feel when it is ready to take apart.

Now press the trigger. This will disengage the slide and you can begin to move it forward.


The slide will come completely off the top of the Glock! You have just successfully completed a major portion of the disassembly of a Glock.


The next photo is a top view of the frame of the Glock on the right and the slide turned upside down on the left (the muzzle is facing down).


In future blog entries I will discuss how to disassemble the Glock a little further for cleaning and maintenance.

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