Easiest guns to detail strip.

[TheNewbie]

In your opinion, what are the easiest/simplest guns to detail strip?


Glock is what first comes to mind. Though taking my Ruger Security Six apart was not as bad as I though. Of course it was not a true detail strip.


I’m not sure if one should necessarily base what they purchase on how easy a detail strip is, but it can be an interesting discussion.

[Chain]

Ruger Mark II would be near the *bottom* of the list :p

[Doc_Glock]

Of the plastic full sized 9mm pistols:

Glock is the easiest: 2 on a scale of 1-10

HK P series: 5/10, 7/10 if you don't own the TRS tool.

PX4: 4/10, 10/10 if you try to change the sights.

Beretta 92: 6/10 due to all the small parts.

1911: 4/10 once you know its arcane tricks

Steyr M: 3/10

Walther PPQ: 3/10, 2/10 on the slide very Glocky unless you mess with the small trigger parts.

Sig P series: 5-6/10 marginally easier than the Beretta 92.

Ruger LCR: 4-5/10

That is about all I can remember.

[HCM]

Glock is the obvious winner here.

The surprise is the 1911. Replacing parts requires fitting but detail stripping the gun and getting it back together is surprisingly easy.

[Paul D]

Glock 1/10
1911 2/10
Sig P Series 4/10
Beretta 92 4/10
S&W Shield 4/10
H&K USP Series 5-6/10
CZ-75 (non-Omega) 8/10.

[Wondering Beard]

Glock is the obvious winner here.

The surprise is the 1911. Replacing parts requires fitting but detail stripping the gun and getting it back together is surprisingly easy.

Unless you're dealing with the series 80 gun.

[rob_s]

The surprise is the 1911. Replacing parts requires fitting but detail stripping the gun and getting it back together is surprisingly easy.

I really got heavy into guns about the time that Kimber was first on the scene. I remember only on dealer in town had them, and kimber had maybe two or three different models at the time. Up until then I had t really had any contact with 1911s. I remember being super aggregated at taking down my friend’s kimber because of the full-length guide rod, hex head grip screws, etc.

The I got ahold of a 1911 with flathead grip screws and a GI guide rod and was shocked at how easy it was to take down and detail strip.

[Alpha Sierra]

I don't place too much importance on this aspect of pistol design. In fact, it's dead last on my list of things to look for in a pistol.

Detail stripping is something I never do unless something is broken or I want to modify/replace parts for better performance. Even detailed cleaning doesn't require a complete teardown if you use the right cleaning products.

[JonInWA]

Glock

Beretta 92

1911

Ruger GP100/Security Six

FN High Power

HK P30

HK VP

Best, Jon

[Robinson]

Of the guns I have some experience with, I would rate them in ascending order of difficulty:

Glock
Ruger revolvers
1911 Series 70
1911 Series 80
Sig P22x
Beretta 92
S&W revolvers

[ASH556]

Of the guns I have some experience with, I would rate them in ascending order of difficulty:

Glock
Ruger revolvers
1911 Series 70
1911 Series 80
Sig P22x
Beretta 92
S&W revolvers

As someone who holds a Sig P-series armorer cert (but couldn't work on one right now to save my life) and has also replaced just about every part in my Beretta 92's, I disagree with this.

[jwperry]

I know this may be blasphemous, but I'd put the GI 1911 ahead of Glock. Glock still requires a tool, a GI pattern 1911 has everything it needs onboard.

[CCT125US]

Was thinking about this the other day. Full disclosure: Don't currently own any Glocks, sold them all off years ago, but there is something to be said for the simplicity. As I was contemplating the need for a full detail strip of my range / host USP9c, I recalled how easy it is to strip a Glock. So I did the basic field strip, scrapped off the large carbon chunks (yes, only the large) and then hosed the rest out with degreaser. Upon further inspection, decided a full detail strip might be in order. The amount of fouling, powder flakes, and filth was impressive. I believe this is 2000 rounds of suppressed filth. My view on the ease of detail strip, is not one of difficulty, but of the time involved. Glocks are the winner here.

I snapped this pic and highlighted the build up after a thorough degreasing. Suppressors really pack in the gunk.

36686

[CCT125US]

........ everything it needs onboard.

https://tangodown.com/vickers-tactical-gen4-gen5-glock-grip-plug-take-down-tool/

[psalms144.1]

Glock, hands down. Then the M&P series, followed by the 1911 and M92.

I would put the following in the "don't try it if you're not handy and patient, with a good work bench with a monitor/tablet to watch Youtube videos repeatedly" - hammer fired HKs, CZs of any stripe, Sig "Classic" pistols.

I would put the following in the "don't ever try it" category for fear of not being able to rebuild: HK VP series, Sig P320/P365

Keep in mind, detail stipping a pistol, for some manufacturers (lookin' at you, SIG!) voids your warranty. In fact, unless you're a Sig factory certified armorer, taking the GRIPS OFF a "classic" Sig voids the warranty.

[ASH556]

Glock, hands down. Then the M&P series, followed by the 1911 and M92.

I would put the following in the "don't try it if you're not handy and patient, with a good work bench with a monitor/tablet to watch Youtube videos repeatedly" - hammer fired HKs, CZs of any stripe, Sig "Classic" pistols.

I would put the following in the "don't ever try it" category for fear of not being able to rebuild: HK VP series, Sig P320/P365

Keep in mind, detail stipping a pistol, for some manufacturers (lookin' at you, SIG!) voids your warranty. In fact, unless you're a Sig factory certified armorer, taking the GRIPS OFF a "classic" Sig voids the warranty.

You don't think having to remove the M&P rear sight to strip the slide is a bit of over-kill?

[psalms144.1]

You don't think having to remove the M&P rear sight to strip the slide is a bit of over-kill?It's sub-optimal, I'll grant that, but it's not hard.

[ASH556]

It's sub-optimal, I'll grant that, but it's not hard.

Fair enough, at least on the full-size guns. Shields (at least early ones) were their own kind of special.

[SAWBONES]

Glock is the easiest, no real dispute.

1911 is easy once you've done it a few times, though not as easy as a Glock, since sear-disconnector alignment on the 1911 takes at least a little fiddling, while Glock reassembly is just fitting pre-cut puzzle pieces into place.

My vote for "most difficult" goes to H&K P7M8.
Even after having owned two of them for decades, I have never yet fully disassembled the receivers!

:o

[Zman001]

Glock, followed by the M&P. The 1911 is pretty simple assuming its USGI-esq, then the beretta 92, trailed by the p.38, thanks to the PITA recoil springs

I wouldn't even rate the PPQ, some parts of the gun are considered to not even be end user serviceable.

Nothing I've taken apart touches the glock. The M&P isn't too bad, but the trigger spring and needing to remove the rear sight to access the firing pin safety holds it back, not to mention you can't just plop the pins out without a hammer amd punch.

I don't know where I'd put the sig 320. I'd rather deal with a beretta 92 than deal with the FCG, but thats probably just due to familiarity.


But I've never worried about breaking a part on a 92...;)

[Clusterfrack]

I strongly prefer a gun that I can detail strip easily--especially in critical areas like the extractor, firing pin/striker, and FP/striker safety. Inspecting and completely cleaning out crud in these areas is something I do maybe every 3-5000 rounds in a carry gun.

Glock: wins hands down, and this is one of the reasons I'll always own Glocks.

Sig p320: a close 2nd, although the striker assembly has some fiddly parts.

1911s are easy too, until you have to replace a part that needs "tuning".

ARs are also quite good in this respect.

-----
In a middle group are guns that are easy to detail strip, but require a pin punch and hammer.

CZ P-07 is easy to strip, except for the extractor and firing pin assembly which require driving out and reinstalling pins.

CZ 75, Shadow2, etc. are quite easy as long as you don't need to disassemble the sear cage.

Ruger Mark3: not that hard, if you remember the tricks. Mine have the mag safety removed, so that speeds things up.

Ruger LCP: not too hard.

Ruger revolvers: pretty easy for a revolver
Dan Wesson revolvers: really easy

-----
The last group are forked up to strip, or have a critical design flaw that makes disassembly a challenge.

HK TDAs
S&W TDAs
S&W revolvers
M&P: easy EXCEPT for having to remove the rear sight to access the striker safety. WTF?

[Robinson]

As someone who holds a Sig P-series armorer cert (but couldn't work on one right now to save my life) and has also replaced just about every part in my Beretta 92's, I disagree with this.

Was just basing it on my own experience, which is a bit short when it comes to the Sig classic series. Which part do you disagree with?

[TiroFijo]

Unless you're dealing with the series 80 gun.

I'm almost as fast disassembling/assembling a S80 1911 as with a GI model. Absolutely no problem here.

The Glock is still the winner, though.

[MistWolf]

The easiest pistol I've ever detail stripped and re-assemble is a old Ruger Single Six.

Next easiest (probably because of familiarity) is a USGI 1911.

The most frustrating to reassemble after just field stripping is the original Ruger semiautomatic 22, followed by the Walther P-22 (especially if you don't have the special tool).

[RevolverRob]

1911
Glock
Browning Hi-Power (especially with mag safety removed)

After that they all start getting complicated.

I also tend to be biased towards things with the fewest number of springs.

A 1911 has has five coil springs and one leaf.

A Glock has five coil springs and one wire-leaf type spring (slide-lock spring)

BHP has seven coil springs (six if you remove the mag safety) and one leaf spring

Why am I biased? Because I hate springs.

No, I just recognize that springs do wear (coils often faster than leafs) AND they can be a bitch and a half to install and remove. Particularly, loopy coil springs, like the Glock trigger spring of the M&P trigger springs.

In the 1911 none of the coil springs need to be looped over anything, they all drop into place and are compressed. In my mind this makes the disassembly and reassembly much easier. As long as you're careful disassembling the 1911, you'll be good to go. The two trickiest parts are the recoil spring guide plug and the main spring housing - those will shoot off at you, if you don't disassemble carefully. The firing pin too, if you don't cover it when removing the stop.

[gato naranja]

The Glock is my gold standard of easy, special-tool-free detail stripping. Everything in a Glock also sort of "makes sense" to a simpleton like myself as it comes apart and goes back together.

When I was a kid, some of the iron that had been brought back from one of the two World Wars might not require much in the way of tools or sweat, but disassembly/reassembly was not necessarily intuitive. Some (I'm looking at YOU, Mr. Astra 400) could have issues with a particular component that made me swear like my dad. By the time I hit middle age, I took it for granted that maintaining a semiauto handgun was invariably something of a pain in the arse. When I finally got a Glock, it made owning everything else feel like a chore.

I just wish I liked Glocks better than I do, because it would simplify my life.

gn

[einherjarvalk]

The simplicity of the Glock takedown is why I now own 3 of them, and will likely not stop there.

I also have 3 TDA HKs, and while I've only done a detail strip on one of them, I think the difficulty level is a bit overblown. Once you figure out what direction everything should go in, you'll be alright. It's only when you have to reassemble the LEM pieces that it goes from "modest difficulty" to "pain the ass."

[ASH556]

Was just basing it on my own experience, which is a bit short when it comes to the Sig classic series. Which part do you disagree with?

Just the Sig classics are way more complex to me. Thin little pieces everywhere.

[ubervic]

I just wish I liked Glocks better than I do, because it would simplify my life.

gn

It took me years, but I'm finally liking Glocks quite a bit. Maybe because I've finally come to appreciate simplicity and practical minimalism.

[JTQ]

I've been wondering about the "modular, chassis" guns like the SIG P320 and the Beretta APX, etc. Since the whole chassis can be pulled out with just a pin or two, when counting difficulty of detail stripping, does that entail removing parts from the chassis or does the difficulty of the P320 (I haven't seen comments on the APX yet) have to do with that or is there something about stripping the slide?

[Robinson]

Just the Sig classics are way more complex to me. Thin little pieces everywhere.

Ah shit, yeah I actually have the Sig and the Beretta 92 reversed in my list. Duh. The Berettas are actually pretty easy to work on, though the trigger return spring can be a little tricky the first time or two.

[ASH556]

Ah shit, yeah I actually have the Sig and the Beretta 92 reversed in my list. Duh. The Berettas are actually pretty easy to work on, though the trigger return spring can be a little tricky the first time or two.

Or 6 :rolleyes:

I hate that little bastard. Everything else is pretty easy.

Back to the Sig, when I took my armorer's course, the instructor had a nickname for one of the pins that holds the ejector (don't remember which anymore). It's the "Brother-in-law's wife"...because you never want to take it out.

[Clusterfrack]

I've been wondering about the "modular, chassis" guns like the SIG P320 and the Beretta APX, etc. Since the whole chassis can be pulled out with just a pin or two, when counting difficulty of detail stripping, does that entail removing parts from the chassis or does the difficulty of the P320 (I haven't seen comments on the APX yet) have to do with that or is there something about stripping the slide?

The p320 is very simple to strip, assuming you don't disassemble the trigger group. The only issue is the striker assembly. There is a tiny spring that needs to be pushing on the striker safety lever. That requires some fiddling to get in place.

[That Guy]

For me, there is nothing quite like the 1911. With no other firearm do I have as complete an understanding of what every little component is and what it does. With that knowledge, detailed disassembly is a piece of cake. Now, if only those bastards weren't so expensive to buy, feed and maintain...

(I have never owned a Glock, so I have no idea how those compare. Glocks remain very much not my cup of tea.)

[CDR_Glock]

Glock

1911

Mark IV Ruger




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[Wondering Beard]

I'm almost as fast disassembling/assembling a S80 1911 as with a GI model. Absolutely no problem here.

The Glock is still the winner, though.

You are more capable than I. Putting back the arm that deactivates the FPS always required three hands.

[JonInWA]

Or 6 :rolleyes:

I hate that little bastard. Everything else is pretty easy.

Back to the Sig, when I took my armorer's course, the instructor had a nickname for one of the pins that holds the ejector (don't remember which anymore). It's the "Brother-in-law's wife"...because you never want to take it out.

Using a dental pick with a hook is a huge aid in properly positioning and securing the TRS. Best, Jon

[ASH556]

Using a dental pick with a hook is a huge aid in properly positioning and securing the TRS. Best, Jon

That’s a good tip and a dental pick/hook is in fact what I use. The trouble I have is that the spring leg against the grip/frame tends to get stuck between the bottom of the frame and base of trigger such that I can’t grab it to pull it up and over the pin.

[TicTacticalTimmy]

Glock

1911

Mark IV Ruger




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Gotta disagree on that last one. Just got my 22/45 mkiv back together and while the upper is excellent to work on, the lower was a huge pain. If a CZ75B is a 7, that 22/45 mkiv was a 9, and the previous versions were surely 10's.

[luckyme]

If you had the chance to take down the Steyr M9 serie, you will know it is easier to take down than a Glock.
No pins to remove, so no tools required.
Then, the chassis comes out like the P320, but as the P320 becomes difficult after that, the M9 becomes as easy as a Glock.

[arcfide]

I think among the modular guns, the P320 has the reputation of the easiest to break down into the "modular components" but gets a reputation of a complex chassis to detail strip into its parts.

I don't know much about the Steyr M9.

The Beretta APX has one additional pin that needs to be removed, but is otherwise similar to the P320 in terms of removing the chassis. The slide is dirt simple to detail strip, but it does have a directional pyramid/cone style coil spring for the firing pin safety. It's relatively large and is not too hard to install, but I don't know how it compares to the P320 or Glocks in that regard. There are three other coil springs in the slide: extractor, striker spring, and striker return spring. All the slide springs are "drop in" springs, though the striker spring is directional, obviously so.

There is a spring in the magazine release, but it is trivial.

Unless replacing parts, it's basically unnecessary to detail strip the chassis because the chassis is so open that you can easily clean all the surfaces without requiring disassembly. I don't know the 320 in detail, but the APX may pull ahead of it at this point in terms of ease of construction, as all of the APX chassis parts are fairly big and chunky with the exception of an O-ring (medium sized) and a small spring for the trigger safety, which is basically drop-in, and held in place by a small pin.

There are 15 parts that make up the APX chassis in total, and two coil springs which are directional but trivially so, and which are "drop over" in the sense that they slide over round pins. in fact, the APX is very easy to detail strip because it essentially follows a single "design principle" of a "toothpicks through a sandwich" design in the chassis. Everything is essentially a sandwich layer that is then held together by three large pins. Seeing how it goes together doesn't require magnification or disassembly, as it does for some other platforms.

Springs in total for the APX (since that was a criteria someone mentioned above), all of them are essentially drop in, some are directional:

1. Recoil Spring, captive, coil, directional.
2. Striker spring, captive, coil, directional.
3. Striker Block pin, coil (cone), directional.
4. Magazine release, coil.
5. Extractor spring, coil.
6. Striker Return Spring, coil.
7. Sear Spring, coil, directional.
8. Trigger Spring, coil, directional.
9. Trigger Safety Spring, coil.
10. Trigger bar spring, leaf, directional.

36809