Detail Stripping Difficulty by Brand?

[Jaywalker]

I haven't drunk all the Kool-Aid in my cup yet, but I've have learned to appreciate my new (September 2013) Glock G19 Gen4 for what it is - a simple, effective, maintainable handgun. I'm particularly impressed by the ability to detail strip it with one simple tool.

That said, I wonder how some of its competitors rate in ease of detail stripping, particularly the M&P9, the Walther PPQ, and the H&K P30, and possibly others. (I include the PPQ because I own one, and the detail stripping instructions appear pretty complicated.)

In your opinions, how do the G19 and its competitors stack up in ease of detail stripping?

[JodyH]

Considering I only detail strip once a year or so (if even that), an extra 10 minutes spent on the H&K vs. a Glock is no big deal.

[LSP972]

As you noted, the Glock is probably the least-involved of the "serious" (i.e., those you would want to have at your side) brands to detail-strip.

As Jody noted, so what? You don't do it that often, and if you invest in a can of non-chlorinated brake cleaner you shouldn't have to at all except to replace a broken part.

Now, there are those who cringe and quail at the thought of putting a -gasp!- AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCT on one's firearm. Heresy! One wonders if these purists have ever compared labels between this stuff and a can of Gun Scrubber. Methinks not.

Whatever. The stuff works (at detail cleaning), with the caveat that it also removes all traces of lubricant, so one must go back and re-establish oil films in key spots, etc. I have quite a few HKs, have been shooting them for years, and the only time I have delved into the inner workings was to install a LEM kit or swap out a trigger return spring. I have, however, flushed several of the high-round count examples out with that afore-mentioned brake cleaner (make sure it is NON-chlorinated) on occasion.

And I'm not a maintenance slug, either. I keep my iron clean and lubed. But unless you just enjoy doing it,, or are situated in a really hostile environment like a desert, etc., there is really no reason to detail strip a modern service pistol with any degree of regularity.

.

[Jaywalker]

As you noted, the Glock is probably the least-involved of the "serious" (i.e., those you would want to have at your side) brands to detail-strip.

As Jody noted, so what? You don't do it that often, and if you invest in a can of non-chlorinated brake cleaner you shouldn't have to at all except to replace a broken part.

Now, there are those who cringe and quail at the thought of putting a -gasp!- AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCT on one's firearm. Heresy! One wonders if these purists have ever compared labels between this stuff and a can of Gun Scrubber. Methinks not.

Whatever. The stuff works (at detail cleaning), with the caveat that it also removes all traces of lubricant, so one must go back and re-establish oil films in key spots, etc. I have quite a few HKs, have been shooting them for years, and the only time I have delved into the inner workings was to install a LEM kit or swap out a trigger return spring. I have, however, flushed several of the high-round count examples out with that afore-mentioned brake cleaner (make sure it is NON-chlorinated) on occasion.

And I'm not a maintenance slug, either. I keep my iron clean and lubed. But unless you just enjoy doing it,, or are situated in a really hostile environment like a desert, etc., there is really no reason to detail strip a modern service pistol with any degree of regularity.

.

I'm interested in being able to replace broken parts and to clean it, yearly or whenever.

Still, as useful as the info is that you've both given me, it doesn't answer my question regarding difficulty of detail stripping.

[JodyH]

From the majority of your posts you seem to be a brand new shooter.
My best advice for you is this.
Stop worrying about it... all of it.

Take your Glock 19, buy a decent OWB kydex holster, take a basic pistol class from a respected trainer and then shoot it.
Hose it down with gun scrubber and run a bore snake through the barrel every once in a while, add lube as necessary.
Done.

[LSP552]

Glocks - so easy even a Cave Man can do it. However, to be fair a small flat screw driver is almost mandatory to remove the connector and the magazine catch spring. You can't do either of these things with the standard glock tool.

My armorer training and experience on handguns is limited to SIG and Glock so no comments on the the M&P, Walter or HK.

I will add the SIG is also very easy to detail strip. IMO, the ability to detail strip to clean and/or replace parts without fitting is a HUGH benefit for the end user. Things break and need replacing at normal intervals when you actually use it.

For me, I don't see any real advantage of a platform being somewhat easier to detail strip over one that is still relatively easy, but requires a an extra tool or two. Parts availability and factory support, along with accessories/options are more important considerations for me. A platform that requires cussing and voodoo has no appeal to me for a hard use pistol.

Ken

[LittleLebowski]

From the majority of your posts you seem to be a brand new shooter.
My best advice for you is this.
Stop worrying about it... all of it.

Take your Glock 19, buy a decent OWB kydex holster, take a basic pistol class from a respected trainer and then shoot it.
Hose it down with gun scrubber and run a bore snake through the barrel every once in a while, add lube as necessary.
Done.

Dead right.

[Jaywalker]

From the majority of your posts you seem to be a brand new shooter.
My best advice for you is this.
Stop worrying about it... all of it.

Take your Glock 19, buy a decent OWB kydex holster, take a basic pistol class from a respected trainer and then shoot it.
Hose it down with gun scrubber and run a bore snake through the barrel every once in a while, add lube as necessary.
Done.

Jody, thanks. No, I'm retired military and have been shooting since the early 1960s. The Glock and the PPQ are my first two plastic pistols and I have never involved myself in gun games. With the exception of a hammer spur on a Smith M19 in the 1970s I've never broken anything, but as has been noted on this site previously, we never shot as much back then as you do now. My 1981 P-35 probably has fewer than a thousand rounds on it - yearly re-familiarization and checking any new rounds reliability.

I enjoyed the work I did with the Glock internals and am curious as to whether the M&P and P-30 would be much harder.

LPS52, the connector on the Gen4 has a push opening for the tool through the trigger housing, so the tool pushes the connector right off. Thanks for the Sig advice. I forgot to include that on in my list - I appreciate it.

I'm not looking for trouble here, but sometimes on gun forums it's hard to get facts - people tend to offer what they think you should know rather than what you ask. In this case, with only 200 rounds on the Glock, I don't know whether that's what I'll shoot thousands of rounds with or not. I may want the M&P or the P30, instead; I've already decided to sell the PPQ. I have the time now and the money to buy ammunition, so I'm looking for something that suits me. Again, I don't mean to cause trouble, but apparently I needed to post more than the basic question to expalin my needs.

[JodyH]

You're not causing trouble.
But from your posts you don't know what you don't know, regardless of how long you've been around guns.
I've had golf clubs in my closet for years and know I'd be better served by taking lessons from a pro and hitting the driving range than I would be buying new clubs every week and hacking around the course.

[Joseph B.]

Glocks - so easy even a Cave Man can do it. However, to be fair a small flat screw driver is almost mandatory to remove the connector and the magazine catch spring. You can't do either of these things with the standard glock tool.

Although I agree a flat head screw driver makes the magazine release button easier, the connector and magazine release can both be replaced with use of the Glock tool, I have done it many times.

My armorer training and experience on handguns is limited to SIG and Glock so no comments on the the M&P, Walter or HK.

I will add the SIG is also very easy to detail strip. IMO, the ability to detail strip to clean and/or replace parts without fitting is a HUGH benefit for the end user. Things break and need replacing at normal intervals when you actually use it.

For me, I don't see any real advantage of a platform being somewhat easier to detail strip over one that is still relatively easy, but requires a an extra tool or two. Parts availability and factory support, along with accessories/options are more important considerations for me. A platform that requires cussing and voodoo has no appeal to me for a hard use pistol.

Ken

Are you stating that SIG are as easy to strip as Glock’s? That has not been my experience at all.

Also I think simple and easy is a big advantage to people who may not be mechanically inclined, who have arthritis in their hands, or who may not have the dexterity they once had. I don't have any of those issues, but I still prefer to work on Glock vs other pistols....Try to live my life with K.I.S.S. always in the back of my mind.

Jody, thanks. No, I'm retired military and have been shooting since the early 1960s. The Glock and the PPQ are my first two plastic pistols and I have never involved myself in gun games. With the exception of a hammer spur on a Smith M19 in the 1970s I've never broken anything, but as has been noted on this site previously, we never shot as much back then as you do now. My 1981 P-35 probably has fewer than a thousand rounds on it - yearly re-familiarization and checking any new rounds reliability.

I enjoyed the work I did with the Glock internals and am curious as to whether the M&P and P-30 would be much harder.

LPS52, the connector on the Gen4 has a push opening for the tool through the trigger housing, so the tool pushes the connector right off. Thanks for the Sig advice. I forgot to include that on in my list - I appreciate it.

I'm not looking for trouble here, but sometimes on gun forums it's hard to get facts - people tend to offer what they think you should know rather than what you ask. In this case, with only 200 rounds on the Glock, I don't know whether that's what I'll shoot thousands of rounds with or not. I may want the M&P or the P30, instead; I've already decided to sell the PPQ. I have the time now and the money to buy ammunition, so I'm looking for something that suits me. Again, I don't mean to cause trouble, but apparently I needed to post more than the basic question to expalin my needs.

My personal opinion on the Glock, P226, M9/92fs, 1911, M&P9 and SR9, is that the Glock is by far the easiest (simplest) to detail strip, repair and modify. I can’t speak to the P30 or other HK products.

My $.02