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Handguns Pistols and Revolvers
How to Disassemble a Glock Download Article Co-authored by Bryan Villella
Last Updated: August 26, 2025 Fact Checked
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Unloading the Gun
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Removing the Slide
|
Removing the Barrel
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Video
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Expert Interview
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Q&A
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Tips
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Warnings
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Bryan Villella. Bryan Villella is the Lead Firearms Instructor and Owner of Don't Be A Sitting Duck in Kissimmee, Florida. Bryan has nine years of professional experience and is an NRA and Florida State Certified “K” Instructor. He leads certified training courses necessary to get licensed through the state to work in the private security field. He prioritizes safety and building comfortable environments for people to learn skills safely. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 343,632 times.
If you own a Glock pistol, it is important that you know how to disassemble it to perform general maintenance. While there are many different types of Glock pistols, you can disassemble them all in much the same way. Follow this guide to safely field strip your Glock in just a few minutes.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Unloading the Gun
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1 Point the pistol in a safe direction. Make sure that the pistol is pointed in a direction where any accidental discharge cannot cause physical harm to you or anyone else.[1]XResearch source
Keep your finger away from the trigger, and outside of the guard. This will help prevent accidental firing.[2]XResearch source
2 Release the magazine. Press the magazine release with your thumb and remove the magazine with your other hand. Advertisement
3 Open the slide. While continuing to point the gun in a safe direction, pull the slide back and lock it open with the slide stop lever. You can push the lever up with your thumb while holding the slide back with your other hand. This will hold the slide open.
4 Check for remaining ammunition. Once the slide is open, look into the chamber and ensure that no ammunition remains in the gun. Use your pinky finger to sweep for ammunition in the chamber as well.[3]XResearch source
Check three times for remaining ammunition before proceeding to disassemble the gun.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Removing the Slide
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1 Put on safety glasses. There are several components that are spring-loaded and can cause serious eye damage. The glasses will also help protect from solvents and lubricants getting in your eyes.
2 Close the slide. Pull the slide back to release the stop lever. The slide will close. Point the gun in a safe direction and pull the trigger to release the firing pin.[4]XResearch source
3 Grip the gun. Hold the gun in one hand, with four fingers around the top of the slide, and the thumb holding the grip.
4 Pull back the slide. Using the four fingers on the top of the slide, pull it back about 1/10th of an inch. If you pull it back too far, you will need to pull the slide all the way back and restart the process.
5 Pull down the slide lock. Using your other hand, pull down both sides of the slide lock lever. Push the slide forward with your four fingers until it has separated from the receiver of the gun.[5]X Expert Source Bryan VillellaLead Firearms InstructorExpert Interview
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Removing the Barrel
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1 Remove the spring. Push the spring forward slightly and lift it away from the barrel. The spring is under pressure, so be careful when removing it.
2 Pull the barrel out of the slide. Hold the barrel by the extruding lugs. Lift the barrel while pushing forward slightly.[6]X Expert Source Bryan VillellaLead Firearms InstructorExpert Interview Raise and pull the barrel out of the slide.
3 Clean the gun. Once the Glock has been disassembled, you can proceed to clean the gun. You do not need to disassemble the Glock any further than this to properly clean and maintain it.[7]XResearch source
4 Reassemble the gun. Once you are finished cleaning, you can reassemble the gun by reversing the above steps. You will not need to hold the slide lock down when putting the slide back on the receiver.
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Question What to do if wire comes completely out of braces before seeing a dentist? Jax Monroe Community Answer Do nothing. Just wait. Try to get the dentist to schedule a meeting sooner than they offered by explaining what has happened. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 22 Helpful 8
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Video
Tips
It is recommended that you wear safety glasses, since there are spring loaded parts that could cause eye damage. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 1
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Warnings
Make sure the pistol is always pointing away from yourself and anyone else. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 6
Never look down the front of the gun barrel to check if chamber is unloaded. Thanks Helpful 16 Not Helpful 5
NEVER, during the disassembly, should your finger be on the trigger. Thanks Helpful 13 Not Helpful 15
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about guns, check out our in-depth interview with Bryan Villella.
Co-authored by: Bryan Villella Lead Firearms Instructor This article was co-authored by Bryan Villella. Bryan Villella is the Lead Firearms Instructor and Owner of Don't Be A Sitting Duck in Kissimmee, Florida. Bryan has nine years of professional experience and is an NRA and Florida State Certified “K” Instructor. He leads certified training courses necessary to get licensed through the state to work in the private security field. He prioritizes safety and building comfortable environments for people to learn skills safely. This article has been viewed 343,632 times. 20 votes - 80% Co-authors: 14Updated: August 26, 2025 Views: 343,632 Categories: Handguns Pistols and RevolversArticle SummaryX
To disassemble a Glock pistol, you’ll need to safely unload it then remove the slide and barrel. First, you’ll need to point the gun in a safe direction and release the magazine. Pull open and lock the slide so you can check the chamber for any remaining ammunition. Next, you should close the slide and fire once in a safe direction to release the firing pin. Afterwards, open the slide slightly and pull down on both sides of the slide lock. Once the lock is in place, you can push the slide forward to separate it from the gun. You’ll also need to push the spring forwards out of the gun and pull out the barrel. When these parts of the gun are removed, you can clean your Glock before reassembling it. Remember to wear safety goggles when working with your gun in case of any accidents. For tips on how to put the slide back on when reassembling your gun, keep reading!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Nathan K.
May 7, 2023
"I am happy to find out on removing Glock safety."
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Bryan Villella Lead Firearms Instructor Co-authors: 14Updated: August 26, 2025 Views: 343,63280% of readers found this article helpful. 20 votes - 80% Click a star to add your vote
Nathan K.
May 7, 2023
"I am happy to find out on removing Glock safety."
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Jun 21, 2021
"It really helped me with cleaning, thank you." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Download Article Co-authored by Bryan Villella 
$1 $3 $5 Leave a Tip Support our mission to help everyone in the world learn how to do anything. 
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Co-authored by: Bryan Villella Lead Firearms Instructor This article was co-authored by Bryan Villella. Bryan Villella is the Lead Firearms Instructor and Owner of Don't Be A Sitting Duck in Kissimmee, Florida. Bryan has nine years of professional experience and is an NRA and Florida State Certified “K” Instructor. He leads certified training courses necessary to get licensed through the state to work in the private security field. He prioritizes safety and building comfortable environments for people to learn skills safely. This article has been viewed 343,632 times. 20 votes - 80% Co-authors: 14 Updated: August 26, 2025 Views: 343,632 Categories: Handguns Pistols and Revolvers Article SummaryX
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1 Point the pistol in a safe direction. Make sure that the pistol is pointed in a direction where any accidental discharge cannot cause physical harm to you or anyone else.[1] 
2 Release the magazine. Press the magazine release with your thumb and remove the magazine with your other hand. Advertisement 
3 Open the slide. While continuing to point the gun in a safe direction, pull the slide back and lock it open with the slide stop lever. You can push the lever up with your thumb while holding the slide back with your other hand. This will hold the slide open. 
4 Check for remaining ammunition. Once the slide is open, look into the chamber and ensure that no ammunition remains in the gun. Use your pinky finger to sweep for ammunition in the chamber as well.[3] 
1 Put on safety glasses. There are several components that are spring-loaded and can cause serious eye damage. The glasses will also help protect from solvents and lubricants getting in your eyes. 
2 Close the slide. Pull the slide back to release the stop lever. The slide will close. Point the gun in a safe direction and pull the trigger to release the firing pin.[4] 
3 Grip the gun. Hold the gun in one hand, with four fingers around the top of the slide, and the thumb holding the grip. 
4 Pull back the slide. Using the four fingers on the top of the slide, pull it back about 1/10th of an inch. If you pull it back too far, you will need to pull the slide all the way back and restart the process. 
5 Pull down the slide lock. Using your other hand, pull down both sides of the slide lock lever. Push the slide forward with your four fingers until it has separated from the receiver of the gun.[5] Advertisement 
1 Remove the spring. Push the spring forward slightly and lift it away from the barrel. The spring is under pressure, so be careful when removing it. 
2 Pull the barrel out of the slide. Hold the barrel by the extruding lugs. Lift the barrel while pushing forward slightly.[6] Raise and pull the barrel out of the slide. 
3 Clean the gun. Once the Glock has been disassembled, you can proceed to clean the gun. You do not need to disassemble the Glock any further than this to properly clean and maintain it.[7] 
4 Reassemble the gun. Once you are finished cleaning, you can reassemble the gun by reversing the above steps. You will not need to hold the slide lock down when putting the slide back on the receiver. Advertisement 
Jax Monroe Community Answer Do nothing. Just wait. Try to get the dentist to schedule a meeting sooner than they offered by explaining what has happened. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 22 Helpful 8 
Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy.