Survey: best detail strip tools

[East River Guide]

I've had A P380 and PM9 for a while and I still struggle with detail stripping the slide. Which pains me, because I hate not being able to maintain guns properly. I probably end up shooting my Glocks much more simply because I know I can clean them with no hassles.

I know the steps to strip the slide. I know the "bent hanger to retain the plunger" trick and use a plastic bag to catch the parts. But dang, it's still harder to do than it should be.

So what else is there? What tools do you guys use depress the extractor pin and what to remove the cover plate? And where do you get the third hand to do it all at once?

[wyntrout]

Most of us use the smallest jeweler's screwdriver... blade not Philips... to depress the pin that retains the backplate. It has to be sturdy and narrow as there is a half-moon cutout in the backplate ledge, not the entire round one on top, so the screwdriver needs to be to the far right and you have to really press that pin down until you can slide the backplate a bit to hold the pin down, then you can slide the back plate off. It's easy to be a bit off and jam the backplate. You might have to use a flat bladed screwdriver to start the backplate off while holding down the pin. Be sure to cover the pin with your thumb as the backplate starts to move to keep it from flying off somewhere.
I keep spares for all of the extractors and its springs and pins.

Wynn

[RRP]

I use the lazy man method, after each outing.



Blasted into the cleaning hole of the striker channel this stuff really prolongs the need to detail strip. I use it liberally with multiple bursts. It is surprising to see the amount of brass particles that get flushed out even after shooting just a few hundred rounds.

[Tinman507]

+1 on the brake cleaner. Only pull the slide down 2 times per year.

[KoolBreeze]

I hold the slide in my left hand with the barrel end down against a table and the top of the slide in the web of my hand, with my thumb over the slide back. I then use a tiny Craftsman precision straight screwdriver in my right hand to force the extractor pin down. Then I push the slide back forward with my left thumb. Once it's started, I remove the screwdriver and wiggle the slide back off, little by little. But I gather from some of the posts concerning this, that some of the slide backs must fit really tight. Mine isn't and once the extractor pin is down it moves forward pretty easily, albeit only a short distance because the screwdriver catches it.

It can be difficult but it's not as bad as some. At least you don't have roll pins to drive in/out like on a Hi Power.

[wyntrout]

I hold the striker to the rear and shoot some of the brake cleaner through the striker pin hole in the breech face, too. I then sling the excess spray off/out while maintaining a good grip on the slide.

Discussions and pix here:

http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=197

Wynn

[Booker T]

Exactly what wyntrout said.

The hardest part for me was definitely pushing that extractor pin down. The tiny jewelers screwdrivers are absolutely the best thing to use. The first time I tried it, I could not get that pin pushed in for nothing. I almost gave up.

The problem was that I was pushing straight in on that extractor pin. I pushed with all I had and it never budged.
The trick is just as wyntrout described. As you look at the slide from the back, with that little hole on the right side, you have to really angle your screwdriver to just the very right side of that hole. Then you will feel it depress the pin. Like others have said, once you feel it one time, you will know when you get it right.

My back plate happens to be one that fits very tightly. As I'm depressing the extractor pin with one hand, I have to use another very fine straight screwdriver in the other hand to gently pry the plate down to get it started. Be careful not to let it slip and scratch your back plate.

Good luck.

[Scoundrel]

I've flushed out the channel a few times with electronic parts cleaner, but have never detail stripped the slide. I have about 4000 rounds through it (CM9), and it just keeps on going bang (I replaced the recoil spring proactively).

But, everyone loves to fiddle with stuff, and I'm not one to tell you not to do it. It just might not be necessary.

[addictedhealer]

Try this, works well for me.

[sas PM9]

Try this, works well for me.

AH:
Ha, a corn cob holder! Who'd a thot it was such a versatile tool.

-steve

[addictedhealer]

AH:
Ha, a corn cob holder! Who'd a thot it was such a versatile tool.

-steve

Yea works great, nice little grip and its short so a little easier to manipulate.

[ripley16]

IMHO the two keys to easily dismantling the slide are;

* retain and capture the striker spring and guide rod with the coathanger tool, (the ripley retainer ). This takes the pressure off the back plate and keeps parts from flying.

* A strong, narrow tool to fit into the tiny backplate hole. As mentioned to hole in the backplate is only about 40% open, as seen in the photo below, showing the reverse side of the plate. Having a tool with some form of handle heps exert enough pressure onto the pin in order to free the backplate completely from pressure and slide off the back.




Here's the retractor in use.

[Scoundrel]

It looks like you made that retractor from the leg of a huge hairy white spider.

[ripley16]

It looks like you made that retractor from the leg of a huge hairy white spider.

How observant... a gift from a friend, a Mr. Bilbo Baggins.



It was just some fuzz coated wire hanger from my closet. Seemed perfectly suited to pamper my delicate Kahr innards.

[East River Guide]

Try this, works well for me.

That's awesome. I think it's a shame you have to resort to coat hangers and corn cobb holders, but that's just the kind of idea I've been looking for.