Maintaining Perfection: Glock's Armorer's Course

Glock's Armorer's Course lead — Advanced GLOCK Armorer and Olympic shooter Amanda Furrer works with GLOCK’s Scotty Banks. The GLOCK Armorer’s Course is a great educational resource for new and veteran shooters alike.

Glock's Armorer's Course step 1 — Step 1. After ensuring the GLOCK is completely unloaded and safe, remove the slide assembly (made up of the slide, barrel and recoil spring) from the frame.

Glock's Armorer's Course step 2 — Step 2. At this point, the slide can be broken down to its components, such as removing the firing pin safety system and firing pin assembly.

Glock's Armorer's Course step 3 — Step 3. The next step is to begin the disassembly of the frame assembly.

Glock's Armorer's Course step 4 — Step 4. At this point, you can begin removing parts such as the slide stop lever.

Glock's Armorer's Course step 5 — Step 5. The trigger assembly can be removed up and out of the polymer frame for maintenance.

Glock's Armorer's Course parts — The GLOCK Armorer’s Course is a good way to find out why these are some of the most reliable pistols ever made. It covers disassembly, cleaning, lubricating, general maintenance and reassembly processes.

For a new gun owner, the thought of disassembling their handgun can seem a daunting task. Visions of springs, screws and odd metal pieces that will never go back together are common. However, for GLOCK owners, the image of a complicated cuckoo clock is not a reality. The GLOCK SAFE ACTION is almost a work of art in its simplicity and function. The internals of this unique gun are certainly worthy of a deeper look.

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By design, GLOCK pistols are elegantly simple and easy to maintain. This design enables GLOCKs to be field-stripped without tools in seconds. A qualified GLOCK armorer can completely disassemble and reassemble a GLOCK pistol in seconds. These simple disassembly and reassembly procedures minimize the time and costs required for armorers to maintain these pistols.

GLOCK pistols are manufactured with only 34 component parts, a significantly lower number of parts than the semi-automatic pistol designs of the company’s competitors. This smaller number of component parts increases reliability by reducing the potential for technical problems that would be difficult to repair. The cost associated with spare parts inventory is also reduced, which contributes to the lower overall maintenance costs over the life of a GLOCK pistol.

Many GLOCK components are also interchangeable. This high level of interchangeability is achieved through state-of-the-art technology and computerized manufacturing processes, combined with exacting quality-control procedures.

Back To School

These factors can empower GLOCK owners to do more than simply field-strip their gun for cleaning. Many owners choose to go the next step and attend a GLOCK Armorer’s Course. In this course, you will become proficient at disassembly, reassembly, cleaning, lubricating, identifying worn or damaged parts, and troubleshooting. An Armorer’s Course is generally a day in length and fun to attend.

For those in the professional arena, GLOCK offers Certified GLOCK Armorer’s Courses. GLOCK provides professional training to law enforcement, military and licensed security personnel who desire to utilize the GLOCK SAFE ACTION system to its maximum potential. Armorer, Advanced Armorer, Instructor Workshop and G18 Select-Fire classes are available to provide information and recommendations for the safe, responsible and effective use of GLOCK handguns and other products. GLOCK pistols are used by many law enforcement agencies around the world, and these training classes, which include both classroom and live-fire range training, are held throughout the United States and Canada.

Confident Upkeep

The benefits of completing an Armorer’s Course are many. More than anything else, respect and confidence are common byproducts of the class. Students earn respect for a gun that is simple yet extremely well made, and their confidence comes in both the reliability of the gun and also in their ability to troubleshoot and maintain their pistols.

One of the most noticeable things about GLOCK and its training courses is the spectrum of shooters involved—everyone from SWAT officers to dental assistants come in as students with identical goals. GLOCK’s reputation is unmatched and draws the highest caliber of shooters and professionals. Recently, in Spokane, Washington, Olympic shooter Amanda Furrer took part in a training class as well as an Advanced Armorer’s Course. She did exceptionally well and walked away with a great new set of skills. As you can see, there isn’t one template that defines students in the GLOCK world, yet they all share the desire to use a pistol that works reliably every time.

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By understanding the internals of a GLOCK, you begin to run it more effectively, too. While mechanical issues are rare, parts do begin to wear, and having the ability to replace a part yourself is empowering. At the end of the day, GLOCK owners have nothing to lose and everything to gain by spending a day exploring the inner workings of a GLOCK pistol.

For more information, please visit US.Glock.com.

This article was published in the GLOCK AUTOPISTOLS 2016 magazine. To see the rest of the issue, please visit Personaldefenseworld.com.