One handed field strip

[SharpsDressedMan]

Don't have a vid of me, but time the guy in the Glock youtube video above. Reassembly is faster than his disassembly. I tried the Browning HP, but locking the slide back after disassembly to get the slide stop back in was tough. The Glock is so much easier for both. I used to easily be able to field strip a BHP in 7 seconds, and reassemble in 9 seconds, but that is with both hands. The big plus with a original style 1911 or Browning is that you can chamber a round by hooking your finger in the front of the trigger guard BACKWARDS and using the thumb to push the slide back to chamber a round. On those two guns you can push the slide back far enough (with no guide rod protruding) to pick up a round. Not so on a CZ75 (one of the things I do not like about the CZ), or guns with a guide rod that extends out the front while cycling.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

How did you do a Hi Power one handed?

 

[kokapelli]

Why not a revolver?

 

[modifiedbrowning]

The Bersa Thunder 9,40 and 45 series, like the Beretta 92 and Walther P88/Compact require no manipulation of the slide. Flip the lever and pull off the slide.

 

[Byrd666]

Went to my "local", 35 miles away, gun store today and the owner was nice enough to let me try the Taurus PT92, a Glock??, unknown mod. #, and the XMD. The Taurus was doable while the XMD and Glock were impossible for me for for now. With practice and PATIENCE I could prob'ly figure 'em out.
As mentioned just a bit ago by usp9, reassembly was a bigger pain than the take down. And the idea of doing a once a year+- meticulous cleaning of all those parts make me wonder if it's worth it. The more I think about it, and the input from two different dealers, the idea of the CZ 83 and a table vise are starting to make sense.
All ready owning a .357 Mag. 6 round Smith snubby and a 7 round Taurus .357 Mag., I'm not hurting for self defense. I've just always felt more comfortable with a semi-auto.
Any opinions or comments are welcome

 

[hobodemon]

Define "semi-auto"

Would the answer of "Mateba .44 autorevolver" be considered cheating?

 

[Byrd666]

Semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic firearm, a firearm which automatically reloads, but will only fire one round per trigger pull
A semi-automatic firearm, or self-loading firearm is a firearm which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming rounds remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine. Typically, this includes extracting the spent cartridge case from the weapon's firing chamber, ejecting spent cartridge cases from the weapon, re-cocking the firing meachnism, and loading a new cartridge into the firing chamber. Although automatic weapons and selective fire firearms do the same tasks, semi-automatic firearms do not automatically fire an additional round until the trigger is released and re-pressed by the person firing the weapon.

While all basic firearm actions require the action to be cycled manually before the first shot, semi-automatic as well as automatic and selective fire actions are differentiated from other forms such as single-action or double-action revolvers, pump-action firearms, bolt-action firearms, or a lever-action firearms by eliminating the need to manually cycle the weapon after each shot. For example, to fire ten rounds from a semi-automatic firearm or a selective fire weapon set to fire semi-automatically, the action would be initially cycled to load the first round and the trigger would need to be pulled ten times (once for each round fired). For the other forms, the weapon's mechanism would require cycling manually prior to firing the next round. An automatic or a selective fire weapon set to fire automatically would be able to fire continuously as long as the trigger is held until the magazine or feed device runs out of ammunition.

 

[kokapelli]

Semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic firearm, a firearm which automatically reloads, but will only fire one round per trigger pull
A semi-automatic firearm, or self-loading firearm is a firearm which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming rounds remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine. Typically, this includes extracting the spent cartridge case from the weapon's firing chamber, ejecting spent cartridge cases from the weapon, re-cocking the firing meachnism, and loading a new cartridge into the firing chamber. Although automatic weapons and selective fire firearms do the same tasks, semi-automatic firearms do not automatically fire an additional round until the trigger is released and re-pressed by the person firing the weapon.

While all basic firearm actions require the action to be cycled manually before the first shot, semi-automatic as well as automatic and selective fire actions are differentiated from other forms such as single-action or double-action revolvers, pump-action firearms, bolt-action firearms, or a lever-action firearms by eliminating the need to manually cycle the weapon after each shot. For example, to fire ten rounds from a semi-automatic firearm or a selective fire weapon set to fire semi-automatically, the action would be initially cycled to load the first round and the trigger would need to be pulled ten times (once for each round fired). For the other forms, the weapon's mechanism would require cycling manually prior to firing the next round. An automatic or a selective fire weapon set to fire automatically would be able to fire continuously as long as the trigger is held until the magazine or feed device runs out of ammunition.

Is there a message here?

 

[Byrd666]

hobodemon asked me to define "semi-auto" , so I did.
You guys and girls know more about this than I do. I haven't purchased a sidearm in over twenty years, and that was a revolver. So to say I'm just a little out of touch with the latest is an understatement. I'm just asking for some direction and or ideas.

 

[bigfatdave]

(server was down, save and post to this thread)


Well, I was willing to experiment, too. Here's the results I got:

I went to the safe and pulled out a CZ82 (same as the 83 but in 8x18)

It would require a vise or clamp, the slide requires full retraction to remove.
After that it would be easy, though. Bonus points to the 82 for:
- being in 9x18 instead of .380
- finish is crappy anyway, so you won't feel bad about marring it in a vise
- runs dirty jsut fine
- is cheaper for the gun AND for ammo if you order online

I kept looking, with guns easy to field strip in mind:

Yugo Tok and 1911 types - not without careful planning and tools.

Walther P.1 (or P.38/P.4/P.5) - maybe ... you need the slide locked open, then you flip a lever, then the slide goes off the front with some fiddling. I'm not sure I could get it on one-handed without support / clamping though, there are some points where you need stuff pushed up/down to clear the slide/frame.

CZ52 - this was promising, I checked it clear and popped off the slide with my weak hand ... and then I remembered that the barrel is locked into the slide requiring a punch to get it in/out (there's a hole on the bottom, no hammering involved) ... sadly, I think that removing the barrel from the slide would be a deal-breaker.

Kel-Tec P32/P3at/P11/PF9 family ... you have to remove a pin from the frame to get the slide off ... it might be possible with a clamp or weight to hold the gun down as the pin was pulled, getting everything back together might need some fiddling but I think it could be done. They're cheap but require cleaning, and are on the low end of the capacity spread.

Walther PPS - Clear the gun, pull the trigger (or remove the silly backstrap disabling device), pop the lever, and the slide falls off the front. The barrel and recoil spring come out one-handed, the mag release is friendly to either hand, but the mags are low-capacity, and I don't know how a one-handed man does a reload, but I think capacity might be a desirable feature. This was the easiest strip and re-assemble I have, though. I did it all left-handed.

Springfield XD - requires slide all the way back, you would need an empty magazine. We just pulled it off, there was some fumbling and I have a scratch in my wood desk (OK, I already had LOTS of scratches, no big deal) ... You get a major capacity upgrade and the XD will run dirty happily. It is the second-easiest strip, but I think the other features might push it to the top of the list.

... ... So, of what I have handy, I think the XD is the winner based on experimentation
You'll need a sturdy table edge to shove the slide back (it has a nice blocky rear sight)
You'll need an empty magazine to activate the slide latch during take-down and re-assembly
Loading mags is easy one-handed, plus mags are large to minimize reloading ... loading is easy to start with, a mag loader is in the box that will help for the last rounds
It runs fine dirty, so you won't have to clean it too often in the first place
The frame and slide can be cleaned with CLP spray and compressed air, plus a toothbrush for the feed ramp / rails, the barrel can be shoved down* on a cleaning rod / jag or rod & brush mounted to a workbench
It has an OK trigger and is plenty easy to run one-handed (I do weak-hand drills with it frequently)
Ambi mag release is easily activated with the middle finger of the firing hand
It eats anything, you can do a minimum of reliability testing
Not too expensive (hint, get the "essentials" pack without the junky holster/mag carrier)

In fact, the only thing I can think of that you'd need two hands for would be cleaning out the striker assembly ... and 1) I've never found anything in there anyway, plus 2) I'm sure it could be done, start in a large plastic bag because stuff is going to go flying if you don't have a "catch" hand.

* hey, I just had an idea, why not drill a hole in your workbench for mounting the cleaning rods to? No-handle rods, in this case. Then push the barrel down the rod ... that's actually how I do most of my handgun barrel cleaning, it might work best for one-hand operation because you set up the jag/rod/patch, then get the barrel, slide it over, and as you lift the barrel off you remove the patch
... tell me I'm an idiot if this is a bad idea, but I'm thinking about putting a hole on my bench just for laziness purposes

 

[Zerodefect]

Glock.

Hold it with your thumb and index finger on the take down lever. Hold it upside-down on your leg and drag it to move the slide back.

Or hold it by the takedown lever and put your Heine ledge, Dawson Charger, or Warren Tactical sights onto you Kydex holster. Push.

It's easy once you get the hang of it.

 

[Byrd666]

WOW. Thank you for all the research and work. That is greatly appreciated.

I think with all the input and ideas along with a few pros and cons, I'm going to lean towards a CZ 83 for size, reputation of reliability and dependability and longevity. Along with ease of break down, less parts too, and round count. Then there's the Taurus 58, which is a mini 92. It also has ease of break down, I can do a full size 92 okay, lifetime warranty, round count as well as size. And all ready owning a Taurus 66, I know how well made and reliable they are. I'm thinking the "full size" weapons are just a little too much for me in a hurry up situation.

There's also the matter of recoil on the one good arm that has already had multiple surgeries on the elbow.

Thank all of you for the help, ideas, and input.

 

[MarcoPolo]

The FN FNP-9/40/45 seems to be easy, althoug I’ve never tried taking it down one handed. Once the slide is back take down is a snap. My father had a stroke 20 years ago and he has no real use of his left arm. He has learned to take down every pistol one handed. It has taken him some time to learn how to do each pistol, but on some of them he can take them down faster with one hand then I can with two. Don’t let the loss of mobility limit you on what you want to buy/shoot.

 

[OregonJohnny]

I practiced the other night with my Beretta 92. I used the timer on my iPhone, and started with hands off the gun, magazine out, chamber cleared, slide in battery, hammer down, safety off.

With my weak hand only, my best time for stripping the gun down to 5 pieces (barrel, slide, frame, guide rod, recoil spring), and putting it all back together was 29.6 seconds. My average in about 15 attempts was around 40 seconds.

The part that took a lot of practice was extracting the barrel from the slide without the locking block falling out. If it falls out, it adds about 30 more seconds to the time.

The step of putting the guide rod and spring back into the slide with 1 hand was tricky, and the guide rod shot across the room at high speed on a few occasions.

I had to put the slide with barrel installed against my chest as I inserted the guide rod.

Anyway, just thought I'd share some real world results of 1-handed field strip and reassembly of the Beretta 92.

 

[Byrd666]

That was pretty kool of OregonJohnny to do that, and the boost that MarcoPolo has given me by way of his father's affliction, similar to mine, 'cept I was shot, gave me a moment to pause and consider a few things. So I went to my local PD and discussed the merits and downsides of me with a semi auto. Though he said he'd never done it himself, one handed I mean, he knows it can be done by way of seeing it himself. And he was all in favor of it for me to get my ccl. The PD's weapon is a Glock in .40 cal.

So I'm thinking a few more trips to the gun shows and dealer's store, not to mention a few ranges and buddies houses, are in order before I do finally make up my mind.

Once again, thanx to all of ya'll for the help and opinions.

 

[MidwestRookie]

i think the weight of the beretta will make it easier for you good arm to handle as its a 2 pound gun shooting 9mm...recoil is barely none to me and most others I see shooting them. That plus the relative cost of 9mm vs .40 or .45 make it a top choice in your search...

 

[Byrd666]

After a bit, loads more research and questions and countless videos, I think I've decided on the Glock 19. It is a midsized/compact weapon in 9 mm. Any thoughts or suggestions that haven't been covered yet.

 

[GLOOB]

Well, my only 2 cents to add is that just for kicks, I tried detail stripping with one hand. I can get pretty much the entire frame and slide stripped and reassembled with one hand and a Glock tool.

About the only things I can't do are to remove the trigger springs, take apart the striker assembly, or remove the mag catch.

But in reality, beyond routine gun care requiring just a field strip, about the only thing you might want to do once a year or so is to clean out the striker channel with a solvent. And that's if you shoot regularly. You may never even need to do that.

Oh, and to get the big locking block pin in/out, you need to push the slide lock lever slightly forward while pushing on the pin!

 

[chrome_austex]

Walther P99 is pretty trivial to takedown one handed, no knees required. Hell, its harder to rack the slide one handed than take it apart!

 

[Byrd666]

After some more searching and research I have found the Taurus 909B.This appears to be a mini 92 and the site says that as well. Does anyone own one of these weapons or can you tell me where I can get more information about it as there are very limited reviews about it.

 

[RedAlert]

I realize the OP stated semi-auto in his original post.
Still, I wonder if the merits of a quality double-action revolver have been considered?

What is involved in field stripping a revolver other than opening the cylinder from the in-battery position. Usually just one screw to remove the crane and cylinder from the frame but that is only very seldom needed.

Revolvers seldom get dirt into the trigger works and have far fewer parts that need attention in the field. They are also easier to clean.

Its far easier to load a revolver's cylinder than to stuff rounds into a semi-auto's magazine. Seven and eight shot revolvers are available and with the use of speed loaders are quite effective.

If the OP is determined to buy a semi-auto, that's fine, I just think the merits of a quality double action revolver are worth mentioning.

 

[GLOOB]

and with the use of speed loaders are quite effective.

I suck at reloading revolvers, even with two hands and a shooting bench!

I read somewhere the definition of an optimist: a guy who carries a j frame and a reload!

 

[Byrd666]

I already have two revolvers, a Smith 3" .357 Mag. and Taurus Mod 66 7 rnd. .357 Mag. so I do know the merits and benefits of a revolver. Now as for why I'm set on a semi-auto pistol is fairly simple in a sense. Higher round count, quicker reloading with a 16+ magazine as apposed to a speed loader in 6 or 7 rounds, quicker and easier "reset" when rapid fire shooting with a 9mil or .380 than either of my revolvers, can carry either a semi-auto or revolver after I qualify and get my concealed carry license, less bulk under my clothes than either one of my revolvers. And last but not least, Less strain on my good elbow that has already had multiple surgeries on it from extensive over use due to compensation for the paralyzed arm.

 

[harmon rabb]

Any classic Sig or Springfield XD would be easy to do with one hand.

Hell, my Ruger LCP would be easy to do with one hand :lol: