Developed as the service sidearm for Austria’s military, the Glock 17 is one of the early designs that laid the groundwork for today’s crop of polymer-frame, striker-fired 9 mm Luger semi-automatic handguns.
Following the successful adoption of the G17 in the early 1980s, Glock built out its line of similarly structured handguns, and the Glock 19 was released as a “compact” variant in 1988. Equipped with a shorter barrel and grip frame that shaved nearly 1/2" off the G17’s length and height, as well as a 15-round magazine compared to the G17’s 17-round box, the G19 became a popular option for law enforcement, military and commercial use. Since the gun’s initial introduction, the G19 has evolved through several generations, terminating most recently with the Gen5 introduced in 2017.
This updated variant includes a Glock Marksman Barrel with more clearly defined polygonal rifling and a tighter chamber, flared magazine well, enlarged magazine floorplate and nDLC metal finish. It also adds bilateral slide-stop levers, eliminates the grip-frame finger grooves found on previous generations, provides replaceable backstraps, and incorporates improvements in the firing-pin safety and trigger spring. Despite the changes, at the heart of the G19 Gen5 is Glock’s Safe Action System, which precludes the necessity for a fully charged striker spring and prevents firing unless the trigger is pulled.
Disassembly Instructions
Clear the pistol by removing the magazine, retracting the slide and confirming that the chamber and magazine well are empty. Pull the trigger on an empty chamber, draw the slide back 1/4" and pull down both sides of the slide lock (20) (Fig. 1). While holding the slide lock down, push the barrel/slide assembly forward off the frame. With the slide assembly resting upside down on a firm surface, lift the recoil spring assembly (3) out of the semicircular notch on the barrel (2). Tilt the barrel up and lift out for removal. This completes basic fieldstripping for the G19 pistol, and the procedure is the same for other handguns in the Glock line. Although further disassembly is not recommended by Glock, Inc., unless performed by a competent, factory-trained gunsmith, those who choose to do so should find the following full disassembly instructions helpful.
Slide Disassembly
Using a pin punch, push the spacer sleeve (5) toward the muzzle end of the slide and pull the slide cover plate (14) down, restraining the spacer sleeve and the spring-loaded bearing (13) within. The firing pin assembly and extractor plunger (11) with its spring (12) can then be pulled out (Fig. 2). To break down the firing pin assembly, use the muzzle of the barrel to hold the spacer sleeve. Depress the firing pin spring (6) and remove the spring cups (7) and the spacer sleeve. To remove the extractor (10), push down on the firing pin safety (8) and pry out the extractor. The firing pin safety can then be lifted out with its spring (9). The rear sight (15) can be removed by drifting it out with a non-marring punch. The front sight (33) is held in place by a 3/16" hex head screw (33b), which requires the use of an elongated tool to loosen the screw from the inside of the slide. With the screw removed, the front sight can be removed from the slide.
Frame Disassembly
Using a pin punch, remove the trigger pin (27) and the mechanism housing pin (28), pushing from left to right. Pull the slide stop lever (26) with its spring to the rear for removal. Prying up on the mechanism housing (22), lift it out with the attached trigger (25) and trigger bar. Twist the trigger bar extension forward and up to detach from the mechanism housing (Fig. 3). Separate the trigger spring (24) from the housing. Pry up on the locking block (21) for removal. Press the slide lock spring (19) down and push the slide lock to the left or the right to remove. The slide lock spring can then be lifted out. To remove the magazine catch (18), use a screwdriver to raise the magazine catch spring (17) out of its groove in the magazine well and pull the spring out from the top using a pair of pliers. The magazine catch can then be pushed out to the right.
Disassemble the Glock 19 magazine by squeezing the magazine tube (32) in the center part of each side near the magazine floorplate (31). Simultaneously, push the floorplate off the tube, holding a finger over the top of the opening to prevent the spring from escaping. Reassembly is in reverse order. When replacing the slide stop lever, be sure the spring is correctly oriented. Insert an empty magazine to check that the lever is acted upon by the follower.
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