Newbie Field strip question

9314 Views 23 Replies 18 Participants Last post by briang, Jan 20, 2010

Captain Ray

Discussion Starter · Sep 3, 2006

The manual does not seem to help me very much.

Field stripping this pistol seems to be accomplished by these steps for me...

Lock back the slide
Rotate dissasembly lever 90 degrees downward
Release slide
insert empty magazine
Decock
Remove magazine
Slide falls off like butter on a hot knife
- The manual says a few things that just arent making sense to me... The most puzzling thing is the frame tool.. number one.. I can't get the thing out! I turn it 1/4 turn clockwise.. it doesn't want to come out. I could get some pliars on it, but I am leery of marring my brand new weapon.. and using that tool to lower the sear deactivation lever is also a puzzle?! Is this step side stepped by inserting the mag, decocking, then releasing the mag? Is that a safe and recommended thing to do?
  
  Sorry for the Newb question.. but I have scratched up, and harmed my guns by experimenting before.. I'd like not to make that mistake again...
  
  Thanks for your help.
  
  Raymond

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The grip retainer/tool should come out without significant effort. You have to pull a little. It is just retained by a soft plastic nubbin poking out the side, and there is a notchin in the frame to allow it to come out when turned 90 degrees left or right.

If yoyu pull real hard, you will yank the nubbin right off, and the thing will fall out of the gun during normal use.

I don't know what you mean by decock. There are two ways to field strip it.

Steps 1 &2 as above, push down little yellow lever (sear deactivation lever) and release slide forward and remove from front.

The other method is steps 1-3, pull the trigger, remove slide form front.

neither require a magazine in the gun. There is no such thing as decocking as that would imply you could perform the action with a loaded round in the chamber without setting it off. Which you cannot.

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Captain Ray

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 3, 2006

hmm..

I don't know for sure... but I am pretty sure I am not doing it right. The frame tool will not come out.. at least it's not coming out the way I am trying to do it. I turn it clockwise (It does not want to turn the other direction) 1/4 turn. It will not come out of there with mere finger power..... I have tried, trust me!! It a buger!! So, something in there, I am doing wrong.. I just don't know what.

By Deckocking.. what I mean is that when I pull the slide back, and turn the takedown lever to due south... then release the slide.. the gun is "cocked" and will not release the slide until I "de-cock" the thing. So what I have done is release the slide, insert an empty magazine, pull the trigger, then release the magazine which allows the slide to fall off the frame.

I know it's probably annoying to have to walk me through these steps... but I assure you, I will follow instructions.. I just want to make sure I am doing this right.

Your patience is appreciated.

Raymond

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mad212

· #4 · Sep 3, 2006

seams hard but its very simple

1. lock back slide

2. rotate

3. push down sear release

4. relase slide

i have small enough hands to use my finger for the decock

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raz-0

· #5 · Sep 3, 2006

what you are doing is pulling the trigger. Not decocking. Don't confuse the two. Like I said, decocking is something you can do with a live round in the chamber without setting it off. This is not one of those things.

If your a newbie, just use the yellow sear deactivation lever as they intended. pulling the trigger after inserting and removing magazines is just a recipie for disaster when someone goes "oops."

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Buckshot

· #6 · Sep 3, 2006

The tool was very tight on my 40 when I first bought it. You can pull out out with your fingers. Make sure that you rotate it 90 degrees. Then pull it out. It will get easier after a few times.

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Jester

· #7 · Sep 3, 2006

yep, you can take it down 2 ways, one with the tool and one without.

slide back

rotate-let slide forward

insert mag pull trigger on empty chamber

same as the XD series in that way

tool will come out. it will rotate either direction, but they are tight. rotate so its perpendicular to the orig position, and use your fingers as a lever to pry out.

no2 way

slide back

rotate slide takedown lever

use tool or pen, or whatever to push down yellow lever from the top of the chamber.

let slide forward and it will continue all the way off.

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Captain Ray

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 4, 2006

Thanks guys!! I got it figured out now... I took it down to the ferry for Darwin to drool over it.. and after repeating what you guys said, and re-reading the manual.. We were able to figure it out.. number one.. the tool needed to be turned 90 degrees.. I was only turning it about 45 when I met resistance, and did not want to go any further.. and now that I know how to deactivate the Sear.. it's a peice of cake!

Also.. once I was able to remove the frame tool, I was able to change the backstrap!! The largest of the three fits my hand just perfect.. Darwin preferred the mid-size one.. neither of us liked the small one though.. to each his own.. it sure is nice having the option.

Thanks again for the help.

Raymond

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t3chnoid

· #9 · Jun 11, 2008

Captain Ray' post='2467' date='Sep 3 2006 said:
number one.. the tool needed to be turned 90 degrees.. I was only turning it about 45 when I met resistance, and did not want to go any further..

The largest of the three fits my hand just perfect.. Darwin preferred the mid-size one..

A few things from my experience that might help new M&P owners:

The "tool" is rather tight at first and I agree it feels like you could break something turning it the full 90 degrees. It loosens up after a few times. Also, when putting it back in, it doesn't bottom out all the way, until you turn it back straight. I kept trying to push it in farther than it wanted to go in.

On my gun, the disassembly lever wants to spring back upward. I have to hold it down with my left thumb while I slide the slide off and again when I slide it back on.

That small backstrap is in there for your wife or daughter. You did buy her an M&P also, didn't you?

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Tanker811

· #10 · Jun 12, 2008

Captain Ray...Here's my .02 worth. When you go out to the range to put holes into paper try out all 3 size grips. What might feel good holding in your hands may not feel the same while shooting, so try all 3. The tool will loosen up after taking it out a few times. After you lower the yellow lever to field strip the gun hold down the take down lever with one thumb while holding the slide and removing it slowly and you should not have any problems. Take you time learn all that you can and if this is your first handgun you may want to take a NRA Basic Handgun class. Good Luck & as other say....Stay Safe!!!

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FieroCDSP

· #11 · Jun 18, 2008

What might feel good holding in your hands may not feel the same while shooting

+2 on that one. The large felt the best in my hands, but I was having to reach for the trigger and ended up pulling my shots off-center in doing so. Switching to the medium again fixed it.

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BateleurRGB

· #12 · Jun 18, 2008

Here's my $0.02 worth...

Forget the frame tool.... use a pen (or some other such thing).

There is no actual requirement to remove the frame tool to disassemble the pistol (unless you are also changing the backstrap). Yeah, it's tight; I happen to like it that way. I don't want the frame tool getting loose from repeated rotations and wiggling around in there. So I leave it alone and use whatever I have at hand to flick the yellow sear lever down.

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KaliS&Wkid

· #13 · Jun 18, 2008

I didn't get a tool with my gun???? what tool? I use my pinky to push the yello lever and wala! was I suppose to get a tool?

I found I shoot better with the small grip even though the medium one feels the best. I listen to the gurus in here and tried two full magazines with each grip and it was extremely obvious that i shot better with the small one. I reccomend you at least try this. you could be giving up some points at your next match??

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bkocik

· #14 · Jun 18, 2008

KaliS&Wkid' post='147568' date='Jun 18 2008 said:
I didn't get a tool with my gun???? what tool? I use my pinky to push the yello lever and wala! was I suppose to get a tool?

I found I shoot better with the small grip even though the medium one feels the best. I listen to the gurus in here and tried two full magazines with each grip and it was extremely obvious that i shot better with the small one. I reccomend you at least try this. you could be giving up some points at your next match??

You know that thing you have to rotate and pull out to change the backstrap (grip)? That's the tool.

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dbones

· #15 · Jun 18, 2008

KaliS&Wkid' post='147568' date='Jun 18 2008 said:
I didn't get a tool with my gun???? what tool? I use my pinky to push the yello lever and wala! was I suppose to get a tool?

I found I shoot better with the small grip even though the medium one feels the best. I listen to the gurus in here and tried two full magazines with each grip and it was extremely obvious that i shot better with the small one. I reccomend you at least try this. you could be giving up some points at your next match??

How do you change your grip if you did not get a tool? The tool is the part that holds your grip to your frame. When you take it out you can use that tool to move the lever.

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KaliS&Wkid

· #16 · Jun 18, 2008

Heck, had no idea. I don't take that out when I clean my gun. Thanks for letting me know. sometimes I just leave the mag in to pop the slide. just for fun!

Thanks again!

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t3chnoid

· #17 · Jun 19, 2008

KaliS&Wkid' post='147568' date='Jun 18 2008 said:
I use my pinky to push the yello lever and wala!?

I can't get the lever with my pinky - the ejector is in the way. How do you hold your finger to get it to snag that lever out from under the ejector??

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Tanker811

· #18 · Jun 20, 2008

t3chnoid' post='147796' date='Jun 18 2008 said:
I can't get the lever with my pinky - the ejector is in the way. How do you hold your finger to get it to snag that lever out from under the ejector??

I just use a ball point pen to push the lever down.

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Xfactor

· #19 · Sep 23, 2008

Jester' post='2434' date='Sep 3 2006 said:
yep, you can take it down 2 ways, one with the tool and one without.

slide back

rotate-let slide forward

insert mag pull trigger on empty chamber...

The "Insert Mag" step only applies for those with mag disconnect safeties, right?

Also, I seem to remember Dan Burwell telling me that there was a potential risk (for damage to the gun... striker, maybe?) associated with field stripping without dropping the sear deactivation lever if not done correctly. Anyone have any more info on a potential pitfall with using htis method?

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Army-MP

· #20 · Dec 7, 2008

FieroCDSP' post='147531' date='Jun 17 2008 said:
+2 on that one. The large felt the best in my hands, but I was having to reach for the trigger and ended up pulling my shots off-center in doing so. Switching to the medium again fixed it.

Same here. I have large hands and figured the large grip would be best. The large did feel better overall...but I actually shoot better with the medium grips.

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