Glock Magazine Maintenance

You put all that effort into drilling with your Glock so you could reload faster; you even upgraded the Glock magwell to streamline mag loads.

What good is all that effort if, when you load, the mag doesn’t seat properly or the gun fails to feed because the mag is dirty or damaged?

Considering how essential the fluid performance of a Glock magazine is to the gun’s autoloading action, it’s amazing that so many people who are so judicious about keeping their Glocks clean have never once disassembled or cleaned their mags.

This post should shed some helpful light on the matter.

Basic Glock Mag Cleaning 101

Most Glock magazines are incredibly simplistic and easy to clean, and since they, unlike some other pistol magazines, have removable baseplates, they can be taken apart fairly easily for a deep cleaning, too.

To disassemble a Glock mag, you will need a tool like a pin punch that fits into the slot in the bottom of the baseplate so you can depress the retainer, then squeeze the sides of the base of the mag until the baseplate disengages.

Before you slide it fully forward, keep your thumb over the base of the mag, because when you remove the baseplate, the insert and mag spring will shoot out afterwards if you’re not careful.

Once you’ve removed the baseplate, set that and the insert aside, along with the magazine spring; the follower should come out attached to the top of the spring and except in the case of heavily fouled magazines, further separation will not be necessary.

Once you have the Glock magazine disassembled, get a nylon brush and some warm water and a gentle detergent like soap. You shouldn’t need a bore solvent for this, nor is it necessary as in some cases bore solvents can damage gun magazines.

Do not use harsh detergents or chemical cleaners to clean Glock magazines, either, as these can damage the polymer components, or react with the mag spring, accelerating corrosion.

Use the nylon brush to scrub away any fouling deposits, paying close attention to the feed lips which are partially exposed to the action and which can become heavily fouled.

Then turn your attention to the follower, which may also be heavily fouled. Scrub this off with the nylon brush until it is clean and clear, then get a brass brush and scrub off the magazine spring. This is one of the most essential components of the Glock mag and it should be thoroughly cleaned before reassembly.

Stubborn fouling deposits can attract moisture and can accelerate rust on a Glock mag spring, which will speed up corrosion. Make sure to carefully remove all fouling and tar from the mag spring.

Once you have cleaned the mag spring, wipe it dry. If you like, you can apply a drop or two of a gun oil, like Rem Oil, to the spring. This is not to act as a lubricant, however; it is solely to insulate the steel spring against oxidation and corrosion.

After you’ve cleaned the components of the Glock magazine, you can set them aside to dry fully before reassembly.

While you do need a pin punch or a small screwdriver for Glock mag disassembly, you won’t need one for reassembly. You just need to reinsert the mag spring in the mag tube in the proper orientation, compress it, and replace the insert before snapping the baseplate back on.

While you’re at it, you may as well take that nylon brush and clean the Glock magwell as well; fouling in this area, while it is not common, can potentially counteract the speed of your reloads.

Lube Is Not Necessary

One note for Glock magazines, which are predominantly mag of polymer, is that you should not lubricate them. Magazines are mechanically simplistic components and actually do not need to be lubricated as a general rule.

A little oil can be applied to protect exposed metal against rust and corrosion, but using it as a lubricant will actually attract dust and other particulate matter. Remember, oil and grease are sticky, and dust will adhere to them, which can actually have the effect of speeding up abrasive damage.

Can You Leave Glock Mags Loaded?

One common question about Glock magazine maintenance, though it doesn’t directly have to do with cleaning, has to do with whether or not you can leave magazines loaded. The answer is yes.

Magazine springs fatigue from compression and decompression cycles, not from compression alone. Once compressed (loaded) you can leave the mag loaded for as long as you want – even years. That spring won’t fail from being compressed. You have to actually use the mag before the spring will fatigue.

Keeping Your Glock Mags in Shooting Shape

Now that you know the basics of Glock mag maintenance, you can keep your mags in good shape – and feeding smoothly – for years to come. That’ll make the investment in training and upgraded parts, like a Glock magwell or an extended mag release, worth it.