Tactical Equipment Evaluation 

GTUL Glock Mag Tool / Cleaner 

So… I’ve been a Glock armorer since the early ‘90s. Simple guns that work right – reliably. They aren’t difficult to disassemble or maintain with the exception of one thing: Sometimes the magazines can be a pain in the backside to get apart, clean and reassembled. The toughest part is squeezing the sides just the right way. I always wondered why someone didn’t make a tool to help with that, and now they have. Enter the GTUL (said “G-tool”). Currently made to fit the 9mm/.40S&W size Glock magazines, this tool makes disassembly and cleaning much easier.

The GTUL cleaner kit includes two things:

First is the magazine disassembly tool. This is, in my opinion, the greatest blessing of the kit. As I said, taking the magazines apart has always been a challenge to me and I’ve seen more than a few officers cussing, gritting their teeth and fuming as they struggle to get the base plate off the magazines. Using the Glock Armorer’s tool to push the lock plate up into the magazine is easy. Squeezing the sides of the base of the magazines just right to release the base plate is the challenge – and then holding everything just right as you slide the base plate off.

In the picture above right the magazine disassembly tool is (obviously) the red circular device. What you can’t see so clearly is the nubs of plastic that squeeze in the sides of the magazine in just the right place on either side to release the base plate. To accomplish magazine disassembly, here’s what you do:

1. Make sure the magazine is empty (duh)
2. Insert the magazine into the GTUL device so that the front of the magazine is point toward the small opening of the GTUL
3. With the magazine fully inserted, use your punch (Glock Armorer Tool) to push the locking plate out of place, up into the magazine
4. Squeeze the GTUL so that the small opening is CLOSED together
5. Hold it like that while you
6. Use your inserted armorer tool (punch) to lever off the base plate.

Pay attention because the locking plate and magazine spring are going to come shooting out at you once the base plate is removed.

For those of you who have had your Glocks for years and have never disassembled your magazines, you’re in for a potentially rude surprise. The insides of the magazine bodies will be filthy and the magazine springs will be nasty as well. You might be surprised at how much yuck you find up under the magazines follower (that thing the bullets sit on). Clean the locking plate, base plate and follower as you would any other part of your Glock. You can use a solvent (make sure no NITRO solvent is used) or simply dishsoap and hot water. For the magazine spring and the magazine body use a quality solvent and the brush provided in the GTUL cleaning kit. (The brush is the second item included).

In the handle of the brush, in case you hadn’t realized it, there’s a punch extension. That relieves you of having to dig out a separate armorer’s tool to perform the magazine disassembly. The stiff-bristled nylon brush is sized to provide plenty of friction inside the magazine body. Wear eye protection and pay attention to the angle you hold the magazine body as you run the brush back and forth. Small droplets of solvent will fly as the bristles clear the magazine body with each stroke back and forth.In short order you’ll have your magazines clean. Reassembly is fairly easy and no tools are required.

On the GTUL Products webpage you can purchase the GTUL (that red “C” looking part) for $9.95 and the brush for $14.95 – or you can get them together for $19.95. GTUL also sells Blitz silicone clothes for $5.95 and recommends wiping out the magazine body, wiping the spring and follower prior to reassembly.

Having just picked up six used 9mm magazines for my Glock 19, the GTUL Cleaning Kit came in handy as they all needed to be stripped down and inspected. Each of them needed to be cleaned (they were range magazines from the Clinton ear and I don’t think they’d ever been previously disassembled). The GTUL Cleaning Kit made it an easier job and I think once you’ve tried it out you’ll appreciate it as well.

Stay Safe! 

Borelli Consulting