The magazine can be considered the heart and soul of a semi-automatic pistol. If the mag doesn’t work, you’re left with a rock, which can be a very nice paperweight, but is of no use for its intended purpose. While most of us are pretty good when it comes to cleaning our firearms, magazines seem to be neglected, by and large, the redheaded stepchild as it were. Some magazines are more challenging to take apart than others, exacerbating this unfortunate tendency. Glocks seem to fall into this category. One needs to pinch in the magazine sides, and at the same time push a retaining plate into the magazine tube, and at the same time pull the floorplate off.

All this requires coordination and a bit of finger/hand strength. GTUL, LLC (pronounced “G-tool”) took note of this, and built us a better mousetrap! Their system consists of the plastic GTUL, and a great magazine brush with a hardened steel punch, both of which are made right here in the US of A!

All you have to do is slide the Glock magazine into the GTUL, squeeze it (now you have leverage), pop the retaining plate with that of the hardened pin, and pull off the floorplate. I tried it on my mags; incredibly simple, and very easy to do. My wife had no problem doing it, either. The brush does a fantastic job getting any “cruft” out of the mag body, insuring reliable ammunition delivery when you need it most.

The current GTUL fits all 9 mm and 40 S&W Glock magazines (including generation I, II, III, and IV mags). By the time you read this, though, an additional GTUL should be released which fits the 45 ACP/10 mm magazines.

GTUL’s web site has an excellent video on its use at http://www.mygtul.com/video.php and step-by-step instructions at http://www.mygtul.com/instructions.php. Note that there is a slightly modified procedure to follow if you have a 10 round instead of a high-capacity magazine.

GTUL states that the mag brush can also be used with Para, SVI, STI, XD, M&P, etc. mags, and some customers are using it to clean AR magazines as well. Highly recommended. MSRP $19.95.