The proper care for any pistol begins with regular cleaning. Traditionally, oil is liberally rubbed into the parts but, unlike other firearms, a Glock is made of plastic and doesn’t require much. A critical first skill to learn when caring for your Glock pistol is how to correctly disassemble it. It cannot be cleaned effectively until taken apart. The primary task in disassembly is to take the slide out. Follow the instructions included and the rest should be a simple task.
With the slide out, you should put the upper frame into a plastic bag. Take all the removable parts from the lower frame, wipe them well with a clean rag and put them in the plastic bag also. This keeps you from losing any of the parts and makes sure all are present and accounted for when it comes time to re-assemble the pistol. Cotton dipped into acetone is well suited for cleaning the lower frame. It removes the powder residue and oil, leaving the surface dry. Put a spot of grease on all four rail points but do not oil the trigger. It is metal on plastic. Oil will only collect dirt, which acts as an abrasive. Then it’s time to move on to the upper frame. As with other pistols, you should use oil to lubricate the barrel with a thin coating. When you're done with that, put the pistol back together.
Your Glock pistol should be cleaned after each shooting and also before use if it has been in storage for a length of time. Accumulated dust, moisture and debris can cause problems with firing. Always use the correct ammunition. The particular type for yours should be stamped on the barrel. Don’t assume. Look and make sure. As with all firearms, you should not fire or attempt to clean it until you know how it operates. If you don’t know, find someone who does and have them show you how to strip, clean, handle and fire it. When cleaning, even when stripped down to parts, the barrel should always be kept pointed in a safe direction. The first rule of proper care for any pistol is not to accidentally shoot yourself or someone else while engaged in basic maintenance.
While a regular cleaning schedule will keep your Glock pistol in top condition, there are other factors to keep in mind regarding proper care of your firearm. When not in use, your pistol should be kept in a temperature controlled environment, separated from the ammunition and locked (out of reach of children) inside a gun safe or similar device. Portable safes are also available when transporting your Glock to and from the firing range.
If you plan on storing your pistol for a period of months or even years, anti-corrosion bags are a cheap way to keep them in great shape regardless of what climate you live. With this protective measure, there is no need to clean or degrease the pistol until you take it out.
Dry firing of your pistol can be useful for familiarizing yourself with your pistol but can also lead to firing pin damage. Use snap caps in place of regular bullets to avoid this issue.