Palette's Product Reviews: the GTUL

I sort of made a "Monday Gunday" post on Friday when I talked about the Remington R-51, but that was last week and therefore doesn't count for this week. Today I'm going to combine Gunday and Palette's Product Reviews to talk about a nifty accessory I just recently acquired:  the GTUL Mag & Brush Combo. ($21.95 for combo, s&h extra)

The one I bought was for 9mm/40 S&W magazines,
but they also make a 10mm/45 ACP version for exactly the same price.

Pronounced "G-Tool" (the G is for Glock), the GTUL does only one thing: it makes removing the floorplate of your Glock magazines ridiculously easy. The brush with its attached punch helps in this regard, and also makes it easy to clean the crud out of even the largest magazines.


Now before I go any further, I'm going to anticipate what you're going to say:

Q: "Oh, come on. Who takes the floorplates off their magazines anyway?"

A:  While I admit that I haven't met anyone who disassembled their magazines for cleaning (though I'm sure they exist), I can state with utter certainty that there are folks who do remove their magazine floorplates, because I'm one of them. When I got my G26 for concealed carry, one of the first things I did was buy Pearce Grip Extension for all three of the magazines which came with it. There are all sorts of other things you can put on the ends of your mags, from glass breakers to flashlight holders to decorative Punisher skull logos. So yes, people do this.


Q: "Why do you need this tool? Just use a vise or channellocks or something. 

A:  Now this is a valid point; you don't specifically *need* these, and can make do with hand tools. However, in my experience:

• It is awkward to use these tools for this purpose. 
• Maybe this isn't an issue for manly men, but I needed to squeeze REALLY HARD to get the plate off.
• It is VERY easy to apply too much pressure and mar the outer casing. I did this the first time I tried it. 
• I was worried that I might have actually dented/damaged the inner metal lining of the magazine. (This probably didn't happen, but it was still a concern.)
• Doing it that way is just awkward as hell. 

Now, compare how fast and easy it is to remove a magazine floorplate with the GTUL as demonstrated in this video:





See? Done in seconds.


Q:  "Is it really worth twenty-plus bucks?"

A:  Well, I pretty clearly think so. While I admit it's a very specialized tool for a very specialized problem, it does what it's supposed to do really, REALLY well, so I don't think you can call it "a solution in search of a problem."

 In addition:

• It doesn't take up a lot of space; 
• It's made of a very tough polymer;  
• The brush does double-duty as a disassembly punch;
• The brush can clean even 33-round magazines. 

Do you NEED this if you're a Glock owner?  Probably not. But if you've ever struggled with trying to take your magazines apart, you will want this tool. The price is reasonable, the quality is excellent (everything seems rugged, including the bristles on the brush), and the shipping was fast. 

My Recommendation:  A+ to all Glock owners. 

Obligatory middle finger to the FTC:  I bought this product with my own money.