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How to Disassemble a Sterling Arms .380

Joshua Benjamin

The Sterling Arms .380 is a type of gun typically referred to as a "Saturday night special" or a "junk gun," due to its reputation of being cheaply constructed. It is a small handgun with very few moving parts and an eight-round capacity, chambered for the .380 caliber round.

As when you own any firearm, it is important that you know how to field-strip your Sterling Arms .380 in order to properly clean and maintain the pistol.

  1. Eject the magazine and rack the slide action back to clear the firing chamber of any live rounds. Clearing your weapon of ammunition should always be your first step whenever you are working on a firearm.

  2. Use your screwdriver to push in the take-down screw on the right side of the weapon—located just above and in front of the trigger guard—then give the screw a quarter-turn clockwise.

  3. Pull the slide back and lift up the back end until it comes off of the pistol frame.

  4. Push the slide forward and off the pistol. This is as far as you can break down the pistol, as the barrel is permanently affixed to the frame.