Constable
Astra’s double action medium-size automatic externally resembles the Walther, but its internal mechanism is entirely different. The Constable is also available in 32 ACP and 22 LR versions, with the latter, and the 380 chambering, being the most popular in the United States. The Constable has two things that the Walther lacks—an external slide latch, and a reasonable price. Quality of materials and workmanship are excellent.
Field Strip:
1. Remove the magazine and cock the hammer. The takedown-latch is located in the frame just forward of the trigger, with serrated wings at each side. Grasp the wings of the latch and pull it straight down, holding it there while the slide is drawn all the way back, lifted up at the rear to clear the barrel, and run forward off the frame.
2. Remove slide from frame and barrel, and remove recoil spring from barrel. Gun is now field-stripped.
Astra Constable field-stripped
Detail Strip:
3. With a drift punch, depress the firing pin (with the safety in the off-safe position) and nudge the safety toward the left side. If it is very tight, set the safety halfway between its tow positions (while keeping the firing pin depressed), and try leftward pressure again. Remove the safety from the left side. The firing pin and spring will be released, and can be removed from the rear. The extractor can now be taken off, and the combination extractor and safety spring and its two plungers removed forward, from the extractor recess.
4. Use a small screwdriver to depress the slide latch spring and ease it from under its shelf on the frame. The slide latch can now be removed toward the left.
5. The slide latch spring is staked in place on the inside of the latch, and removal is not advisable except for replacement.
6. With the hammer lowered, depress the trigger bar to clear the safety disconnector and lift the bar off toward the right.
7. With a small screwdriver, pry the safety disconnector spring from its recess in the frame. Add one thing not shown in the photo for purpose of clarity—a fingertip over the spring to prevent its escape.
8. Slide the safety disconnector upward and off the frame.
9. Grip the hammer spring base with pliers and disengage it from its locking recess in the backstrap. CAUTION:Spring is under tension. Ease it off, and remove spring and hammer strut from frame.
10. Drifting out the large pin at the top rear of the frame will free the hammer for removal from the top. The lower pin must be drifted out from right to left, and will release the sear and sear plunger for removal forward and downward. Take care not to lose the sear spring and plunger, housed in the left side of the sear.
11. The takedown-latch can be removed by depressing and holding in the small plunger above it, and moving the latch upward and off the frame.
12. The trigger and its spring are retained by a cross-pin. The pin should be moved toward the left side. After this is drifted out, the trigger is taken out downward, into the trigger guard opening.
13. There is a small retainer tab (arrow) just below the magazine catch button, level with the frame. Depress the retainer, and while holding it down unscrew the magazine catch button. Remove button, retainer, and spring from the left side, and the magazine catch piece from the right side.
Reassembly Tips:
1. To make replacing the trigger bar easier, insert a tool through the large opening on the left side and depress the long upper arm of the trigger spring, making sure that it is engaged beneath the inner stud of the trigger bar.
For replacing the safety lever on the slide, use a small tool to depress the plunger at the end of the safety well, holding the plunger in while the safety is moved into place.
When replacing the safety disconnector on the right side, insert the upper arm of its spring into the small hole in the part, then move the spring into its recess.
Astra
