I am a new owner of a CS45. Although I like the way it shoots, handles and looks I am having a really hard time field stripping it. Any tricks anyone can tell me about?

the hardest part sometimes is to hold the slide back to push out the pin,once that is done the rest is pretty basic.you can also always put something in the ejector port to help hold open the slide.hope this helps some...congrats on your purchase.i have mine for 2 years,never a problem,always reliable,very accurate.......

I have a 4586 an 4583. Procedure is:
1. Remove magazine.
2. Pull slide back until disassembly notch is above the slide stop pivot point.
3. While holding slide in position (step 2) push out the slide stop by pushing on the exposed end (on right side of pistol) until enough is exposed on the left side to grasp. Then pull out from left side.
4. Push slide forward and off of frame.
5. Remove recoil spring assembly from the barrel and place on bench.
6. Lift barrel out of slide, starting with back end of barrel. Lift and slide backwards until it clears the barrel bushing, then lift out.

Once you have it apart, check out the plunger on the back end of the recoil spring guide rod. It's a plastic bit that may be chewed up / burred. Smoothing it out again might help in future removal. It helped mine but it's still a bit of a struggle compared to my 1911 platform guns