Courtesy GlockUSA via Facebook.

If you want to “upgrade” your recreational plinking or competition shooting guns, have at it. Hot-selling handguns, shotguns and rifles all have a wide range of unique aftermarket parts and accessories available. However for your carry guns, the old saw about keeping it simple, stupid rings true.

Yes, a whole industry exists to help you “customize” popular guns to better serve your needs and change their appearance to fit your particular personality. Everything from major components like barrels and frames down to the smallest springs and pins. A gun owner can easily spend a thousand dollars or more making their gun distinctive.

At the same time, why would one want to leave the factory springs, barrels, and the other assorted guts of a gun intact on carry guns? Simple: Reliability.

If Gaston Glock wanted different springs in his masterpiece, he would have had people with the appropriate engineering and metallurgy degrees and experience make them. Ditto for the barrel and its feed ramp and all the rest of the internals. Everything inside a GLOCK works well as a happy family together with the other parts, producing a gun that virtually never malfunctions. That goes for other pistols from major makers like Ruger, Smith & Wesson, FN, Walther, Kahr and more.

Every stock part you swap out for an aftermarket product introduces the potential for malfunctions. While none may cause problems immediately, add those potentials together and you face a growing risk failure. And Mr. Murphy (of Murphy’s Law fame) loves to appear at the most inopportune time.

Of course, failure in a competition gun might cost you a match. In a carry gun, though, it might cost you your life or that of a loved one.

Like many, I’ve carried for a long time. Unlike most, I’ve been to a lot of schools and fired tens of thousands of rounds in training and practice. I have learned from the very best national talent including Ayoob, Farnam, Rogers, Houzenga and plenty of others. I’ve been to schools with regional instructors like Sharpe, Krupa, Sullivan and others every bit as good. At the same time, I’ve taught thousands of people, young and old, about defensive pistolcraft and seen a lot in my years.

And just like most of the instructors I’ve trained under or alongside with, I keep the modifications minimal on my carry guns.

Yes, they all get night sights. Night sights should find their way onto everyone’s self-defense handguns. And long-guns for that matter. But at the same time I acknowledge that they come at a price not everyone can afford right away.

The only other modifications on my carry pieces: GLOCKs get the factory trigger replaced with a lighter GLOCK factory trigger. Non-GLOCKs? I don’t let just anyone work on them. Tom Kilhoffer has tuned some of my revolvers. And that’s about it.

Not only that, but I am ready for any prosecutors who want to play the “hair trigger” card against me should the worst happen.

My recommendation: instead of making your carry gun into some sort of modern art masterpiece, keep it simple. Leave it stock or darn close to it aside from night sights. You’ve probably heard the old expression, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Embrace that when it comes to the tool that can help save your life.

In short, resist the temptation to add a bunch so-called “upgrades” to your carry gun. It’s a tool, not a fashion statement. Function test it with the ammunition and magazines you plan to carry for self-defense, and when you find a combination that works flawlessly, leave things alone.

After all, it’s nice to go home to your loved ones at night.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

128 COMMENTS

  1. If I carried a glock I wouldn’t want it to be seen. I say the rest of the article is worthless. Do whatever you want to your carry piece. As long as it’s reliable who cares what kind of upgrades you did. Sometimes you have to upgrade stock guns to make them more reliable than they are out of the box.

    • Mass produced firearms are a balance of engineered reliability and manufacturing efficiency. To mass produce a gun at a price point, trade-offs always happen. Many upgrades are just as reliable as stock, and are designed by smart people with engineering credentials equal to or better than those of the original designers of the gun. Their work can be both safe and a genuine improvement – albeit at a cost the original manufacturer didn’t want to build into the stock gun. I agree: this article really overlooks a lot of nuance in this particular discussion…

    • I carry Glocks EVERY DAY and have for 2 decades. They are NOT stock and they are not super fancy just better triggers, extended mag releases on some and Tru-Glo Tritium Fibre Optic Night Sights on ALL. I have a minimum of 7K rounds through my G32 EDC and with maintenance and regular field stripped and detail stripped cleanings this Glock functions PERFECTLY.

      I have also trained with the best at Gunsite and Thunder Ranch and consider Clint Smith the best firearms trainer in the WORLD though I don’t like his personality or he mine.

      Frankly, the only handguns that I want to carry are Glocks or one of my custom 1911’s. I understand them, I can work on them, and I can obtain MORE THAN RELIABLE aftermarket or OEM parts and fix them myself if TEOTWAWKI occurs.

      Glock haters like you are being unreasonable and are like the NRA haters that frequently post on this site.

      • Hey Buthead, I never said one thing about being a glock hater. Idiots like you make me loath glock owners though. You fools think your glocks are the best ever. I like all guns but not all gun owners.

        • quote (“If I carried a Glock I wouldn’t want it to be seen”) So, just what are you saying? I don’t want my G29 seen because it’s against Fl law unless inadvertent, but maybe you don’t want your Glock seen because you are concerned that someone might try to steal it? Or perhaps you are worried you might cause a panic since the Glock is perceived to be the weapon of choice for gangsters, rogue agents and other assorted bad guys, but the statement, as it stands, really just sounds like you would be embarrassed to be seen carrying a Glock… quote (Idiots like you make me loath glock owners though. You fools think your Glocks are the best ever) Now that statement is more telling, maybe you just can’t afford a Glock and you have some gun snob shoving his Glock in your face putting down whatever you own (if anything) and in general being an asshole. I get it, I’ve seen the type they show up at the range with a $2000.00 AR talk crap about everyone elses “cheap” junk then gets mad when the cheap junk blows his big bucks stuff away. So fear not there are a lot of inexpensive hand guns on the market (my favorite 9MM cost just over $200.00) and many of them are as accurate and as reliable as one costing several times more.. I carry a Glock because my personal experience has shown that I can trust it, however I also own and sometimes carry a Ruger P90 (45 APC) an SCCY (9MM) a Rock Island 1911 an AMT 22 automag a Taurus Millennium and a S&W 357 magnum,, I have used them all extensively and trust each one equally. Before you hang an entire group of owners with the same rope stop and think about what you are trying to defend or are you just such a negative person that you have nothing too defend…

        • Ok I’m sorry for saying something that offended some glock owners. They are obviously the most bestest, most bad ass pieces of concealed carry hardware ever invented. I don’t understand why the author would upgrade his stock trigger and sights when they obviously are already installed one the most perfected concealed carry firearm ever designed. They are world renowned for being one of the most prolific non fatal leg shooters ever designed. I’m sorry if I trashed them to you very loyal owners.

        • You are obviously a neophyte and know nothing of the platforms you are criticizing in a very rude way.

          You probably get away with this kind of thing all the time hiding behind your keyboard.

          Your non-apology down the page reflects your lack of civility AND your lack of knowledge and experience.

        • quote (“They are world renowned for being one of the most prolific non fatal leg shooters ever designed. I’m sorry if I trashed them to you very loyal owners.”) so now you are just being out right ridiculous… You’ve proven your lack of maturity and knowledge so having exhausted what you perceived to be valid arguments you have reverted to the school yard tactics of a 1st grader (“no, you are, am not you are, no you are am not, are too am not are too….. mommmmmyyyyyyy) Even a leg shot with the 230 grain 10MM hardcast lead in my G29 can easily create an end of life scenario for the intended victim… Go big or stay home… Actually I am more attached my Ruger P90 (45 APC) but I’m addicted to the power of that 10 MM…

        • He’s either a CZ hipster, a 1911 FUDD or a plain ol’ libby…either way he wants to be in the cool guy club, so he hates on Glocks.

        • And I’m pretty sure not all gun owners like you . . . and probably many people who aren’t gun owners.

    • “As long as it’s reliable who cares”

      Today, on “I’ve GOT to post my wisdom without bothering to even skim the article”… smh

  2. I want my carry gun to make a statement, to look good, to be admired by everyone, to be modest but attractive, to intimidate bad guys and please POTG, to deter attacks just because it looks powerful and dangerous, to make me feel good about my choice and my capabilities, to impress my friends at barbecues.

    (note: I don’t actually have a carry gun, unless carrying the plinker to the range counts)

  3. I agree. However Gaston in his greed opened up spring tolerances. I had a 9mm at the stiffest main recoil spring, which is great for 40 S&W but doooms bulk 115gr 9mm. I replaced it with a low end of the old tolerance spring and not one issue. 40% stovepipes with the factory spring.

    Oh, I’m an engineer who is an expert on spring tolerance design for reliability. I get doubling a spring tolerance, as Glock did, cuts the price of a spring in half. I’ve done that. I’ve also cut a spring tolerance by 75% (quadrupling the spring cost) to ensure parts with all possible manufacturing tolerances would survive a 40 year service life.

    So change springs, but stay within factory tolerances. But there is no issue with blueprinting (changing to the tolerance best for your application).

    • Thanks, I’m glad someone to provide legitimate (acknowledged) critique of “perfection”.

      I get where the author is coming from, but the reality is that everything in life is a compromise. If one is thoughtful and judicious, one can correct manufacturer’s compromises. Or errors.

    • A lot of people have complained about the use of the same recoil spring for the .40 and 9mm Glocks. Supposedly Glock stopped using the same one for both calibers for the Gen4.

      I don’t know if that’s true or not since I own no Gen4’s.

  4. RE: “If Gaston Glock wanted different springs in his masterpiece, he would have had people with the appropriate engineering and metallurgy degrees and experience make them.”

    Not necessarily. Cost often plays a part. You can’t assume that everything in the gun is the best part possible–it just doesn’t work that way.

    Having said that, I tend to agree with the article otherwise. I’ve never been a big believer in the flawed reasoning of “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” (if that were true we’d all still be driving Model-T’s), but as an engineer, keeping things simple is the key.

    • The biggest cost factor is the liability costs which often drive trigger pulls on handguns that don’t have manual safeties up.

    • First thing I do with a new car is get rid of the factory tires which are soft, low performance, and designed to a cost.

      First thing I do with a carry gun is swap the sights. If it has nasty rubber grip panels I’ll probably change them to wood or micarta before I even fire it.

    • Exactly. This is just another typical piece of TTAG garbage they put out lately.

      The author didn’t do any research or cite any sources to support his ridiculous premise.

      “Don’t upgrade your pistol because factory is more reliable than aftermarket.” Says who?? Then he’s brags about all the instructors he’s had… you couldn’t cite one example of just one of those instructors or a real study that provides any evidence to support your bald assertion? You think glock knows more about springs than Wolff? This is why TTAG has made its way to the bottom of my list of shooting blogs that I frequent. The poor quality of content keeps getting worse and worse.

  5. Seeing as this article is about Glock, here is what I have done to my G42 (my only Glock. First was the trigger. I am not entirely clear what the factory trigger pull was because my gauge only goes to eight pounds. If there had been a factory upgrade available I would have used it. Instead, I used an aftermarket part to get it to a bit over five pounds, where I wanted it.

    Next was a stick on grip wrap, not a real essential, but makes it a bit easier to shoot more consistent groups. I also added Glock factory night sites. I don’t recommend those because they are very dim. I added an extended slide release, it is just a bit easier to use.

    The next one that solved a real problem was a bit of custom cut grippy tape similar to skateboard tape. The problem is that the slide on the G42 is coated with stuff that would make an excellent surface for kitchenware. It is very durable and very slick. Having eggs not stick to the pan is great, having a slide that is nearly impossible to grip, because it is a non-stick surface, isn’t as great.

    It is my only Glock and it isn’t bad, but it is nowhere near “Perfection.”

  6. Better title would be, if you aren’t sure about what your doing, don’t mess with a reliable carry gun.

    If you think you know what you doing, assume you don’t and don’t mess with a carry gun. If you still want to mess with it, try a range gun first. If the range gun is reliable enough, then it can become a carry gun.

  7. I don’t get the hype about getting in big trouble for having a ‘hair trigger’ in a DGU. If you meant to shoot the person what difference would it make if you modified the trigger to make the weapon more accurate? Would it have been better in the eyes of the law if you missed and hit an innocent bystander?

    • “I don’t get the hype about getting in big trouble for having a ‘hair trigger’ in a DGU.”

      Quite simple, Gov…

      As a prosecutor, I pound into the jury the impression that:
      1. Hair triggers are dangerous, unpredictable, and likely to “go off accidentally”, meaning the gun owner is irresponsible, bordering on criminality
      2. Hair triggers are used to make sure the gunner can shoot really fast, and fast often, meaning the gun owner was looking to kill as fast and as often as possible
      3. Hair triggers show the gunner was looking for a fast so as to demonstrate how proficient at killing the gunner is
      4. Hair triggers do not allow “second thoughts”, for when it turns out that a gun is not needed at all, meaning the gunner is not considering prudence, but speed of shot regardless of changes in the situation
      5. A reasonable person would not want to have a gun so sensitive, only someone primed and ready for a gunfight, like back in the wild west
      6. Gun makers take care to make sure their products are not easily misused, and changing the function of any part of the gun lacks a means for safety checking by professional manufacturers to make sure the gun is not dangerous just sitting there

      • I don’t doubt about the typical ethics of your average prosecutor when it comes to putting innocent people into prison to pad their statistics. However, a) what are the odds they’ll even know the trigger has been modified?, b) why wouldn’t your public defender point out the flaws in the prosecutor’s theories? and c) reducing your DA revolver trigger pull down to 8-1/2 pounds isn’t exactly a ‘hair trigger’.

        • “what are the odds they’ll even know the trigger has been modified?”

          100%. The gun will be examined by a police armorer or ‘smith who will report if the trigger is out of factory spec.

          “why wouldn’t your public defender point out the flaws in the prosecutor’s theories?”

          He would, but juries aren’t known for their brilliance when it comes to sorting out the wheat from the chaff when it comes to guns. Besides, the less the defense has to explain, the better for the defendant.

          Still, if the mods enhance accuracy and shootability, they might save the defender’s life, and for that reason enhancements are desirable.

          • ” Still, if the mods enhance accuracy and shootability, they might save the defender’s life, and for that reason enhancements are desirable.”

            Desirable? Really?

            The defender might not have taken the life of a struggling campesino, or someone who just made a wrong life choice who could, with the right teaching, become the next steven hawking. A defender who uses a gun to take a life remains a threat to someone else who just happened to try a bad method of obtaining the necessities of life. Having tasted blood once, the defender just might be eager to up the body count at first opportunity.*

        • “… reducing your DA revolver trigger pull down to 8-1/2 pounds isn’t exactly a ‘hair trigger’ ”

          True, but….

          You made the attempt to get the trigger as light as possible so you could shoot faster, and that four pound reduction makes the trigger more likely to be accidentally pulled by you or some object.

          It would seem that any one relying on a public defender in a DGU case is not the path for strong defense about guns and modifications. The PD has to rely on fact and logic (which is predicated on expertise not common for PDs), while the prosecutor punches all the emotional buttons of the jury. Whether a PD or general criminal defense attorney, acknowledged expert witnesses are likely needed.

        • I took a class open to citizens of my local town to familiarize themselves with the local police force. The armorer said the following during his time to teach…

          You don’t even need to aim a shotgun.
          Just racking a shotgun will scare the bad guy away.
          No one hunts with an AR-15.

          I doubt our local police “expert” could tell the difference between an FN509 and a M&P let alone identify an Apex trigger as being non-stock.

          Your mileage may vary of course.

        • @Ralph – do police armorers have access to firearms specs that aren’t available to the public? Because I’ve never seen factory specs on trigger pull and gauges can vary anyway. And how will he know that the mainspring isn’t the stock 14# one but a Wilson Combat 10# spring and not just a well worn factory one? Sure, if you’re carrying a 1911 with a 1-1/2# trigger it’s going to be a bit obvious. I have no doubt that they’ll function test it and give the trigger a pull, but unless it’s well out of the ordinary I doubt they’d have a clue.

      • Well Sam how good is all that going to go when I get on the stand and say “yes your honor I saw the scumbag acting in such a manner that the victim was unlikely to survive the confrontation. I was in fear for their life, my life, and all the other people around us. I made the decision to end things as quickly as possible”.

        • “Well Sam how good is all that going to go when I get on the stand and say “yes your honor I saw the scumbag acting in such a manner that the victim was unlikely to survive the confrontation. I was in fear for their life, my life, and all the other people around us. I made the decision to end things as quickly as possible”.”

          Apologies for pasting the entire comment, but it is necessary context for my response. To that end….

          I think you just admitted to being someone spoiling for a fight. Without knowing what was at hand, not knowing who was doing what, with which and to whom…without benefit of knowledge of what was the actual intent of the person you killed, you took out your dangerously modified gun, and killed someone. Why didn’t you mind your own business? Why didn’t you go for help? Why didn’t you use a different object to indicate your intent to use strong force? Why didn’t you herd other people away from the scene so they could not be harmed incidental to the meele (and your gunfire)?

          Not sure a good defense attorney would put you on the stand, anyway.

        • To Sam’s point, this isn’t going to be an issue if the shooting is obviously justified. If someone walks in and starts shooting people and you drop him you’re not even going to be charged. But if for instance in your panic you do a full mag dump on an unarmed man – which happens, usually by cops who say afterwords that they shot 3 or 4 times (not 18), now they’ll use anything they can dig up to paint you as a sociopathic menace to society.

        • Sam, if they’re going to those sorts of lengths to “make an example of you,” nothing really matters besides jury selection & your lawyer’s skill. That level of detail in the evidence is beyond insignificant compared to the sorts of misrepresentation you describe –you think if you have a ‘standard’ brass-to-face Glock & use it to shoot a black guy, that this same sort of lawyer wouldn’t try to lynch you as a racist? Or as a nutbag spoiling for a fight simply because you carry a gun “for now reason” and intervened? They’ll go after you for using a full-size gun for its capacity, and a small gun for its sneaky concealment. The only option is to (rightly) defame the lawyer using such tactics, and reveal him for the sleazy, lying conman he is to the jury & judge –ideally forcing him into illegal tactics that end up with him disbarred & the case dismissed.

          Much like bump stocks & other Fudd-bane, you don’t defend yourself by trying to appear harmless before someone who is already intent on fighting you; both on the street, and in the courtroom. You’re more likely to put yourself at needless disadvantage, trying to placate the implacable.

          “Yes, your Honor; I took the time to learn about my firearm and how to best adapt it to my use so I could be a safe, effective, and responsible shooter. Likewise, I make sure to keep my firearm well-maintained as a responsible gun owner. I likely possess the same degree of knowledge about this firearm as any armorer or other “subject matter expert” so I do not question my personal choice of configuration, nor should any layman without that same knowledge.”

          Response: “You see! You see! He’s obsessed with GUNZ!!!!1!”

          Do you get my point? You might as well use a gun that’s best suited to accomplishing the job you have it for in the first place (killing or incapacitating whatever you’re pointing it at), and dealing with hostile, ignorant, lying scumbags & con men later if it comes to that. The cop with the “you’re fucked” dust cover is an altogether different issue, which involves juvenile behavior from a professional granted special trust by the public. Punisher skulls/etc on a carry gun/holster can impart a similar negative attitude (possibly even justified) in a lawful gun use, so the purely cosmetic stuff like that probably isn’t the best idea. But that has nothing to do with pure “upgrades” as Boch puts them.

          • “You might as well use a gun that’s best suited to accomplishing the job you have it for in the first place (killing or incapacitating whatever you’re pointing it at), and dealing with hostile, ignorant, lying scumbags & con men later if it comes to that.”

            Why give the prosecutor a freebee?

            Anyway, the exercise was based on the question about how could a prosecutor turn a good shoot using a highly, highly modified firearm into a criminal charge against the defender. I just supplied a few of the “reasonings” likely to resonate with juries.

            Everyone is free to defend as they like, but it is a bit risky to depend on one’s righteousness or ability to outfox a determined prosecutor. We have one in my little burg who publicly (without rebuke) declared that he was opposed to people using guns for defense (and most everything else), and would put a self-defender through the entire process to send a message that if you use a gun, you will be arrested, jailed, tried, no exceptions.

        • @ Sam

          Where I live the jury (of my peers) would only be upset with me because I didn’t save the perp for them to hang.

          • “Where I live the jury (of my peers) would only be upset with me because I didn’t save the perp for them to hang.”

            Good neighbors make for good friends. There is an interesting conversation to be had about “a jury of one’s peers”.

      • That answers the first of two reasons not to excessively upgrade a carry gun. The second is after an incident you are highly likely to lose the gun to the police and all those modifications will have to be done to the replacement.

      • If you really are a prosecutor that does this, please cite a case where you’ve actually made this argument.

        • “If you really are a prosecutor that does this, please cite a case where you’ve actually made this argument.”

          If I were an anti-gun prosecutor….

          I adopted the stance of a zealot prosecutor (modeled off proclamations of our local DA) bent on jailing anyone who uses a gun in defense, in response to a comment that questioned why anyone would be prosecuted for a legal use of a gun in defense. Not every discussion/comment is based on specific events.

          Projecting possibilities for consideration and evaluation is just a form of intellectual inquiry. If you (anyone) are not challenging your own thinking/preconceived notions, it could come back to haunt you (anyone). I do not know of a specific case* where modifications were put at issue before a jury, but ask “Why give the authorities a freebie”? I do know that anyone answering criminal charges at trial will not face a jury of “peers” (gun owners), but a random selection of the population. Again, “Why give the authorities a freebie”?

          *Took a quick look, and found “one”:
          http://online.ceb.com/calcases/CA4/5CA4t822.htm

          Related:
          https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/en/an-attorney-reflects-on-gun-modifications

          https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/en/guns-appearances-matter

          https://www.gunforums.net/forums/general-gun-talk/5514-cases-where-handloads-caused-problems-court-mas-ayoob.html

        • So Sam, you’re not a prosecutor?
          Thanks for citing examples that aren’t on point where someone hacked off spring coils and disabled a safety, rendering the gun unsafe and a manlaughter charge after a negligent discharge. Hardly the same as properly installing an apex trigger into a pistol to get a cleaner and crisper break. You can keep the nonsense talking points to yourself and leave the legal advice to actual lawyers

          • “Thanks for citing examples that aren’t on point”

            What is “on point” is that modifying your carry gun has a non-trivial potential for that fact to be used against you. That is the entire discussion. Whether you alter your thinking about your assumptions, or even have a second look at them is up to you. Ignoring potentials, however, is not becoming of a prudent gun owner.

            In a self-defense situation, you have enough to worry over without just mindlessly pitching a free source of support for prosecutors. Your jury of “peers” is highly unlikely to be made up of gun owners, much less ardent supporters of the Second Amendment.

          • “You can keep the nonsense talking points to yourself and leave the legal advice to actual lawyers.”

            No legal advice offered, only a preview of the possible lines of attack. But, I do like your tenor and approach to comments here, direct, intolerable, aggressive and subject to no nuances. Stick around, more people need to read your input.

    • My CPL instructor said not to modify the trigger. At all. His rationale was, in front of a jury, that it would be argued that the owner modified the trigger because they wanted to kill people.

  8. It is quite a stretch to posit that most guns are at their most reliable in the stock condition. It may be true, but can you site non-anecdotal evidence to back up this assertion? A scientifically rigorous study or two would be best. My primary carry gun is completely stock and my BUG has had only a barrel (cartridge) change (which in that gun (Bond Arms) is extremely unlikely to effect it’s reliability so I am not saying this out of sensitivity. I suspect that many guns can be modified to be more to the users liking without compromising reliability.

  9. Meh…if Glock’s were “perfect” there wouldn’t be 5 generations. Do what you feel like doing!

  10. The article places way too much faith in factory engineers, to say nothing of what cost accountants will do to the final design. I guess everyone should keep the factory triggers in their Rem 700s because after all, the factory intended it to be part of a happy family.

    One rule I would suggest is to treat any modified firearm as if it was a new unknown quantity and thoroughly test fire it the same way you did when you brought it home when you bought it.

  11. When I saw the headline “Here’s Why NOT To ‘Upgrade’ Your Carry Gun” I expected to see yet another rehash of the arguments against nonsense like a macho motto or logo etc. But this time the author surprised me with a lengthy (if somewhat hypocritical) diatribe against (almost) all modifications to any carry gun based on the old “If God wanted us to fly He’d have given us wings” argument, now updated to “If Gaston Glock wanted…”

    By this same logic, the 1911 should exist only in .45ACP — and anyone who wants it in 9mm should get a Hi-Power.

    Wake up John. Yes, the parts in factory guns are intended to work together reliably but they are first and foremost designed to work together reliably enough at a selected price point. No regular production factory gun comes with the ‘best’ parts for that gun — they all come with parts that are ‘good enough’ for a mass produced gun at a particular price.

    You make particular mention of springs as a part that no one should ever replace with anything different. Yes, the original factory springs are chosen to work reliably but they are chosen to work reliably with typical average loads considered normal for that caliber. By your logic anyone carrying a 9mm should limit their ammo choice to 115gr FMJ because that’s what every 9mm hand gun is designed around. And, of course, anyone carrying any .45ACP must limit their ammo to 230gr FMJ lest they anger the ghost of John Moses Browning. In the real world, there are many valid reasons for people to choose other loads for their carry gun – including loads that are well outside the ‘normal for caliber’ range. Reliability with a lighter or heavier load is often best with a different spring weight than that originally provided by the factory.

    Despite this lengthy diatribe against all modifications, the author advised that every carry gun ought to get night sights. He even admits that some people might not be able to afford night sights initially and uses that as justification to exempt night sights from he ironclad ‘no modifications, ever’ rule. Of course he doesn’t mention that FACTORY night sights aren’t available for many carry guns (and those that are available are typically overpriced) making aftermarket night sights often the only alternative. But the truth is that replacing factory sights with night sights (or even properly adjusting the factory sights) introduces some possible chance of failure.

    EVERYTHING you do introduces some possible chance of failure! Even shooting the gun increases that chance that it might fail at some point. For that matter, just carrying the gun introduces some chance of failure.

    By the logic here, we shouldn’t even carry our “carry” gun, but should just keep it factory fresh in its factory box in our gun safe.

    The author’s intent is 100% correct: Modifications to a carry gun should be avoided unless very carefully considered, properly done, and thoroughly tested. BUT PLEASE don’t try to pass off that “If Gaston Glock wanted…” nonsense as if it made any sense at all.

    • “By this same logic, the 1911 should exist only in .45ACP — and anyone who wants it in 9mm should get a Hi-Power.”

      Well, this is true though. 😉

    • OFF TOPIC: Hey Xaun Loc, you really have five ‘Nam Service Medals? If so, I’m highly grateful for your service, Bro!

      • Thanks, but that’s four campaign stars, not five separate awards. The Vietnam Service Medal is only awarded once, regardless of the length of service or multiple tours.

        In accordance with AR670-8-22 “One bronze service star is authorized for each campaign.” The dates for each campaign are specified in Appendix B of AR670-8-22

        In my case, my time in Vietnam included all or parts of four campaigns:
        Vietnam CounteroffensivePhase V – 1 July 1968 to 1 November 1968
        Vietnam CounteroffensivePhase VI – 2 November 1968 to 22 February 1969
        Tet 69 Counteroffensive, 1969 – 23 February 1969 to 8 June 1969
        Vietnam Summer – Fall 1969 – 9 June 1969 to 31 October 1969

  12. Well, I’m sure if a prosecutor knew about any trigger modification, they wouldn’t really care if it was factory or not.

  13. I think someone writes the same article every two weeks somewhere.

    As others have said, horse crap. Upgrade-custom your carry gun as you see fit.

    Again as others have said many, many after market parts are way better than the mass produced original stock parts. Wollf springs cone to mind, Apex kits, grips, etc. etc.

    Please give the “hair trigger” in court stuff a rest as well. Carrying a ultra light trigger is dangerous and not recommended period, but not because a jury is going to think you’re the Punisher.

    • As somebody who has been both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, I think there are a whole lot of factors that are far more important in both decisions to prosecute and jury verdicts than gun modifications. The only cases I could see where this would really be a significant factor would be cases where the modifications were themselves illegal or tort (civil personal injury) cases where the modification was a contributing factor to accident.

      • Aren’t you forgetting the political aspirations of your DA in their decision to prosecute or not?

        What is no problem for me in central Florida could prove a problem for someone in San Fransisco…

      • Ok, since you’ve been on both sides in a court of law, can you put this whole “hair trigger theory” to bed, once and for all?

        I agree with you that the only modifications that would really matter are those that are illegal, like the college kid who made his own auto sear and told everyone about it. Also, I agree that any modifications that caused or contributed to an accident could be material in a civil case.

        But for years we continue to see the same old recycled “warnings” about doing modifications on carry firearms, because those mods could be used as evidence by a zealous prosecutor and result in the gun user/modifier being put in prison.

        A cursory Google search finds zero cases where this has happened. Can you find any court cases where the prosecutor attempted to use a lighter weight trigger or other firearm modification as evidence against a defensive gun use case that went to court?

        If there are any cases, was the strategy of linking modification to guilt successful?

        And if it was successful, was that strategy the most important factor in the cases?

        I’m sure others would like to know if there are any real world court cases involving the modification of concealed carry or home defense firearms, instead of repeating the same theoretical arguments.

        • “But for years we continue to see the same old recycled “warnings” ”

          Maybe you can’t find cases because the warnings were/are effective?

  14. The prosecution “hair trigger” theory is one reason why I carry S&W 3rd Generation pistols.

    If a prosecutor or some scum sucking whore of a litigation attorney (Amanda Marshall?) asks me why I carry that particular pistol I can honestly say safety, safety, safety, safety and safety.

    Safety 1, self defense.
    Safety 2, manual safety to prevent the gun from firing accidentally under normal circumstances.
    Safety 3, magazine disconnect safety to prevent the gun from firing accidentally under normal circumstances as well as while disassembling for cleaning, or if unauthorized person gets it.
    Safety 4, double action trigger first round to prevent me from firing a round accidentally in a high stress defensive situation.
    Safety 5, single action trigger on all rounds after the first round or on the first round if I manually cock it to maximize accuracy so as to minimize the number of rounds fired and the risk to innocent bystanders.

    • “The prosecution “hair trigger” theory is one reason why I carry S&W 3rd Generation pistols.”

      Why not just carry what local LEO carry? Tough to argue that what is good enough for local cops is somehow super duper deadly when carried by private citizens.

      • Many of our local cops are trigger happy morons. After an incident in which an off duty officer wounded his wife in an obscenely brutal manner because he neglected to unload his trust 12 gauge before “playing around with it”, the department actually considered instituting a program to distribute Kevlar condoms to their officers so that they can practice safe shotgun sex.

        • “…the department actually considered instituting a program to distribute Kevlar condoms to their officers so that they can practice safe shotgun sex.”

          There ya’ go.

    • @ JW Crawford-
      I agree with your comments about 3rd Gen S&W semiautos. DAO pistols seem like a good option as well.
      Hammer down, safety off, on a loaded chamber offers the advantages you mentioned. As safe to carry and as quick to get into action as a DA revolver.
      Arguably safer to carry than a 1911 in Cond 1, or any pistol with a trigger safety only.
      I’m comfortable with the 1911. But I have a lot of respect for those 3rd Gen Smiths.

  15. I want my carry guns to work the way I want them to. Any piece or tool can be made to work better then the way it comes out of a box. A gun in particular is an amalgamation of parts mostly made on a per cost basis.
    The best quality springs may not be in your gun. Just the ones that fit the costs the manufacturer wants to spend.
    You want to make changes to your carry gun go ahead and make it yours.
    Afraid the courts may see it differently. If you have to use your gun.
    Old wives tale and one I don’t believe in.

  16. I changed the stock grips on my two Ruger SP101s for a pair of Badger Custom Grips that better fit my hands. The stock grips are tiny to facilitate concealment but they are more appropriate for somebody David Hogg’s size than for somebody with extra large hands. Except for having to re-tighten the screw once on the grips for the snub-nose there has not been any problems.

  17. I sort of agree. If you feel you have to swap out key components on your carry gun, you bought the wrong gun. The plus side to this is that if you follow Boch’s rule there would be a lot fewer Gloves sold.

  18. Gun manufacturers put pieces and parts in guns so they function and are as cheap as possible so as to maximize profit.

    Glock, is the example here and we know that “perfection” means efficient production and so-so precision. Changing out a connector to increase shootability/hitability should be expected.

    Smith and Wesson revolvers can be tremendously smooth and shoot able but not so much as they leave the factory. A polish and smoothing job can easily increase score by 20% without lightening any spring.

    It should be expected that guns will be tuned in this age of drop in parts that require no hand fitting.

    My Glock 43 and 48 had 8 lbs trigger pulls out of the box. Glock’s one-size-fits-all policy maximizes their profit and ensures a crap pull on their smaller pistols.

    • My G43 also had a terrible trigger. I shot it so poorly I thought something was wrong with it, because all my other Glocks are pretty much tack drivers. Once I installed a Ghost connector and changed the firing pin spring for a lighter one, it now has a trigger that feels like my other factory Glock triggers.

      My other carry pistols are Kahrs, and the only mods I’ve done to the polymer ones are the addition of Talon grips and a CT Laserguard. Oh, and I’ve polished all of their slides.

  19. By your “logic” we should still be living in caves…Not only do you NOT make ANY compelling arguments for not upgrading, you most certainly don’t make any arguments for upgrading either…

    Additionally, touting your “expertise” is a real good way of putting people off, nobody cares where or with whom you’ve “trained” with, name dropping is a piss poor way to show ANY kind of leadership…

  20. Nice concept but practically everything manufactured on a large scale is made completely out of parts procured from the lowest bidder, using materials procured from the lowest bidder, and manufacturing procedures and parts are regularly altered with the primary goal of decreasing production costs. None of the above makes anything more reliable. Then when it’s on the shelf for sale, customers say it costs too much.

    • You’ll need the officially licensed T-Shirt in order for that to function reliably.

      • T shirts fall off of me , you can put a t shirt on a dog but possums shoulders are different. Well shot out of the saddle again.

  22. I have “upgraded” one of my Glocks. I put in a match grade barrel, Hyve trigger, new springs and a host of other modifications including of course, the sights. It is very attractive and accurate and I’ve never had a malfunction with the “upgrades”. That said, I never carry it. I carry a very basic and stock Glock with just an upgrade to night sights. I’ve also never had a problem with my “carry” Glock. To me it’s a matter of what’s comfortable for you. I really don’t need to shoot a felon with an “awesome sauce” looking gun. I just need to shoot him before he harms me or my loved ones. Isn’t that why we carry?

  23. “If Gaston Glock wanted different springs in his masterpiece, he would have had people with the appropriate engineering and metallurgy degrees and experience make them.”

    And this is the problem with the article. It put’s the Glock on some sort of untouchable pedestal. Here’s the thing though…

    The Glock is not a masterpiece.

    The author says that it’s not meant to be a work of art… but calling it a “masterpiece” is to imply that, in fact, it is a work of art. It is not… it is a commercial product design to operate within set of criteria based in part on price point. To say that is a masterpiece that shouldn’t be messed with is to say the Big Mac is a masterpiece that shouldn’t be messed with beyond what Jim Delligatti (it’s creator) intended. Sorry, but I’m getting extra pickles on my Big Mac, I don’t care what you say. And maybe some bacon.

    While it’s true there are a lot of crappy “upgrades” for firearms out there… there are many that aren’t. Now, I personally am not a fan of Glocks, but it’s for the same reason’s I don’t like pineapple… I just don’t. There’s nothing inherently wrong with them. But neither are they perfect. Their barrels are good enough… but if I want a better barrel, why not? The grip texture is good enough… but if I want it stippled, why not? The recoil springs are good enough… but the author doesn’t believe there are truly better springs out there?

  24. Somewhere I read that one does not want to carry a super-expensive carry pistol because if it is used in a defensive shooting, the police will confiscate it for evidence and you might not get it back for a long time, if ever. I would suspect that the same theory applies to putting a lot of expensive mods on one’s carry pistol. Like the author, I have night sights on my carry pistols, but other than that the only mods I’ve had done are trigger jobs. My auto pistols function properly, so I haven’t had to swap out springs to prevent malfunctions. However, replacement springs are relatively cheap mods, so something like that I wouldn’t worry about.

  25. I have a better reason; “Beware the man with one gun. He can probably use it.” -Jeff Cooper
    Or rather, Cooper has the better reason. I just believe the same thing.
    As to functional reliability, never trust your life to some factory, no matter how much it gets hyped. Or hypes itself. Instead ALWAYS test YOUR gun with the ammo YOU choose to carry, no matter what its brand name or reputation. And no matter what parts you may choose to replace.
    Make any changes at all, and you should test fire another hundred rounds. If the gun/ammo pass that test, that will statistically mean a 99%+ reliability. I consider that sufficient, since 100% is unobtainable. Whether its on the stock springs(or whatever other part) or not is irrelevant.
    That’s what I always recommend to all clients, even if I built the gun personally. Even if it passed my personal test firing, I’m not you, and likely won’t choose the same ammo or grip the gun the same. Carry guns require personal testing. Full stop.

  26. Apparently Gaston Glock did not foresee to coming of the 10MM “hardcast” lead round or he might have left instructions to build a better barrel. Changes to my G29 (Alphawolf barrel, internal Lasermax laser w/factory spring and adjustable night sights). I don’t care what anyone else carries or what they do to it, I have every confidence in my Glock which I have fired regularly for years without failure. If you don’t like a Glock that’s okay if you feel the need to badmouth a Glock that’s okay too, “God bless the 1st AND 2nd Amendments”.

    • How many rounds have you shot through that gun? My Lasermax rod broke rather quickly and you do have to swap out the spring every 5,000 rounds, or earlier if you are shooting hot loads. As for the aftermarket barrel, totally unnecessary.

      • I have fired at least 1000 through the stock barrel but Glock does not recommend shooting hard cast lead through their barrel so yes an after market piece was necessary to me (for peace of mind) and actually improved my 50 plus yard groups with 185 grain flat nose and hollow points as well. The laser has shown no signs of fatigue and still holds zero when checked with in barrel laser.

  27. What about polishing the feed ramp on a cheap-ass ATI 1911 so it actually chambers rounds reliably? Mine would hang up on good old 230gr FMJ. Swapping out the garbage mag it came with for Kimpro Tac mags helped, but taking a felt wheel on a Dremel and some polishing compound to the feed ramp and the roof of the chamber is what cured it.

  28. Now see, I came here thinking this article would be about things that, for example, Mas Ayoob has seen where prosecutors have used having a trigger job as ‘proof they wanted to kill someone’

    But no, you start out with how glocks are perfect and you shouldn’t disturb perfection. You know, a lot of people are actually smart enough to test something like a trigger expensively to make sure its not going to fail. Also, most of the replacement parts people use on a glock are metal, which i somehow thing will wear just as well or better than the plastic internal parts on a glock. You think people like Apex don’t have experienced engineers that know what metallurgy to use for parts? You think Wolff Gunsprings doesn’t know metallurgy either?

  29. I look at this the same way I do with dive gear. Modifications make some sense to a point depending on intended purpose. Past that point buy a different gun.

    As for service, yeah, trusting life saving equipment to Bubba’s Service Shop Inc prolly isn’t the best idea ever.

    Either way, factory all the way to full custom, test that shit before your life depends on it working.

  30. Before investing in the latest and greatest, it is claimed by the guy selling it, do-dad for your carry gun, do not forget The KISS Principle, aka Keep It Simple Stupid.

    • “So TTAG! Which is it upgrade or not? ”

      The article seemed to convey the idea that there is no problem upgrading the fun guns, but leave the carry gun as original as possible.

  32. “If Gaston Glock wanted different springs in his masterpiece,”
    Wow, you seem to lack an understanding of manufacturing. If a $1.00 works well but a $3 spring is the cat’s meow, Gaston put in the $1 spring.
    It appears you can get paid to write about things with out understanding them in the very least. Who knew?

  33. Also, in a questionable GDU in which the good guys intentions/circumstances aren’t crystal clear, an aggressive anti-gun prosecutor will use every modifications in your gun against you. Eg. a lighter trigger will be presented to a jury as a way ” to pump more bullets into the deceased” because you had prepared an “assassin gun”, or something like that. Another thing, never engrave any wording or graphics on your carry gun (like the “Punisher” or a Bible verse). It won’t help your aim or your cause. Just saying.

  34. All this talk about modifications increasing your criminal liability is nonsense. I changed the sights on my Sig because this German made gun is made for the sights to cover the target. I have all my firearms with a 6 o’clock hold. I want to see the individuals hands in case they are surrendering. This is much like adjusting the mirrors on a car to see. I also changed the trigger. Not to make it faster but rather because I have very long fingers and needed to be able to adjust the pull length to my long hands. I did this much like I adjust the seat in any car I drive, for safety purposes. I also changed to a lighter mainspring, also because of my long hands. I tended to pull the 9 lb pull trigger off target which, in a defensive usage, would unnecessarily endanger innocent lives. I also changed the trigger to balance out with the lighter mainspring. The pull is still around 4 lbs and is not by any means a “hair trigger”. if you are forced by some violent perpetrator into a defensive action to protect your life or the life of another, and you have elected to carry a firearm, then you had best be responsible enough to have one that you can safely use and is setup with the proper settings to stop the threat as quickly as possible while minimizing endangering others around you.

  35. “The author’s intent is 100% correct: Modifications to a carry gun should be avoided unless very carefully considered, properly done, and thoroughly tested. BUT PLEASE don’t try to pass off that “If Gaston Glock wanted…” nonsense as if it made any sense at all.”

    Well put.

    If you draw your CCW as someone who’s been there, there are a few other issues.

    First the actual circumstances. I stopped a home invasion / burglary in progress. No shots fired. Simply caught them at the onset and they surrendered. Only mods on my glock were MRD sight and custom trigger.

    Luck with police. No shots fired. 2A friendly. Asked me for obvious reasons about the gun and mods. Admired them. I mentioned frequent range time and use of MILO range at NRA. DIDN’T volunteer information. Didn’t have lawyer as I was guest in person house and no shots fired.

    Never went to trial as prosecutors pled down the case to avoid trial

    Admittedly not worse case circumstances. Just not be showy about modifications. Lawyer up if weapon, be polite but say NOTHING.

    Get range time. I haven’t trained with the “best” but I have used MILO range at NRA. It’s outstanding. Worth it.

  36. The basis behind the article is pretty bad. If there was nothing that could be improved by modifying your carry gun because the glock is already optimized to perfection for reliability like you claimed then how come they are on their 5th generation? Like others have mentioned the guns are designed and manufactured to a price point, not upmost reliability. Also Glock and other gun manufacturers don’t necessarily have the best engineers working for them. An engineer for one of the aftermarket companies may be even better or just have some new improved idea they didn’t think of. That doesn’t mean the gun is going to break. As long as it was designed properly to work with the specific gun and tested properly it should have no issues and maybe could even improve the reliability. Glock has had initial releases of new models come out with reliability issues because their engineers aren’t perfect and they make mistakes. Also if I am replacing a Glock part with a basically identical aftermarket piece that is made of stronger materials and with a better surface finish I would say that modded Glock would be more accurate.

  37. I carry a race gun built on an aftermarket glock frame. If i cant draw from a concealed position and mag dump all 15 rounds before the perp hits the ground Im not doing my part to defend myself and those around me, yut.

  38. Sorry, I have to jump in and say that very importantly a Glock should never be trusted to carry for personal protection without upgrading it. They are made with faults. i would unflinchingly suggest a CZ (the most copied firearm in the world) or a Sig. Neither requires any upgrading and can be fully trusted.

  39. I’ve read a lot of posts about the danger of being prosecuted for having a modified trigger on a gun used in a shooting. I was in LE for 35 years, and now am working for a public defender’s office. A client was just defended where it was argued he didn’t intentionally shoot the victim. At no time did the prosecutor inquire about the trigger, nor did the state crime lab mention the trigger pull in their report. I would like some information from anyone who can cite specific cases where this was an issue, since this subject has been an interest of mine for quite some time. BTW the client avoided convictions on Malicious Wounding and other charges that would have led to 40 plus years. The grasp reflex was the issue in play.

  40. Forgot about “upgrading” whatever your carry piece might be. Spend that money on professional quality training and practice.

  41. Gun wise I AGREE…110%!!!!

    Question about instructors? How many “Qualified” Instructors have actually been in a fire fight? I’m others who have not been in a fire fight has no value BUT…is it worth the time and $$$$s to take training from someone who is not actually teaching from real life, been in a fire fight, experience?

    Maybe this is a question for another time??

    • “…training from someone who is not actually teaching from real life, been in a fire fight, experience?”

      Always a question to consider, but…

      The implication is no trainer/teacher is competent to teach a subject with which they have no direct, hands-on background. I once taught nuclear weapons handling, configuration, usage and effects. Not once had I ever actually built such a weapon, or loaded one aboard a delivery system. Further, I could not vouch for the information validity as I also had never used one. Did that mean all the information transmitted during training/instruction was bogus, to be dismissed as urban legend?

      • Point taken! IMHO I’m guessing there are more qualified LE & Military people that have been in firefights than there are who have built and detonated a NUKE! I have a CCP….I don’t think I need a NUKE.

        FYI – In my US ARMY experience in the very early 1970s 2 people out of my company were recruited for EOD school – The BONUS was if we passed Conventional EOD school they wanted us to continue to NUKE school! I declined!!!!! I di obtain my MOS of 45B20…Small Arms Repairman!!

        • “The BONUS was if we passed Conventional EOD school they wanted us to continue to NUKE school! I declined!!!!!”

          Have to admit I wasn’t especially keen to go to nuke weapons instructor school. However, I was stationed in “…the north country fair, where the winds hit heavy on the border line.”, and the school was in much nicer environs in January. There was no snow, temps were above freezing, and no body shooting at me; life was good. The payoff was being “certified” to produce and conduct training sessions attended by 30+ bored “crew dogs” who would rather be just about anywhere else.

          • Understood!1 Got my MOS training @ APG – I’m guessing you know where that’s at – I’m actually GLAD there are people who do what I declined to do!! THANKS for your SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            • “THANKS for your SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

              While I generally enjoy receiving credit (even for stuff I didn’t do), it is discomforting receiving recognition for service…I got paid for it, after all.

  42. Always learning, and this piece was chocked full of information. It confirmed a hypothesis I have been noodling around for some time. It goes something like this: The 2nd Amendment is going to be judicially nullified as the most ardent of gun owners are incapable or organizing to prevent this outcome. They can’t organize because the vast majority can’t have a conversation with each other without that conversation turning into a shouting match about the most inane of topics”.

    I thought the Harley people that ride to an event v. the Harley people that trailer was the ultimate of name calling disagreements. I was wrong.

    • “They can’t organize because the vast majority can’t have a conversation with each other without that conversation turning into a shouting match about the most inane of topics.”

      Life is a never-ending series of fist-fights. (even though I agree with you)

  43. Wait, so converting your revolver to magazine feeding is a step too far?

    Oops.

    • “Wait, so converting your revolver to magazine feeding is a step too far?
      Oops.”

      That was funny.

  44. Factory stock RM380 in pocket holster. Gun needs nothing else….

    Tank full of gas,
    Wallet full of cash,

    Ready for the world outside the home.

  45. Man this site has gone downhill. This kind of blowhard, know-it-all, bullshit writing absolutely sucks. The idea that most of us aren’t as smart as you and we haven’t trained as hard and we could only screw up our guns by fiddling with them is the last thing I want to read about.

    Maybe if it were accompanied by anything resembling numbers, science, or data I’d be willing to listen. This article is the functional equivalent of the old FUDD standing at the counter of the old gun store no one buys from any more.

  47. If you want to upgrade your carry gun I think it’s fine as long as you test your weapon for reliability before you carry it. Any weapon you carry needs to earn your trust stock or not.

  48. Whenever I come across an article like this, it makes me wonder if the author has ever fired a gun more than once. If guns came perfect from the factory, there would be no aftermarket support for it. I remember when things like facts and Journalist integrity were a thing.

    Since Glock has the largest aftermarket support of any pistol on the market, this is simply not the case. How many people have been prosecuted while using an enhanced pistol in self defense? The answer is goose eggs.

    • Apparently you’re too busy pooh-poohing the article to read the examples I posted from Mas Ayoob.

        • I didnt say that in any way shape or form, I just cited intances Mas Ayoob had posted years ago where procesutors went after people for modified guns. He probably has newer ones, too, since he kind does this whole ‘gun expert testimony’ thing on a regular basis, or helps attorneys find experts for said testimony.

  49. I see the point he is making. I carry a Bersa TPR9c for my carry gun. It is a good gun. I put night sights on it. That is it. I really like my Bersa, it has proven itself to be a very reliable gun, more accurate than I am, and I trust my life with it. It is less than $400. If I do have to use it, it will be confiscated. I am not out a WHOLE lot of money, but I feel I have a good pistol. I wouldn’t want to carry anything that is expensive to me. Which I would say is over $500.00 because I don’t want it confiscated in case I use it because of the cost.

  50. Im sorry, but I respectfully disagree. As someone who builds guns, is an NRA instructor, does Security Contracting, and shoots competitively, many guns out there leave a lot to be desired as a carry piece. Since people above have brough up “Glock”, I will explain why. I have several Glocks. My G19 is my carry piece. I only run stock mags that have no reliability issues, but I have also upgraded several things. I added a ZEV barrel which made my accuracy at least 50% better. If youre ever involved in a self defense shooting, you know, you are responisble for every round that leaves that weapon. That said, I want mine shootingsuper accurate. I added front serations to my slide. For those of you that carry with one in the pipe, you chamber a round before you leave the house. Glocks dont have a safety to carry “cocked and locked”. Therefor, I do NOT carry with one in the pipe. I utilize the Israeli Draw in which you remove your gun from the holster and rack it as your pushing it out. Having extra serations on the front ensures I can rack it faster and more accurately. I also added night sights in the event of a dark self defense shooting, and I also added an extended slide release lever which is much easier to activate. All of these things ensure if I have to use my weapon in self defense, its going to work, Im going to see what I am shooting at, and when I squeeze the trigger, the round is going to go where I am aiming. I also train 3-4 times a month with this gun, so I know it is 100% reliable. In fact, it has proven to be reliable in situations and conditions where other side arms have failed (one instance was literally a sand storm). Its reliability and functionality is why I carry it over my 13 other hand guns.

  52. Calm down people. Most of us are of the gun culture. Carry what you want. Myself I have never even fired a Glock. Not the style of gun I like but that don’t mean I am going to bitch at you if you have 1. If we all used the same shit it would be a boring world for sure. It’s your money make yourself happy how ever you want to upgrade your gun. Just don’t shove it down someone else’s throat when you do. For me I leave mine plain & simple as all the extras in my opinion don’t always make it any better. I have never had a cheap gun not work when I needed it to. To each their own here.
    We don’t need to fight amongst ourselves when we need to be fighting all these libs trying to take away our 2nd amendment rights. That’s where the real fight is.

  53. I say this all the time… I see a bunch of these internet warriors that go spend like 2,000 extra dollars on a gun for parts they don’t need that give them no extra benefit whatsoever…..because they’re probably a horrible shot in the first place and couldn’t get shots on target quick in a bad situation if their life depended on it…..plus it’s really stupid to dump a bunch of money into a carry gun because if you ever have to use it you’re never going to get it back because it instantly becomes police evidence even if you were innocent so you can kiss all your nice little parts and expensive toys goodbye on it…..

    • “…if you ever have to use it you’re never going to get it back because it instantly becomes police evidence even if you were innocent…”

      Not really certain that “evidence” is restricted only to your carry gun (especially in the event of a DGU in your home).

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