With the right upgrades and care, like custom handgun holsters, you can enjoy years of target shooting with your new Glock. Even if you are new to handguns, there are plenty of things you can do at home yourself. Gather up a few basic household items like isopropyl alcohol and high-quality parts and customize your firearm.
- Change Out the Trigger
A smooth trigger makes shooting more fun, quicker, and more accurate. Glock triggers are notorious for their poor travel distance and stickiness. Luckily, they are incredibly easy to change out and upgrade. Look for a Glock drop in trigger group that you can swap out in well under an hour, even if you have no gunsmithing experience at all. In addition to giving you a smoother pull and a quicker reset, a new trigger group can be customized in a variety of colors to complement your other upgrades.
- Replace a Firing Pin
Worn or damaged firing pins and springs are a common cause of misfires. If you’ve noticed wear or a rough patch on your firing pin, it may be time to do a little repair work. Replacing a firing pin and its accompanying spring is a relatively straightforward operation.
- Upgrade your Grip
Enhanced grips are easy to achieve at home with either heat or by applying decal grips. Stippling is a great permanent solution that involves melting the polymer frame of your firearm. A soldering iron or wood-burning tool can be used to get uniform shapes, although a random dot pattern may be the best-and most forgiving-place to start.
- Add Optics
Factory sights provide adequate alignment with your target in many situations. Sometimes, though, you want a little more help and accuracy. Maybe your vision up close isn’t quite what it used to be, or you find it difficult to focus on distant objects. In those cases, turn to laser sights or other enhanced optics. Most can be installed with simple household tools you probably already have, like a screwdriver or Allen wrench.
As a reminder, general firearm safety precautions should always be taken when working with your handgun. That means checking to be absolutely sure it is empty before you get started and wearing safety glasses where appropriate. Laying a light-colored towel or cloth down on your work surface can help you keep track of smaller parts that might otherwise get misplaced in the process.
You don’t need a lot of experience to perform routine maintenance and upgrades to a Glock. Plus, working on your own firearm gives you a chance to see its inner working and get a better understanding of its operation. That can make you a better shooter.
