Glock pistols are like ATMs, smart phones and digital cameras. What did we do before them? Simplicity is one of the reasons I like Glocks. They're easy to use, easy to maintain and easy to tear down, reassemble and customize. I’m a simple kind of man that way. If you own a Glock, there are numerous aftermarket modifications you can make to it. Modifications that can immediately increase hits on target, and all without the use of tools or need of special skills and installed in seconds, pique my interest. Here are three simple DIY enhancements.
Sights
Iron sights, or in the case of Glock plastic sights, are standard equipment. They work, plain and simple, but if I am in a parking lot at night and a threat is approaching me and my vehicle or there’s a bad actor across my pitch-black bedroom, I want an advantage. In real life, you don’t have the luxury of time like you do at the public gun range. Life is fluid, and your shooting should be, too. The Meprolight FT Bullseye sight that enables a user to shoot fast and accurately while keeping both eyes open. The FT Bullseye is a micro optic pistol sight with a footprint that is a fraction of the size of the typical reflex sight.
It replaces the rear sight, so there is no need for the front sight. The design is streamlined and flat and hits the top of the slide. There is no need for batteries, and you don’t need to change your holster to accommodate the sight.
Using a combination of fiber optics and tritium, the FT Bullseye can be used with both eyes for better target acquisition. No need to align front and rear sights. All that is required is to align the bright bullseye dot on target and press the trigger. The unit is available in either a red- or green-dot bullseye.
I mounted and zeroed the FT Bullseye and shot a few magazines of ammo through it, firing for speed at 10 yards. It took me no time to acclimate myself to the dot. It is much faster than using traditional iron sights, and it works in bright light as well as it does in dim light.
Guide Rod
Faster recovery from recoil means you can get on target faster for a follow-up shot. The GlockStore produces a Heavy Tungsten Guide Rod for Gen 4 Glocks that is three times as heavy as the factory plastic guide rod, so it adds a bit more weight at the muzzle end of the pistol. It will not bend or flex like the factory plastic guide. Accuracy is enhanced using the rigid tungsten guide rod, since the slide returns to battery in the same position.
GlockStore claims its guide rod will reduce felt recoil and muzzle flip. My skepticism was tripped, so I had to experience it myself. Installation is as easy as field-stripping the pistol and replacing the factory guide rod with the tungsten guide rod. I used a G17 Gen 4 on-hand, and the weight of the tungsten guide is quite noticeable compared to the weight of the factory guide rod. The tungsten guide rod, like the factory Glock guide, uses 17-pound springs in the G17. At the range, I ran a magazine through the G17 Gen 4 with the factory guide rod then swapped it ot for the tungsten guide rod and ran another magazine through it. The felt recoil was noticeably reduced, and I was able to get on target faster.
Trigger
The trigger is the thing. Glock pistol triggers have a ramp-up time, since they are so unlike traditional SA or SA/DA pistol triggers. The LWD Ultimate Adjustable Trigger from Lone Wolf Distributors offers a drop-in alternative. Constructed of aluminum, the LWD trigger is smooth and symmetrical with the safety lever flush, so shooting is more comfortable. The cool thing about the Lone Wolf LWD Ultimate Trigger is the adjustments for pre- and over-travel without removing the trigger from the frame. A small hex screws allows adjustment. For pre-travel, remove the slide and adjust from inside the frame. To adjust over-travel, use the hex wrench on the backside of the trigger shoe. This trigger has less wobble between the shoe and trigger bar. Sure, this modification takes a tool and some time, but you will immediately see and feel a difference.
