USPSA Production Race Gun - Modifications to a Glock pistol
Last year I got into competition shooting with a focus on USPSA, IDPA and 3 Gun. I just posted this at the Enos forum but want it to be here too. Please read, digest and enjoy.
Also take note that this is a competition game gun, not a duty gun - so if you want one place to come see where you can make ALL possible modifications to a Glock pistol while keeping it USPSA Production legal, this is the place. These are NOT recommendations of what you should do to your duty, self defense, carry, home defense, or serious use gun.
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Production Glock Modification List
The point of making this thread was to give Production Glock shooters a central place to come to check ALL the modifications they CAN make to their guns and remain Production legal. Even with all the restrictions in Production, so much can be modified on a Glock, possibly some parts that a competitor has given no thought to. Often times I have heard that X isn’t worth changing because it doesn’t matter. Well, that may be true. For others it may offer some limited competitive advantage that most shooters will never see. But, for some who have never thought to do X, it may matter, and to anyone who wants to take every possible advantage allowed in a Production gun, here are your options. I’m not trying to push any products or services, or saying that to be competitive you should do all these things, I’m just trying to sensibly lay out the options and spread some knowledge.
I. First we must ask ourselves what are the parts available in Production rules for modification?
Slide
“You may replace the slide with an OEM or aftermarket slide which is of the same length, contour, and caliber as the original slide for that model of gun.” (Appendix D4, Rule 21.3)
Barrel
“You may replace the barrel with an OEM or aftermarket barrel which is of the same length, contour and caliber as the original barrel for that model of gun.” (Appendix D4, Rule 21.3)
Grip
“For semi-automatic Production guns, grip tape, grip sleeves, checkering, stippling or other texture may only be applied in the areas shown in appendix E4.” (Appendix D4, Rule 21.4 and Appendix E4)
Internal Parts (OEM/Aftermarket)
“Any other part which is NOT visible when the gun is in battery is considered an internal part, MAY be modified or replaced with OEM or aftermarket parts.” (Appendix D4, Rule 21.5)
Guide Rod
Recoil Spring
Striker
Spacer sleeve
Firing pin spring
Spring cups
Firing pin safety
Firing pin safety spring
Magazine Catch Spring
Extractor Depressor Plunger
Extractor Depressor Plunger Spring
Slide Lock Spring (but not slide lock lever)
Locking Block
Trigger Mechanism Housing
Ejector
Connector
Trigger Spring
Trigger Bar
Channel Liner
Externally Visible Parts (OEM/Aftermarket)
“Sights, firing pins, firing pin retainers, extractors and ejectors MAY be replaced with OEM or aftermarket parts.” (Appendix D4, Rule 21.6)
Sights
Frame pins?
Extractor
Externally Visible Parts (OEM only)
“Any other components which are externally visible may ONLY be replaced with OEM parts, which are offered on the specific model of gun, or another approved gun from the same manufacturer.” (Appendix D4, Rule 21.6)
Spring-Loaded Bearing
Slide Cover Plate
Magazine Catch
Slide Lock
Slide Stop Lever
Trigger
Frame pins?
II. Then we must ask ourselves what parts on a Glock pistol, will result in a competitive advantage? These are the ones I think could result in a competitive advantage.
Slide Parts
Sights
Slide
Barrel
Guide Rod
Recoil Spring
Striker
Striker Spring
Firing Pin Safety
Firing Pin Safety Spring
Extractor
Extractor spring
Frame Parts
Grip
Trigger Bar
Connector
Trigger Spring
Trigger Mechanism Housing
No Competitive Advantage
Spacer Sleeve
Magazine Catch Spring
Extractor Depressor Plunger
Extractor Depressor Plunger Spring
Slide Lock Spring (but not slide lock lever)
Locking Block
Channel Liner
Spring Cups
Ejector
Frame pins?
III. So now that we’ve established what can be upgraded to yield a competitive advantage, what are the options?
Slide Parts
Sights – Sights are personal so before you buy something that you think is amazing, look at all your options. There are black sights, dot sights, fiber optics, fixed, adjustable, and the list goes on. Personally I like black serrated front and rear sights with a thin front post and a thin rear notch, but I would have never known if I hadn’t tried a dozen various options. (Popular companies are Dawson Precision, Warren Tactical, etc)
Slide – Glock slides can be fitted to rails and this will help with trigger pull and accuracy. (JP Enterprises offers this service but it is also possible to do yourself if you can find the thread on Enos and you’re familiar with gunsmithing. I would not recommend you do this yourself if you are not experienced.)
Barrel – Accurized barrels can be used, and fitted to the gun. (Wilson Combat, KKM, Barsto, Lone Wolf Distributing, Briley offer aftermarket options)
Guide Rod – Heavier guide rods can be used to make the gun more front heavy and reduce felt recoil. (Various manufacturers offer stainless, tungsten, captured/un-captured options.)
Recoil Spring – Spring weight can be tuned to your ammo/load. (Find out what is optimal for your pet load, and understand that this may affect a custom tuned extractor and therefore your ejection pattern.)
Striker – A lightened striker with extended firing pin tip can be used for a reduced trigger weight while mitigating the risk of light strikes. Additionally, some work may be done to the foot of the striker to smooth out the part sitting against the rear of the cruciform. (Polishing an OEM part such as in this tutorial - http://www.m4carbine...310#post1288310, or buying something from Glockworx, Lightning Stike, or Jaeger are common options when changing strikers.)
Striker Spring – A lighter spring can be used to reduce pull weight but it should be strong enough to avoid light strikes. You may also want to pair this with an extended striker if you're going to use a light striker spring. (Wolff, Glockworx, Glockmeister, Vanek are good options but people have also measured and cut their factory springs with mixed results if you are so inclined)
Firing Pin Safety – A rounded, lightened, polished safety can be used to reduce pull weight and smooth the "bump" that happens when the vertical section of the trigger bar pushes the firing pin safety out of the way. (Glockmeister, Glockworx, Lonewolf, and Zev offer parts to this effect but a home job is available here - http://www.m4carbine...350#post1288350)
Firing Pin Safety Spring – A lightened spring can be used to reduce pull weight but it should be strong enough to keep the mechanism engaged when not shooting. (Glockmeister, Glockworx, Lonewolf, Zev offer this part)
Extractor – The extractor can be custom tuned for a good ejection pattern instead of throwing brass everywhere, many Glocks have reported erractic ejection patterns to include throwing brass back at the shooter's face. According to this thread on Enos discussing the an aftermarket extractor and the rules – http://www.brianenos...howtopic=180075, the APEX extractor is legal in Production. An APEX extractor can be bought and installed by following this link - http://www.apextacti...-g-fre-fitting/)
Extractor Spring – The extractor spring needs to be correct for a tuned extractor, if you're going to use the OEM extractor then use the OEM spring. If you're going to use an APEX extractor, use the APEX spring.
Frame Parts
Grip – Apply stippling or grip tape where it is allowed. Most of the time having stippling or grip tape won't make a big difference, but sometimes it does. (Professional grade stippling is offered by a bunch of companies however an amateur job can be just as effective, and there are also multiple options for grip tape – Dawson, Gorilla, etc.)
Trigger Bar – The trigger bar can be polished with angles reduced and smoothed where it contacts other internals for a reduced and smoothed trigger pull. (There are several companies that offer “upgraded” trigger bars with drop in kits however this can be accomplished using OEM parts at this link and you'll be fine as long as you're not overly agressive - http://www.m4carbine...081#post1287081)
Connector – The connector should be polished and slightly bent out from the housing towards the frame to prevent contact with the backside of the connector channel in the trigger housing. (There are several companies that offer pre-polished connectors, and even a few that offer an even lighter angle of descent on the connector’s arm which will reduce trigger pull further but increase the distance the trigger travels. If you’re content with the OEM weight and just want a smoother pull, you can find out how to do it yourself here - http://www.m4carbine...847#post1287847)
Trigger Spring – The trigger spring can be replaced with a heavier spring for a lighter pull. (Several companies offer trigger springs such as Glockmeister, Zev, etc)
Trigger Mechanism Housing – An overtravel stop can be built in to the housing to prevent the trigger from being pulled rearward more than necessary. (Several companies offer these with drop in kits)
I hope this information was helpful to some of you in some way, and gives you a starting off point to modify your Glock pistol into a Production Race Gun if you choose to do so. I understand that not everyone is going to see all the parts as big advantages and I don't want the thread to devolve into bickering about what's "worth" changing. If you have more parts to list, or ways to enchance a Glock and keep it Production legal, please join in on this thread.
*Diclaimer - All parts should be changed by a certified gunsmith, someone who is qualified to do the work, or yourself AT YOUR OWN RISK. Additionally, if you are unsure of the parts being legal in the division that you shoot in then check before you shoot, be able to cite the rules supporting your gear, or be ready to play in Open with the true race guns.
Re: USPSA Production Race Gun - Modifications to a Glock pistol
Excellent write up but I thought a HEAVIER (stronger) trigger spring lightens the pull weight due to assisting the rearward motion of the trigger bar.
I apologize if I am incorrect but that's how I understood it.
Best
Harold
Trigger Spring – The trigger spring can be replaced with a lighter spring for a lighter pull. (Several companies offer lighter trigger springs such as Glockmeister, Zev, etc
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