2 DIY Upgrades to Get the Most Out of Your Glock

Target acquisition, trigger press, recoil recovery. When you shoot any firearm, these three steps are repeated until the threat is stopped or the training drill has been completed. The faster you can accurately perform these steps, the better you will be able to defend yourself. The process becomes repetitive in training sessions because they are typically held in controlled environments where you engage two-dimensional targets at a set distance and from a standing position.

Life isn’t always like this, however. Threats do not follow a standard set of rules. I guess that’s why they say life is complicated. I like simplicity, however, which is one of the reasons I like Glock semi-auto pistols. They are easy to use, easy to maintain and easy to modify.

If you own a Glock, there are numerous aftermarket modifications to make your Glock work better with your body type and shooting style. Some modifications—those that can be made without the use of tools or special skills—can immediately increase your accuracy and performance.

One modification is to upgrade to a better aiming system. Of course, Glocks come with fixed sights that are simple and work well. But if I have to engage a threat from an unconventional position or in a dark or poorly lit location, I’ll take any advantage I can get.

C-ing Clearly

C-More Systems recently introduced the LAZRpoint MTL-OS, a snap-on laser sight with adjustable backup sights. There are no modifications required to mount the LAZRpoint to your pistol. It simply uses magnets and snaps over the existing rear sight of your Glock. In fact, the LAZRpoint works with all Glock models except for the company’s thin subcompacts. The LAZRpoint has a polymer housing and measures 2.46 inches long, 1.33 inches wide and 1.4 inches tall. When it’s attached to a Glock, it adds about half an inch of height to the top of the slide. Additionally, the laser will sit about 0.25 inches above the slide when mounted.

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The LAZRpoint features a 5mW red laser and runs on one CR2032 lithium battery. The laser and integrated iron sights are completely adjustable for windage and elevation via a series of hex-head screws. The iron sights can be co-witnessed with the laser, or the two sets of sights can be adjusted independently. The laser is activated by a button located at the rear of the unit. Press and hold the button for one second and the device turns on; press and hold it for one second and it turns off. The device also features an auto-off feature to reserve battery power after 10 minutes of inactivity.

Quick Installation

I consider myself a healthy skeptic, and a laser mounted to a handgun with magnets tripped my skepticism radar. When I spoke with a company representative at C-More about the mounting system, he said the company tested the sight on all generations and calibers of Glocks. The company even took the sight off of different Glock pistols and reattached it without losing its zero. This held true even when changing to different-caliber pistols— a hat tip to how well Glock holds its slides to tight specifications.

The polymer flexes to fit over and snap onto the slide, and when the LAZRpoint is in place, there is no wiggle or movement—it’s rock solid. The sides of the unit cover the Glock’s slide serrations, so C-More molded grooves onto the unit. Simply grasp the sight’s sides and rack the gun using a pinch-and-pull method. I also used the front of the sight as an impromptu brace for better leverage. I even used the sight on the edge of the shooting bench to cock the pistol. It was plenty rugged, and the laser did not lose its zero. There was also no need to change holsters, which is often a requirement when mounting other laser sights.

I zeroed the LAZRpoint at 10 yards and ran a few magazines of reloaded ammo through my Glock 17 Gen3. Then I removed the sight and reattached it, and it didn’t lose its zero. Then I moved the LAZRpoint to to my Glock 17 Gen4, and it didn’t lose its zero again. The laser dot was easy to see on the target, except in bright sunlight. In those situations, the iron sights can be used as a backup.

With the LAZRpoint attached, the Glock was easy to aim and fire accurately when shooting from unorthodox positions—at waist height, with the butt anchored to the side of my chest and sitting on the ground. In standard shooting positions, the LAZRpoint also increased my accuracy.

Recoil Reducer

Faster recovery from recoil means you can get on target faster for a follow-up shot or transition to a new target. A firm grip helps to control recoil. Over time, Glock continually tweaked its pistols, and the company’s Gen4 models now use dual recoil spring assemblies to reduce felt recoil better than the originals models.

Taking things a step further, the GlockStore produces Heavy Tungsten Guide Rods for Gen4 Glocks. These guide rods are three times as heavy as the factory plastic guide rod, so they add a bit more weight at the muzzle end of the pistol. They also won’t bend or break like the factory plastic guide rod, so the slide will always come back in the same position. The GlockStore claims its guide rods will reduce felt recoil and muzzle flip. Again my skepticism was tripped, so I had to experience it firsthand.

Installing the Heavy Tungsten Guide Rod is as easy as field-stripping the pistol and replacing the factory guide rod. I used my G17 Gen4 and found the added weight of the tungsten guide rod is quite noticeable, though it uses the same spring weights.

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At the range, I ran a magazine through the G17 Gen4 with the factory guide rod and then swapped it out for the tungsten guide rod. Quickly, I ran another magazine through the gun. The felt recoil was noticeably reduced, and my accuracy improved, too. I was firing at 10 yards, and most of my shots touched each other on the target when I used the tungsten guide rod. Where I really saw the tungsten guide rod perform was in rapid-fire drills.

I find that performing a “Bill Drill” helps me better understand and get a feel for a pistol. In this exercise, you fire six shots as quickly as you can on an IPSC-style target placed at a distance of 7 yards. Of course, any target will work for this drill. This training helps with sight alignment, recoil management and trigger manipulation. With the tungsten guide rod, I saw all of my groups immediately tighten.

The C-More LAZRpoint sight and the GlockStore’s Heavy Tungsten Guide Rod immediately improved my shooting without expensive gunsmithing. If you’re a Glock fan, and there are probably millions of you out there, be sure to look into these two, easy DIY upgrades to reap the most out of your favorite firearm.

This article was originally published in ‘Combat Handguns’ February 2017. To subscribe, visit outdoorgroupstore.com