I got a chance to sit down with my friends from Primary Arms and we got talking about upgrades for GLOCK pistols to make them more competitive. As the discussion progressed, I invited them to write a post to share their thoughts on topics with y’all since frequent readers are well aware that my knowledge of GLOCK blasters and available upgrades is limited at best.

Uncle Zo

GLOCK pistols are some of the most popular handguns available. Renowned for their versatility and reliability across various applications, it’s no surprise that they’re considered one of the best handgun manufacturers around.

As one of the largest and most popular handgun manufacturers around, the aftermarket parts availability for their popular models has grown substantially. Aftermarket parts manufacturers offer a wide array of GLOCK-compatible components that add an incredible degree of utility to these pistols. And it’s this high level of customizability that makes GLOCK handguns favored by recreational, defensive, and competitive enthusiasts alike.

With the number of parts available, it’s easy to understand why many enthusiasts use GLOCK pistols for competition shooting. While stock GLOCK pistols can be used in competitions, they can often leave something to be desired in terms of their overall performance. But, with all the upgrades you can make to a stock GLOCK, it’s possible to turn just about any of their pistols into a race-ready competition gun.

Stock Glocks: Enhancing Performance

Stock pistols are great for recreational shooting, defense, and concealed carry. However, as we mentioned before, pistols left in their stock configurations often provide less-than-ideal performance compared to purpose-built competition pistols.

Fortunately, GLOCK has the largest aftermarket of parts of any major brand, so there is an astounding degree of variety when it comes to building and customizing a competition GLOCK pistol. For most pistols, there are a few distinct components that tend to limit a competitor’s overall effectiveness in a competition.

Stock Pistol Limitations

Arguably, one of the most critical components of competition pistol builds is the trigger. Stock triggers are awesome for everyday carry and personal defense, but their heavier pull weights make them a less-than-ideal choice for competitive use. GLOCK triggers usually have a pull weight of six to seven pounds. Dedicated competition triggers have lighter pull weights of around three to five pounds or lower, plus, they have much shorter reset lengths for quick follow-up shots.

Stock pistol sights aren’t always conducive to competition use either. Standard GLOCK sights are simple in design; a plastic dotted front sight with a corresponding square rear sight with a white outline. These sights are perfectly suitable for range use, but when in a defensive or competitive setting, they lack brightness and precision of other iron sight options. That said, there are entire divisions that primarily shoot iron sights. While this doesn’t encompass all divisions, they can still be a viable option in some cases.

Finally, the standard controls (mag release and slide release) don’t always offer the greatest speed advantage in competitions. Most competitors run extended or enhanced controls which offer better leverage and have more surface area for positive grip contact. Since competitions focus on accuracy and speed, it’s crucial to have optimized controls that give you the greatest advantage.

Benefits of Upgrading your Pistol’s Components

Upgrading your pistol’s components can improve reliability, reduce recoil, increase mechanical precision, and shorten your splits for better placements in competition.

GLOCK pistols are some of the greatest candidates for these types of upgrades since there are so many aftermarket parts available for them. Competition pistol builds are highly optimized and use specialized components to make them perform exceptionally when put to the test.

While there are competition-ready pistols available from other manufacturers, building up your own pistol gives you complete control over what components and parts are used. So instead of having a factory competition pistol, you’ll have one that’s tailored to fit your needs while keeping the renowned reliability of a GLOCK.

Every GLOCK pistol ranging from their duty-grade pistols like the GLOCK 17, to their sub-compact pistols, such as the GLOCK 48, 43, and 43X, can be customized to be incredibly versatile, utilitarian firearms.

Upgrading Your Pistol for Competition

If you’re planning to upgrade your pistol, there are many ways you can approach it. Here are some of the primary areas to consider when you start looking at new parts to add to your pistol.

GLOCK-Compatible Barrels: Precision and Accuracy

OEM GLOCK barrels use polygonal rifling for less friction and increased muzzle velocity, but these barrels only come in standard configurations with no other features. Aftermarket GLOCK-compatible barrels offer an added degree of customization, and depending on the model, often include distinct features that can give you an edge in competition.

Some notable manufacturers of GLOCK-compatible barrels include Wilson Combat, Agency Arms, Zev Technologies, and KKM Precision. Depending on which option you look at, their barrels can come in assorted colors, have flutes or other weight saving designs, and be made of more durable steels for added reliability such as cold hammer forged steel. Another thing to note is that these barrels can also come ported.

Ported barrels have integrated vent holes that essentially work like a built-in compensator, venting the gas upward, reducing recoil, allowing you to make quicker follow-up shots. While they’re great at reducing recoil, there are some aspects about them you should consider. Ported barrels can increase your muzzle flash and can potentially cause carbon to build up on your front sight Also, if you’re running a ported barrel, your slide must be milled to fit your ports’ gas ejection, but most ported barrel manufacturers also make corresponding slides.

Threaded Barrels

Threaded barrels can enhance the versatility of your pistol by allowing the attachment of accessories like compensators. A few notable brands that produce threaded barrels include Zaffiri Precision, Zev Technologies, KKM Precision, and Grey Ghost Precision.

Like barrel ports, compensators offset recoil by redirecting gases upward. Zaffiri Precision, Herrington Arms, and Radian Weapons each make high quality compensators for GLOCK pistols. Many aftermarket slide manufacturers produce their own compensators to match the profile of their slides. For instance, the Blowhole compensator from Zaffiri Precision is designed to have the best fitment possible with their ZPS slides.

But before you decide on a new barrel or compensator, you should also consider competition regulations. Because of how effective compensators and ported barrels are, they are often prohibited in some competitions, and it’s up to you to know and follow the rules and regulations set forth by your competition league.

GLOCK-Compatible Triggers

As we mentioned previously, stock triggers are usable in all scenarios, but they don’t always provide the best feel and control. This is where aftermarket GLOCK-compatible triggers come into play.

Aftermarket triggers offer more in terms of control, their overall feel, and most importantly, performance. Often having lower pull weights, they tend to offer shorter and quicker resets, plus, they can come with different trigger shapes to fit your preference.

Timney, Apex Tactical, ZEV Technologies, CMC, Overwatch Precision, and Johnny Custom GLOCKS are just a few examples of high-quality aftermarket GLOCK-compatible trigger manufacturers. GLOCK also produces their GLOCK Performance Trigger as well, which is compatible with most of GLOCK’s popular full-size and compact pistol offerings, providing them with a 5-pound pull weight and tailored control for competitive use. Another option to note is the Taran Tactical Grand Master Connector Kit. Instead of providing you with a different trigger assembly, it includes enhanced trigger springs to bring the stock GLOCK trigger’s pull weight down to around 3 to 5 pounds.

Just like some of the other modifications in this list, certain triggers may also be prohibited in competitions. Some of these regulations may be limited to certain features or pull weights, so before adding a new trigger to your pistol, you’ll want to make sure that the trigger you’re interested in is within the allowed requirements of your competition league.

Fiber Optic Sights

If you’re using iron sights, fiber optic sights provide a much better sight picture compared to most stock options. As their name suggests, they use fiber optic tubes/rings in their sight posts. When exposed to a light source, the fiber optic absorbs the light, becoming much brighter, making your pistol’s sights much easier to see. One facet that sets fiber optic sights apart from other iron sight variants is their color options. Fiber optics can come in many colors such as green, orange, red, yellow, and pink.

These colors are very bright and contrast greatly against most target backgrounds. This adds a greater degree of visibility to your sight system. Some high-quality brands to consider are Ameriglo, Trijicon, Night Fision, and Dawson Precision, but remember, most of GLOCK’s popular models like the 19, 17, 19x/45, and 34 all have options available that come pre-equipped Ameriglo sights.

Pistol Red Dot and Mini-Reflex Sights

Reflex sights are by far one of the most popular upgrades you can make to your pistol. For handguns, reflex sights come in the form of open-emitter mini-reflex and pistol red dot sights, and both options offer quicker sight and target acquisition along with better situational awareness.

Compared to iron sights, reflex sights make aiming quicker and more accurate, so long as they’re properly zeroed. All you need to do with a pistol red dot sight is put the reticle on target. This makes it much easier to shoot with both eyes open, allowing you to focus directly on the target and the reticle at the same time. Your dominant eye will naturally pick up the reticle when aiming, allowing you to fully focus on the target while still being able to see the reticle. In a competitive setting, it’s crucial to be able to see your surroundings, and reflex sights make it easier to pick up and engage different targets.

Lastly, it’s worth knowing that most GLOCK handgun models have an optic ready model available from the factory. These models use their MOS (Modular Optics System) slide, and there are several mounting plates and adapters designed to securely mount different optics onto your pistol.

If you’ve opted for an aftermarket slide, they most often come milled to fit a specific mounting footprint. While you can find adapters for select slide manufacturers, if you’re going to use an aftermarket slide, it’s best to find one that corresponds with your optic’s mounting footprint.

Enhanced Controls

Every second counts when you’re competing, with one of the biggest time-sinks being the reloading process. This is where enhanced controls come in, granting you the ability to rapidly engage the controls on your pistol for quicker reloads.

Competitors often opt for extended/enhanced slide and magazine releases on their pistols. These components are usually longer for added leverage and have more surface area, sometimes with added texture, for more surface area and positive grip contact.

Likewise, extended magazine releases are available too. Depending on your preference, there are a wide variety of options with larger surfaces to make it easier to release your magazine when you need to make a quick reload.

Having both components on your pistol can provide you with an incredible advantage. Still, simply having these parts built into your pistol won’t automatically make you better at performing fast reloads. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect; dry fire training and dedicated practice at the range will do a lot to reinforce these fundamentals, enhancing your overall performance.

Magazine Upgrades

When it comes to magazines, it’s hard to beat the OEM mags that ship with GLOCK pistols. They’re incredibly reliable, durable, and already have a good standard capacity. Still, there are some added options available to you like those from Magpul, ETS Group, and Amend2, which all offer the same degree of durability.

Regardless of which magazine you choose, their carrying capacities can all be enhanced by using a magazine extension. Magazine extensions work by replacing the base plate of your magazine, lengthening it to store more ammunition. Most extensions add anywhere from three to five extra rounds to your magazine, but there are special options that can add more. Some popular manufacturers include Shield Arms, Taran Tactical Innovations, Zaffiri Precision, Tyrant Design, and SLR Rifleworks. Each manufacturer produces very high-quality extensions and new springs to fit the new depth of these magazines.

Flared Magwells

Flared magwells, as their name suggests, flare out to create a funnel shape that helps guide the magazine into position when reloading. While not technically a magazine upgrade, they are magazine adjacent. While flared magwells are often integrated into the frame of pistols, there are options available that attach to the bottom of your pistol’s grip/frame.

Strike Industries, SCT Manufacturing, Zev Technologies, and Taran Tactical are just a few brands that create flared magwells for GLOCK pistols. When under stress or moving fast, reloading is where competitors often make mistakes, and having a flared magwell will help reduce the chance of this happening.

Final Thoughts

GLOCK handguns are considered by many to be one of the perfect choices for a competition build. The sheer number of aftermarket parts and accessories gives them a near-endless degree of customization and has made them an excellent choice for anyone looking to get into competitive shooting.

If you’re using a GLOCK pistol as the base of your next competition build, you have more than enough aftermarket options to choose from, ranging from simple control upgrades to redesigned and enhanced slide and barrel assemblies. Still, ensuring the compatibility of the parts you choose cannot be stressed enough. We highly encourage you to take ample time to research each component to make sure they’re compatible with your pistol model and are allowed in your competition league.