Maybe your new Glock isn’t quite “Perfection”…yet. Or maybe your old Glock has lost that new gun smell.
Either way, you’re covered since Glock has one of the best aftermarket upgrades and mods in the business.
Learn about the essential upgrades I do to my defensive home and CCW Glocks. Plus the best mods for competition.
And of course…fully custom builds that might tend to be more Gucci than practical.
Now with a video detailing each of our 8 personal builds…
Need a Glock to customize? Hit up our list of the Best Glocks for our favorites.
Summary of Our Top Picks
Best CCW UpgradeGlock Extended Magazine Release
Easy to reach and use when quick reloads are needed.
Best Value Trigger Drop-In for CompetitionGreat for an affordable leg-up on the competition
Table of Contents
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Home Defense & CCW Glock Upgrades
The primary advice is to not alter your gun for home defense or CCW. But I keep mine pretty “stock” for the most part with Glock OEM parts.
1. Glock Extended Slide Stop Lever
I like to reload from a locked slide position using the slide stop lever. I know tons of people out there preach the slide racking method, but for me, I prefer using my thumbs to activate the slide stop lever.
It saves some time, and I always practice the same motion for my Glocks & 1911s. If anything, it gives me two options of how I want to reload.
For Glocks, I find that the stock version is hard to consistently activate using either of my thumbs. When I upgraded to the extended version, it became infinitely easier to release the slide every time.
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Learn how to install it here with video and step-by-step picture walkthroughs.
2. Glock Extended Magazine Release
With my hand geometry and strength, I found I always had to shift my right-hand grip in order to reach the stock magazine release. Once I upgraded to the extended version, I was hitting the magazine release every time without losing my grip.
I take the mod one step further and sandpaper the edges to take away the sharp edges (me and my dainty hands). I also like to sand away extra material in the bottom left-hand corner of the release to give room for my right-hand middle finger.
Make sure to choose the correct Gen version.
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For instructions and video on how to install the extended magazine release, check out our other blog post.
3. Ghost 3.5 lb Trigger Connector
The Glock trigger could be a lot better. There are plenty of complete drop-in solutions, but I wanted to keep it as stock as possible to maintain maximum reliability.
So I swapped out the stock 5.5-pound trigger connector with the Ghost 3.5-pound trigger connector. I find that it doesn’t drop the trigger pull weight exactly by 2-pounds, but more like 1-pound and change, which is still a significant factor in making more accurate shots.
The Ghost version is supposedly self-cleaning and has run flawlessly in my Glocks.
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Check out how to install the trigger connector here.
4. Night Sights or Fiber Optic Sights
If I could only choose one essential upgrade to the Glock, it would be to swap out its crappy standard sights that consist of a white “U” in the rear with a white dot.
I prefer night sights for self-defense and even class situations since I definitely want to be able to see my sights in the dark.
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For competition, I like having fiber optic sights since they draw in ambient light and focus it, so you see a bright red/green dot in front. See the rest of all my favorites in Best Glock Sights.
Good thing there are tons of options, and it is relatively easy to install yourself.
5. Talon Grips
For a long time, I was all about stippling…or taking a soldering iron to the polymer grip area and making it a lot more grippy.
You can learn how to do it here…or now there are some non-destructive methods to add more grip with Talon Grips.
I prefer the rubber type as it’s better suited for CCW since it doesn’t snag on clothing as much as the sandpaper-like granulate type. Here is my G19 with the rubber version compared to the stippled G17.
6. Extended Basepads
If you’re running a smaller Glock such as the G43 or G26, it’s very possible your pinkie doesn’t fit, or you want to extend its capacity.
Enter…Pierce Grips.
Or, if you want to add +1 or +2 capacity…get some Taran Tactical Basepads.
And now also some Tyrant Design extendos for G19s and G17s (and more) we really dig.
Now even for smaller G43/G43x/G48 models!
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7. Pistol Light
For the home-based or holstered handgun…I highly recommend a pistol light. We go over the Best Pistol Lights in super detail…complete with images of the beams.
Our overall pick goes to Streamlight TLR-1 series which lives on my home defense gun and has survived thousands of rounds on the range.
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And the current gold standard of the Surefire X300.
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If you want more options (and maybe some more affordable options), check out the main Best Pistol Lights article. Now let’s get into some more fun upgrades to give you the leg up in competition.
Competition Glock Upgrades
The go-to Glock for competition is the 9mm G34 which sports a longer barrel, slide, and sight radius. It doesn’t weigh much more than a G17 since it has cutouts on the slide.
But regardless if you’re running the G34…I would suggest extended components from above plus Talon Grips and the following upgrades.
1. Fiber Optic Sights
You’ll want something for quicker acquisition. I recommend going with the Truglo TFX Fiber Optic + Tritium sights for the best of both worlds.
2. Upgraded Drop-In Trigger
Of course…we have a complete guide to the Best Glock Triggers with videos, but here are our favorites. Our best bang-for-the-buck is the Apex Tactical Trigger.
Which feels & looks very nice. Especially at the price.
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Check it out in action…
Then we have the best trigger if you’re balling it up.
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And in action…
Want something more for aesthetic reasons? You can try out the Tyrant Designs ITTS trigger which modifies only the visible part of the trigger and leaves the factory stuff alone.
Easy enough to install…check out instructions here.
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And be sure to check out our master list of the Best Glock Triggers.
3. Compensator
Glock compensators have exploded onto the scene, but the Tyrant CNC version is especially easy to put on…and one-size-fits-all-generations.
Very noticeable reduction in muzzle rise, especially on my Polymer80 G43 single stack.
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4. Magwell
You’ve probably seen these flared-out additions to the bottom of the grip on most race guns.
Magwell extensions help your reloads become a little faster and more certain because they offer a bigger target.
The idea is simple — increasing the size of the hole while providing angled walls to help funnel that magazine home makes reloads a snap.
This addition from Tyrant CNC is crafted from aluminum, comes in different colors, and is easy to install on your Glock.
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Best Custom Glock Upgrades
The sky is the limit here…especially if you’re going with custom frames like Polymer80s.
See the full guide to how to build your own.
1. Custom Glock Slides
Now you can have all the serrations, lightening cuts, and red dots.
But our overall favorite is Grey Ghost Precision because of their tight fit, increased accuracy, and sexy looks.
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Followed by our most affordable pick from Brownells that give you options for cutouts to show off your barrel.
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How about some more Grey Ghost Precision slides for the tiny bois (43/43x/48)
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We cover all the rest of our favorites in Best Glock Slides. And speaking of barrels…
2. Custom Glock Barrels
Yup…you guessed it. We have a Best Glock Barrels guide too. We love Lone Wolf’s barrels…and they’ve been at the game a long time.
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And also newcomer Faxon’s (though they’ve been making great AR-15 barrels for a long time too). Especially if you want something more eye-catching like their gold TiN or chameleon.
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3. Best Pistol Red Dot
If you go with a slide that has a red dot cut…you’ll want something from our Best Pistol Red Dots article.
Our go-to red dot if price is no object…plus the easiest “footprint” on ready-to-buy slides is the Trijicon RMR.
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Or our best bang-for-the-buck is the Vortex Venom.
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4. Tyrant CNC Package
One of our newest mods is a set from Tyrant CNC, which was previously known for some cool AR-15 upgrades. Here you’ll see their extended magazine release (which is the perfect length and has super positive grip) and extended basepad.
Plus, their backplate. I went with red everything to match the Apex trigger from before.
My Polymer80 G19 might almost be done now! Especially with the release of their Extended Glock Slide Release that gives the perfect amount of extra grip.
And they also have parts for the G43/G48.
Pretty good value to give your Glock both aesthetic value AND more capacity/grip.
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And check out my finally complete Polymer80 G43 with a complete Tyrant upgrade kit.
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5. Everything Else We Covered
Round out the rest of your perfect build with what we’ve already talked about, and you are SET.
Glock Conversions
This one goes in a category of its own…
Ever wanted to make your Glock more carbine-like?
Our go to is the Recover Tactical 20/20 brace system which is super lightweight and gives you an extra two points of contact when folded out.
This really helps with accuracy and follow-up shots.
Plus you get some extra Picatinny rail space on the side to add lights/lasers and more.
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We go over it more in-depth in our Recover Tactical 20/20 vs Micro Roni article where we crown the 20/20 the overall winner.
And now there’s also the Recover P-IX system which changes your Glock into more of an AR-15 style system.
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Final Thoughts
Now go forth and upgrade…your Glock.
Let us know your favorite builds in the comments below. Then check out Editor’s Picks for our favorite guns and gear.
75 Leave a Reply
Great review! What kind of sight is mounted on the Brownels G17 slide?
Buy Shadow Systems if you want a Gucci glock.
I'll take my IMI Jericho 941 f for $350 all day long over any glock no matter how much extra you spend on fixing it.
But, but, but, they are perfection! The box says so.
This article recommends both these upgrades, but can a Ghost 3.5 lb connector be used with the Apex trigger? Apex will not say it can. They only say their triggers should be used with either their connector or the OEM connector.
I am on mine, They wouldn't work together initially, one would fire or the other would fire, both together would not fire. A little fitting from my gunsmith and it works perfectly now. LOVE the feel! Its a beast, super happy with that combo
It's 2022.
The TImney Alpha Trigger should be #1 on the updated list now.
Hi Eric,
Am planning to buy a glock 35 with conversion barrel,
My question, can I use the gun with the barrel of my choice in IPDA/IPSC competetion open division & standard division? Please let me know.
What about something to reduce recoil a little bit, like for a G23?
compensators help a bit with recoil adding some weight to the firearm.
What is that sight on the Brownells slide?
See All Open Sight
Get the cross-hair one for a pistol. The triangle one gets too big for the screen at arm's length. (in my experience)
I have a Glock Model 21, Gen 1. What mods are available for this gun? I have added a Vortex Venom 6 MOA Red Dot (had to machine the slide). I'd like to find a good trigger mod and a extended mag release.
Check out the Vickers Tactical flat trigger shoe. Then do an easy at-home trigger job where you polish the stock trigger components. I also prefer goontape. It's cheap, comfortable, and effective.
Hi, complete noob here. 1) How do the night sights, light, and laser interact? Do you want upgraded sights AND a laser? 2) Do you still recommend no upgrades for CCW, and why?
I don't recommend a laser in any case other than night vision use. Night sights are always a good idea. A white light is always #1 on my list of upgrades for a self-defense firearm! All of my CCW guns are heavily modified.
Thank you very much!
I can't seem to find anyone offering a caliber conversion barrel for gen 5 Glocks. I want a 9 mm barrel for my 23, but Lone Wolf and others I've looked at don't offer gen 5 compatible conversion barrels. Is there an option for me, or should I have bought a Gen 3 or 4?
Easiest solution I’ve found was to buy both the G23 and G45. Then you can swap the slides either way and decide if you want the compact grip of the 23 or the full length grip of the G45. Tested fully and works great!
So what’s the accuracy like at the range, or did the slide bite make you call it a day?
I mean geez, if your going to make a blog about some high end Glock but not a Glock at least go through all the paces.
Hey man really good article, but I have a question. In the “slides” section up u showed a picture of three Glock’s each with a different slide with the caption “ (L to R) Grey Ghost G19, Grey Ghost G17, Brownells G17” what kind of optics or sights did the Brownells G17 slide have on?
SeeAll Open Sight, we have a complete review on it!
I wish there would be hk mods to this level
Wish their were Glock 22 gen 4 upgrades, slides,barrels??
My 2 cents about racking the slide vs. using the slide stop. Racking is a gross motor function, dropping the slide stop is a fine motor function (requiring more reaction from your brain.) Using gross motor functions will always cause less distraction in a high pressure situation, ie. a fire fight.
If your upgrading for carry do not install an extended mag release. Too many time I've bumped it and then dropped the mag after sitting down... and after trying Zev, Apex, Agency triggers... the SSVI TYR trigger blows then all away!
One more important mod (essential to me) that I remembered: install an extended slide lock. I've never tried the Glock OEM model because I already had several from Glockmeister that worked. The factory slide lock is too short for me to get a good grip when disassembling the pistol. The Glockmeister gives me about 1/16" more on both sides, allowing smooth take-down. If the OEM is the same length, it should do the same thing. So I add the extended mag release, extended slide stop lever, AND the extended slide lock on all my Glocks.
I'll just throw this out. Not claiming it's the "best" but it works for me. I ran the Ghost 3.5 lb. connector for several years but it felt mushy (more mushy that the typical Glock trigger). Recently, I tried the NY1 trigger with the Ghost 3.5 lb. connector. Just horrible. Both heavy and mushy. So I went back to the factory 5 lb. connector but added a 6 lb. Ghost trigger spring. Huge improvement. Slightly heavy but very crisp with a snappy reset. I'm running this combo now and it works for me.
In the custom Glock slide portion there is a picture of 3 slides (L to R) Grey Ghost G19, Grey Ghost G17, Brownells. The middle Slide shows a Slide plate that looks like brass? With a Racker Knob? WHERE CAN I GET ONE!!!!
Is there anything that makes racking the slide easier? It's too stiff and i have a very hard time racking it back. Like the spring is far to tight.
I'm guessing it's a new gun. The easiest and most fun way is to shoot about 3-700 rounds out of it.
Ryan take a look at Tandemkross "halo" for slides. I got one for my Browning Buckmark. Makes working the slide a snap.
Have you tried a Vickers Tactical slide racker? It should help you get a better purchase on the slide without making the pistol unreliable with lighter springs.
Oil your gun, or exercise to improve your grip. It really isn't that hard to rack. If you can pick up a 2x4 one handed, you should be able to rack a glock.
I think you should take it out and shoot it in your free time. Get it cycling some rounds. Also get some dummy rounds and practice working the slide find best angle and hand position that fits you so in a time of need you got it down right. hopefully that wont happen, but better be ready anyways right. Hope this helped you out bud.
i think your recoil or slide spring should be replaced with a slightly lighter one as i had same problem with my glock 19compact .after i changed the recoil spring i had no problems for the past 4 yrs
Thanks for the info on stippling I didn’t know of the price drop on resale and odor from cells. Would you have any recommendations for an extended mag release in aluminum for a Gen 3 Glock 36. I’ve found all other upgrades except that one
Great article loved it. You helped me make up my mind on several thing that I want to do to my new Glock 19X such as a new trigger.
I have a Hard time releasing the slide for cleaning on my Glock 29, getting old I guess. Does any one make a slide release that is easier to to work?
The extended version helps a lot for me
sweet list, but i have a light and Laser combo, that works great. Teh green laser is so strong, it blasts right through the LED light. works day or night
For sure, I used a TLR-2 with a red laser for a long time and now like the smaller TLR-8.
Thank for the article! It was fun to read. What "tall" sights did you put on your Gray Ghost/Gray Frame pistol above that has a red dot on it? Do you recommend a specific height/size? I suppose these would also be the right ones for a suppressor. Thanks!
Hi Kory, they are Night Fision sights that are "suppressor height." Linked in the Best Glock Sights article!
You forgot the S&W, M&P 2.0 compact. By far the best Glock upgrade.
Just a heads up, for your recommended Glock mods the video tutorial uses a Ghost ultimate trigger connector (which is drop-in) but the article links the Ghost rocket which requires custom fitting to install correctly. I unknowingly ordered the rocket model and had to return it and get the ultimate version.
Hi Brendan, thanks for bringing this to my attention. You're right and I apologize for mixing that up. But I've fixed it so hopefully no one else has to go through that!
Great article. Gocks are SO INADEQUATE if you don't spend more on the upgrades than you did on the firearm itself. Thank goodness there's a JC Whitney for guns.
The last thing you'd EVER want to do is spend all that money on training ammunition instead of upgrades because out of the box Glocks are such junk you could never hope to hit the broad side of a barn without all them spendy, hi-zoot "upgrades," no matter how much you spent on actually practicing shooting it.
Hallelujah, Amen, Preach the word my brother. It don't mean a thing if the gong don't go ding.
If that is so, why on earth would anyone buy a Glock? When there are good pistols that are good from the factory.
What if *gasp* you do both??
Interesting... I can hit my target(s) just fine with my G19...or my P320...or my RP9...or my Arex. All stock. What problems do you have shooting a Glock?
If you carry your Glock for self-defense, the only "upgrades" I recommend are night sights and Talon grips. Leave everything else stock (especially triggers, barrel, etc.) if you're betting your life on your gun. Also, should you be involved in a defensive gun use situation, a stock gun, loaded with the type of ammo your local police use, may help you in court. A highly modified weapon begs the prosecutor to brand you a "gun nut" just looking for a chance to shoot someone.
If that is the case, sure you can cite at least one case where that has happened.
This is just good advice. Prosecution is all about politics and depending on where you live and who is up for re-election you don’t want to give them any more ammunition against you. My CCW instructor has recommended this as well.
A 25 cent polish trigger job, 3.5# connector and competition spring kit will do the job and save a lot of money as as far as trigger work goes.
For sure, I'll add in links to our 25 Cent Trigger Job into the competition and custom segments.
I have always considered it a benefit that I could NOT activate the mag release without shifting my grip. It's one thing I don't like about the AR (being right handed), finger off the trigger can easily activate the mag release accidentally. In my opinion, Glock has it right, AR has it wrong.
Hi Eric, thanks for posting this article. I just ordered the Ghost Rocket disconnector and I noticed it is optional to purchase springs with it too. I was wondering if it’s not reliable if you don’t use their springs? I’d like to stay as stock as possible for reliability.
Thanks,
Daniel
I've stayed stock and so far it's been good!
Any thoughts about optics (RMR) on carry guns?
I personally wouldn't. Possible malfunctions and it might make it harder during your defense.
How would it make it harder during your defense?
Batteries can die, lens can fog up, bringing it up takes a lot of practice and is different from irons, etc.
Don't care for it on a duty weapon just something else that you need to jack with. Maybe a competition gun.
Are these mods suggested for a carry gun?
I would still suggest no mods to a carry gun.
Being a left handed shooter I equipped my duty weapon with the extended slide release. So much easier to hit it with my index finger. Other than that, I also run night sights
Great list.
For me personally, I got Talon grips for both my G19 and G26 alongside swapping the stock "bucket" sights for 3 dot truglos. I do not live in the free U.S (California) so we're stuck with Gen 3s here with the protruding serrations which I really hate.
On another note, came from TTAG after they featured your article. Glad to have another gun blog site to read for my lunch/coffee breaks!
Thanks Ryan! Glad I could help out and give you something to read on your breaks.
And wow, I actually did not know I got featured on TTAG. I'm a big boy now!
Great Video. Can you elaborate on your stippling on your 17 or 34? It's an aftermarket application, just curious what you did?
Thanks Michael! I go over everything in my Stippling article.
just purchased a Glock 17 and interested in correspondence on upgrades. Also appreciate the videos on quick upgrades.
Congrats and thanks! Let me know in the comments what questions you have and I'll do my best to answer them for you and other readers.