Upgrading your handgun enhances the capabilities of your gun, it makes your gun look more professional, and it also gives you something to brag about to your pro-gun friends and family. As most gun enthusiasts will tell you though, choosing the right upgrade for your gun can be a challenge because there are just too many great options out there. Fortunately, below are five of the best upgrades you should take advantage of to solidify your gunsmith skills.
New Springs
A handgun’s components easily wear out over time, especially if you are prone to using your gun often. One component that is useful to upgrade is your recoil spring. In general, springs should be replaced anywhere from 1,500 to 5,000 rounds, depending upon how enthusiastic you are about keeping your handgun in top notch condition. Keeping your recoil spring in mint condition ensures that the shock is absorbed well every time a bullet is fired. Upgrading your springs can be costly, but doing so is well worth it in the long term.
Stipple Your Handgun Grip
Another upgrade option is to stipple your handgun grip. Stippling is the process of modifying the grip of your handgun to improve how you hold onto the gun. While you can have a professional stipple your handgun, many gun enthusiasts prefer to do it on their own. Doing it on your own also makes for a fun DIY project and learning experience. When you stipple your gun, it is best to take your time. Rushing through the process may not get you the quality results that you are looking for and so it might be best to get a lot of practice in before you move to a gun you really care about.
Add a Sight
Most handguns, unless they are already top of the line, don’t have a quality sight attached. A sight component is what improves your visibility when you aim and shoot your gun. There are many different options you can choose from when upgrading your sights. For example, you can choose from night sights, adjustable, non-adjustable, sharp, front sights, and rear sights. After you’ve upgraded your sight, you’ll notice that you’ll be able to better align and aim your weapon before you shoot it, thus improving the quality of your targeting.
Sharp Edges
When you first purchase a gun, chances are your handgun comes with sharp edges that can cut and bite your hands. Sharp edges make your gun difficult and even painful to use. As a result, you may want to consider upgrading your gun by smoothing out the sharp edges. While the process of removing your gun’s sharp edges veers into gunsmith territory, the practice and knowledge are well worth the time you invest. To remove the sharp edges, you can get instructions from a gunsmith on how to smooth out the edges or you can take a course on how to get the process done.
Add a Guide Rod
Finally, another quality upgrade that you may want to take advantage of is to add guide rods to your handgun. In terms of guide rods, you can choose from either a one-piece or a two piece rod. In general, the two piece guide rod is much easily to assemble and disassemble. By adding a guide rod to your handgun, you can improve the function of your gun and you can also prevent your recoil spring from encountering issues. Keep in mind though that upgrading your guide rod will add weigh to your gun. To mitigate the weight, you should choose from a lightweight option.
With the above upgrades, you can easily improve the quality of your handgun. Fortunately, the fun doesn’t end there. The universe of handguns is far reaching and there is always more to learn. Don’t stop at just upgrading your gun. You can also work to improve the speed of your shooting or the aim of your shots through diligent practice. If you don’t want to learn alone, then add to the enjoyment by learning or practicing with a friend.