Perfection. For years, it has been Glock’s primary marketing message. A message that fosters almost cult-like thinking among its followers. One could imagine them lined up, in hooded robes, chanting, “reliability, excellence, perfection— Glock!”
With R. Lee “The Gunny” Ermey as the movement’s guru and flanked with support from attractive industry voices like Michelle Viscusi, Tori Nonaka, and Shane Coley, it’s no wonder the following has grown so large.
There’s no secret that I too appreciate the reliability I’ve come to expect from my Glocks, though I try not to drink Kool Aid too often. I’m not ashamed to say that I have a Glock 19 digging slightly into my midsection as I write this.
I like to think that I objectively appreciate all firearms THAT WORK and serve a purpose. Some would say they think of their handgun as a tool; I agree with them, but I’ve got to admit I’ve never been so attached to any of my wrenches. So if my guns are tools, they have a whole other level of tool-priority in my domain.
That being said, it doesn’t seem that any firearm is truly “perfect,” though it’s a great marketing strategy. Stock Glocks are great, but a quick look to the aftermarket/custom market indicates there must be a number of supporters who deem their Glocks not quite perfect yet.
For a long time, sights got updated on my Glocks, and that was it. However, years ago after one sweaty day at the range, grip modifications started to happen. First, it was all the rubber and skate board type products— products that I still appreciate. Then, fully embracing the gun-as-tool mindset, I decided to stipple my G19. It was functional and relatively tasteful compared to some other home jobs that I’ve seen. Later, my friends at the Hyatt Custom Shop rounded my slide angles to mirror that of a G26 (helping my gut a bit). Then I noticed the stippling of another friend Billy (a gun smith who works for WarSport and does RedTail customs on the side). I asked Billy if he would work over my stippling and he agreed. He did a great job! I especially like the accelerator cut he made that creates a nice little shelf for my left thumb. The finger slots cut at the bottom of my magwell provide ample area to strip a mag, if it were to bind for some reason.
If you like guns and have an instagram account, you know that custom Glocks with milled slides are all the rage. When I started customizing my G19, I wanted to keep it minimalist and functional. Doug at DP Custom Works graced my slide with full M&P-like top serrations. I mostly wanted the “look” but think it adds a little traction for one-handed manipulations too.
You can read more about Doug’s work in my short interview with him soon.
Then I sent the slide back to Billy for Cerakote. Altogether, my Glock has been perfected for me, which I guess means that it wasn’t quite “perfect” to begin with. Here’s a quick list of what’s upgraded on my G19:
- Zev Sights (that have been rounded at the rear)
- S3F Barrel
- Ghost trigger bar and updated springs
- Extended slide stop
- Nice grip contouring and stippling
- Slide milling
I guess the question is, should I leave my Glock stock, or should I rock my Glock with upgrades? The answer to that question may be found in what your definition of perfection is.
