Handgun Parts You’ll Want for Upgrades

Handgun Parts You’ll Want for Upgrades

Aug 11th 2021

Obviously, you’re going to need to keep handgun parts around to make basic repairs to your pistol or revolver. For example, after your 50-thousandth or so round, when your firing pin breaks, you’ll need a new one to restore the functionality of your pistol. You’ll need new springs to restore the action of a lagging slide, and so on and so forth. But no one really replaces a functional firing pin with a new one for “upgraded” performance, at least not that we’ve heard of.

However, not all handgun parts are necessary only for restoring performance. Others can be added to enhance performance or add personality - like any of these.

1.A new, match grade barrel

To be fair, most shooters will never see a realistic difference between their pistol’s stock barrel and a new match grade barrel, but if you are a competition shooter, those fractions of an inch between your grips will affect your scoring.

Alternatively, the case may be that you have an aging pistol with a worn out barrel that has been around the block a few times. Guns get old, barrels get old, rifling wears down, and accuracy suffers. Not hugely, but if it’s at the point that it’s noticeable, well then, replacing the barrel may well be worth it.

2.A better trigger

Everyone has dealt with a mushy trigger from time to time, and it is not a pleasant experience. Some triggers are so mushy and unpredictable that they can even make you grit your teeth and flinch with anticipation. It’s not good for enjoying time at the range and it’s really not good for accuracy.

A clean, crisp trigger that breaks reliably and predictably is a true joy, and you might be surprised at just how much of an effect it can have on your accuracy and your confidence at the range. If your handgun trigger is slop, don’t second guess it. Get a new one and either learn to replace the trigger group yourself or bring it to a gunsmith that can do it for you.

3.New sights - think night sights

Sights stray into that gray area that might be considered as more like accessories than handgun parts, but we’re going to move forward as though they are parts. Let’s also say you keep your preferred handgun close for self defense or home defense. If so, you need to be prepared at all times, and not just when conditions cooperate.

Case in point, at night, visibility is terribly limited. A set of night sights, such as glowing sights that use tritium, will function perfectly during the day but will also afford you much better visibility in the dark and in other low light conditions as well.

4.Suppressors - save your hearing

There are a few states in the country that restrict the use of suppressors, AKA cans, and sometimes also referred to as silencers. Our neighbor to the east is one of them. It doesn’t make too much sense to us, considering the fact that suppressors are such shooter friendly tools. (Still, be aware of all pertinent local laws and regulations before you buy one.)

A suppressor will reduce recoil and the muzzle blast from your pistol, saving your wrists and your hearing. It might even provide a slight ballistic boost to the cartridge. Adding one to your pistol may significantly improve your shooting performance and diminish the “adverse” impact of some loud, hard hitting rounds.

5.A new guide rod to protect your springs

Guide rods are light, simple devices that are easy to add to some slide-action pistols. They help to keep the springs that actuate your slide in place, preventing kinking and minimizing fatigue.

The result? An action that cycles more reliably, more cleanly, and more predictably - and more importantly, springs that last longer.

6.New recoil springs

Recoil springs enable your slide to reset after being cycled by a round. They’re tough springs, but wear and tear on them is violent and intense. If they’re low quality springs or not well made, you’ll probably have to replace them every few hundred rounds, which honestly isn’t that great.

Signs that your springs are fatiguing are poor cycling, failure to eject spent shells, and failure to feed a new round because the springs lack sufficient stored energy. If you notice these, it’s time to replace your recoil springs. Then again, if you just replace your current springs now with higher quality, more durable springs, you won’t deal with that annoyance as frequently.

7.Class it up with new grips (especially if you shoot a wheelgun)

Finally, you can add a touch of new class to your pistol with a new set of grips or scales, especially in cool materials like walnut or even ivory, if you can find them.

But the real benefit of a new handle is not cosmetic. Since revolvers don’t need to work around the magazine contained within the grip, you can add a whole new butt to one. Slim it down for easier handling or beef it out to fit your hands better. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference a new handle can make when it comes to handling a handgun and managing recoil.

Not Quite Handgun Parts (More Like Accessories) but Still Good

The aforementioned handgun parts can vastly improve your shooting experience, but they’re not the only add-ons you can use to create a better experience, even if the following parts are more like accessories.

-A new mag - If your old mag doesn’t offer adequate capacity or doesn’t feed smoothly or reliably, swap it out with a new model for better, smoother, more reliable performance.

-Optics, lights and lasers - Alright, so optics are accessories and not parts, but they can still vastly improve your target acquisition and your accuracy, especially for reflex shooting or in low-light conditions. Get a laser sight or a tactical light and see how you like the mods.

-Rail adapters, if you need more space - Struggling with space on your platform? Get a rail adapter designed for your model or have a gunsmith mount one. You can use these to drastically expand the amount of space on your platform for mounting accessories.

Get in Touch with Us

Need help finding handgun parts for your preferred platform? Just give us a call if you can’t find it on our website. There’s a lot to go through and we can help you find it - call us at 610-250-3960.

If you’re in our area, you can come visit us in our shop in Easton, Pennsylvania, where you can shop through our collection of handgun parts firsthand, and our helpful firearms experts will be there to help you along.