Best upgrades 1. Extra mags (from the maker) 2. 1000 rounds (fire these 1000 rounds, training) 3. Another 1000 rounds 4. Optic/site upgrade 5. Another 1000 rounds and more training.

Dude, I wonder how many people you're talking to who can hit a target consistently with a glock at ranges of 100- 250 yards....seriously! Let's bring it back in for us mere mortals bro.

AVOID 1:31 aftermarket barrels (unless you want a threaded one) 3:54 upper parts (except for backplate) 5:33 recoil spring (except for competition guns. If you must do it **maybe** get a SS or tungsten guide rod?) 8:33 aftermarket slides 10:56 cerakote (that is not done right) 11:30 **insert dirty jokes here** 12:16 aftermarket mags/baseplates TRY 13:09 optic (and co-witness sights) 13:57 grip texture 15:24 steel sights 15:58 weapon light

I actually went to YSS about 2 years ago and it’s nice to see you supporting them, they are good people and help lots of kids including myself

EDC carry my stock Glock 19 Gen 3 for 18 years with thousands of rounds thru it without any hickups. It's been a reliable beast straight out of the box with minimal maintenance.

Honest Outlaw: “Don’t do these mods.” Also Honest Outlaw: “Here are my personal Glocks with every single one of those mods done to each of them.” 🤣😂🤣

It blew my mind when you mentioned YSS. I was there back in 2017, it's awesome to hear someone that cares about the program

I’ve really appreciated your reviews and videos over the last few years. Thank you! You are one of 2 KZfaqrs I know that don’t saw “Ummm” constantly while talking. Well focused conversation.

Bought my Gen2 back in 1994. Switched out the slide lock so I could get a better grip on it when breaking it down for cleaning. Other than that, it still runs like a top. 28 years and counting.

Man, I love your videos, you tell it like it is. Straight to the point and give your honest opinion. Loving it!!!!

Great video. I was just having this exact conversation with an individual the other day. I was telling him, on my carry and defense pistols, I don’t change anything and leave everything stock. Beside what you spoke about, one also has to think if your gun malfunctions because of a defective factory part, you might have a legal recourse with the manufacturer, if you change stuff, you don’t have any legal recourse. You are the only one on you tube I’ve heard give this advise. All the other you tube personalities, encourage people to change parts because they are being paid to say it. Thank you for being honest.

I love how he's recommending not changing essentially anything on your stock Glock but he's pulling out aftermarket parts from his own guns 😂

Very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to give an honest review about these upgrades 👌🏼

I did a barrel from kkm non threaded same length for the g20 gen4 for a better supported chamber for reloading and I have to say I am very pleased so far, shoots like a dream.

@Honest Outlaw - I’m in Indianola, glad I’m subscribed to your channel. I’ve been finding your videos very helpful.

Absolutely agree with you on the parts changing, I only change the safety plunger and recoil spring assembly for internal parts, and sights for external! I use only the stainless steel or heavy tungsten rod systems that are captive, and heavier Springs than the factory standard weight. I'm shooting both the 10mm and the .40 S&W, and minimum of 180 grain bullets in both, nothing lighter unless I absolutely have to. In the full size 10mm I went with 24 pound spring, 23 pounds in my 29, and 22 pounds in both my .40s, and they work awesome! My 27 is a bit snappy to shoot with the factory recoil spring assembly so I use the heavy tungsten in it, and stainless steel in my 22 gen5. All of my Springs are round wire, not the flat wire standard type. Definitely agree with you on the issue of magazines, the Glock mags are great and plentiful and people are very well advised to stick to them! I have no other types around, at all! What do you use for optics? I've never used optics on pistols before, though alot of my friends do, and I see more and more of them being used all the time!

I've fiddled a lot with my carry Glocks and ended up just going back to stock. The SOB has got to fire every time when you need it.

lots of good advice here for your viewers. ive been a factory certified Glock armorer (and many others as well) for 25 years (LE) and seen many guns altered with non factory parts that did not cycle well that returned to absolutely reliable when factory parts were reinstalled..so listen to this guy ladies and gents this is good info! the most important thing a handgun has to be is RELIABLE! i too like the stippling as offer it to my after hours clients as well. I do not advocate replacing trigger systems with non factory units on duty guns or defensive pistols but cleaning up stock triggers is fine. if you are going to run quality base pad extensions on magazines carried for duty of defense make certain they are tested frequently to insure they will function properly if left fully loaded for long periods of time . the same can be true with non modified mags as well!

100% agree with replacing internal parts. I bought a new trigger kit for my 21 and it came with the "upgraded" extractor .. now she doesn't feed with the 27 round mag sticks. Cerakote should only be on external parts to help protect it IMO. I was looking to get a 29 and upgrading the barrel just for a bit more velocity and weight for follow up controllability but after watching this I'll see how I like it with just training first before going mod-crazy. Great video

As always, real good educational video. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Outlaw!

Only thing I changed in my gen 3 Glock 17 was switching the stock recoil spring for a tungsten guide rod of the same spring weight. 500 rounds later and she still runs like a dream!

One of my favorite extra grip options is bicycle inner tube. Cut it to size and shape and slide it on. It also does a good job of keeping the Glock back straps in place

I gotta agree with you again,love customizing my glocks. Here's what works for me in barrels 1. Zev barrels 2.True procession barresl and an old Storm Lake stainless barrel all worked perfectly from day one. I've learned the hard way and stick with OEM glock parts only on all my slide except, 1 Glock 17 that has a Apex extractor kit and plunger and a Zev Duty Slide with a RMR cut and she runs perfect.Slides only only recommend Zev duty for defense in G17 or G19 RmR cut,sold my Brownell' slides didn't like them 1 I had to return because of extractor channel and they felt wired to" me during recoil'off balance" on the other hand the Zev duty feel good I own both model for the G17 and G19 .

Thanks Honest Outlaw I always enjoyed your very educational videos that you put out. I agree on about adding customization and changing your stock gun. I it does change reliability on your firearm. The only thing I change on my glock 48 was the slide. I got a new slide from zaffiri precision. Since the glock 48 I bought when it first came out was not a mos model. I wanted the option to have a mos slid. Just swap all the the firing components unto the new slide. Haven't had any issues so far. Thanks again for the videos and I look forward to watching more.

YES. I wish I knew this 10 years ago! For upper small parts, OEM is always better. I only swap barrels with reloads, and springs (as you said) should only be changed if necessary. I’ve noticed the smaller the pistol is, the more sensitive to small changes it will be. Any changes in slide weight (cuts,optics, etc) might force you to get into the spring experimentation game. I’ve only had one pistol cerakoted, and it took 500 rounds of wear-in before it ran well again. Again-I wish I knew this a long time ago…

Upgraded all my Glocks with Talon grips and Ameriglo sights.

A coating I have had very good results with is DLC. On barrels, slides, and safety plungers. It's VERY durable, and very low friction.

I strongly agree with about replacing slides parts. I had nothing but jams in my pistol. I put the stock one back and it ran like a champ!

My boss at a gun store where I used to work was once asked, “What’s the difference between factory and aftermarket magazines?” He answered, “Life and death.”

I’d recommend a tungsten guide rod and spring. The ones from Glock store are already put together and you can shop by gun model. They really really cut down on recoil and make it run smoother but, it’s really everyone’s personal preference that’s why guns and the gun community is great it’s all about what you like/want.

Thankyou for this video! I just purchased a Glock 26 and so far I’ve only changed to truglo sights and added the handle extension! I was going to buy a barrel and all new top half springs etc… NOW, I think I’ll just change my backplate and get a sick holster. 🙏🔥

I added a threaded gold tin barrel from wheaton arms to my g19 and a slide from DWS. Looks 👌🏽 shoots like a dream.

Upgraded my G19 ......bought a Shadow Systems MR 920 Elite .......

I just bought my first Glock, and tbh it seems fine the way it is. I like it; it shoots well, it's accurate and reliable. It's not exciting, but I didn't buy it to be exciting. I bought it to carry on my person in case someone tries to attack me. It does that quite well so far, and without any modifications.

I learned the last 3 years of twiddling with Glock OEM, good aftermarket , cheap aftermarket parts is to label them. I took inventory of each pistol I bought. Gut it them, took pictures of the parts, labeled them and in some cases marked them. Plastic baggies, daily vitamin pill containers are perfect for return springs, ejectors, extractor, firing pins, spring cups, etc. Oem parts are better made, crudely "finished". Good aftermarket parts are highly polished and fit expertly. Questionable parts stick like a sore thumb. Sometimes they work, sometimes they SUCK. Sometimes the cheap parts complement the OEM parts. It's a plethora, hodgepodge of things. Great video.

I changed my factory gen 5 barrel for a wheaton arms cold hammer forged barrel. I did this mainly for the increased barrel life. I have had 0 issues for over 15 thousand rounds through my 19xand I'm loving it. In terms of accuracy it's not a major difference maker. I also have the tungsten guide rod from the glock store. Last mod i have is I just added some ameriglo sights on it. Great video and I love the practicality as well as the proven truthful information. Keep up the great content.

Only things I ever replaced were the factory sights with trijicon sights and the connector with a ghost inc 4.5lb connector. Everything else is stock and has never let me down.

I upgraded my G23 with a stainless steel guide rod from the Glock store and they have a good chart to show weight. I went up 1lb and it works great never had a issue. I also did the competition spring kit and 3.5 ghost. The reset is amazing and I love it 😊

I love how are you guys are straight to the point not a bunch of jargon and just yada yada yada some people just talk so much and half the shit they say makes no sense extra yes I just wanna hear videos that has full good content ! U it man !!

Nice video, I have plenty of guns and shoot alot. But I can't pretend to know everything, I appreciate the advice and insight on what actually works.

Thank you for the great information. I have never owned a Glock but have been thinking about getting the model 20 in 10mm. I just watched hickor45 who’s videos are great and in his Glock 10mm video he changed the barrel over to a stainless steel barrel so he could shoot lead bullets. He just mentioned he had done that and didn’t elaborate on it although he said he normally likes to leave well enough alone. That would be the reason I would change out the barrel but surly would not want to affect reliability. Thank you again for your great video.

I'll admit I'm a gun novice. The second handgun I bought was a glock gen 5 g19 for the ambidextrous slide release. I bought that because of the known reliability. I now have other guns, but I love the stock glock, never fails. Sadly I'll say it has stood up better than my 1911 lol. But this video is a great assurance that I went right with the Glock.

My recoil spring was plastic on my glock. Snapped and shot out the front... I replaced it w/ the Tungsten spring... LUV LUV LUV IT!!!

I did one thing he said not to (recoil spring). I haven't had any problems, but I still have the stock one. I also did the 25¢ polish job on the internals, and it is smooth as glass. Of course I replaced the trigger too (Apex) but didn't lower the trigger pull to keep it safe. Thanks not only for the advice but the explanations. Take care.

I also use KKM barrels. I find they improve groups a bit and I have thousands of round through several guns with no probs. Great video

My go-to handgun is a Gen4 G31, and it’s been a great gun. Gen4 grip texture is outstanding right out of the box, and they have the enlarged mag release from the factory. Only things I’ve added are an extended slide release and night sights. Extended slide release is easier to manipulate for me, but I did have to adjust my grip a little to avoid lock-back failures. Never had a problem with the factory sights over years of use and carrying, but I wanted them to be usable in the dark, so I eventually upgraded to some AmeriGlo tritium 3-dots. They work good and are very visible in the dark, but I wish they didn’t have such sharp corners on the rear sight. Definitely given me a few scratches over the years. I also have a Lone Wolf 9mm conversion barrel for it. Definitely not as well-made or reliable as the factory barrel, but it works great for practice. In fact, I think the occasional malfunction during practice can be a good thing.

Nice commentary informative Don’t care who you are or what you do we learn new things from different perspectives every day. Have a blessed day brother

Great start to a rainy Sunday! Love the videos

First thing I did with my Glock 19 Gen 5 was to change out the sights and added a Holosun 507c red dot with metal co-witness sights while keeping everything else stock. I also got rid of the free Glock magazine loader and created my own that loads 15 rounds in about 36secs using a syringe style loading method.

Bought a G20 for hiking. It bulged brass at the base so it was questionable if it was safe to reload. Ordered KKM barrel longer than factory to get extra velocity and no more bulged brass. Extra barrel length made the gun cycle so fast the brass would eject and hit the slide denting the brass. Installed MUCH heavier recoil spring to slow down slide. Did the job, and brass is saveable from weaker loads, still gets dented on the super hot stuff. Hoping that adding a reddot will add enough weight to slow the slide a Bit more. Just gets hard to justify when getting the slide cut costs almost the same as a XDME with an optic ready slide.

I've never had any problems with anything I've picked up from Zev. However, I did play around with trigger pull a bit and ran into the light primer strike issue. Just returned the firing pin spring to stock to resolve it.

I bought a stainless steel rod and spring captured. Dropped it in. Never did and tinkering with it. Works perfect

Extended Slide release is a must for me. Plus I've had luck with shadow extractors. I also like Maritime cups.

Timney alpha trigger! I have one in a gen 3 19 and one on a gen 5 34 that I carry for duty every day….super reliable trigger that is just SMOOTH!

Awesome I was always told to get a upgraded spring and rod. I am a LE Firearms Instructor and so many say to change it , but you cleared that question up for me. I am also a G34 fan , it’s Glock 9mm 1911, I love it . It’s really easy to drive to the target, thanks again you are great and honest, no pimping out to these manufacturers. Have you done a review of the 7.5 Bruno?

MCarbo makes amazing spring options for Glocks. I have a M Carbo Gen4 spring kit in my Shadow Systems DR920 and 1000 rounds flawless. With a 3.5 connector and the shadow flat face trigger.

I installed a tungsten carbide guide rod in my friends 40 caliber glock, so it would mitigate recoil and muzzle flip so his wife would be able to shoot it. She loves it, and it worked amazingly.

If you're shooting a Glock at 150 to 200 yards I'm not sure what kind of gunfight you're in. That kind of shooting is done with a rifle. You should turn around and beat feet if you're shooting that far away in a gunfight

Awesome video brother nice to see somebody so honest about everything why make a mistake if you can learn from one great stuff man keep it up.

I have the TLR7-A mounted on my AR and it's great. Very small and lightweight and still plenty of light for me. The only thing I did on my Gen 3 Glock is the good ole 25 cent trigger job and honestly it really helped with no reliability problems at all. The good thing was it makes the trigger feel nicer but does not make it too lightweight where it's unsafe. Although if you didn't know what you're doing you could really screw something up.

You're right, people generally don't understand springs, their function and how to tune them. Do your research. For grip improvement I often like the tread traction tape like you'd put on your pickup step/bumper, stair treads, etc. "Tread safety tape" (name may vary) is available in home depot, etc., usually in the paint dept. and comes in a long enough roll that you'll never run out. I have a parkerized Browning Hi Power and it's worn and very slick, some tape pieces in all the right contact points (front of slide where serrations would be, grip areas, thumb rest points, etc.) work fantastically well. Glocks definitely benefit from this *semi-permanent* (the word you were looking for) solution and using a heat gun/hair dryer to warm, form and adhere the tape is a good idea. The texture is a bit rough at first but wears into the texture you want, not out of it. The other thing I always use is the plastic, recoil spring buffer that's a "donut" that goes between the end of the guide rod and slide which reduces the hard impact and lengthens slide and rod wear. As for felt recoil, any difference in feel is negligible. One warning about lights, people let ego control their decision making process when they buy a weapon light. It has to be the best name brand and light up 100yds. This is often a big mistake *unless* your going to be fighting outdoors, at night, at distances of 50+ yds. Having a weapon light with too much power in a home/close quarters situation is going to wash out your target, flood back in your face and impress your vision and give a very good target for your opponent to shoot. If you're going to be using a light for your house and lighting up a hallway, 200 is enough and 300 is plenty. Getting 500 and more lumens on a defensive pistol is going to hurt you as much as help. As for type... Get a 2-300 lumen light with a quick connect clamp and an activation switch that is ambidextrous and easily activated. The brand just needs to be one with good ratings over expensive labels. I have a $40 light on my Glock 17 that uses a CR123 battery, rubber covered, push button, 3 function (low, high, strobe) contact switch at rear of the light so either thumb works (I don't like the side-activated switches so much) and it's momentary or detent capable. It's strong enough to light a hallway or room, clearly identifying what im aiming at without blinding me in the process. It's also not too heavy or bulky. I can't remember the name off hand but itcwas an eBay find. I've had it for several years, good battery life and no malfunction whatsoever. I'm not saying don't get a name brand, I'm just saying you don't *have* to. The biggest thing is to remember, enough light is important, too much light is a detriment so, decide what environment you'll be in and buy accordingly. Are you really going to be facing bad guys outside at 100 yards and need to identify the color of their eyes? Probably not. *A tip...* When using your light inside, such as a hallway, have your weapon in a low ready position and shine your light *down,* letting it reflect up onto your target, it will not identify your face as a good place for them to shoot/hit as you're moving to your safe zone nor blind yourself as well as them. You can move the light to their face quickly enough and still blind and identify the target without hindering yourself in the process.

I know this is for Glocks, but I personally swapped out the recoil spring on my Security-9 from the stock 17lb to a stainless steel 20lb and it made a sizable difference. Very good change if you know why you’re doing it and what it does.

Your barrel tip makes sense, I put together a p80 and PSA slide with griffen armament barrel, run through parts that are made by a common well known even PSA.

I have a Glock 17, Glock 26, and S&W Shield 2.0. The only things I've changed on the Glocks are, added Tritium sights, extended slide lock(getting old and hands and fingers don't work as well as they used to), and Talon Grips. The Shield stayed the same straight out of the box.

I had Glock sights actual wear down. I had a G17 i bought in 91 and a G22 in 93. They were my carry guns for years. The plastic sights never broke but eventually wore down after 20 years of in and out of holster. Have metal Trijicons on them now.

Your friend had issues with cerekote because the Shadow 2 has veey tight tolerances compared to a glock or polymer gun. So adding an extra layer of paint in between the already tightly fit slide and internals is asking for a problem.

With the guide rod and spring assembly, if the stock is a 15 lbs spring, I use a 15 lbs spring on the tungsten guide rod. Never had any issues. I always do three things to my glocks. Tritium sights, Tungsten guide rod, and a mag well. If it's older and the coat is wearing off, I will send it in for a new Nitride.

I got the +4 mag extension for my Glock G48 from ‘glock store’ and i can say it is very reliable and highly recommend for 43x and g48 owners

I prefer to keep things out of the box, except for the New York trigger, installed by a Glock-certified tech. Really fixes the squishy trigger issue and would look good in a court if you wound up as a defendant.

I got an aftermarket KKM barrel for my glock 20 so i can shoot hard cast out of it. It’s not recommended to shoot that through a stock barrel. But that’s specifically because I was wanting it for bear defense.

This guy: “do as I say not as I do” lol appreciate his honesty.

Fellow Iowan here, I am in your area quite a bit. Good to see someone in my state is putting out good content. As an LEO I’d like to be able to ask questions, if you can help me out I’d like to hear from you. My extra money is going to my local food pantry.

The two upgrades I do on all my Glocks are real sights (typically Trijicon HD) and a trigger guard undercut. Neither impact reliability whatsoever. I do like a quality stipple job but it’s not a “must have”. Light is a must for home defense and a “nice to have” on a carry gun but I don’t consider it a modification. I did build out a ZEV Glock 19 with all the bells and whistles but it’s just s range and competition toy.

I did a ghost inc trigger kit for the firing pin spring and safety spring, and never had a light strike. I used the heavier of the two springs included in the kit for the pin though, the lighter one has a lot of reliability issues, I've heard, so I didn't use the competition spring.

You might like the Grip Force Adapter, especially on your older gen guns. They help me get a higher grip on the gun, and control recoil better.

Only changes I made to my carry Glock 26: Shadow Systems (Meprolite) iron sights to match presentation with my DR920. Johnny Glocks 5.5(?) connector to give me a nice "two stage" trigger. LTT baseplate dingus for safer reholstering. Strike Industries +2 baseplates.

I bought a " pure tungsten guide " and actually appreciated the less recoil and better accuracy provided for my Gen 5 19.

I'm gonna press back on the "not replacing recoil spring" I replaced my factory recoil spring on my 26 and the added weight and rigidity has tightened my group and reduced jams A LOT!

This video helps a lot got my 1st Glock a couple of days ago the 19x

Thanks for this. Honda mechanic here where I appreciate reliability of OEM over the aftermarket hoopla that can actually make the part less than optimal. New to guns and jumped on Glock because of the testimonials on reliability and function-love my 26 so far; appreciate the no-nonsense works/doesn’t/gimmick approach;appreciate your insight, thanks again amigo✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼

It's good practice to keep the recoil spring stock on the Gen 4+ and any of the 9mm guns prior to gen 4 are GTG. I highly recommend you UP the recoil spring a few pounds in the early .40/10mm models. They use an underpowered spring and they were increased woth Gen 4. Glocks generations are in effect the approved upgrades to things they could've done better, so I see no reason why you can't natch those changes if you know what you're doing. My glock 23 still runs like a Honda civic with a #20 wolff spring and rod and #6 striker spring (for stubborn primers). Did a trigger job and all that. Now, I should mention this has taken me 2 years of wasting a lot of time, patience and money.

I'm not fond of changing springs, and triggers on guns. The sights are a different story because they don't interfere with dependability. I've always thought that the gunsmiths at Glock, S&W, Beretta, they make a lot of $$ designing these guns and smarter than the average Joe so better to leave factory. And the DA can't bring it up if you have to use it. Love the videos👍👍

I watch a few different shows and yours is tops. I put you right there with the old timers but a younger view. Jerry m Hickok, very knowledgeable. Thank you

I added tritium suppressor height sights, Trijicon RMR and an APEX flat trigger shoe because I prefer that trigger profile. I left all internals stock. I also added a Surefire light.

In a subcompact gun, I would consider adding a treaded barrel to lengthen the barrel slightly, to add 50-75 fps velocity. The only concealment parameter affected is overall length, which may or may not be a problem, depending on your concealment set up.

The Timney alpha trigger is an amazing upgrade at a ridiculous price of $150. Doesn’t mess with the reliability or safety of the Glock, as the usual trigger “upgrades” would. Or even changing the trigger shoe and bar on my 43x made a world of difference. Last things I think are also important- depending on the shooter and size of gun- are extended slide releases (like $30 directly from Glock) and extended magazine release (also made by Glock. Vickers tactical also has an affordable one).

Yall should do stress tests on OE glocks vs glocks with customizations. Would be pretty cool, ie windows vs serrations vs trigger upgrades vs optics vs combinations vs classic out of the box. Also great content yall are killing it

Your voice is added to the many who say don't mess with stock Glock triggers. I am blessed with a trigger finger that is not fussy anyway. Same with grip texture.

I worked for a big box sporting goods retailer based out of Texas for 10yrs. Yes i worked the gun counter. We recieved a glock from glock with a broken OFF rear sight. Also i have been using a stainless guide rod spring system for a couple years in my g17s gen 3 and have had NO ISSUES. I currently carry gen 5 g19 and have left it STOCK except for the sights. I use the ameriglo pro i dot sights. AWESOME!

20 years ago upgrades for your Glock made sense. Today, you can upgrade your Glock by buying something like a PDP. If you don't like an out of the box Glock there are suitable alternatives. I don't consider lights and optics upgrade. They are accessories. In any case there is no upgrade that will make 95% of shooters better. The pistols are already more accurate than virtually any shooter in a high stress DGU.

I have a gen 3 17 and so far I’ve done this: extended mag release, threaded barrel, mag well, and +2 extended mag baseplate for the secondary range mag. Plan to keep it this way and may get a compensator or can in the future. This pistol serves as a defense gun while also being a range gun.

I have a lone wolf conversion barrel and never had an issue. I didn’t even change the recoil spring. I’m surprised it works this well.

I have done every mod to my gen 3 17 that you warned against and had no issues so far after almost 1000 rounds, but I will say I spent way too much money on making it look cool. Could've bought a staccato with all I've spent on the glock and I should've.

$10 skateboard grip tape would be a decent alternative to Talon grips, only downside is it isn't precut etc for your specific firearm, that said you'll have a ton of material to work with

That one long-slide with the comp, dot, etc is badass!!

You’re absolutely right, it’s like anything you do when you souped up the reliability it’s gonna drop down dramatically

Am I the only one crazy enough that got mine converted to .460 Rowland and actually conceal carried it for a few years?

Spent $20 for a Ghost Connector with new springs and it’s badass in my Gen 5 17. No issues so far. The best $20 I’ve spent on any of my Glocks

Thank you I have a Glock 43X MOS on the way and have wondered about some of this.

Thank you so much! I was thinking about replacing the recoil spring, but not now. I'll just stay stock since it's my carry weapon.