Custom Glocks & Aftermarket Parts: Excerpt From Glock Reference Guide, 3rd Edition [BOOK]

Glock has gotten so big, it isn’t “just Glock.” An entire cottage industry has spawned off of the brand. There are dozens of companies that make aftermarket custom parts and accessories, with new ones sprouting up all the time. At least a dozen companies manufacture custom Glocks for you to purchase, or you can send in yours, and armorers will work their custom “magic.” And then there’s the fast-growing segment of PCCs—Pistol Caliber Carbines—many of which are based off of Glock magazines. Some even incorporate your Glock pistol into the carbine.

One trend that has become mainstream (and thus is not by definition a trend anymore) is non-Glock Glocks. Several companies that have been making Glock slides, barrels, and other parts used with the Glock frame have now started making their own frames. The frames use Glock parts internally (both OEM and aftermarket parts), but the frame looks very different. So, it’s a non-Glock handgun that is based off the Glock design. Most of these guns are named in a manner that use Glock model numbers, such as “17” and “19.”

For example, the handgun from Faxon is named FX-19. It’s hard for me to mentally classify these firearms, because here you have a company that is building a handgun from the ground up as its own, however, the design itself is not its own, because it’s still Glock’s design.

CUSTOM PARTS 

I typically like everything to be organized in a particular fashion, and the sections of this book are no exception. I wanted a part about custom Glocks and another about custom parts for Glock. The challenge in trying to organize this, and keeping within the size constraints of the book, is where to draw the line between listing a company as making custom parts versus one that makes custom Glocks. Many companies offer both. It’s a fine line between the two.

The difference is a company selling custom parts will sell you parts, which you use to customize your Glock. A company making a custom Glock will send you a Glock that’s completely customized; you do nothing. This is done one of two ways: either you purchase a custom Glock as a completed product, or you send in your Glock, armorers work their magic, and they send back your customized pistol.

BAR-STO 

Bar-Sto has been making high-quality semi-auto pistol barrels since 1971. These barrels have been used by the U.S. Marine Corps Marksman Unit since 1977, as well as the Army Marksman Unit. Barrels are machined, bored, and rifled in its Sturgis, South Dakota, shop. It makes barrels for every model of Glock except the 380 ACP and 45 GAP models. Bar-Sto produces standard barrels, extended threaded barrels, compensated barrels, and extended ported barrels. It also manufactures conversion barrels for the various models in common calibers, as well as non-standard calibers like 30 Luger, 9×25 Dillon, and 40 Super.

Writing this book gave me my first opportunity to work with Bar-Sto, and it has been a great experience. The barrels are hand-fitted to the slide, so once I decided which of my Glocks I wanted a barrel for, I sent in the slide for my G34 Gen4. After a couple of weeks and a few emails, I received the slide and the new barrel. I was extremely impressed by the quality of workmanship. I haven’t done much formal testing in this book as it is not meant as a review, so I decided to keep it informal (no shooting off a bench or using a rest, etc.). I went behind my cabin and stapled some targets to an old box and walked out 10 yards. 

All shots were rapid fire in the off-hand (standing) position. With a box of SIG 124-grain JHP, I fired five-shot groups of (in inches): 2.43, 2.53, 3.9, and 1.93. With Black Hills 115-grain FMJ, I fired five-shot groups of 1.07, 2.92, 1.30, and 2.71. The barrel is well-made with excellent fit and finish, and I’m more than pleased with it. 

CMC TRIGGERS 

I’m not for certain, but I think CMC might be out of Texas. (I jest: Its logo is a trigger group shaped like the state of Texas with the Texas state flag, and it adorns all of its packaging and some products.) Most gun people have heard of CMC Triggers, which has a stellar reputation. CMC is most famous for its drop-in triggers, but also makes other components for Glock. All its products are made in the United States and come with a 100-percent satisfaction guaranteed lifetime warranty.

CMC sent me its Glock Gen4 9mm trigger to test for this book. It’s an excellent trigger. The pull weight averaged 4.7 pounds. The take-up is super-clean, and it has a short reset. The Texas maker also produces drop-in match-grade barrels for Gen3 and Gen4 G17s and G19s in threaded and non-threaded, and for the G34 in non-threaded only. The barrels are made from pre-hardened 416R stainless steel and come in three finishes: stainless, black DLC, and Bronze Ticn. All are fluted and look nice. 

CMC also machines an aftermarket slide called Kragos for the Gen3 G17 and G19. I’m not going to lie, it looks sweet. It has a striking wraparound scalloped serration pattern that looks good and improves purchase when working the slide. It comes with Tritium night sights installed and an optics cut for RMR-compatible optics. Aside from the sights, the slide comes stripped, including the channel liner. It accepts all Glock OEM parts — including the sights — and all aftermarket parts that are compatible with Glock OEM.

I was more than happy with how the CMC trigger, barrel, and Kragos slide performed. I fired two five-shot groups at 10 yards using Black Hills 115-grain FMJ and had groups of 2.73 and 2.52 inches. 

ZEV 

ZEV has been making aftermarket Glock parts for a while, is one of the bigger names in the industry, and is well-respected. I’ve been an admirer of its products, but have limited hands-on experience shooting them, so I can’t write in great detail about them. I do have one of its G34 “dimpled, burnt-bronze” barrels. It’s outstanding and very good looking.

Judging from it, and from handling other products, ZEV’s stuff is well-made. The barrels use pre-hardened chromium 416R stainless steel, like that used in match-grade rifle barrels. Each barrel is then cut rifled and inspected for rifling groove dimensions. Barrels are double-honed to a surface finish of 16 RA (roughness average). As a comparison, a 42 RA would be a beadblasted surface finish, and 4 RA would be a mirror finish. Just looking at the barrel, though, you don’t need fancy numbers and measurements to see the ultrasmooth finish. 

HYVE TECHNOLOGIES 

Hyve specializes in aluminum CNC-made parts for your Glock, including mag releases, slide cover plates, magazine baseplates, and triggers. Its parts are finely made, then anodized in vibrant colors that really stand out, making for great “Insta-guns.” Or you can order the parts in black. Other colors include blue, OD green, copper, red, violet, tan, and gray. Hyve also makes other parts for Glock that aren’t as flashy, such as magazine springs and takedown pins. It recently started offering barrels and slides as well. I decked out my G43 in various Hyve parts for photos. 

The parts are well-made, drop-in and I haven’t had any problems with reliability, though I don’t have many rounds through the gun with these parts so I cannot vouch for durability and wear and tear. As I noted earlier in the book, I don’t use my G43 much for carry anymore, but if I started to again (given my feelings about aftermarket parts for self-defense guns) I’d most likely switch back to OEM. Maybe after a couple of thousand rounds through this gun with these parts I’ll start to change my mind about non-OEM parts on my fighting guns. 

LONE WOLF DISTRIBUTORS 

One of the very first aftermarket parts I bought for one of my Glocks was a Lone Wolf threaded barrel, before Glock made threaded barrels. It’s always performed well, with no problems, and has a good fit and finish. Lone Wolf has been making Glock barrels and parts for a long time, and it is one of the largest. The company earned a loyal following, producing competitively priced products that perform well. In recent years, it has added some higher-end products that are made in the United States in the Alpha Wolf line. 

Lone Wolf now makes a custom part for every OEM Glock part, including the Timberwolf frame (which comes in large- and standard-size frames). It even offers complete pistols. One of my favorite things Lone Wolf offers is the Signature Series slide. I’ve seen Pattern No. 20 through No. 23, and they are sharp-looking. A piece of art, really. 

Lone Wolf loaned me one of its Pattern No. 23 slides for the G34, and it looks like something out of a science-fiction movie. It put a cool-looking Winter Battleworn Cerakote finish on it and included a G34 barrel with its “Frost Bitten” finish. It looks sexy, and it shoots great, too. Something else Lone Wolf makes, if you’re into com-bloc calibers like the 9×18 Makarov: I always wanted a modern polymer gun chambered in 9×18 Mak, and my wishes have been answered. Lone Wolf has a 9×18 Makarov conversion barrel for the G42. There’s one that’s threaded, and one that’s not. I’m a collector of combloc weapons, so I think this is pretty cool.

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