New gun hobbyists are often shocked by the overwhelming amount of available gun modifications and upgrades. Gun enthusiasts often love to modify their firearms for many reasons, ranging from enhancing safety to increasing accuracy or giving their firearm a unique aesthetic flair. However, understanding just how modifiable guns are and some of the most common upgrades available is no easy task! New tools and firearm-related gadgets regularly pop up, as do modifications and improvements to old ones. To get a better understanding of some of these modifications, it warrants going over some more popular mods and upgrades that improve safety and performance that aren’t perhaps as well known by the general public.

Safety

There are many simple gun modifications and upgrades that tend to go unnoticed because they increase safety in subtle ways. Many of these are fairly cheap and are great for beginners who should be extra cautious when it comes to gun safety!

Trigger Safety Upgrades

There are numerous trigger safety upgrades that will help keep beginners extra safe and are often used by even experienced gun hobbyists. For instance, a drop safety is a mechanism that prevents a firearm from discharging if dropped or subjected to pressure that isn’t a proper trigger pull. A trigger blade, a lever that is located on the trigger and has to be depressed with the trigger for discharge, is another such tool. These tools can help prevent sometimes unforeseeable accidents caused by accidental misfire.

Sights for Enhanced Visibility

Night sights and fiber optic sights are two modifications that can improve visibility in low-light conditions. These simple tools increase visibility, making it much easier to shoot accurately and safely. These are must-have upgrades for beginners and experienced shooters alike who plan on shooting in lowlight environments or times.

Extended Safety Switches

A larger or extended manual safety switch serves the dual purpose of making it easier to see if your safety switch is properly engaged and to engage it if it’s not! Stock safety switches can be small, difficult to engage or disengage, and hard to tell what state they’re in. An extended safety switch not only makes this easier but can give beginners greater ease of mind, knowing that they’ve properly set their gun’s safety.

Slide Serrations

These modifications are often mistaken as an aesthetic choice. Slide serrations are a series of grooves, usually located at the front or back of the slide, that provide extra grip when engaging the slide. They are extremely useful in retaining grip when one’s hand might be wet or greasy. If one’s hand slips while manipulating the slide, there is an increased risk of improperly chambering a round, clearing a malfunction, and of the slide pinching one’s hand or fingers! Slide serrations are especially useful for those who don’t have a lot of experience operating a gun slide.

Performance

These modifications and upgrades help increase one’s performance or the functionality of new or older, used firearms. While most of these will be fairly well known by long-time gun enthusiasts, they might not be as well known by newcomers.

Optics Mounting

There are many optics one can mount at the top of many firearms. Two of the most popular are a red dot and holographic sight. These are essentially illuminated aiming reticles that help increase accuracy, allow for fast target acquisition, and help aim in low-light conditions. On top of this, a beginner might like them because they are very versatile and can be used on many different types of firearms!

Recoil Reduction Systems

There are many modifications that reduce the recoil and blowback of the discharge of a firearm. Some simple ones, like recoil pads, add a rubbery or gel-like material at the buttstock of the gun, which cushions the blowback of the firearm into one’s shoulder. This is great for beginners who might not be used to the “kick” of shooting a gun.

Barrel Upgrades

There are so many potential barrel upgrades, most of which aim to improve the firearm’s accuracy. For instance, a match-grade barrel, which is simply a barrel made with top-of-the-line material for greater accuracy, is often used in shooting competitions. Of course, these upgrades can be quite cost-prohibitive. However, this might be an attractive upgrade for a beginner with a little more experience or might be interested in dabbling in shooting competitions.

Magazine Extensions

A magazine extension is as simple as it sounds – it increases the size of the magazine, allowing for more ammunition to be held and, thus, a longer firing session prior to having to reload. This is a great choice for beginners who have been hitting the firing range frequently and find themselves annoyed by having to change out magazines or reload them regularly!

A Small Taste of the World of Gun Modifications

Gun modifications and upgrades are part of the fun of gun ownership. They give you the ability to modify your experience, the functionality of the gun and can provide critical safety enhancements, too! Though it can seem overwhelming, there are numerous resources and people who are happy to help beginners navigate the world of gun modifications, helping ensure that their firearm experiences are as safe as they are enjoyable!

---