Modified Guns - Practical or No?

[Duxman]

Everyone - the question on the table is: Do you use any modifications on your handgun / shotgun / rifle - for HD or CC?

And if you do - what is your reliability experience? And what mods are on your weapon?

All my pistols are stock. My AR15 has an optical sight. Shotgun is stock. (thought about putting a pistol grip - but read that its entirely unpractical.)

 

[foghornl]

I might put different grips on my handguns, scope my rifles, etc, but mine are generally "out of the box stock" in regards to the basic action.

F'rinstance, by KP-90 Ruger wears a Hogue wraparound with the finger grooves, the Springer Champion has a Pearce grip that has the finger grooves, with very thin pieces that go under the stock 1911 panels.

Marlin Model 99 .22LR has a scope, because the previous owner filed down the front to practically flush with the barrel [maybe he thought he could shoot 300+ yards with the iron sights ? ? ]

Marlin 30A in .30-30 has a fixed power 4x32 scope, mainly beacuse my tri-focused 50+ year old eyes don't work so good with irons aymore.

The Maverick 88 (Mossberg) wears the 18-1/2" cylinder bored barrel, rather than the 28" modified choke that it had whne I bought it. This is my primary Homeland Security weapon.

But internally, all mine are 'box stock'.

 

[XavierBreath]

You know the argument is always use an unmodified weapon. I think that whether or not that rule applies depends a lot on your region. Any gun can be painted as evil, and any gun owner as reckless, it's just a matter of whether the jury will buy it. Where I am at, I've not seen a justified shooting go bad in court in either criminal or civil litigation. Modified guns have been used.

I keep HD shotguns that I cut down to 18.5 myself, and put on black synthetic stocks.
One of my carry guns is a modified Sistema. The only thing Sistema is the frame and slide.
Another is a modified Colt Officer's ACP.
I also carry a S&W M38 that is basically stock except for the grips.

In my carry guns I demand 100% reliability with the carry ammo. I required 100% reliability with carry ammo for 500 rounds before I would carry them. I shoot each one at least every other week. I am unsure of the round counts now. They have not failed..... yet. Even a gun that has shot reliably for thousands of rounds can fail. There is no way to prevent failure, but shooting the gun, cleaning and inspecting it, and using good ammo can get you as close as possible.

FWIW the majority of my other guns are reliable as well. I have a couple low grade guns that are not.

 

[Greenfurniture]

Nothing changes.

 

[tanstaafl4y]

The only mods I've made (other than mounting a "civilian" scope on rifles) was replacing the wood stocks on my Smith 65 with oversized rubber grips and a finger groove wrap on my Glock 22 (1st Gen).

I've been thinking about a recoil rod laser for my Glock 27 but cant justify spending the money.

 

[benzo1355]

Well most guns stay the same aside from my 1911. My 1911 is modded highly. A bunch of aftermarket parts, spring,mag catch, mag, grip, trigger, sear, hammer, beavertail, rear spring, disconnector. And many more to come the trigger and springs were the best mods for the price. You would be surprised at how cheap the stuff is.

 

[pointfiveoh]

I only bought some of the hogue soft rubber w/ finger grooves for my sig, other than that it's stock.

 

[oneeyeross]

If it isn't ready to shoot....

when it comes out of the box, why buy it?

I don't consider scopes a modification, especially since some rifles don't come with them.

Yes, I am a Luddite.

 

[jonathon]

GRIPS

Factory grips aren't the best usually. I carved my own for my SBH. M15 has pachmayrs.

 

[Archie]

"Other" modifications

1911s get:
* Upgraded sights. Usually fixed, but better visibility.
* Beavertail/extended push grip safties. I get 'bit' real easy and I like the lump to de-engage the grip safety.
* Action job. Some word said over the trigger; not ultra light, but clean.
* Neat grips.
One Government Model I have has an ambidextrous safety. It was 'cool' in 1980 or so and I've just never changed it.

Revolvers (all S&W) get:
* Action cleanup. Smooth DA function is a must.
* Grips that fit me. Usually Herretts' Shooting Stars.
* Some barrels get cut back to the extractor lug for convenience.
* Some hammer spurs removed.
* Some get round butted.

A three inch, round butt, dehorned, slick action Model 19 is about as fast a gun as can be used in the personal defense role. They sound like a mini-gun in operation and are very, very selective in target acquisition.

 

[Christopher II]

I've worked on almost every gun I own.

Modifications vary. My only pistol in use right now is a full-house USPSA Limited gun built on a Glock 35. It has an aftermarket barrel, adjustable fiber-optic sights, 2# trigger, magwell, upgraded springs, etc, etc. It is very reliable, although two of my extended magazines need new springs.

My rifles are all AR-15 platform guns. All of them have match triggers. All have heavy-duty extractor springs. Two have optical sights - an EOTech 552 on my defensive carbine, and an ACOG TA11F on my 3Gun rifle. My HD gun has a float-tube foreend and a LaRue light. All my working magazines have been modified for function. I think I've had one failure to feed with my carbine, probably 1500 rounds ago.

My shotguns - well, I have a lot of shotguns. One of my Franchis is pretty much stock save for an extended magazine. The other has an extended magazine, ghost rings, sidesaddle, and a stock cut down to fit me better. I've never had a failure of any kind with either Franchi. My skeet gun is a Remington 1100 LT-20 with a trigger/action job, custom-built stock, and barrel bored out to Skeet I. I can't remember ever having a malfunction with it with light loads, although it will choke on the heavy stuff.

- Chris

 

[armedandsafe]

I have 3 CC guns which I alternate, depending on circumstances. I worked over the grips so each would pull with the same fit for POA/POI as the others. That meant I had to hand carve the grips for the DanWesson .357. It is worth it, though, because I pull the same grip each time and shoot to the same "point" spot, whichever piece is with me.

Pops

 

[Ozzieman]

A mod 28 smith

A very good gunsmith did the mods.
Cut the cylinder to 44 SP.
Put a 3 inch Doglas barrel on it.
Added a spring loaded ball to the tang making it a tripple lock.
Target trigger.
From a Ransom rest it will drive nails.
Was built in the late 70's

 

[techbrute]

Pretty much the only mods on my HD guns are bolt-ons. Not because of any legal reasons, but just because that's all I want. Some grips on the 1911s, skateboard tape on the glocks, Surefires all around: X200, M962, Integrated Shotgun forends.

 

[Capt. Charlie]

Well, let's see. the 870-P has a factory folding stock and extended magazine tube. I added a pistolgrip fore-stock, Scorpion tac light and laser sight. Great hallway gun!
The Mini-14 has the Ramline folding stock, Harris UL bipod, flash suppressor, and a big ol' Bushnell Banner varmit scope (which I found to be overkill on a Mini-14 )
All the handguns except for the Mk II and Walther have custom grips. Mostly Packmyers or Hogue. The Smith 645 has zebra wood custom (made to my hand) grips from Tuscon Custom Grips, which immediately brought my qualification scores up by 20%, and the top of the slide is blacked out to reduce glare. The 4" Smith 19 has custom rosewood grips by Art Jewel Enterprises.
No mods on the Win 94. It's circa 1930's and is absolutely mint. You can comb your hair from the finish on the receiver. They don't make 'em like that anymore. It has a distinguished place on the wall in my den.
The 10/22? I started off putting everything but the kitchen sink on it, and went back to the old original 10/22. Better not to tamper with something that's damned near perfect to begin with.

 

[perception]

Nightsights.

 

[PaulBk]

Stock, except for night sights

G26, totally stock except foor night sights.

-PB

 

[tlm225]

My glocks have night sights. My privately owned department approved 870 has: Surefire tac light, sidesaddle, scattergun technologies ghostrings, jumbo head safety, high viz mag follower and sling. Of these I regard the Tac light the only truly essential mod.

 

[CarlosDJackal]

It depends entirely on the modification and the handgun that is modified. In most of the Pistol Courses I have taken, most of the heavily modified 1911s in attendance have failed repeatedly. While the 1911s that were relatively unmodified kept on ticking no matter what.

FWIW, I rarely saw any Glocks, Sigs, or H&Ks fail though.

 

[Greybeard]

S&W 340 PD came from factory with an atrociously heavy DAO trigger, so that's the first thing I had fixed. It is now close to that of Kahr PM-9 as it came from the factory - long and smooth.

Added a Crimson Trace overmoulded laser grip to the 340. No regrets there either. Ordered the PM-9 with factory night sights, so it is carried "stock".

Current project on another probable "sometimes carry gun" is a Glock 29 (compact 10mm). I ordered an aftermarket Bar-Sto .40 barrel for it and am tonight to function test and chrono some Gold Dot 165 grainers. Also on my "to do" list is to order and try an A-Grip for the 29.

Some time soon when more time, I want to do some timed side-by-side testing next to some various full-power 10mm loads. Methinks that the results will indicate that, like .38+Ps vs. .357s in the 340, the .40s will probably result in a combination of slightly better accuaracy and appreciably better split times than with Double Tap 10mms. If so (and if 100% reliable), reason enough for me to possibly leave Bar-Sto barrel and .40s in the gun for general carry purposes in the concrete jungle.