To upgrade or not upgrade, that is the question. 

A couple weeks ago I broke down the history of the Glock and its impact on the modern day firearm culture. Just to reiterate one important point, the Glock pistol platform is one of the easiest to modify. But what about the barrel? Shouldn't Glock have sold you a solid barrel that shouldn't have to be upgraded? Well, yes and no.

The yes. Glock's has had a reputation for quality functioning parts, including the barrel. I think you would be hard pressed to find many people who would disagree. But does that mean we shouldn't look for something better?

The No. The stock Glock barrel is perfectly fine if you are looking to keep your pistol stock. But there are time-tested aftermarket Glock barrels that have proved to be an obvious upgrade from what comes from the factory.

Why should you upgrade your stock Glock barrel?

1. You can shoot unjacketed rounds.

2. Tighter fitment in the slide

3. Improved accuracy when shooting high quality ammunition

4. They look pretty damn cool

5. Threaded barrels allow the attachment of a compensator or suppressor

6. Enhanced ability to fight corrosion and friction aka better durability 

 

Why you might not want to upgrade your barrel?

1. Some people have reported that when shooting cheap ammunition or reloads that the OEM barrel has tighter groupings

 

All in all, I do think the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to upgrading your Glock barrel. Some people might try and make the argument that OEM parts are more reliable or have a higher degree of engineering than aftermarket upgrades. I find this theory to be based on "operator science". Working for an aftermarket components manufacturer, I can tell you the engineers we employee are of the highest caliber. Our torture tests go above and beyond some of the OEM manufacturers. I know I can't same the same for every aftermarket manufacturer but it's pretty simple. All you have to do is do a little google research and you can find reviews of the product in question as well as their reputation. And as always, BUY AMERICAN!