After market parts availabity?

sheepman · Mar 5, 2012

Is the availability of aftermarket parts important to you when buying a new gun? It seams that a lot of people feel that they have to add or change parts to a new gun even before shooting it. Personally Any gun I buy needs to be the way I want it out of the box.

My preference is 1911 45, S&W revolvers, Ruger single action revolvers and Glocks. Other than I want a beaver tail grip safety on the 1911 the rest are good the way they left the factory.

FullCaliberII · Mar 5, 2012

Yes, it is to me. I like to "customize" my firearms to suit my taste. I am by no means a gunsmith, but even swapping out grips can be a huge change for a gun. For example, I bought a brand new SW 642 and promptly ordered a set of Hogue wood grips, with finger grooves. The grip on the gun is now much different and improved. I've done similar modifications to my 1911s as well.
I've been looking at the CZ 75B lately and one selling point is the fact there ARE aftermarket parts available for them- again, mostly wood grips, because I hate rubber/plastic ones. I couldn't find a two-tone Glock 27, so I bought an all black one then sent the slide in to get Cerakoted in OD green. Stock guns are boring

CatCow · Mar 5, 2012

FullCaliberII said:
Stock guns are boring

+1
Goes for just about anything. Guns, computers, cars, boats, houses... Customizing something to your needs/wants makes it more useful, hopefully more valuable(at least for something that you may want to sell in the future), and makes it more personal - it's YOUR gun, not the same factory gun that everyone pulls out of the box when it's brand new.

I would go further than just saying it should be changed - I say that if it is within your ability, you should be the one to do it. Not everyone has the time or space for some tools(lathe, mill, welder, etc...), so some things have to be farmed out to a shop - but it is much more rewarding when you do as much of the work as you can. Even if you can't make parts from scratch, or modify pieces, you should at the VERY LEAST be capable of fully detail stripping down to the last screw, pin, and part so that you can replace something that breaks.

iamme · Mar 5, 2012

Not only that- but large aftermarket support can usually help ensure that 5yrs down the road if you break a small part there will still be support to find a replacement part.

XSubSailor · Mar 7, 2012

For me it depends on the cost of the pistol...a Glock? Sure I want to be able to customize it, cuz the the trigger sux out of the box and I can turn a $500 gun into a sweet shooting fiearm for less than $50 in most cases. Glock has great aftermarket support and most customization is cheap...I LOVE that about Glocks.

If we're talking about a Sig or an H&K, I expect it to perform well out of the box for what I'm gonna pay, and I don't expect to have to customize it to shoot well (Although both brands have good aftermarket support.)

For me, a gun is a tool...like all my other tools, I do my research and buy the best value I can afford, and expect it to perform as advertised. A gun is not some extension of my inner self that I need to adorn, add bling to, or fondle to make me happy. My favorites are those that show some holster wear and smooth operation from lots of rounds down the pipe...I don't do "safe queens." If I'm not shooting it regularly...off it goes to someone who hopefully will.

That being said, I can understand and appreciate those that like to apply a personal touch to their firearms...To each his own.

sheepman · Mar 8, 2012

XSubSailor said:
For me it depends on the cost of the pistol...a Glock? Sure I want to be able to customize it, cuz the the trigger sux out of the box and I can turn a $500 gun into a sweet shooting fiearm for less than $50 in most cases. Glock has great aftermarket support and most customization is cheap...I LOVE that about Glocks.

If we're talking about a Sig or an H&K, I expect it to perform well out of the box for what I'm gonna pay, and I don't expect to have to customize it to shoot well (Although both brands have good aftermarket support.)

For me, a gun is a tool...like all my other tools, I do my research and buy the best value I can afford, and expect it to perform as advertised. A gun is not some extension of my inner self that I need to adorn, add bling to, or fondle to make me happy. My favorites are those that show some holster wear and smooth operation from lots of rounds down the pipe...I don't do "safe queens." If I'm not shooting it regularly...off it goes to someone who hopefully will.

That being said, I can understand and appreciate those that like to apply a personal touch to their firearms...To each his own.

My thought also only even my Glocks are stock. I have tried aftermarket parts but never felt they were an improvement.