Why Get An Aftermarket Slide For Your Glock 17
The Glock 17 might be among the world's most popular and widely used pistols. The Glock 17 was the first pistol developed by Glock, and to this day, it is one of their best products. This iconic pistol is used by militaries and law enforcement worldwide. In addition, it is an excellent service pistol and is widely used by civilians for self-defense.
Why Is The Glock 17 So Popular?
The Glock 17 is a full-sized pistol. Apart from its exceptional reliability, accuracy, and versatility, one of the main reasons contributing to this pistol's incredible popularity is its unbeatable aftermarket support.
Many incredible companies in the U.S. and other countries make loads of aftermarket parts and accessories for the Glock 17, allowing users to customize this pistol according to their preferences and requirements.
Moreover, the Glock 17 holds an iconic place in pop culture. It has appeared in hundreds of video games and even more films. This is also a reason why this pistol is so popular.
What Does The Slide Do On The Glock 17?
The Glock 17 is a polymer-framed, semi-automatic pistol. Like other Glocks and most semi-auto pistols, it has two main parts; a frame and a slide. The frame is made from polymer and houses the trigger assembly and all the pistol controls. The slide is made from steel and houses the firing pin, striker, extractor, guide rod, recoil spring, and barrel.
The slide acts like the bolt of a rifle. When a shot is fired, it moves back under the blowback pressure of the fired cartridge, cocks the striker, and loads a fresh round into the chamber. Therefore, any upgrades made to the slide can significantly impact the operation of the pistol.
Why Would You Want To Install An Aftermarket Glock 17 Slide?
Glocks are known to be very reliable pistols, and their OEM slides are pretty good. They offer excellent reliability and performance with a wide range of ammunition.
However, there are still many reasons why you may want to upgrade your Glock 17 slides. Here are some of them.
Performance
Upgrading the slide of your Glock 17 can have a significant impact on your pistol performance. Lighter slides can offer faster cycling speed and lower recoil. However, they may not be the best if you use high-pressure ammunition.
Many shooters use the Glock 17 for competition shooting and install aftermarket slides most of the time. These slides are usually lighter and have advanced finishes, resulting in a much smoother and faster operation.
Durability
OEM G17 slides are durable; however, some aftermarket slides are made from more robust materials and can offer better durability.
Accessibility
Though Gen 5 Glock 17s comes with a MOS slide, if you want to mound a red dot sight on your Gen 3 or Gen 4 Glock, you need to get the original slide milled or buy an optic-ready aftermarket slide.
Optic-ready slides can significantly enhance your performance as a shooter by allowing you to aim more quickly and easily.
Aesthetics
Another primary reason many people like to use aftermarket slides is to improve the aesthetics of their pistols. Glocks are great pistols, but they could be more aesthetically pleasing. Aftermarket slides come with various designs with different slide cuts, serrations, and finishes.
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“GLOCK” is a federally registered trademark of GLOCK, Inc. and is one of many trademarks owned by GLOCK, Inc. and GLOCK Ges.m.b.H. Neither Wing Tactical, LLC nor this site are affiliated in any manner with, or otherwise endorsed by, GLOCK, Inc. or GLOCK Ges.m.b.H. The use of “GLOCK” on this page is merely to advertise the sale of GLOCK pistols, parts, or components. For additional genuine GLOCK, Inc. and GLOCK Ges.m.b.H products and parts visit www.glock.com.