Upgrade 1: Tungsten Guide Rod
The first, and by far the easiest thing to upgrade will be your guide rod. As previously mentioned, no gunsmith is required. It really doesn’t get much easier than taking off your slide, popping the old plastic guide rod out, dropping in the shiny new Tungsten Guide Rod in, and slapping your slide back on the frame. But make no mistake... despite how easy it is to install, the Tungsten Guide Rod is one of the most significant upgrades you can make.
The real advantage of the Tungsten Guide Rod isn’t the spring, but the rod itself. The Tungsten gives it a weight of about 5 times that of the factory guide rod. This added weight, focused in the front of the gun, significantly reduces muzzle rise, helping you stay on target from shot-to-shot. Technique and training are inarguably essential to becoming a better shooter, but it’s little things like this that will take you to the next level.
