A Definitive Guide to Choosing Pistol Accessories for Your Needs

Whether you’re a new gun owner or experienced with firearms, accessories can help you make the most of your weapon. The first thing to determine is what you want accessories for and your reason for purchasing the firearm.

The following includes the accessories that every gun owner should have and those specific to different applications.

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Firearm Accessories

Firearm accessories can fit into two basic categories. The first includes those necessary items for routine maintenance, keeping the weapon secure, and transporting it to and from the range or field. The second category encompasses those accessories that fit on or around the gun itself. These comprise weapon lights, holsters, and upgrades, such as replacement sights.

While some accessories are specific to a particular application, others are universally necessary. These are:

• Cleaning kit: Even modern combat handguns need to be periodically cleaned and lubricated to ensure peak performance. If you’ve shot a Glock before, you know that a handgun with a polymer-composite frame needs maintenance.
  
  However, in steel- and aluminum-framed handguns where a metal slide cycles on a metal frame, lubrication is highly recommended for smooth operation. Removing fouling from the bore, cleaning articulating surfaces, and applying a lubricating oil will keep your gun functionally optimally and protect it against the formation of rust.
  
  At a minimum, a cleaning kit should include bore cleaning brushes, flannelette or cotton cleaning patches, a cleaning solvent, a lubricating oil, and a nylon brush.
  
• Safety equipment: Firearms safety is essential. The blast from a firearm, even a pistol, can cause permanent hearing loss. Unburnt powder particles, metal fragments from bullets and casings, errant cartridge casings, and other flying debris can also pose a threat to your eyes. To minimize the risk to your eyes and hearing, invest in a pair of dedicated shooting glasses and earmuffs. 
  Disposable foam earplugs can also work in a pinch, but for sustained firing sessions, consider doubling your protection.
  
• Range bag: The only way to improve your skills with a firearm is to practice with it. When you take your new gun to a firing range for practice, a dedicated range bag lets you transport your firearm, ammunition, safety equipment, and other items securely. Ideally, your range bag is weather-resistant and contains separate storage pockets and compartments with Velcro, zipper, or snap closures. 
• Paper targets: Whether you’ve purchased a pistol to compete in competition matches, plink, or defend yourself, target practice is essential for cultivating shooting fundamentals. To effectively hone your marksmanship skills, you need targets that you can shoot. These can take many forms, from simple bullseye targets with scoring rings to human silhouette targets. Some paper targets depict hostage scenarios where you must avoid hitting a human shield.
• Gun safe: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), there was an average of 232,400 firearms stolen during household burglaries and other property crimes between 2005 and 2010. If you want to keep a firearm loaded and ready for self-defense, that’s both your right and understandable. 
  However, the primary purpose of a gun safe is to protect your firearms when you’re not at home, and the property is otherwise unattended. If you have young children who may not be sufficiently mature to learn the principles of firearms safety and handling, a gun safe or lockbox is worth considering. 
• Gun case: Your gun case should have a hard plastic outer shell to resist impact or crush, a cushioned closed-cell foam interior, double-throw latches, and an O-ring and pressure-equalization valve to keep moisture out. Unlike the range bag, the gun case should be lockable, can substitute for a gun safe, and is TSA-compliant for air travel. 

Firearm Upgrades

The second type of firearm accessories enhances the weapon’s capabilities. This may take the form of a holster that lets you bring it into action rapidly or a set of sights that lets you acquire a sight picture more efficiently in the dark.

Sights

Some handguns, such as the Glock series, ship from the factory with stock sights that many gun owners find inadequate. The first order of business is to replace the OEM sights so you can fire the gun more accurately.

The standard upgrade for traditional iron sights is to replace the three-dot fixed combat sights that are the default for many handguns with either tritium night sights or fiber optics. Tritium, a radioactive isotope, is self-illuminating due to radioactive decay. Fiber optics collect and direct ambient light, so they’re mostly useful during the day. However, some sights combine the two to maximize the effect.

For target shooting and some competitive shooting applications, your pistol may need an adjustable rear sight. Being able to adjust the elevation and windage of the rear sight allows you to accommodate different bullet weights, shifting the point of impact.

Many firearms manufacturers, such as Glock, FN, and HK, have introduced semi-auto pistols optimized for competitive target shooting. This takes the form of a slide cut to accept various adapter plates that allow you to securely attach a type of reflector sight called a miniature red dot (MRD). Like night sights, some models use a combination of tritium and fiber optics to illuminate the reticle. Others use a lithium-ion coin cell.

Holsters

Whether you’ve purchased a handgun specifically for open or concealed carry, you need a holster. Although a gun holster is necessary for competitive target shooting, it’s critical when carrying for self-defense. While ill-advised, carrying a firearm in public without a holster is also illegal in some jurisdictions.

The principles that you should seek in a gun holster are:

• Retention: One of the primary reasons to carry a firearm in a holster is retention. While leather holsters often use a type of thumb break with a snap closure, many Kydex holsters use a type of passive friction retention system that you can adjust using a series of screws. You cannot overstate the importance of retention — it keeps your weapon secure, both while moving and from those who would attempt to disarm you. 
• Safety: When you draw your pistol, you need to know that your index finger won’t accidentally enter the trigger guard. While proper training should minimize this risk, the design of the holster also plays a role. The holster's mouth should remain rigid. This ensures that the holster material won’t inadvertently enter the trigger guard as the weapon is being re-holstered, and you won’t have to use your support hand to keep it open. 
• Access: If you carry a gun for self-defense, you need to be able to draw it quickly and reliably. As a result, there should be no complicated locking systems or protective flaps to open or sweep aside.

Although leather is still trendy, and nylon offers an inexpensive alternative, there’s a third option.

A relative newcomer, Kydex has taken the shooting community by storm in recent years. Because Kydex is a durable thermoplastic, it’s resistant to oils and solvents, moisture, abrasion and won’t lose its shape. Unlike leather, it won’t absorb water and swell. In fact, Kydex is completely water repellant. While leather can deform and nylon can fray, Kydex maintains its rigidity, allowing for safe re-holstering.

Kydex is simple to maintain; simply wipe it out with a damp cloth when you are done carrying for the day and allow it to dry. With proper care, your Kydex holster can last you a lifetime.

Aside from the holster, you may also want to carry spare ammunition for your defensive weapon. One of the best ways to do this is by wearing an  IWB or OWB magazine carrier or pouch on your gun belt. Worn opposite your firearm carry side, these carriers can hold 1 or 2 additional magazines for emergency reloading.

In Conclusion

While pistol accessories run the gamut from range bags and cleaning kits to upgraded sights and weapon lights, the holster is essential for carrying your firearm in a safe and secure manner.

At Incognito Concealment, we pride ourselves on our line of Kydex holsters and  magazine carriers available in various configurations. All of our products come with a lifetime warranty for your peace of mind. Call us at (586) 333-4240, and we’d be happy to discuss holsters and other pistol accessories with you to help you make an informed decision.