Top Pistol Accessories for Your Glock 22
May 5th 2021
The Glock pistol was adopted by the Austrian Army as a replacement for the aging Walther P38, beating several competitors, from Heckler & Koch and Beretta to SIG Sauer and FN. The Glock pistol, and its many iterations, has since become the default semi-automatic handgun for civilian self-defense, competitive target shooting, law enforcement, and military service.
Although Glock’s slogan is “Perfection,” no firearm can live up to that standard. When you buy a handgun, you balance competing interests against each other — power, weight, recoil, bulk, capacity, and handling. Glock pistols are no exception.
If you need to augment the capabilities of a firearm, you can replace and upgrade parts. Fortunately, due to the Glock’s popularity, there is a booming market in upgrade kits, replacement parts, and other accessories.
Glock 22 Origins
The Glock 22 is a full-size service pistol chambered in the .40 Smith & Wesson cartridge. Smith & Wesson and Winchester co-designed the .40 S&W cartridge, introducing the new round in 1990.
As a direct result of the 1986 FBI Miami shootout, the Bureau had adopted the 10mm Auto cartridge, using a reduced-pressure load. This decision was based on extensive research and testing to find a suitable replacement for the .38 Special, 9mm Luger, and .357 Magnum cartridges.
The FBI contracted Smith & Wesson to design and manufacture a semi-automatic pistol to its specifications chambered in the 10mm Auto round. During development, it became clear that a shorter cartridge could replicate the ballistics of the reduced-pressure 10mm Auto cartridge in a medium-frame pistol designed for the 9mm round.
While Smith & Wesson had a semi-automatic pistol chambered in the new cartridge, Glock introduced its .40-caliber handguns first: the G22 and G23.
The Glock 22 Pistol
The G22 is a .40-caliber analog to the Glock 17 — a full-size handgun suitable for home defense and law enforcement. Featuring a 4.49” barrel, the G22 weighs 22.75 oz. without a magazine. Weight with a fully loaded magazine is 34.39 oz., which is still less than the weight of an unloaded M1911A1-pattern handgun. The G23 is the compact variant, akin to the Glock 19.
Glock 22 Accessories
When you purchase a semi-automatic pistol, there are accessories that every gun owner should buy, such as hearing and eye protection, suitable paper targets, a cleaning kit (including solvents and lubricating oils), and a range bag. However, there are also accessories and upgrades that you should buy to improve the gun’s function or your ability to use it effectively.
Replacement Iron Sights
Standard OEM Glock sights are known for being fragile and difficult for some shooters to see and align. One of the first upgrades that many new Glock owners buy is a replacement set of high-visibility fixed combat sights or night sights. If you can’t reliably see your sights, you can’t reliably hit your intended target.
Fiber optics collect and deliver ambient light, illuminating your front and rear sights. This can be useful for sight acquisition during the day; however, it won’t illuminate your sights in the dark. Furthermore, fiber optics are comparatively fragile.
Tritium sights are self-illuminating. As tritium decays, it releases electrons. When these electrons interact with phosphor gas, the gas glows a familiar green color, illuminating the aiming markers.
The practicality of night sights is a matter of debate. Some argue that if you can’t see your sights, you also won’t see your target, but that’s not necessarily true. If the threat is illuminated by ambient light sources, such as car headlights, but you’re in the shadows, you may be able to see the threat but not your sights.
Miniature Red Dot Sights
An alternative to iron sights is the miniature red dot (MRD). Traditionally associated with rifles and shotguns, the red-dot sight offers several advantages relative to iron sights. These include faster target acquisition, increased low-light visibility, and enhanced precision. In Modular Optic System (MOS) Glock pistols, the slide has a cut and cover plate. Removing the cover plate allows you to install an adapter plate and a red-dot sight.
Weapon Light
In addition to high-visibility sights, you should also have a way of illuminating the environment. If you own a Glock for home defense, a light attached to the Glock’s accessory rail that you can activate in an instant using your dominant index finger can be a lifesaver at night. You should always be able to see and positively identify your target before shooting.
Improved Trigger
Mastering trigger control is essential to accurate shooting, regardless of whether you’re firing a rifle or a combat pistol. Many shooters find the Glock trigger to be adequate — neither poor nor ideal. “Adequate” leaves room for improvement, however. For a crisp trigger break, reduced pre-travel, and a short reset, you can install a competition-grade trigger kit, allowing you to gain a performance bonus from your Glock.
Extended Slide Stop and Magazine Catch
The standard slide stop is a low-profile part that you may have difficulty reliably swiping with the thumb of your dominant hand. Several companies offer extended and checkered replacements. Likewise, the magazine catch can be hard for some shooters to access.
Recoil Compensator
Although the .40 S&W cartridge doesn’t generate as much recoil as the 10mm Auto, the principal purpose of a recoil compensator is to reduce muzzle rise. If you need to shoot rapidly in a competitive or tactical setting, you’ll find that a compensator reduces the interval between your pressing the trigger and re-acquiring your sight picture.
The compensator accomplishes this feat by exhausting high-pressure expanding gases vertically and, to a lesser extent, horizontally. The vertical exhaust of propellant gases tends to exert downward pressure on the barrel, stabilizing the muzzle.
Magazine Well
Every semi-automatic pistol has a magazine well or feed way. The magazine well is a compartment in the frame into which you insert a detachable box magazine. However, there’s also a separate device called a “magwell” that you can attach to the frame. This acts as a kind of funnel, flaring the magazine well outward and speeding up magazine changes. If you slip and the magazine isn’t perfectly square during magazine insertion, the magwell will guide it toward the center.
Carry Holster
An example of a firearm accessory that is not an upgrade to the weapon but allows you to wield it more effectively is a quality holster. The holster that you choose should fulfill several essential criteria to ensure you can carry and draw your firearm safely and reliably. This means a covered trigger guard, non-collapsible holster mouth, and active or passive retention, depending on whether you carry openly or concealed.
Spare Magazines
Regardless of the reason that you buy a semi-automatic pistol, you should own several standard-capacity and extended magazines. If you intend to shoot competitively or attend a practical self-defense course, additional magazines allow you to perform speed and tactical reloads under time pressure.
During a match, this can mean the difference between winning and losing. In real-world defensive shooting, this kind of training can be vital. Spare magazines need to be accessible, so consider buying magazine pouches/carriers that you can wear on your belt.
Back-Up Gun
A backup gun, or BUG, can be considered an accessory to a full-size service pistol. Glock’s subcompact 9mm pistol, the Glock 43, is a lightweight and diminutive concealed-carry weapon.
Order Your Kydex Holster from Incognito Concealment
At Incognito Concealment, we understand the importance of ensuring that you have everything you need to gain the most from your Glock pistol. Among the accessories that every Glock owner should have is a quality holster, and we manufacture the highest quality Kydex holsters on the market. Call us at (586) 999-5820, and we’ll talk you through our IWB and OWB holsters, magazine carriers, and other equipment.
