Modify a CCW

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bcsw1985

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I'm waiting on my CCW permit to come in the mail and I have a Glock 19 in layaway (gen4). I'd like to purchase one of the slide release extender's you can get for like 15 bucks, also the CCW holster I will buy has a holder for an extra magazine.

I've heard from several people that modifying your gun in any way can be used against you if you ever had to defend yourself. Also that if I carry more than one magazine (the one in the gun), that a court can say I was looking for a fight etc. Does anyone know if this is true? By the way, the people who usually tell me this are the ones selling me the guns.
 
I've heard from several people that modifying your gun in any way can be used against you if you ever had to defend yourself.
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Ask them for a case citation.
 
Ideally, the same standard should apply to a case of self-defense regardless of whether you were carrying a 5-shot .38 or an M4A1 with an M68, PEQ-2A, and ten extra mags.

What is reasonable may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but it is pretty much standard in the concealed carry world to have one or two extra magazines. As for simple modifications, that in no way change the mechanical operation of the firearm, there should be no problem there either.
 
If you don't mess with a safety system, there should be no problem.
And even then, there should be no problem unless someone has an accident with it.

If you are involved in a legal SD shoot, it was either legal, or it wasn't.
What you used to do it is immaterial.
For instance, say it was grandpa's old trap shotgun he left you, with the custom fancy stock and Simmons vent rib on it?

On the other hand, are you sure you need an extended slide release?

Why not learn to operate it with the thumb of your left hand when you insert the next magazine?

It's already right there in the right place, doing nothing important anyway.

rc
 
As has often been said, if it is a "good shoot" it shouldn't matter. Sometimes, however, what you thought at the time was a "good shoot" might not be. (e.g., mistaken identity, hitting a bystander with a missed shot, evidence on the scene contradicting your account and so on.) I would avoid excessive trigger lightening (the so-called "'hair' trigger") as this may contribute to an unintentional shooting. Because of the above scenarios, I would also avoid images like Punisher skulls engraved on your grips, etc., although this is not applicable to your Glock. As for the notion that carrying an extra magazine is somehow "looking for trouble," this is the first I've ever heard of it, and completely ridiculous IMO.
 
@bcsw1985:

That sort of mod wouldn't be an issue. What's an attorney or cop going to say? "Well, it WOULD have been a good shoot, but since you made it so you could release it from slide lock more easily, I'm afraid I have to charge you with a crime."

Agreed with the ultra light trigger, though, or disabling a safety. That said, I just turned my DA/SA with thumb safety and decocker HK45 into a DA/SA with decocker variant. I did so with a factory part, to a factory available mod. I'm not worried.
 
I took the magazine disconnect out of my sr9c, but I really don't see how that would cause a problem.

Ultra light triggers would be a bad idea though, just from a ND aspect.
 
Extended slide releases, aftermarket sights, aftermarket grips, holsters and extra magazines shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't alter or smith any trigger, safety or mechanical firing mechanisms, though.
 
Discussions on Modding CCW's

Several knowledgeable writers have discussed the pros and cons of modifying firearms that are kept for self-defense. One of the best discussions I have seen is in one of the newsletters of the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network . My take-away from Marty Hayes's article in the March 2011 newsletter (http://www.armedcitizensnetwork.org/images/stories/journal/Network_2011-03.pdf ) was this: If you ever do have to go to court for using the gun, the opposing counsel (prosecutor in criminal trial, plaintiff's lawyer in civil suit) will use every means possible to convince the jury that your actions were maliciously premeditated, proving you to be a horrid person and deserving of conviction or huge judgement. Modifications that make a gun look "meaner" or more deadly (think tacticool) will be used for emotional appeals to prove how terrible you are. Modifications that clearly are to increase the reliability, accuracy, and safety of the firearm should be arguably in your favor, showing an intent to own and use the gun responsibly.

I highly recommend you read that article, and also join the ACLDN and take advantage of all the training videos members recieve.
 
That sort of mod wouldn't be an issue. What's an attorney or cop going to say? "Well, it WOULD have been a good shoot, but since you made it so you could release it from slide lock more easily, I'm afraid I have to charge you with a crime."
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It's not the guy with the badge you have to worry about, it's the guy with the law degree.
 
Carter said:
I took the magazine disconnect out of my sr9c, but I really don't see how that would cause a problem.

Ultra light triggers would be a bad idea though, just from a ND aspect.
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Mag disconnect wasn't what I was alluding to, but should have said so.
 
ChCx2744 said:
Extended slide releases, aftermarket sights, aftermarket grips, holsters and extra magazines shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't alter or smith any trigger, safety or mechanical firing mechanisms, though.
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I'm not sure I would agree with no smithing of the trigger. I wouldn't do a home trigger job unless you're an armorer, but I put an Apex DCAIK in my M&P (granted, it's primarily for competition) and have no second thoughts. It's the dramatic lightening of the trigger I would avoid.
 
I'd like to purchase one of the slide release extenders....
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Think about this for a second.....

That slide release won't come into play until you've emptied your entire first magazine in the direction of the bad guy. At that point you have a lot more legal issues to deal with than just whether you can [more] easily release the slide forward on the next magazine.

.
 
Glock 19, eh?

Here's what the prosecutor is going to say about your gun even if it remains completely stock (of course these are fabrications / exaggerations but that won't matter to a jury who will be hand picked from people who know nothing about guns):

1. Doesn't have a safety
2. Is an assault weapon
3. 9mm cartridge is a man-killer
4. Can hold in excess of 30 rounds
5. Can be fitted for a bayonet
6. Has a hair trigger
7. etc.

Get the point? Just go ahead and make your mods and enjoy your gun.
 
I am not a lawyer so I don't know. The only advice I do have is practice with your stock Glock first before making any changes. As far as the magazine goes, I like extra mags to be on my weak side. Trying to reach across my body to get a mag from my gun holster would not work for me. This is just my opinion and may not work for all peoples. Good luck,
Mike
 
5. Can be fitted for a bayonet
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But bayonets are needed for when I run out of ammo defending my stage coach...honestly judge any sensible weapon has one...circa 17th/18th century.


But anywho...


Seriously the only modification you should worry about is the homemade one that occasionally causes it to go in to burst fire or any other similar modified induced malfunction.
 
If you do some digging Masaad Ayoob has done a lot of writing on this topic. Personally I don't think mods such as changing grips or sights would be an issue. I don't think your extended slide release would either. I would not lighten the trigger on a gun I would use for defensive purposes. I also would not remove any safety devices. Not looking to get flamed but that is my opinion.
 
@Mike: I would think it would depend on how much lightening you do and what it was to start with. Have you ever felt a S&W Sigma trigger? Doggone thing must be 20 pounds. If you lighten one up so that it is actually safer, I would think you'd be okay with that, too.
 
Ask for proof instead of regurgitation of rumors.

I'd like to purchase one of the slide release extender's you can get for like 15 bucks
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Why?

also the CCW holster I will buy has a holder for an extra magazine.
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Don't

A spare magazine needs to be carried where you can get to it with the hand not holding the firearm AND these things are all cheap junk compared to what you need to save your life (Having bought one early on I know what silly junk they are). If you're going to carry a gun to save your life invest in a good IWB holster so you can wear, not carry, your gun all the time regardless of what you're wearing. Expand from there into a good quality OWB that you can wear all the time. Save your money up until you can buy quality gear and avoid wasting tons of money like the rest of us did on cheap gimmicky junk.
 
If you are really worried buy a used pistol from an individual. No one can prove who modified it.
 
That slide release won't come into play until you've emptied your entire first magazine in the direction of the bad guy. At that point you have a lot more legal issues to deal with than just whether you can [more] easily release the slide forward on the next magazine.
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Or if you have a malfunction. I've heard of people locking the slide back while clearing a double feed. Just because you have more than one mag doesn't mean you plan to shoot every single round you carry. Magazines are the number one point of failure on semi-auto guns.

The whole thing about carrying a gun is to have a plan in the event that things go wrong. Shouldn't you also plan for the eventuality that something goes wrong, that it could also get worse?

Another point on the number of mags to carry, how many mags do police routinely carry? I've seen anywhere from 2 to 4 extra mags on their duty belt. I think it would be hard to have the number of extra mags brought up against you in court if you're carrying the same amount of ammo (or less) as your local PD.

+1 to hso's comments on holsters and mag carriers. Another benefit to having a more secure and comfortable holster is that most of them are quicker to draw from and still conceal MUCH better than junk holsters. Save up and buy a good holster instead of buying 5 holsters or $20 each and finding that none of them work for you.
 
Ask for proof instead of regurgitation of rumors.
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Yep.

Also pay attention to what HSO said about holsters with built in mag holders. They are all junk. Carry that spare mag in a separate holster. They aren't terribly expensive. Even the glock owb mag carriers that are like $5-$10 work pretty well.

Save your money up until you can buy quality gear and avoid wasting tons of money like the rest of us did on cheap gimmicky junk.
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That bears repeating...over and over and over and over... Buy good quality stuff and avoid having a junk drawer specifically for holsters that seemed like a good idea at the time.
 
I would not call the Desentis Tuck This holsters junk. Its actually a great holster for when one is wearing a tucked in shirt. In such a situation there may not be any other place to carry a spare mag although i generally just put one in my weak side front pant pocket. Carrying a spare mag with the holster is not ideal but just because the mag spot is there doesnt mean you must use it or you cant have a second spare else where.

I would agree that the biggest danger of modifying a CCW is if your mod results in an accidental discharge. This has happened numerous times with modified triggers.
 
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