Glock 23 RTF gen 3

Glock 23 RTF2

gen 3
Ok so I just got this RTF edition Glock 23 on a trade for one of my Glock 27's.
Before this pistol I had never heard of the RTF model.
RTF stands for rough texture frame, basically the frame is covered in tiny raised pyramids called "Polymids"
a term Glock coined.
Basically the raised polymids create a rough gripping surface preventing grip slippage.
I like this frame design because most of us know Glocks when shot for a period of time get sweaty and slippery, this frame eliminates that problem.
So this gun is chambered in 40.cal and im starting to notice a trend in my gun buying.
One neat feature this gun has compared to other Glock models is, the RTF  frames come with a slide that has deep crescent moon cuts compared to the traditional vertical cuts.
Personally I have never had any issues with my slides but my Wife finds the moon cuts easier to grip compared to the vertical ones.
This gun came with factory plastic sights and a less than desirable trigger set up, both notorious complaints of other owners.
My first trip to the range went as expected, I like to familiarize myself with my guns and after shooting multiple Glocks this gun took little work honing in.
As expected same Glock reliability each time, but the factory parts leave the gun lacking.
I immediately came up with a list of parts to change and a budget I wanted to stick with.
For this pistol I really only replaced the essentials.

• Sights front and rear
• Guide rod and spring.
• Magazine release
• Trigger connector and spring.

For this build being so mild, I used multiple sources for parts.
Glockstore.com
Rockyourglock.com
Brownells.com
After looking and comparing prices I ordered my parts.
My trigger connector and spring I ordered from Glockstore.com  

• Double Diamond 3.5 lb. Connector  $24.99

• Competition spring kit $11.99 

Guide rod I ordered from Rockyourglock.com

•  RYG S/S Guide Rod Assembly for G19,23,32,38  $24.95
• LoneWolf polymer extended magazine release $3.99

Sights were ordered from Brownells.com with 20% coupon
XS big dot sight set $79.95 

Ok so I ordered the parts and it took about a week and a half for all my parts to come, due to the holiday season.
All together it took me about a half hour to get everything stripped and re assembled.
Range report: After installing everything I got antsy and went to the range.
The diamond connector was a direct drop in that gave me a crisper trigger pull making my shots more focused and deliberate.
I did not notice much difference with the guide rod installed but it looks nice.
My favorite thing about this gun is the new XS sights, the big dot I like to call idiot proof. It takes minimal skill to acquire the sights and they are the most accurate sights I have shot with.
For the money I paid for them I am considering ordering more for my other guns.

I will completely update and post pictures as soon as possible.

Glock 27 review and my aftermarket upgrades.

The Glock 27 is a sub compact 40.cal polymer pistol.
I picked up this pistol used and relatively cheap ($375) from a law enforcement officer.
This gun was his back up pistol and very well taken care of..less than 50 shots down range.
I tend to shoot mid size pistols like the Glock 23 but for the price I had to grab it.
My first impression is, for a compact pistol it had a great feel in my hand compared to my wife's M&P 9mm sub compact.

I like that is is chambered in 40.cal giving it a more forceful feel.
At the range the first 9 or so shots I had to adjust to the sights and the amount of muzzle flip this little gun has.
After some adjustments I went from 5inch groupings to ones roughly the size of a half dollar.
Feeling good about the gun  I was able to come to the decision that some parts needed to be replaced to fit my shooting abilities.
I tend to be a budget builder who shops around everywhere when I build a gun.
For this build I ordered everything from  http://www.glockstore.com/                                                 *Disclaimer* THIS IS NOT IN ANY WAY AN ENDORSED OR COMPENSATED REVIEW*
I chose glockstore.com because of my previous experience with them and they tend to have the lowest prices.
They have a great return policy and the customer service was top notch each time.
Plus they have nice install videos for all of your parts.
For my build I was just looking to do slight mods nothing heavy.

• Replaced oem plastic guide rod and 16lb spring with Glockworx stainless steel competition rod and 18lb spring.($39.95 on sale black Friday from $49.99)
• Replaced OEM trigger assembly with Pyramid Complete trigger kit, cutting my trigger pull down to 3.5lbs making my shots more crisp and precise.($179.95)
• Trijicon Day to Night front and rear tritium sights.($89.95 on sale Black Friday from $109.99)
• Titanium safety plunger and striking pin.($20.99 for the plunger and $49.00 for the pin on sale)

All together I spent around $340 dollars and after installing everything the difference is like day to night.

As you can see aesthetically not much has changed, but the internals are what counts.
        *Yes I did paint the etchings, I got bored and wanted to see how it looked*

• Range day, I almost instantly noticed a difference. I had that on the point precision I knew this gun was capable of. The new sights were easier to acquire and more accurate than the plastic factory crud.

• The trigger pull was short and crip allowing my more trigger control especially in speed drills.

• The stainless steel rod with the extra weight spring was a nice surprise, before the muzzle kick was something to get used to. Now it was significantly reduced and  it gave me more controlled focused groupings. All day shooting ...well 4 hours of shooting no FTF or FTE, all of my groups were within 2 inches, any issues I had were purely operator based.
• This gun became even more fun to shoot. My only gripe over all is Glock lets you customize everything under the sun for your gun except the sub compacts have no rail system, so lighting accessories are limited. Some may argue a sub compact does not need a light. But for home defense that light comes in handy. Yes also I know the old saying " You use your pistol only to get to your rifle or shotgun.". But over all such a fantastic little gun, and you can find them used at a reasonable price.

                                       ** I will be updating with range video of before and after**