by Brady Kirkpatrick

Accessorizing your pistol is one of the most exciting parts of buying a new one. It’s a clean slate—a blank canvas.
And you get to decide if you want it to be a competition or self-defense pistol. It’s all up to you.
But determining which accessories are a best for your handgun all depends on what you’ll use it for.
Self-defense guns should have a red dot and a light, while competition guns can also benefit from lighter triggers. However, gun owners may want to avoid finding yourself in a self-defense situation with a lighter trigger. 
Let me explain.

Firearms Accessories For Purpose

Certain gun accessories have a place on certain pistols. Like I said, you don’t want to do too much to your concealed carry or home defense gun.
A red dot and a light are all you need in that regard. When the adrenaline is pumping, having a simple dot to put on target will do the trick. Of course, you want to be able to see what you’re shooting at, which is why I recommend the light.
Proper target acquisition can be the difference between a self-defense charge and a murder charge. A good light will let your target know that they’ve been seen, and if it’s nighttime, rob them of their night vision long enough for you to run away.
But you shouldn’t start messing with the weight of your trigger pull or any other part that changes how the pistol performs mechanically. You can change the trigger shoe (the little guy you put your trigger finger on) but changing the weight of the pull can be used against you in court.
Just look at the court cases of New York v. Frank Magliato, Crown v. Allen Gossett, Michigan v. Charles Chase. There’s been plenty of times where a light trigger has been used against a shooter just trying to defend themselves in court. 
guns are free-range. You don’t have to worry about using those in self-defense (unless necessary). Change the trigger, add your accessories, and do whatever else your heart desires to modify it.

5 Best Accessories for Your Pistol

One of the best inventions of all time is the pistol red dot. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of aiming, and it shaves precious milliseconds off your time of getting rounds on target. Who doesn’t want to put a dot on a target instead of lining up iron sights?
They work great at night since you don’t have to line up sights in low light situations, and the good ones have an auto-dimming feature to make sure you don’t have too much light for the occasion. And works great for shooting longer distances since the dot is more precise.
You can now find them at almost any price point to match your budget. Whether you’re looking for something simple with limited functionality or a battle-proven, technologically advanced red dot, there’s one for you out there. If you do a lot of daytime shooting, you can even find plenty of optics with green reticles instead of red. Green is far easier to see in the bright daytime since green is easier to pick up than red, but it does disrupt your night vision, unlike a red dot.
Red dot sights are great for new shooters and experienced shooters. New shooters can make their shots easier without too much of a learning curve, and even experienced shooters can benefit from less guesswork. Let’s face it: unless you’ve been training with irons for years, the red dot is almost always quicker.

No, not the little handheld guys. The ones you attach to your firearm.
One of the most important safety rules is knowing what you’re aiming at and what’s beyond it. The last thing you want to do is shoot a loved one because you thought they were an intruder. It’s morbid, I know, but it’s happened, and that’s why I’m bringing it up.
This brings me back to the importance of target acquisition and identification. If you can’t see what’s moving around in the dark, then it’s going to be harder for you to make a choice: Is it the dog or is it an unwelcome guest?
In many cases, a weapon-mounted light was all the defense a shooter needed. Robbing someone of their night vision when they least expect it takes the fight out of anyone for at least a few seconds.
Enough time for you to make a decision, anyway.
Flashlights also come at many price points; from O-Lights to SureFire, there is a light for every pistol and every use. If you’re carrying, don’t ever go without one.

While the red dot dominates in speed, iron sights don’t have batteries and are far less likely to break, making them the perfect backup if you’re running a red dot.
A lot of pistols these days come from the factory with sights that leave a lot to be desired. It didn’t take me long at all to change mine.
Iron sights come in many flavors, from standard to suppressor height and tritium or fiber optic options; iron sights have come a long way.
If you’re not ready to spend a ton of money on a red dot, then a set of high quality irons is the way to go.

Factory barrels can leave a lot of accuracy on the table. Of course, the firearm’s accuracy will depend on the shooter, too, but aftermarket barrels will have features like crowning that aid in consistent accuracy—not much, but more than a cheaper factory barrel.
If you’re a less experienced shooter, you may not notice a difference in the accuracy since you’re still getting used to recoil and getting your shot groupings closer. Aftermarket barrels are a small fine-tune. But it does help improve your accuracy. 
It doesn’t end there; these aftermarket barrels can also feature upgraded feed ramps and thicker materials for longevity.
Not to mention that they can completely transform the look of your firearm, especially if you’re after a specific colorway, like a gold barrel finish with black or OD green slide and grip. If aesthetics are what you’re after, this is a good start.

No, not those weird grips you see on Amazon. I’m talking about swapping out the actual grip itself. Whether it be for a better grip or a different grip angle, changing the grip on your pistol is one of the best ways to change the look and feel altogether.
For some firearms without replaceable grips, you may be able to take your firearm to a qualified gunsmith who specializes in grip reshaping or texturing. If you're more adventurous you may do it yourself with a cheap soldering iron and a disposable tip (the tip will get ruined from the polymer). But, keep in mind, modifications made to non-standard grips may void any factory warranties.
These grip modifications may help in improving accuracy and reducing grip issues if you shoot in wet conditions or if you just want more control over the firearm. Not only does it help improve shooting experience, but everyone can always benefit from a tougher grip surface when trying to manage recoil.
If it’s too slick, the firearm will try to jump out of your hands, especially when wet or sweaty.

Conclusion

Accessorizing your pistol is an easy way to make it your own and improve its performance. I encourage everyone to do so, especially if they’ve been shooting the same pistol for a while and find themselves wanting something new.
Instead of buying a new pistol, changing up the one you already have will save you money and give it a different look and feel—two birds with one stone.
Now that you have a blank canvas, what will you do with it?