I carry a Glock 27 (.40 S&W Subcompact) concealed. The two modifications that I have made (and would recommend to anyone) are tritium (self-illuminating) night sights and an extended magazine release.



Without the night sights, your weapon is essentially worthless after dark, as it is virtually impossible to locate the front sight against your target in low level lighting. I haven't priced sights lately (since they last +/- 10 years or more) although I believe the last time I had them installed they were around $100.

I installed the extended mag release simply because the OE one needed to be pressed so far into the grip that it was recessed before the magazine would drop. While this may be the safest way of doing things, it simply will not allow one to perform a tactical reload (maintaining the front sight on the target during reloading) since I needed to rotate the weapon slightly in my hand in order to position the tip of my thumb properly over the release.

The extended release that I have is a Glock replacement part, and is approximately 1/4" longer than OE - just enough that the magazine will drop without the release having to be recessed below the surface of the grip. The cost of the part was less than two bucks, and is not so "extended" that it interferes with holstering, or anything else. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Glock has transitioned to the revised mag release on current production models.

The only potential downside that I feel a subcompact pistol has is the limited amount of grip available. If you do not have a secure hold on the weapon when firing, the weapon can rotate upward during recoil. The extra (lost) energy that is used to rotate the weapon within your hand can prevent the spent round from fully ejecting clear of the slide, resulting in a stoppage (stove piping).

Finally, at the risk of starting a heated debate regarding caliber choices, I personally have never felt comfortable relying on anything smaller than a .40 S&W for personal defense, so I would recommend that or the .45 ACP. I would also strongly suggest that you go to your local range and test fire anything that you plan on buying, just to make sure that you're comfortable with it.

Jim