The Firearm Parts That Improve Your Shooting Experience

The performance of your gun is important. If for some reason your gun is affected, your gun's trigger has lost its brittleness, or your shot isn't as smooth as it used to be, you may be able to replace some of these gun parts to great effect.

1. A new barrel

For guns with rifled barrels, every time you pull the trigger and send a bullet downrange, you’re carrying away just a little bit from the interior of the bore’s rifling. It takes thousands to tens of thousands of rounds to even notice a difference in accuracy, but over time, you will notice that rifled barrels wear out and can’t achieve the accuracy that they once could. Replacing an aging barrel is one of the first steps you should take to improve or restore the accuracy of an old gun.

2. A new trigger

There are so many reasons why you might want to replace the trigger in your gun. Maybe your gun came with a mushy trigger that is simply a nightmare to use. Maybe your trigger isn’t downright terrible, but you’d still like to be able to switch it out for one that’s more adjustable; trigger weight makes a big difference in the shooting experience, and it does affect accuracy.

3. A new stock

The stock must support both the shooter and the barrel. Wooden stocks can experience dry rot over time or trap moisture that can harm the barrel. These must be replaced.

4. A new bolt or bolt carrier group

Your firearm’s bolt or bolt carrier group contains a lot of sensitive internals that serve as the heart of the gun. Sometimes the best case is simply to replace the bolt, especially if parts or springs are broken or missing.

For modern sporting rifles that contain a bolt carrier group, swapping out a bolt carrier for a model that has a modern coating like titanium nitride or nickel boron for permanent dry lubricity may shorten cycling time and improve performance. It can also diminish wear and tear on the action.

5. A new handguard

If your favorite rifle is a sporter with a handguard, swapping out the handguard can also vastly improve your shooting experience. Replacing the handguard can actually make it more physically comfortable to fire the gun or even improve your grip.

6. A muzzle brake

Muzzle brakes and suppressors can be highly valuable, albeit for different reasons. They’re also subject to varying legislation so be aware of local laws and ordinances.

Attaching a suppressor to your firearm can help save your hearing, especially if you fire off thousands of rounds at the range in training. It can also help diminish muzzle jump just a little bit.

In addition to replacing new parts, regular cleaning of your firearm is also an important factor in maintaining good performance, so be sure not to forget to use a firearm cleaning kit to clean your firearm on time.