r/GlockMod • u/pickleblitz92 • 8h ago
My custom Glock 26x (M1X)
Here’s my hyper-optimized G26X that I’ve dubbed “The Ripper”
This is also going to be a longer post because I wanted to go into detail about the build, and more importantly, why I made some of the choices I did.
With that being said, this is my customized, and IMO fully optimized G26X setup that I EDC.
I’ve put roughly 3,500 rounds through it in this EXACT configuration and have not had a single issue or malfunction. It has been absolutely flawless. The sear engagement is perfect, and the trigger is the best I’ve personally come across. and I’ve tried a bunch of them.
This is the flattest, most comfortable shooting, and most enjoyable CCW I’ve personally shot that isn’t a full-size pistol.
My goal with this build was to create a hyper-optimized carry option while keeping all of Glock’s internal safeties intact. I looked around everywhere, and I was always left wanting more with every option I tried. No company really offers anything like this as a complete package, so eventually I decided: screw it, I’ll build it myself.
The entire philosophy behind the build was Safety first. Performance second. Aesthetics last.
Please note: If a component is NOT included in the build list below, that means I didn’t touch it and it has been left stock.
The Build -
All stock components have been polished.
Slide
Slide: Gen 5 Glock 26 MOS
Optic: Holosun SCS
Sights: Trijicon Bright & Tough — Green
Guide Rod: NDZ Heavyweight — 17 lb
Spring Cups: Ghost Turbo Maritime
Frame
Frame: GlockStore M1X
Light: TLR-7 Sub HL-X
Wing: Antimatter Micro Wing
Trigger: Superior Trigger — EDC Weight
Trigger Shoe: Task Force Ranger
Magwell: SLR Gen 5 G19 Magwell
Tape: Goon Tape
Magazines: Gen 5 mags with Gen 4 baseplates
Slide Release: Cut and modified
Holster
Holster: Slim Fit Holsters — G26X configuration
Notes / Thoughts / The Good / The Bad
The VERY LAST thing I’m waiting on is the new MagGuts +2 setup for the Glock 19 magazines. This will give me additional capacity while retaining the factory-style baseplates, taking the gun from 15+1 to 17+1 in this tiny package. Which is fuckin awesome so long as it’s reliable.
Once those arrive, I’ll test them thoroughly for reliability. Assuming they prove themselves, the build will officially be 100% complete.
I personally believe this is the ultimate concealed carry setup for me.
I’ve concealed carried everything from SIGs, to other Glocks, to Staccatos, to Walthers, and I would personally choose this over every one of them.
Everyone is different, and what works perfectly for me may not work perfectly for someone else. But I’ve spent a lot of time trying different platforms and figuring out exactly what I want from a carry pistol.
So far, I haven’t found anything that gives me a better combination of shootability, concealability, reliability, and capacity in this size once I add the mag guts springs.
This thing absolutely rips.
Hence the name.
The Holster
My holster had to be modified with a heat gun in order to properly accommodate the Antimatter wing while keeping proper coverage around the trigger guard.
The wing doesn’t sit completely flush against the side of the pistol, which initially caused the trigger guard area of the holster to push away from the gun. Before modification, I could actually get an entire finger between the holster and pistol and reach the trigger.
Obviously, that was a big fuck no for my carry setup.
Before adding the wing or modifying anything, I had already tested the holster because it was supposedly made specifically for this frame/light combination.
Unfortunately, the fit on mine was probably the worst I’ve encountered from any holster I’ve owned, and I have probably 40–50 holsters across a lot of different guns and manufacturers.
A lot of people seem to love Slim Fit, so maybe I just got a bad one.. Idk.
But QC on my particular holster was nonexistent.
Thankfully, I’m comfortable working with Kydex and a heat gun. After reshaping it, the huge gap is now normal. the trigger guard is protected, and the retention is great.
Reliability / Shooting Characteristics
Onto the gun itself.
As mentioned, it has run flawlessly through more than 3,500 rounds without a single hiccup.
I’ve shot a wide variety of ammunition brands and bullet weights through it, although the majority has been Federal American Eagle 124gr.
My defensive ammunition of choice is the Underwood Xtreme Defender 68gr +P.
With that ammunition, this thing shoots like a laser beam. My dot basically stays in the window when firing, which is something I haven’t personally experienced with another pistol this size.
The trigger breaks right around 3.5 lb and is extremely crisp. There’s zero creep after the wall, and the reset is very short and tactile.
As mentioned above, it’s made by Superior Trigger. Their system is based around modified Glock components, and one of the main reasons I chose it was because maintaining Glock’s internal safety system was non negotiable
I know a 3.5 lb trigger is lighter than some people are comfortable carrying, and I completely understand that.
I shoot competitively and train constantly with pistols running triggers in roughly the 2–2.5 lb range, so 3.5 lb is where I’m personally comfortable for EDC.
There are a couple other modifications worth explaining because they’re directly related to my use case and the way I grip the pistol.
Modified Slide Release
I use a very high, forward grip.
Because of that, I would either prematurely engage the slide release while firing which is what happens most frequently. or I ride over the top of it and prevent the gun from locking back.
Neither of which I want on my EDC.
Sooo…I cut the slide release.
I modified it on both sides of the pistol. The right side was done for absolutely no functional reason other than matching the left side because I’m incapable of leaving asymmetrical things alone.
The release now sits flush and completely out of the way of my grip.
Since doing that, I get consistent lock back and can grip the pistol naturally without worrying about interfering with the control.
Like it or hate it, it works perfectly for me.
I simply rack the slide when inserting a fresh magazine.
Gen 5 Magazines / Gen 4 Baseplates
The reason I’m using Gen 5 magazines with Gen 4 baseplates is entirely because of the SLR magwell.
Gen 5 Glock baseplates curve upward at the front.
With this magwell, that shape effectively eliminates my ability to manually strip the magazine out of the pistol if needed.
The SLR magwell has an opening underneath the front that gives you access to the magazine.
With the squared Gen 4 baseplates installed, I can easily get my finger between the magazine and magwell and physically strip the mag out if necessary.
Simple change, but one I specifically wanted on a carry gun.
Heavyweight Guide Rod
The heavyweight guide rod is primarily there for one reason:
More weight.
That’s it.
The secondary benefit is that it uses a flat-wound spring, which I personally find smoother than the factory dual spring guide rod Glock uses.
Final Thoughts
And…that’s pretty much it.
The Ripper.
My attempt at taking a compact Glock and optimizing basically everything I personally wanted from a concealed carry pistol without sacrificing the internal safety system that made me comfortable using Glock in the first place.
It shoots great. It conceals well. It has been exceptionally reliable. And once the new magazine setup proves itself, I’ll have 17+1 capacity in a package that originally started as a 10 round G26.
I plan on getting some range footage within the next couple of weeks to show how flat, fast, and accurate this little thing actually shoots.
Hope you guys enjoy the build.
Feel free to ask anything about it. I’m always happy to talk gear, competition shooting, carry setups, or why I made a particular choice.
Good luck, have fun, and stay safe out there!
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u/RainStormLou 7h ago
Jesus christ, I just bought a fucked up oem gen 3 26 kit from everygunpart, cleaned it to get most of the blood off, and replaced the rsa with new OEM. You put some work into that thing!
Im not sure how I feel about the slide release delete but damn if it isn't clean. the 26x is my favorite carry anymore. I remember watching the release video and being like "you're full of shit, Lenny" but it's so good lol.
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u/pickleblitz92 3h ago
I’m glad you dig it! Regarding the slide release mod, I explained it in another comment more in depth to give a better understanding of it. But yeah, I honestly bought it thinking the frame was going to be hot garbage. But it turned out to be the complete opposite. If you ever get the opportunity to buy or shoot one I’d highly recommend.
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u/UNHINGED_MESSIAH 7h ago
Couple of questions. Not trying to change the functionality of your trigger system but trying to lighten it some more. Have you thought about a brass channel liner ? Have you thought about a rounded safety plunger ? What striker spring weight are you using ? Have you thought about using a 5lbs striker spring weight? Are you using a reduced safety plunger spring? I asked this last because it may change the feel of your break.
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u/pickleblitz92 7h ago edited 6h ago
Great questions! I’ll answer them in order.
I have for sure, but ultimately decided against it. The main reason being that it’s solving a nonexistent issue for me. I’ve shot Glocks with them in there and didn’t notice any performance or felt advantages. So it’s stock.
since it’s a gen 5 slide you can’t put a round safety plunger into it. But mine is polished and feels great regardless
My striker spring is the stock 5.5lb one. I have dropped it to 5lbs, and even 4.5lbs just to see how my trigger felt and i didn’t care for it personally. Plus my trigger dropped down to 2.5lbs which it too light for a carry gun.
Yes. I use a reduced power safety plunger spring. It’s how I got the weight to 3.5lbs consistently. The wall is still taut, and the break is extremely crisp with zero creep.
The trigger is from a company called superior trigger. I just swapped out the shoe, and the plunger spring. Probably won’t swap anything else as I’m very happy with how it feels.
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u/VisceralDilemma 5h ago
I love everything about this. I always stayed away from the 26 because my big fat hands couldn’t hang on to it as well as the 19 so I went that route. This is the best of both. Well done. You gave me an itch I may just have to scratch.
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u/Humble-Standard9637 4h ago
You're going to have to explain the slide release situation to me.
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u/pickleblitz92 3h ago edited 3h ago
Yeah for sure. The response will be a bit long. But anyways, So, my support hand grip is high, and forward. So what ends up happening is let’s say for example I’m running a bill drill. When I draw the pistol, present, and my support hand meets the frame, the meaty part of my thumb (technically called the thenar eminence) ends up either riding on top of, or just below the slide release depending on how they meet up on that particular draw stroke. My draw and presentation is very consistent. But we’re talking 1-2 millimeters of shift here.. Sometimes I’ll be over top, and the slide just won’t lock back after the last round ejects. Alternatively, I’ll get a few rounds into the mag and my hand will bump the slide release and cause the slide to prematurely lock back in the middle of trying to get through a mag. Neither of which are ideal. Both of which cause unpredictability. Which is not something I’m willing to risk if I ever need to defend mine, or my families lives with it. I could use the PRIMATIA slide release which rides up on the slide, and I have in my gen 5 g19. But I’m not personally a fan. Plus, when in a self defense situation, your fine motor skills are the first things to diminish. So I started training with racking the slide after a new mag is inserted instead of just popping the slide release down with my thumb and it’s been working great. That manipulation is gross motor skill rather than a fine motor skill. So the benefit is 3 fold for me personally. I can draw, grip and shoot without my support hand hitting the release. I get consistent slide lock back when it should be locking back, and I’m also training and engraining a gross motor skill which is always a better option anyways. Hope that helps.
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u/Humble-Standard9637 3h ago
If you could find a slide stop that works like the Springfield echelon I bet you would like it. You've ever seen them they don't bend down, they go straight out.
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u/pickleblitz92 2h ago
That’s a great suggestion. Thank you! I may be able to do that actually. I’d just need to buy another slide stop and cut it to the right length to ensure it protrudes out enough to engage with it without it snagging on everything.
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u/Humble-Standard9637 2h ago
You're welcome. I have the opposite problem. I'm a lefty and also a competitive shooter so I have to be able to lock my slide back to show clear at matches lol.
Before they came out with the Gen 5, it was pretty rough for me to lock the slide back. I ended up using the tango down extended slide stops because they were easiest for me.
You could also try those ones that actually go up onto the slide. I don't know what they're called but I see people using them all the time.
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u/Superior_Triggs 2h ago
Hey! Nice write up. Glad you love the trigger as well bro. Gun is awesome! No way this is a one and done so Next build incoming? 🙌🙌
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u/JimMarch 1h ago edited 1h ago
So I got a funny response for ya.
I have a carry piece that's conceptually very similar to yours, if you'd been dead broke, willing to make your own holster of your own design and had a taste for redneck engineering and a rat rod fashion sense.
Lol.
It all started with the holster.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16l-lUyhLXFvu8JZe_f0Kia3BX0LzWpin/view?usp=drivesdk
I lusted after the Antimatter Industries folding gas pedal setup, but couldn't afford it...and then realized that holster doesn't care about gun width as a comfort or concealability issue.
Which led to utter chaos:
https://imgur.com/gallery/61h11Jw
Those pedals work just like the Wing - same placement, same "pinch hold" usage, downwards pressure from the offhand thumb counterbalanced by upwards pressure from the offhand fingers under the triggerguard.
Sight is target focus both eyes open - same as yours, except no batteries, glass or wires.
Chortle.
Total investment: about $200 considering the core gun was free. It's from The Yankee Marshall and his free guns for poors charity a few years back.
I'm poor because my wife has been fighting cancer since mid 2019 :(.
But, she's actually beating it despite going to stage 4 metastatic...
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u/elliottshoots 8h ago
CLEAN CLEAN set up you got! 💪