Aftermarket Parts Are Not Always a Good Idea

Aftermarket parts are not always a good idea. I recently attended the Bigger Circle class that Rob Leatham and Mike Seeklander conduct (great class by the way). One student who was using a SIG P320 X5 had an after-market Gas Pedal Takedown Lever Replacement installed on his pistol. One can presume that these meet SIG standards since SIG sells them on their website; however, this particular Gas Pedal failed at the junction where the small O-ring is located.

As the student and I discussed how to disassemble the pistol I noticed that the right side of the part has a slot for a flat-blade screw driver. Very convenient, because without the larger piece attached, turning the takedown lever would be more difficult. Full disclosure – I purchased a couple of Gas Pedals from SIG and have been satisfied with them. Mine have not failed.

I generally do not put after-market parts that perform a critical function on my carry pistols and the Gas Pedal is no exception. I only have them on my competition pistols.

I have personally had P320 extractors fail, Glock front sights fall off at the worst possible moment, XDM rear sights break, 1911 plunger tubes fall off -- the list goes on.

Aftermarket parts must be at least as strong and of the same or better quality than the factory part. If it is not, why replace the factory part? Regardless, you should periodically inspect every critical part on your pistol, factory or not and replace any part that is worn, shows signs of fatigue, or is cracked.

If you enjoy reading these please subscribe. The link is on the upper right side of the page. All that will happen is that you will receive an e-mail when I post an article. Your information will never be distributed.