I Did It…My Way

Customizing Your Pistol? You Might Wanna Think About the Messages You’re Sending.

by T. “Charlie” Allen

What does your gun say about you? What messages could it be sending? You might not realize it, but the way you set up your pistol can send unspoken messages to some people. And you may not like what it’s saying…

Guns are no different than cars, motorcycles, or even kitchens, for that matter. We all like to customize our belongings to our own personal tastes, desires, and needs. It’s your car — you can add headers, tinted windows, pipes and NRA bumper stickers as you wish. Likewise, if you own a motorcycle, a touch of extra chrome might add some special flare. But the difference with firearms is that you may find yourself having to explain your actions in court.

You can buy all kinds of after-market parts for most guns, from triggers to springs, to colorful grips and custom-engraved slide plates. You can have your name engraved on your favorite pistol or have a slide back plate engraved with the tough-guy quote of your choice, like a drunken tattoo. You want to add a video-game laser? Go ahead! Lighter trigger? There are hundreds of choices available….

But beware. If you’re involved in any incident where you had to use your gun, police and prosecutors are going to thoroughly examine the weapon. And anything you’ve added to that firearm, i.e., personalized slide rear plate, engraving, grips, after-market parts, triggers, and yes, even flashlights and lasers, can be viewed as an effort by you to assist you in the act of killing another human being.

It can be very difficult to convince a jury that you were just defending yourself when the prosecutor holds your pistol up in open court and reads the custom slide plate that says something like, “Kill ‘em all, let God sort them out!”

Personalized slide plates are great, but they can send a message that you probably wouldn’t want flashed on the news or in open court. The jury isn’t going to care if your buddies think it’s cool or funny. They’re going to look at it from a lot more serious and doubtful perspective. A prosecutor is going to point out all the things you’ve done with your weapon to make it more accurate, and, in their eyes, more deadly.

Lasers are a perfect example. Prosecutors can jump on that one like a hungry lion. It’s very easy for a prosecutor to make you out to be a bad guy. All they have to do is point out that most police and law enforcement agencies in the U.S. don’t issue lasers, except for some elite, special units.

It’s extremely rare that regular street patrol officers are armed with lasers. Lasers, the prosecutor will argue, are a movie and video game prop. Their only purpose is to assist in intimidating and killing people. Never mind that customizing your weapon can make it more accurate, substantially decreasing the possibility of shooting an innocent bystander. They don’t care about that. Their only concern is that you made it easier to kill someone with.

And just to add a little color commentary to all this, these little customizations that you spend your hard-earned cash on also send signals to the employees at your local gun store or firing range, as well. They see you coming with that “tacti-cool” flashlight or laser, and develop a first impression of you based on your weapon set-up. That first impression can sometimes be very hard to change.

They might not see you as a serious gun owner, and think that you’re just trying to be cool. You may not care what others think, but you can also be sized-up as an easy-money target for people trying to sell you the latest useless gimmick.

Don’t get me wrong, I often do custom work on my firearms. I’ve been known to buy replacement drop-in triggers for many of my rifles and pistols. I’m not suggesting that your firearms have to remain stock. But what I am saying is that you should think carefully about what you’re doing. And perhaps think more like someone who could potentially be defending your own freedom one day. 

So, if you really want that custom slide plate that says, “Make My Day” – go for it! But just be ready to explain it in court if you have to. And don’t be surprised if the jury doesn’t share your sense of humor.

About the author: In addition to serving as an MP in the military, Charlie Allen has been a law enforcement officer for over 35 years. 

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