glknineteen

+1 to all above comments. The other thing to consider is not only whether to upgrade any given part, but also what you want in it's place. Do you want new sights? If yes, do you prefer to see a lot of light, or a smaller rear notch, or a larger front,etc. The same goes for everything else. Lighter or heavier recoil spring? Grip tape or no? Etc, etc. Shoot the crap out of it as is, and you'll get a better idea not only of what needs changing, but how you want it different. BTW, the Glock 34 is one of the better guns out of the box, so you won't be shooting yourself in the foot too much in leaving it stock.

I don't own one, but if it's the same story as with all the glocks, xd's, and basically every other polymer gun, the 9mm, 40 S&W, and 357 sig iterations are all the same frame. The top end is all that varies. You should be able to use the holster for the M&P 9 Pro just fine.

First off, Delton does great work. I had them build the upper for my first rifle custom, and it is awesomely accurate and well put together. Mine's a 16 inch with a midlength system and freefloat tube, and the heavier chromelined barrel. I'm currently building a precision rifle lower, and have no qualms using the same upper on both lowers, at least until I can afford a dedicated precision upper. It's very accurate, and has been 100% reliable, even with "budget" ammo. One thing you might want to think about is whether you like a heavy or light barrel with a muzzle break. The muzzle break will make the recoil and muzzle lift negligible, so you can just decide which barrel handles best for you. Some prefer a light barrel because it speeds up transitions, but others like a heavier barrel because it has less tendency to over swing targets. It depends on what you like.

Amen to that! They are pricey, but good Lord, what a fine pistol! Seriously, if you can spare the money, get a Les Baer or equivalent. It's always a good decision.

I think staying calm is very important, but there's a fine line between calm and just downright slow. I think the best condition is sort of an urgent calm, where you know your goals and what you're going to do in the stage, and you know you need to go fast, but the urgency doesn't turn to a panic. Panic isn't going to allow you to pay attention to what's going on in the stage. It's tough to find that happy medium, but when you do, it really does feel markedly different. I kind of think of it like those picture books, the ones where it's just a weird abstract picture, but then you start to change your focal plane and suddenly, it's a snowboarding kangaroo. I've been "in the zone" during shooting maybe once or twice, and I'm trying to figure out how to cue it to happen, but it really is cool when it does. All that being said, I think the key is where you're focusing. Normally, when what you described happens to me, it's because I'm focusing on the entire stage at once. I find it's better to focus on specific goals, which is why the runthrough is so important. Break it down into parts. When you are waiting for the buzzer, it may be best to clear everything out of your mind except for where you're going to do first. If your starting position is hands at sides facing downrange, you should have your draw so ingrained that all your focus is on the first target. Once that target is down, focus on the next, and so on. When starting uprange, just focus on getting turned around and the presentation to the target. Stuff like this helps to slow you down enough to make more focused shots.

I like the blade tech gear for competition. I bought a DOH for L10, and a Tecloc by itself (they're cheap), so I could make it usable for SS if I want to later. Blade Tech makes really nice gear, although the other suggestions are just as good.