Over the years, I’ve had quite a few guns milled for optics. At time of writing, it has been two VP9s, three Glocks, a S&W Shield, and a 1911. With those guns, I’ve only used the same shops on two occasions. Battle Werx is one of those shops, and I want to go over the work that they’ve done for me, and how well it’s held up.
Who is Battle Werx?
Battle Werx is a Glock slide milling company based out of Connecticut. They’re a veteran owned and operated business, and have been in business for about a decade. However, I only found out about them in 2022. I had recently picked up a Trijicon RMRcc, and was wanting to mount it to my Glock 48. The optic was new enough that there weren’t many shops that were cutting guns for it, but Battle Werx was. Well, I sent them my slide, and the rest is history.
There’s not much to say about Battle Werx themselves, but I’ve got plenty to say about the slide work.
What Guns Did Battle Werx Mill For Me?
I’ve had Battle Werx mill two slides for me. One is a non-MOS Glock 48, and the second was a standard, non-MOS G45 slide. What all did I have them do?
Note: the photos of the exposed optic cut were done for the G48, but not the G45. The RMRcc’s optic cut is a little different than many other MRDS, but the ACRO cut is pretty standard, so I’m only showing the G48’s here.
Glock 48
My Glock 48 build was based around the RMRcc. I also know what I like in a carry gun, so I had Battle Werx make it for me. Notable is that I had this gun worked on in the tail end of the COVID Pandemic, so there are a few oddities that pertain to the gun. Total cost for the work done by Battle Werx was $269.98 (including iron sights and shipping) in September of 2022. Lead time was 6-8 weeks, and I had the slide back around the 7 week mark.
The G48 Build:
- Optic milling for RMRcc
- Relocate rear sight in front of optic
- Install Ameriglo irons (black rear, tritium front)
- Cerakote the slide
The core of the build was the RMRcc. It was new, and I really wanted one on a gun. The RMRcc uses a design where the recoil bosses are also the screw holes, so it can fit on many guns without needing bosses in weird spots. The optic cut is also fairly deep, which is conducive to “finding the dot” when drawing and presenting the gun.
In addition, I wanted my rear sight relocated to be in front of the optic. I’ve talked about that topic before, but I prefer my irons in front of the optic. Battle Werx used the rear dovetail as part of the optic cut, and cut me a new standard Glock dovetail in front of the optic.
The sights are one of the COVID concessions. I generally like a black-on-black setup for my optic cut guns. However, Amerigo black rear & black front combos were just not in stock. On my G48, I have a tritium front sight, and a blacked out rear. The sight picture sits around the lower 1/4th cowitness area, so it does not obscure the optic window.
For refinishing the slide, there was another COVID hang-up. The lead time for black Cerakote was nearly twice as long as most other colors, so I went with Glock’s FDE color. With that, I had the peanut butter Glock. Now, Cerakote is just fancy paint. As such, it’s wearing as I’ve used the gun, as you can see in a lot of these photos. It’s all honest wear though, so I’m content with it.
The G48 has been a good gun, and the Battle Werx slide work has certainly played a large part of that. For a video overview of the gun, look down below, or check out my written review here.
Glock 45
For my Glock 45, I wanted to cut the gun for the Aimpoint ACRO P2. I had spent about 3 years using the ACRO at this point, and wanted a Glock with one riding on top. The build is pretty similar to the G48, aside from the choice of optic and slide finish. I paid $254.98 (including iron sights and shipping) in March of 2023. At this point, we were out of the Pandemic, and as such, I was not limited in some of my choices for the build. Lead time was 6-8 weeks, and I had the slide back in 6 weeks.
The Build:
- Optic milling for Aimpoint ACRO footprint
- Relocate rear sight in front of optic
- Install Ameriglo irons
- DLC finish
The optic cut was similar to the G48, in the sense that I had Battle Werx mill over the rear sight dovetail, and relocate my rear sight in front of the optic. Their ACRO footprint is specific to the Aimpoint P1/P2, and they specify this on their site. The Steiner MPS may use the ACRO footprint, but the housing is larger, so it wouldn’t fit on this cut. That being said, the C&H Duty Optic does, as it’s more of a copy of the P1/P2. The cut is nice and deep, which is great when drawing the gun and presenting it to shoot.
The rear sight cut is the same as the G48, aside from being wider due to the thicker slide. For the irons, I was able to get the Ameriglo black set, and like the 48, we’ve got a lower 1/4th co-witness through them.
For the refinishing, I went with DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating. DLC is extremely tough, and holds up great. I’ve had some DLC coated knives and watches over the years, and short of taking a file to them, you can’t kill the finish. My G45 is certainly proving that point, as I’ve basically had no exterior finish wear on the slide. The Kagwerks slide release rubs right on the slide under recoil, and DLC is barely showing any wear there. Now, Battle Werx isn’t offering DLC anymore, but they will nitride your gun. This is a better finish, as it’s a treatment, not just a finish. But alas, I haven’t had that done to this G45.
I don’t have a write-up on the G45 yet, but I do have a video on the gun.
The Werks Works
Overall, I’m quite pleased with how both slides turned out. After all, I wouldn’t have sent them a second slide if I didn’t like the first one.
I’ve got lots of “pros” for my experience with Battle Werx, but I do have a “con” too. What are they?
The Pros
The pros for Battle Werx are pretty great.
- Large variety of optic cuts offered
- Fairly deep optic cuts (preferred for concealment and shooting)
- Will cut a new rear sight dovetail in front of the optic
- Excellent quality machining work
- A good variety of slide refinishing options, including not refinishing it (good if you want to do your own finishing)
- Excellent lead time (fairly quick turnaround)
- Extremely fair cost for the quality of work
I am exceptionally pleased with my two slides, and the pros outweigh the cons for me. However, there is a possible deal breaker of a con here.
The Cons
I’ve got one con, which isn’t a deal breaker for me, but it may be for you.
- Battle Werx only mills Glocks
Battle Werx only cuts on Glocks. Now, this is great if you have a Glock, but if you have an HK or a CZ, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
The Verdict
I’ve reviewed other quality milling work in the past, and this review is not meant to disregard that. However, Battle Werx is the shop that I’m defaulting to for any of my Glock slide work these days. They do an excellent job, offer plenty of optic cuts, and do it quickly and for a reasonable price. I’ve sent them two slides, and have had a lot of friends who Battle Werx’s services too.
I’m all out of Glocks to mill for now, but I know where mine will be going when the time comes.
Video Work
While writing is my primary way to provide you with information, I’m also making videos over on YouTube. You can find that work over at my channel, linked here. I’ve also got a video specifically on my Battle Werx experience below.
Additional Reading & Patreon Link
Got a Glock and want to make it better? Check out some of our articles on Glock modifications and parts:
- Tango Down ACRO P2 Battery Cap Review
- Glock OEM Magwell
- Strike Industries Magazine Extension
- Brownells Optics Ready Glock Slide
If you’d like to support me on Patreon, I’ve got the link for that here. Nearly everything that I do on Primer Peak is paid for out of my own pocket, and my content is not shilled or driven by manufacturers or companies. If you decide to donate, I’d really appreciate it, as it would allow for me to continue to bring you quality work.
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