glock conversion

chopchop

Hey guys, what would I have to do to convert my glock 23 to 9mm for some cheaper plinking and be able to switch back for carry? As always thanks for your replies.

chopchop

If I bought a 20 C, could I use non-comp barrels with the cut-out slide? Can aftermarket barrels in .357sig and 40 S&W be used to change calibers and allow use of lead bullets and handloads? What mags work in the 20 with these calibers?

rufe-snow

Federal barrels work equally well in the 20 or 20C. The cut-out slide has no effect, one way or the other on these barrels.

I've used one ( 10 mm ) on my G 20 for years and it has held up well.It has conventional rifleing and works fine with reloads using lead bullets.

Bought one in .357 Sig when they first came out. Sent it back to the dealer because I was getting incipient failure marks in the brass of the commerical ammo I was shooting. If I can't reload the brass, I won't use the cartridge.

The 10mm Glock magazines work fine for both the .357 Sig and the .40 Smith & Wesson, no other magazines are required.

Don't waste your money by buying a barrel chambered for the .40 Smith & Wesson. I've been using my 10mm barrels for .40 S & W for years. If I don't have any 10mm loaded, I stop by Wally World and buy there Winchester white box stuff for $14.00 @ 100, can't beat that price.

The Federal barrels are very reasonable because there imported from Korea. There is a number of US manufacturers who probably make higher quality barrels, but expect to pay more.

Here's a link for the Federal barrels.



http://www.sinclair-sales.com/GlockGear/default.html?target=Barrels___Slides__b_Fedral_Barrels___Compensators__b_.html

bambihunter

Yes, you can use a non-comped barrel in your comp'ed gun. Of course you wouldn't get its benefit. Yes, aftermarket barrels that do NOT use polygonal rifling (none do that I'm aware of) can use lead bullets. You can use the G20's mags for all those calibers listed.

One small point to ponder (since I think we've already mentioned the reduced vision at night due to muzzle flash) is that if you have any desire for an internal laser (such as LaserMax) then the comp'ed versions point of aim will be different from the way they're set at the factory (and it costs $100 to get it adjusted).

I'd sure think against the compensator unless you can simply not handle the recoil. If you can shoot a .45 acp and .40 S&W comfortably then you should be able to handle the 10mm. They also offer what is refered to as "FBI-Lite" loads that mirror .40 S&W loads so you can always shoot the lighter stuff for plinking. You can always get a factory non-comp'ed Glock and then add comp'ed extended barrels (which protrude from the end of the slide and the ports are located there) if you decide to at a later time. Decent aftermarket barrels (comp'ed or not) in all 3 offerings run around $100.

bambihunter

Rufe beat me to it...


Rufe, you put .40 S&W directly in your 10mm chamber???? [:0]

rufe-snow

quote:Originally posted by bambihunter
Rufe beat me to it...


Rufe, you put .40 S&W directly in your 10mm chamber???? [:0]


The only dimensional difference between the .40 S & W and the 10mm is in the length. The rim and base dimensions are exactly the same.

Since the Glock is a controlled feed firearm, the headspace is dictated by the extractor, and it's distance from the face of the breech.

Since the .40 S & W is about .100 shorter then the 10mm the only negative effect, is the loss of velocity due to gas blow by.

bambihunter

Hmm, well I guess your logic makes sense. I saw a write-up where someone did this on a S&W 1076 and they kept getting pierced primers and other problems, but they're likely headspaced differently.

For the cost of a barrel ($100) I'd get a barrel or shoot FBI-Lite loads, but I guess I can't argue what works for ya... I sure wouldn't make a rule of it on most guns (except for the S&W 610).

chopchop

besides the small possibility of the slide getting hung up on something while drawing it and having a little less weight to help recoil, what are the drawbacks of the compensator on the 20 C? Are flash and noise really much more? I assume that these are the main reasons. I suppose the flash may interfere with sight during low-light conditions, but is that a large factor?
I was told that firing 40s through the factory barrel was a no-no. To be on the safe side I would probably get a 40 barrel because I'm not too "adventurous".

bambihunter

quote:Originally posted by chopchop
besides the small possibility of the slide getting hung up on something while drawing it and having a little less weight to help recoil, what are the drawbacks of the compensator on the 20 C? Are flash and noise really much more? I assume that these are the main reasons. I suppose the flash may interfere with sight during low-light conditions, but is that a large factor?

For plinking and standard shooting, no. For home defense or low-light CCW situations - absolutely! The slide shouldn't get hung up on it if you're using a quality holster and the weight difference would be nearly unmeasureable in the hand (we're only talking small holes).

Chop, if you really want a "C" version then get one and work around the drawbacks as you encounter them. What bothers one won't bother others. They do look cool being fired. [8D]