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Glock Barrel conversions.

JrherpinJrherpin Member Posts: 5 ✭✭
edited May 2011 in Ask the Experts
I know that a Glock model 19 can be converted to a 40 S&W with the purchase of a .40 barrel, spring and magazine, or vise versa. Does anyone know if a model 32 (.357 sig) can be similarly converted to a .40 S&W by purchasing a barrel and magazine? If I understand it right, the M32 and the M23 are the same pistol except for the caliber. Just like the M23 and the M19.

Comments

  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You might contact customer service at LoneWolf Distributors, ( they have a on-line catalog ). I bought a number of Glock conversion barrels from them in the past.
  • NeoBlackdogNeoBlackdog Member Posts: 16,566 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't think you will need a new magazine, just the barrel and possibly springs. The 357 SIG is a necked down 40 S&W so mags for the 40 should work fine.
  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,365 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Jrherpin
    I know that a Glock model 19 can be converted to a 40 S&W with the purchase of a .40 barrel, spring and magazine, or vise versa. Does anyone know if a model 32 (.357 sig) can be similarly converted to a .40 S&W by purchasing a barrel and magazine? If I understand it right, the M32 and the M23 are the same pistol except for the caliber. Just like the M23 and the M19.


    Unfortunately it is possible to know things that are not so.
    You can convert a .40 Glock like a 23 to 9mm by a barrel change but not a 9mm to .40.
    I think all that it takes to shoot .40s in a .357 is a barrel change, the magazine and recoil spring are the same or at least similar.
  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Hawk Carse
    quote:Originally posted by Jrherpin
    I know that a Glock model 19 can be converted to a 40 S&W with the purchase of a .40 barrel, spring and magazine, or vise versa. Does anyone know if a model 32 (.357 sig) can be similarly converted to a .40 S&W by purchasing a barrel and magazine? If I understand it right, the M32 and the M23 are the same pistol except for the caliber. Just like the M23 and the M19.


    Unfortunately it is possible to know things that are not so.
    You can convert a .40 Glock like a 23 to 9mm by a barrel change but not a 9mm to .40.
    I think all that it takes to shoot .40s in a .357 is a barrel change, the magazine and recoil spring are the same or at least similar.


    +1.

    As a cartridge, 357 SIG was designed specifically to be a drop in replacement for 40SW. For every convertable gun I've ever heard of, the only thing you need to do to switch between 357 SIG and 40SW is to change the barrel. Magazine, slide, and springs all remain the same.

    This is true of Glocks. Any Glock in either 357 SIG or 40SW can be switched to the other with just the appropriate barrel.

    It is also possible to run 9mm luger through a 40SW (or 357 SIG) Glock if you have a conversion barrel designed for that purpose. Several manufacturers offer this (including Lone Wolf, KKM, and Storm Lake). You'll also need 9mm magazines. I've heard that .40SW springs will work, but you might get better reliability with a 9mm spring.

    So far as I know, you CANNOT run 40SW or 357 SIG through a 9mm luger Glock with just a barrel change because a 40SW barrel is too wide/thick to fit through the opening of a 9mm Glock slide. I've never seen nor heard of such a conversion BARREL, and none of the three makers above offer one.

    You still can do this conversion, but to pull it off, I believe you need to switch the entire SLIDE assembly. In other words, you have to drop a 9mm luger slide, spring, and barrel onto a 40SW frame, then run 9mm magazines.

    Since cost of a 9mm Glock upper isn't all that much less than an entire gun, this is quite a bit less cost effective than a mere barrel swap.

    Also, at one point Glock beefed up its 9mm frames to handle .40SW. If you try to do this conversion using the oldest of the Glock 9mm frames, the increased pressure/recoil from 40SW can damage the gun's frame. On more recent guns, the frames of the 40SW/357 SIG and 9mm guns are otherwise identical and this swap should be fine.
  • Lucky007Lucky007 Member Posts: 308 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    This is a very interesting thread...so if I wanted to have a multiple caliber option in a G23/G19 package, I should initially buy a G23 instead of a G19 so my options would be 40SW, 9mm and 357sig...as long as I bought and correctly installed the right extra parts from one of the companies mentioned?
  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Lucky007
    This is a very interesting thread...so if I wanted to have a multiple caliber option in a G23/G19 package, I should initially buy a G23 instead of a G19 so my options would be 40SW, 9mm and 357sig...as long as I bought and correctly installed the right extra parts from one of the companies mentioned?

    That's correct.

    Being super-savvy about this, you might look into the g32 instead, if you can get it for the same price, since I think aftermarket factory Glock 357 SIG barrels are a little harder to find and more expensive than the 40SW ones.

    Note that the "installation" primarily consists of swapping barrels.

    Once you have a .40SW Glock 23, the only thing you'd need to do to swap it to 357 SIG is to strip the gun, take out the .40SW barrel and drop in the 357 SIG barrel. (Or vice versa).

    With practice it can be done in under 30 seconds. IMO the hardest part is pulling down the slide release tab.

    If you're going to do this conversion, be aware that there actually is a difference between 40SW and 357SIG factory Glock magazines, with the 357 ones having a slightly different follower optimized for 357 rounds. Although most of the time 40SW magazines will run 357 OK, if you were to experience feeding problems with 357, swapping mags (or just mag followers) might help.

    Also, point of impact for .40SW and 357 SIG may be a little different, so you may need to adjust your sights if you swap calibers.

    All of above is true for 9mm luger also, if you have the appropriate conversion barrel. Again 9mm requires a magazine change.

    Going from 40SW to 9mm there *might* be some reliablity benefit by also swapping the recoil spring, and maybe the extractor, but these are separate issues. I wouldn't start worrying about that before actually trying the conversion and seeing how it runs with just the barrel swap.

    Edit:
    Responding to below, if you have a 357 SIG Glock, the only thing you'd need to do to go to 40SW is swap barrels. There might be some benefit in swapping magazine followers and adjusting sights.
  • JrherpinJrherpin Member Posts: 5 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Maybe I should have been a little clearer, I have a .357 sig M-32 and want to be able to shoot .40 S&W also as they are easier to dfind most of the time. So the M-32 is a modern production and should take the same barrel as the M-23.
  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A while ago someone came up with a drawing calling for drilling the G19 frame to accept another through pin.
    The mod would strengthen the frame equivalent to 40 cal frames.
    You still do need the 40/357 slide and heavier slide spring..
  • BaseJumperBaseJumper Member Posts: 5,570
    edited November -1
    Personal experience with a Storm Lake Drop in barrel on a G23 (40 S&W) converted to 357 Sig:

    works great except for the magazines. I could not get the 40 mags to accept a full capacity of 357 SIG, either in my 10 round mags or 13 round mags. It would accept about 80% capacity and would feed just fine, but you were not going to force more ammo in that mag.

    Got 357 Sig Glock (G32) mags and they work great. Read something about this (long ago) on another forum that says something about different followers between G23 and G32 mags that can cause this. I have no idea if this is the reason, I just know it did not work. Nice to know I can use G23 mags in a pinch, but I suggest getting the Glock mag for the ammo you are using just to be safe.
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