Question about multiple calibers in G19

Bennyboy · November 20, 2013, 07:39 PM

Been wanting the ability to shoot 9mm, .357, and 40 out of the same gun. I was recently talking to a gun store employee about it and he insisted it was impossible. I know it's not.

My first question is this. Can it be done with a Gen4 19? What about a 32? Seems like everyone uses 23s. What's the differences between them?

Also, it's my understanding that all one needs is the barrels, recoil springs, and mags. Is this true?

Dashunde · November 20, 2013, 07:50 PM

I'm not absolutely sure about the Gen4's, but in the G27,23,22 & 35 Gen3's you can run 9mm and 357sig without changing anything except the barrel, and the mag for 9mm if your worried about true reliablity (use mags from G26,19,17, etc).

In short, all of the 40S&W Glocks can be converted to 9mm, 357sig and a few other less popular rounds.

None of Glocks 9mm's can be converted to anything else, except 22lr (that I'm aware of)

Dashunde · November 20, 2013, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Seems like everyone uses 23s. What's the differences between them?

Generally, the G19 and the G23 are identical, except for the size of the hole in the end of the slide that the barrel goes through... its bigger in the .40 Glocks.

The aftermarket 9mm barrels have the same outside diameter as the OEM .40 barrels, so they fit properly/tightly.

You can not run a OEM Glock-brand 9mm barrel in a .40 Glock, its too loose/sloppy at the muzzle.

RX-79G · November 20, 2013, 08:06 PM

Just to complete the picture, the limitation is the diameter of the original chambering's case head. A .40 case head will not fit in the 9mm width slot in the the G19's slide.

Really, a 9mm shouldn't work in a .40 slide because the extractor barely has anything to grab, but in practice it works okay because it is only .5mm difference.

You could buy a complete second top end - slide and barrel - but that's a waste.

A better question you might want to ask is if there is really any reason to want to shoot .40 out of a G19. What's so wrong with 9mm that it isn't good enough for your needs?

Ruger45LC · November 20, 2013, 08:22 PM

Just remember you can convert down and not up, well except for .357 Sig and .40's, you can put a .40 barrel in a 357 Sig and visa versa, but you cannot convert a 9mm Glock up to 357 Sig or .40 S&W unless you buy a complete upper.

With the .40/357 Sig you can buy a 9mm conversion barrel, but it has to be a conversion barrel, not a regular 9mm barrel.

Theohazard · November 20, 2013, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bennyboy

What about a 32? Seems like everyone uses 23s. What's the differences between them?

The 23 is chambered in .40 S&W and the 32 is chambered in .357 SIG. Since the .357 SIG is essentially a 9mm bullet in a .40 S&W case, the only difference between a Glock 23 and 32 is the barrel. And since .40 is much more popular and cheaper to shoot than .357 SIG and a Glock 23 is a lot easier to re-sell, many people who want a .357 SIG just buy a Glock 23 and get a .357 SIG barrel instead of buying a Glock 32.

Walt Sherrill · November 20, 2013, 09:25 PM

I've got a 23 -- which is .40 S&W. I have 9mm and .357 Sig conversion barrels. They all work properly, using the same mag. (The barrel makers adjust the barrels sligthly so that the extractors work and headspace is correct.) For most of these guns, the mags work, too. (I had a SIG 2022 with a 9mm conversion barrel that shot beautifully, but wouldn't lock back the slide with the last shot, whether I used .40 or 9mm mags.)

Sell or trade your 19 and get a 23 -- and you can do what you want.

Generally speaking, you can get conversion barrels for some guns that let a smaller caliber be used (as with a 9mm barrel fit that works in a .40 or .357 SIG slide), but few 9mm guns can be converted upward, because the slides won't accept the larger-diameter barrels. (Some of the older Witness pistols are an exception, as the 9mm and .40 barrels had the same diameter.)

There are a number of YOUTUBE videos showing Glock 40s using 9mm FACTORY barrels. There is "slop" but they seem to work properly with generally good accuracy. I wouldn't do it, but it apparently can be done.

Bennyboy · November 20, 2013, 09:38 PM

Thanks guys, should have been more clear. I knew that the 23 and 32 were 40 and 357 respectively. What I couldn't understand is why they could be converted and a 19 couldn't. It's the hole in the end of the slide. Pretty simple and makes perfect sense.

As far as shooting 40 over 9mm, I just like having options. I may end up getting me a Gen4 32 and 9mm, 40, and 22 conversions. Just seems like fun.

Thanks again.

RX-79G · November 20, 2013, 09:43 PM

It's not the hole in the end of the slide - it's the slot where the base of the cartridge case and the top of the barrel hood sit in the ejection port.

tangolima · November 20, 2013, 11:34 PM

Converting G23 to .357 sig. Maybe not necessary, but I tend to stay on the low end of the load. .357 sig is hotter than .40 s&w. I don't want to bash the gun too much.

Converting G23 to 9mm. You may need stay on the high end of the load. The barrel wall is thicker and the spring for .40 s&w may be too stiff. A weak 9mm round may short cycle.

I like my G23. Got it from my coworker for cheap. He couldn't wait to sell it to buy the new gen 4 sub-compact. Silly.

-TL

RX-79G · November 21, 2013, 12:43 AM

The 23 and 19 use the same spring.

Theohazard · November 21, 2013, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangolima

Converting G23 to .357 sig. Maybe not necessary, but I tend to stay on the low end of the load. .357 sig is hotter than .40 s&w. I don't want to bash the gun too much.

The only difference between the G23 and G32 is the barrel. So if you put a .357 SIG barrel in your G23 you have the same gun as a G32 except for the markings on the slide. (The magazine follower is also slightly different, but the difference is so small that it really doesn't matter which magazine you use and many people are convinced there is no difference at all.)

So if you convert your Glock 23 to .357 SIG by changing the barrel there will be absolutely no difference in wear than if you had a Glock 32; it will have the same barrel, the same slide, the same recoil spring, the same frame, and virtually the same magazine as a Glock 32.

Theohazard · November 21, 2013, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RX-79G

The 23 and 19 use the same spring.

Yeah, the Glock 19, 23, and 32 all use the same spring.

Quentin2 · November 22, 2013, 01:19 AM

There was a question earlier about Gen 4... My Lone Wolf 40-9mm conversion barrel works fine in my G23 Gen4. It also works great in my G27 Gen3. (Sticks out of the slide slightly but works.)

Theohazard · November 22, 2013, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quentin2

It also works great in my G27 Gen3. (Sticks out of the slide slightly but works.)

I would not recommend using a G23 barrel in a G27 (or using a G19 barrel in a G26). Sure, it works, but it's hard on the frame.

If you want to see why, lay a G27 barrel next to a G23 barrel (or a G26 barrel next to a G19) and you'll see there are more differences than just the barrel length. The G27's barrel (or G26) needs to tip up at a steeper angle than the G23 (or G19), so if you look closely you'll see that the angle on the locking lug on the barrel that engages the locking block on the frame is different. And that means you're putting a lot more wear on the frame of your G27 when you shoot it with a G23 barrel.

Dashunde · November 22, 2013, 07:06 PM

Hunh... learn something new everyday.

Is the lug angle the same for the 23 & 22 & 35?

dwhite · November 22, 2013, 08:07 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.41_Action_Express

40 cal with the rim cut to 9mm Luger dimensions to cycle in 9mm
actions. Might be able to find a barrel to run this in your G19.

It's a good round. Just need to reload for it.

All the Best,
D. White

Theohazard · November 22, 2013, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dashunde

Hunh... learn something new everyday.

Yeah, I didn't know that either until relatively recently. I wanted to shoot a G19 barrel in my Glock 26, but a gun guru/gunsmith friend of mine told me they weren't compatible. But then I searched a bunch of forums where people said that said they shoot their G19 barrels in their G26s all the time. Then I tried to put a G19 barrel in a G26 and it fit. So I went back to my friend and smugly told him that he was wrong (he knows an amazing amount and he's almost never wrong, so I thought I had him). But he told me no, that while it might work, it's not good for the frame. Then he told me to look closely at each barrel next to each other and I'd see the differences. So I did. And I had to admit he was, in fact, right. And it's the same with the G27 and G23.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dashunde

Is the lug angle the same for the 23 & 22 & 35?

The G22 and G23 are different, but more importantly the G22 barrel won't even fit into a G23 in the first place. Same goes for the G17 and the G19. I'm not sure about the G34 and the G35, but I'm guessing that angle is different too.

Quentin2 · November 23, 2013, 01:07 AM

Quote:

I would not recommend using a G23 barrel in a G27 (or using a G19 barrel in a G26). Sure, it works, but it's hard on the frame.

If you want to see why, lay a G27 barrel next to a G23 barrel (or a G26 barrel next to a G19) and you'll see there are more differences than just the barrel length. The G27's barrel (or G26) needs to tip up at a steeper angle than the G23 (or G19), so if you look closely you'll see that the angle on the locking lug on the barrel that engages the locking block on the frame is different. And that means you're putting a lot more wear on the frame of your G27 when you shoot it with a G23 barrel.

I haven't noticed any problems with the G27 frame or locking block so probably will continue using the G23 9mm conversion barrel. Thanks for the warning, I'll keep an eye on it. Lone Wolf does say it's all right to do this.

"Intended for use in the Glock 23,32. Also works as an extended barrel for Glock models 27,33."
http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=983

Theohazard · November 23, 2013, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quentin2

Lone Wolf does say it's all right to do this.

Lone Wolf also wants to give people more reasons to buy aftermarket barrels; if they tell you your Lone Wolf barrel will work in more than one Glock maybe they think you're more likely to buy it.

I don't know about the dimensions of the Lone Wolf barrels, but the Glock barrels are specifically designed for each gun and aren't designed for the other guns. And if the Lone Wolf barrels are designed to work fine in both that means they're ideal in neither. There are several reasons the Glock factory barrels are better and more reliable than any aftermarket barrels; I guess that's yet another reason.

November 20, 2013, 07:39 PM	#1
Bennyboy Member Join Date: November 7, 2013 Posts: 30	Question about multiple calibers in G19 Been wanting the ability to shoot 9mm, .357, and 40 out of the same gun. I was recently talking to a gun store employee about it and he insisted it was impossible. I know it's not. My first question is this. Can it be done with a Gen4 19? What about a 32? Seems like everyone uses 23s. What's the differences between them? Also, it's my understanding that all one needs is the barrels, recoil springs, and mags. Is this true?

November 22, 2013, 08:07 PM	#17
dwhite Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2007 Location: Wake County, N. Carolina Posts: 379	.41 Action Express http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.41_Action_Express 40 cal with the rim cut to 9mm Luger dimensions to cycle in 9mm actions. Might be able to find a barrel to run this in your G19. It's a good round. Just need to reload for it. All the Best, D. White __________________ 10th Amendment - The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

November 20, 2013, 07:50 PM	#2
Dashunde Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2004 Posts: 2,018	I'm not absolutely sure about the Gen4's, but in the G27,23,22 & 35 Gen3's you can run 9mm and 357sig without changing anything except the barrel, and the mag for 9mm if your worried about true reliablity (use mags from G26,19,17, etc). In short, all of the 40S&W Glocks can be converted to 9mm, 357sig and a few other less popular rounds. None of Glocks 9mm's can be converted to anything else, except 22lr (that I'm aware of)

November 20, 2013, 08:06 PM	#4
RX-79G Junior member Join Date: October 27, 2013 Posts: 1,139	Just to complete the picture, the limitation is the diameter of the original chambering's case head. A .40 case head will not fit in the 9mm width slot in the the G19's slide. Really, a 9mm shouldn't work in a .40 slide because the extractor barely has anything to grab, but in practice it works okay because it is only .5mm difference. You could buy a complete second top end - slide and barrel - but that's a waste. A better question you might want to ask is if there is really any reason to want to shoot .40 out of a G19. What's so wrong with 9mm that it isn't good enough for your needs?

November 20, 2013, 08:22 PM	#5
Ruger45LC Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 768	Just remember you can convert down and not up, well except for .357 Sig and .40's, you can put a .40 barrel in a 357 Sig and visa versa, but you cannot convert a 9mm Glock up to 357 Sig or .40 S&W unless you buy a complete upper. With the .40/357 Sig you can buy a 9mm conversion barrel, but it has to be a conversion barrel, not a regular 9mm barrel.

November 20, 2013, 09:25 PM	#7
Walt Sherrill Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 1999 Location: Winston-Salem, NC USA Posts: 6,348	I've got a 23 -- which is .40 S&W. I have 9mm and .357 Sig conversion barrels. They all work properly, using the same mag. (The barrel makers adjust the barrels sligthly so that the extractors work and headspace is correct.) For most of these guns, the mags work, too. (I had a SIG 2022 with a 9mm conversion barrel that shot beautifully, but wouldn't lock back the slide with the last shot, whether I used .40 or 9mm mags.) Sell or trade your 19 and get a 23 -- and you can do what you want. Generally speaking, you can get conversion barrels for some guns that let a smaller caliber be used (as with a 9mm barrel fit that works in a .40 or .357 SIG slide), but few 9mm guns can be converted upward, because the slides won't accept the larger-diameter barrels. (Some of the older Witness pistols are an exception, as the 9mm and .40 barrels had the same diameter.) There are a number of YOUTUBE videos showing Glock 40s using 9mm FACTORY barrels. There is "slop" but they seem to work properly with generally good accuracy. I wouldn't do it, but it apparently can be done.

November 20, 2013, 09:38 PM	#8
Bennyboy Member Join Date: November 7, 2013 Posts: 30	Thanks guys, should have been more clear. I knew that the 23 and 32 were 40 and 357 respectively. What I couldn't understand is why they could be converted and a 19 couldn't. It's the hole in the end of the slide. Pretty simple and makes perfect sense. As far as shooting 40 over 9mm, I just like having options. I may end up getting me a Gen4 32 and 9mm, 40, and 22 conversions. Just seems like fun. Thanks again.

November 20, 2013, 09:43 PM	#9
RX-79G Junior member Join Date: October 27, 2013 Posts: 1,139	It's not the hole in the end of the slide - it's the slot where the base of the cartridge case and the top of the barrel hood sit in the ejection port.

November 20, 2013, 11:34 PM	#10
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 3,826	Converting G23 to .357 sig. Maybe not necessary, but I tend to stay on the low end of the load. .357 sig is hotter than .40 s&w. I don't want to bash the gun too much. Converting G23 to 9mm. You may need stay on the high end of the load. The barrel wall is thicker and the spring for .40 s&w may be too stiff. A weak 9mm round may short cycle. I like my G23. Got it from my coworker for cheap. He couldn't wait to sell it to buy the new gen 4 sub-compact. Silly. -TL

November 21, 2013, 12:43 AM	#11
RX-79G Junior member Join Date: October 27, 2013 Posts: 1,139	The 23 and 19 use the same spring.

November 22, 2013, 01:19 AM	#14
Quentin2 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2009 Location: NorthWest USA Posts: 1,996	There was a question earlier about Gen 4... My Lone Wolf 40-9mm conversion barrel works fine in my G23 Gen4. It also works great in my G27 Gen3. (Sticks out of the slide slightly but works.)

November 22, 2013, 07:06 PM	#16
Dashunde Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2004 Posts: 2,018	Hunh... learn something new everyday. Is the lug angle the same for the 23 & 22 & 35?