Magazine change with barrel?

bluebelly · March 4, 2013, 05:06 PM

Reading about aftermarket barrels in this forum made me aware that I can change caliber as well as just the barrel on my Glock 21 and 30 pistols. If I choose to do this, do I need to change magazines as well? Or so the 45 cal mags work with 10mm ammunition?

Andrewh · March 6, 2013, 10:15 AM

it depends on the feed lips.

typically you do change mags since the feed lips are wider on 45 vs say 40/10mm, which are wider than 9mm/38 super etc..

there are some cases where the feed lips are set smaller than needed and you can get away with loading the next size down.
you would actually need to just try it and see.

if it is too wide, the rounds will just pop out.
fully load a mag if it will hold one round, just incase the tension from a fully loaded mag starts popping rounds out.

bluebelly · March 7, 2013, 05:14 PM

Thyank you, that's a help.

SIGSHR · March 7, 2013, 05:22 PM

AFAIK the breech face of the slide and the position of the ejector determine what caliber changes can be made in semiauto pistols. Rounds with the same rim diamter can interchange. 9MM and 38 Super usually require only a barrel magazine change, 10MM Auto and 40 S&W the same, 10MM and 45 ACP? Haven'ttried it myself,but something says no.

March 4, 2013, 05:06 PM	#1
bluebelly Junior Member Join Date: March 4, 2013 Posts: 3	Magazine change with barrel? Reading about aftermarket barrels in this forum made me aware that I can change caliber as well as just the barrel on my Glock 21 and 30 pistols. If I choose to do this, do I need to change magazines as well? Or so the 45 cal mags work with 10mm ammunition?

March 6, 2013, 10:15 AM	#2
Andrewh Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 1999 Posts: 966	it depends on the feed lips. typically you do change mags since the feed lips are wider on 45 vs say 40/10mm, which are wider than 9mm/38 super etc.. there are some cases where the feed lips are set smaller than needed and you can get away with loading the next size down. you would actually need to just try it and see. if it is too wide, the rounds will just pop out. fully load a mag if it will hold one round, just incase the tension from a fully loaded mag starts popping rounds out.

March 7, 2013, 05:14 PM	#3
bluebelly Junior Member Join Date: March 4, 2013 Posts: 3	Thyank you, that's a help.

March 7, 2013, 05:22 PM	#4
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	AFAIK the breech face of the slide and the position of the ejector determine what caliber changes can be made in semiauto pistols. Rounds with the same rim diamter can interchange. 9MM and 38 Super usually require only a barrel magazine change, 10MM Auto and 40 S&W the same, 10MM and 45 ACP? Haven'ttried it myself,but something says no.