I'm curious what you all think about this...would you trust your life to a pistol with a conversion barrel???

I am a bit of an older guy...I learned to shoot .22 in the Boy Scouts during the 1960's as well as courses at the "Y"...living near Chicago, Illinois you can imagine that later this was frowned upon where I grew up but Dad was in the Military and we were taught respect for firearms and that we should join the NRA...

Growing up and later buying my first firearms we were taught to only use the caliber for which your gun was made...this caused a bit of confusion when I joined a PD and purchased my Colt Python in .357 Magnum but was told to stoke it with .38+P (at least it was the Chicago/FBI/St. Louis and everybody else load)...

Still later, if I wanted a 9MM...I bought a 9MM...if I wanted the same pistol in another caliber...I bought another one in that caliber...

Today things are much different...technologies and new companies have come out with conversion barrels to convert your this pistol into a that pistol...it goes against what I was taught but an old dog can learn new tricks can't he???

I have a GLOCK 23 in .40S&W...in the past, I owned a GLOCK 27 in .40S&W and bought the GLOCK barrel so I could shoot .357SiG as well...didn't really care for the snappiness of the 357 in the G27 so I mostly used the .40...but then I was never before really a .40 fan...

After selling off that set up, and finding myself GLOCKless on a stake out with an officer in another town we got to talking about firearms...he's a good old boy so there was more gun talk than some of the advice of the experts talk I hear from some of the newer guys today...(You know what I mean...expert advice from someone who hasn't walked the walk...but does listen when he goes to the gun shops)...

...Well our conversation got to me being GLOCKless and he having a GLOCK that a co worker was supposed to buy (see the "expert" I mentioned above) for a great price...ANIB but it is an OD green frame (who cares says I)...well after another week and the expert didn't buy, my buddy calls me up and offers the kind of price you don't say "no" to...so I bought it...

The GLOCK 23 is light to carry (relatively) and packs a nice cartridge but I'm still no lover of the .40S&W round...after reading too much on the "errornet" I get the bug to try one of these other make conversion barrels (Storm Lake in my case) to convert this GLOCK 23 .40 to a GLOCK "19" 9MM...  (two more rounds and a bit lighter still...hmmm)

...but then reading more I see where people with experience say...nice for the range but don't bet your life on one of these...I'm thinking that aftermarket barrels are used by many AND Storm Lake has a great reputation...so...I ask you here...

Would you trust your life to an aftermarket barrel...of course after you find that it can feed your chosen cartridge and that you see no hiccups at the range...

Thanks for any experience or thoughts you care to share...

Bill

Good quality pistol, good quality barrel, good quality mags= Good to go in my eyes.

Nope.  Probably fine, but I'm not doing it.

I'm a 1911 guy.  Where i come from, most aftermarket barrels are better than factory ones.  

I carry the 1911 mostly and that is food for thought...thanks guys...I'm listening...keep it coming if you have a mind to...I appreciate it.
Bill

I have always looked at after market or "custom" barrels to be of higher quality than a stock standard barrel. Remember that most of these barrel companies make only one thing, barrels. Most production guns are mass produced, along with all the parts.

my glock 30 wears a 10mm conversion bbl.  I trust it to no end.   Hundreds of rounds with no failure.

who is the maker of the barrel...?
Bill

I have a Lone Wolf 40->9 conversion barrel for my Glock 22. It works OK at the range, but malfunctions once in a blue moon with light 115gr loads (which Lone Wolf warn against). I would not bet my life on it, but in any case why would I run 9mm when I can run a .40 anyway ? The conversion barrel makes for a fun and versatile range gun, definitely worth the $110 I paid for it.

Its not the barrel that will cause problems, but the larger than needed breechface and extractor in the incorrect location.

This why it should be a range toy.


now a glock with  357 Sig/ 40/ 10mm  are ok

9/40 range gun.

thanks guys...I have a neat range toy...I'll stick with guns made for the caliber I want to shoot...'preciate the help.
Bill

From my experience, if the weapon's 100% reliable with that conversion barrel, there's no reason not to trust it.

Reliability is the benchmark, I'm sure all would agree.

Absolutely, hold the weapon with the conversion barrel in it to a higher standard, of course.

When I passed 1,000 rnds, no malfunctions, with my G23 w/ 9mm conversion barrel (LWD), after having done mods such as ream out the chamber, and throw in a 9mm extractor, I knew it was reliable.

That is the benchmark, the standard.

To each his own, but a weapon that's proven it's reliability with rounds downrange is what it is:  reliable.  Yes, I would trust my G23/9 without hesitation, but that's just me.

If I put a bunch of rounds downrange with it, I might trust it, but not right out of the box.

Bingo

This.  I feel this way with any modification to the weapon that can influence the reliability of the system.  I test it before I trust it.

I've got the same set up Vini does. It's never missed a shot. Wait, I take that back. I recently had some WWB that 3 rounds had primer strikes but would not fire.
It fired my carry ammo just fine.
Never makes you feel warm and fuzzy when a weapon you carry misses a shot.
In all fairness, this ammo was in my basement when it flooded. So I'm thinking it's that. I also had some Ferocchii .380 that woudn't fire.
So to answer the question. yes I would trust my life to it, and have. I've even qualified with it and carried it on duty.

what barrel are you running?

Bar-sto 9mm conversion barrel in my .40 s&w P229R is 100% with the 200 or so rounds of SD ammo I've put through it. I do use a 9mm mag though.

Bet my life on a conversion barrel running a caliber other than the one the gun was made for. Not only no, but HELL NO!

Considering the .40 Glock was originally made to run 9mm, then modified to run .40, I don't feel bad about it.
A G17 had the slide opened up to accept a .40 barrel and a different extractor and barrel. Everything else is the same.

No, it isn't. Turn a G17 and a G22 slide upside down, and look at them. You will see that the internal mass of the .40 slide is increased over that of a G17 slide. Less material is machined out of the G22 slide. That it why they can both use a G17 recoil spring. The G22 slide is HEAVIER than a G17 slide. The extractor spacing is also adjusted on the .40 slide. Much more was involved in the conversion than just "opening up the slide and changing barrels".

I have considered doing the same with my M&P 40, getting a Storm Lake conversion barrel in 9mm for carrying or just to change things up. I'd go with the crowd that as long as you have thoroughly tested it and are sure that it functions you should be good to go. I would still hold it to a higher standard than a factory barrel.