View Full Version : Poll: Glock Barrel
Sparky5019
09-29-15, 18:01
Poll says it all! Vote and comment with thoughts and prefs. This will be a Gen 4 G17 with RMR that I'll use for general ALPhAS competition, classes, etc. basically a solid secondary weapon.
Thanks!
I just dropped a KKM into my RMR'd 26. Shoots great. Ordered one for my 17 this afternoon as well.
I fit a Bar Sto barrel to my Glock 22. It shoots both jacketed and lead bullets really well. The improvement in accuracy was definitely noticeable.
I fit a Bar Sto barrel to my Glock 22. It shoots both jacketed and lead bullets really well. The improvement in accuracy was definitely noticeable.
Did you have a particularly inaccurate Glock, or were you to the point where you were out shooting the factory barrel?
Did you have a particularly inaccurate Glock, or were you to the point where you were out shooting the factory barrel?
I was using the Glock 22 for shooting PPC at the time and I was concerned about accuracy. It definitely out shot the factory barrel at 50 yards.
No real reason to go with an aftermarket barrel in a Gen4. In a Gen3, maybe, but across the board i've found the Gen4's to be more accurate.
Not on your list but I went with a Wilson barrel in my Gen 3 G17 and there was a definite accuracy difference. No fitting at all required. I did the same for my Gen 4 G19 and had the same results.
It really depends on the use. If you plan to shoot beyond 25 yards on a regular basis, then get a BarSto. If not, then keep the OEM Gen4 barrel and spend that money testing ammo. Find a good load and you’re set.
I’ve had several custom barrels in different rifles and handguns over the years. With either handloads or factory ammo, factory barrels tend to shoot one or two loads very well, most loads acceptably, and a few loads poorly. Custom barrels tend to shoot better with more loads than factory barrels, and they’re easier to clean. It’s usually easier to find handloads and factory loads that shoot very well in them, and much easier to find loads that provide superb accuracy. Most custom barrels won’t shoot a couple of loads well at all, but that’s life.
(WARNING: Observations from a sample of 1 follow)
I have been messing with a Gen4 G17 for the last several months. The first five shots I fired from it went into 1.25” at 25 yards. It has since made some very good groups with that load, but only at 25 yards. With that load at 50 yards, it’s a little better than a Gen3 G17 with a factory barrel, but only a little.
I also have two Gen3 G17’s with fitted Wilson barrels. Both of them outshoot my Gen4 G17 at 50 yards with almost any 115- or 124-grain load. I’ve tested a lot of loads with one of them, which will regularly shoot 5” groups at 50 yards with the load it shoots best. (I can't shoot for beans from a rest, so all of these groups were fired offhand.) It will shoot nearly as well with other 115- and 124-grain bullets, but I have yet to find a 147-grain load that it shoots well. This could be a barrel twist issue (the Wilson is a lot slower than the OEM), or it could be that I just haven't found the magic combination at the loading bench. That said, at 50 yards, the Gen4 G17 with the OEM barrel shoots almost any 147-grain load nearly as well as the Wilson-barreled gun shoots its best handload, and the difference is substantial enough that shooting anything other than 147's in this gun is basically a waste of ammo.
I believe this is the case of having found a factory load that the Gen4 gun shoots very well, and a handload that the Gen3 gun shoots very well. To really confuse matters, I’ve found a cast bullet load that shoots nearly as well in the Gen3 OEM barrel as the handload does in the Wilson barrel in the same gun. The difference in the performance of these three combinations is slight, and you don’t see it until you get to 50 yards. If you stay inside of 25 yards, then all three of them are functionally equivalent and it makes more sense to focus on finding the load your pistol shoots best.
All of this assumes that you’re using a properly fitted custom barrel. A poorly fitted custom barrel will be no better than an OEM barrel, and may be worse.
Okie John
Howdy,
I have a LW 40-9mm conversion barrel for my G23 and a standard lenght LW barrel for my G35. There wasn't anything wrong with the accuracy of the G35's OEM barrel but it was giving the brass a huge Glock bulge so I bought a LW barrel.
I need to buy a 40-9mm barrel for my G35 and a .357Sig barrel for it too. Both will be LW.
Paul
Voodoo_Man
09-30-15, 15:07
I had an rmr'd g19 with om barrel, gun waa very accurate without any type of aftermarket barrel (two inch at 25y slow fire) - http://www.vdmsr.com/2014/10/the-rmr-journey.html
Since then I've had a barsto for a g19 and recently purchased an s3f threaded barrel. - http://www.vdmsr.com/2015/08/glock-barrels.html
Id say that the barsto barrel has the greatest accuracy associated with it thus far but that is without having used the s3f barrel long enough to really tell. Also I depends on the aighting system. I am drastically more accurate with smaller profile front sights like the ameriglo defoor than other sights - http://www.vdmsr.com/search?q=defoor
With an rmr'd gun, especially with a 3.25moa dot youll be very accurate at standing and shooting freestyle since the gun is capable of doing it with an OEM barrel. With an aftermarket barrel you will be more accurate but marginally. Im talking an inch maybe less max with match grade top shelf ammo.
said it once and I'll say it again. None of the above. S3f...I combined that with an AA trigger and am astonished with the improved accuracy.
Regards,
Glock owner since 1988
RustyKnifeUSMC
10-03-15, 19:10
Wasn't listed as an option but ...
KKM
Sparky5019
10-03-15, 20:18
Hey guys. Thanks for input and replies. One thing. I WILL be changing the barrel in this gun. Period. There are a number of things that I don't care for in a factory Glock barrel; the chambers seem to be on the high end of spec for reliability sake and the polygonal rifling as I will be using hard cast lead bullets (probably coated). While KKM is a good barrel, I have ruled them out so I did not put them on the list. However, I am open to other options not in the mainstream. If you offer another option please explain why you feel that the barrel is a good choice not just "it's a great barrel and the gun is more accurate". Is it the steel, the rifling, the chamber, the barrel color, the tattoo around the muzzle, etc. what EXACTLY makes the barrel better than those in the poll.
The barrels I put in the poll are known quantities by spec and reputation. I'm interested in other options but there must be supporting details other than "their sauce is better".
That said. I'll check into the S3F but if anyone has specifics on the barrel, please throw them out there.
Thanks so much! Good info! Keep it coming!
Many thanks!
Sparky5019
10-04-15, 13:39
I looked at the S3F. Can someone tell me more about the barrel? Aside from having flutes down it I don't see anything really different about it. They do make it in gangsta gold color if you're into that. I guess that makes it high speed?
Don't be too quick to buy in to the idea that a Glock factory barrel can't/won't handle cast bullets. A little research could yield a lot of wisdom.
Okie John
What was your reasoning behind ruling out the KKM?
Sparky5019
10-04-15, 14:45
Don't be too quick to buy in to the idea that a Glock factory barrel can't/won't handle cast bullets. A little research could yield a lot of wisdom.
Okie John
Whilst I appreciate that they will handle cast bullets, I am replacing the barrel because of the several factors I mentioned. I have a load that I like to use and the relatively small cost of an aftermarket barrel is of little consequence to me. I'm not made of money but I consider it a good investment for this application.
For the record, I still have all my factory barrels so when it comes to shooting nothing but NATO ammo in the next civil war, they may be reinstalled. Until then, this is the chosen path; I will not argue with you over "why factory is better than x".
Thank you for your contribution. If you care to provide links to said "research", I would interested in learning from it but it is not going to be of use for this particular project.
Have a fabulous day. Thanks!
Sparky5019
10-04-15, 14:52
What was your reasoning behind ruling out the KKM?
It's not high on my list but no ruled out completely; I need to call and ask them a few questions before I confirm or deny.
The only one I can speak to is Lone Wolf. You want to shoot lead/coated lead, knowing that I wouldn't recommend it.
Mine shoots fine, however it has a very short/abrupt/tight throat/leade, which requires you to seat many designs to minimum COAL. If you get a batch of bullets with slightly inconsistent ogives, which is not unheard of with cast, you can still have them jam the lands occasionally, which is quite frustrating should you need to unload and show clear. With bare lead due to the groove diameter I'm sizing .358 to prevent leading, which makes the issue even worse. Now if you want to add some money you can have LWD or your own gunsmith open the leade up a bit, but that takes away a decent chunk of the economic advantage, the longer I have mine the more appealing this is becoming.
I have had zero issue with jacketed ammo.
Sparky5019
10-04-15, 18:40
The only one I can speak to is Lone Wolf. You want to shoot lead/coated lead, knowing that I wouldn't recommend it.
Mine shoots fine, however it has a very short/abrupt/tight throat/leade, which requires you to seat many designs to minimum COAL. If you get a batch of bullets with slightly inconsistent ogives, which is not unheard of with cast, you can still have them jam the lands occasionally, which is quite frustrating should you need to unload and show clear. With bare lead due to the groove diameter I'm sizing .358 to prevent leading, which makes the issue even worse. Now if you want to add some money you can have LWD or your own gunsmith open the leade up a bit, but that takes away a decent chunk of the economic advantage, the longer I have mine the more appealing this is becoming.
I have had zero issue with jacketed ammo.
I have had the same experience. I am the gunsmith so I purchased a 9 mm throating reamer. Open the throat until the round chambers easily and you're good to go. No noticeable effect on accuracy.
Sparky5019
10-07-15, 10:39
Anyone have any specifics on the S3F barrels?
Anyone have any specifics on the S3F barrels?
Look at the other thread. Seriously look into the blacklist. It looks like the s3f, but is made by KKM unlike the s3f.
From your list, Bar Sto.
I highly recommend KKM if going the drop-in route.
KKM , no issues in my G19, dropped in and shoots great, had it two years with a lot of rounds fired
I have a lone wolf Glock 34 Barrel.
Basic fmj ammo worked with no noticeable gains in accuracy.
Underwood +p+ 147gr. Speer Gold dots would bulge towards the front of the case and stick in the chamber. Required pounding it out with a chop stick. Happened 1 in 5 rounds, ammo shoots well in all other 9mm barrels I tried it in.
Sparky5019
10-07-15, 15:12
Look at the other thread. Seriously look into the blacklist. It looks like the s3f, but is made by KKM unlike the s3f.
Do you have a link? Not sure I know which thread you mean. Thanks.
Do you have a link? Not sure I know which thread you mean. Thanks.
thread: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?168063-S3F-Solution-Glock-barrel-Who-has-one
Blacklist barrel: http://www.blacklistind.com/collections/barrels/products/glock-ultra-match-barrels?variant=4122284676
Sparky5019
10-08-15, 08:48
thread: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?168063-S3F-Solution-Glock-barrel-Who-has-one
Blacklist barrel: http://www.blacklistind.com/collections/barrels/products/glock-ultra-match-barrels?variant=4122284676
Thanks so much!
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