Aftermarket Glock Barrel Accuracy

[HGUNHNTR]

Hey all. For those of you that have installed an aftermarket barrel in your Glock pistols, have you noticed any gains in accuracy. I have a Gen4 34, and have been fairly pleased with it's accuracy, but do feel like the stock barrel is holding me back. Any experience with KKM or Lone WOlf would be appreciated.
Also, the idea of having a fully supported chamber is a plus as well.

Thanks!

 

[GCBurner]

I put a 9mm Storm Lake barrel in my G26, and it wouldn't group as well as the stock barrel with the 115gr. FMJ I usually shoot. I just got a Lone Wolf .45 barrel for my G30, and I'll see how it goes with FMJ and plated lead.

 

[LiveLife]

I use Lone Wolf replacement and 40-9 conversion barrels in my Glock 22/27.

For me with jacketed loads, factory Glock barrels seem to have a slight edge over the Lone Wolf barrels in accuracy but for the most part, shot groups have been comparable. Especially for the higher pressure 40S&W loads, Lone Wolf barrels provide full-case base support and both 9mm and 40S&W factory+ level pressure loads do not bulge in tighter Lone Wolf chambers, which makes resizing of these cases effortless for reloading.

With lead loads, it's several factors to consider. Smooth and rounded hexagonal rifling of Glock barrels foul faster and get built up along the rifling even after 100-200 rounds and starts to affect accuracy. It is for this reason I inspect the Glock barrels after 200-300 rounds with lead loads and clean as necessary. With Lone Wolf barrels, even after 500+ rounds, barrels stay relatively clean with just smearing of bullet lube residue (see comparison pictures below).

With my "match grade" reloads using Montana Gold jacketed bullets or Berry's Hollow Base Thick plated bullets (HBRN-TP), I can average 1" 5-round shot groups at 15 yards off hand out of G22/27.

With Missouri 9mm/40S&W lead bullets and Lone Wolf barrels, I can average 1.5" 5-round shot groups at 15 yards off hand out of G22/27.

Glock barrel after ~100 rounds of lead reloads (note hard/crustry fouling build up along the rifling - if build up continues, you'll have a reduced diameter smooth bore barrel)

Lone Wolf barrel after ~350 rounds of lead reloads (note light smearing of bullet lube residue and no leading)

Glock barrel after Hoppes #9 and copper bore brush/scrubber clean up (note rounded smooth hill/valley rifling)

Lone Wolf barrels after Hoppes #9 and copper bore brush/scrubber clean up (note the square land/groove rifling)

 

[coalman]

I've used LWD, KKM and Storm Lake. The KKM and LWD printed tighter groups. IMO not enought to be worth the added price except when using lead.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Thanks folks, just the type of input I'm after. Thank you again for taking the time to post.

 

[nyresq]

I have a few storm lake conversion barrels and they all shoot as well as the stock factory barrel. My 357 conversion barrel for my G35 is actually more accurate then the factory 40, but that also may be because of 40 vs 357...

 

[sargents1]

I have a Lone Wolf barrel for my Glock 20SF. I cant say that I have noticed any difference in accuracy. Both the LW and the Stock barrel are pretty close as far as I can tell.

In terms of chamber support, I cant see any difference. This is the LW and the stock barrel side by side.


The LW chamber is Tighter, but the shape is basically the same.

This is a piece of brass fired thru the stock barrel.


and this one went thru the LW barrel.


The LW is measurably tighter.
This also means that it is a little more fussy with OAL of cartridges. Load 'em too long and it jams. Factory ammo seems fine, but I havent fired much of it. My reloads recently have run a bit long, and they are not consistently reliable thru the LW barrel. They work fine thru the Stock barrel though. YMMV.

NOTE: The chambers on other calibers may be different. From what I have seen, the .40 S&W barrels have worse chamber support than the 10mm, but I do not have a side-by-side comparison.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

What kind of shooting are you doing where the stock barrel ismholdingnyou back? Just curious.

 

[LiveLife]

Can't comment on 10mm barrels but 40S&W Lone Wolf barrels provide significantly better case base support than factory barrels.

At left is Gen3 G27 barrel showing incomplete case base support with widening of the chamber mouth. At right is Lone Wolf barrel showing full case base support with tighter chamber mouth that won't bulge the case even with factory+ loads.

 

[Sapper771]

I used a LWD barrel for my Glock 17. It was no more accurate as the factory barrel. Started giving me headaches because I couldn't use my glocked brass (brass that has been previously fired in a Glock barrel) due to the tighter chamber tolerances. Finally just said screw it and started shooting lead out of my factory barrel. After some tedious load development, I have no issues to report.



Bds,

Have you used any 0.358" diameter lead bullets in your Glock factory barrel? I found I got better results with oversized bullets. BHN is around 12 , lubed with BAC, used WSF powder.

 

[PO2Hammer]

How far are you shooting?
What size groups?
What kind of ammo?

 

[crestoncowboy]

I have a couple kkm barrels in 10mm on a 6 inch and unlessi'm using a vice I see no difference, unless you are a very good shooter I doubt you will either. They are easier on brass though

 

[LiveLife]

Bds, Have you used any 0.358" diameter lead bullets in your Glock factory barrel? I found I got better results with oversized bullets. BHN is around 12 , lubed with BAC, used WSF powder.

No I haven't but you bring up an interesting point. My experience with lead bullets in Glock barrels is that the smooth/rounded rifling with very gradual start of rifling won't engage the bearing surface of the lead bullets like the conventional square cut land/groove rifling. With typical sized bullets (.356" and .401" respectively) and high enough powder charges, this may result in lead bullets losing grip with the rifling. Larger sized bullets may allow better grip with rifling and sealing of high pressure gas to maintain bullet rotation out the muzzle and accuracy of shot groups (especially with softer 12 BHN bullet).

As I posted previously with barrel pictures, lead bullets in Glock barrels also seem to produce more fouling build up than square cut land/groove rifling barrels. The hard/crusty fouling build up will line along the rifling and could be difficult to remove (old copper bore brush wrapped with copper scrubber strands like Chore boy dipped in Hoppes #9 does a good job of this fouling removal). My concern for checking the factory barrels every 200-300 rounds is to check for build up of this fouling that would reduce the barrel diameter and potentially increase the chamber pressure.

I have tested 20-24 BHN hard cast lead bullets (sized .356" and .401" respectively) in the past in 9mm and 40S&W factory Glock barrels using Bullseye, Clays, Titegroup, WST, W231/HP-38, Universal, HS-6 and WSF but got some extent of leading.

In recent years, I have tested 18 BHN Missouri bullets (sized .356" and .401") and when I first did load development with W231/HP-38, I got leading at high-to-max loads but no leading at start-to-high range load data. Like your larger sized bullets, the softer bullets are probably deforming/obturating better even at lower powder charges to seal with the barrel. Accuracy has been good at start-to-high range load data so the deformed bullet base is probably engaging the smoother Glock rifling sufficiently.

My range sessions often involve 300-1000+ rounds and I prefer to use aftermarket Lone Wolf barrels for many reasons:

1. Regardless of powder charge, the brass cases do not bulge from tighter chambers and makes resizing of spent cases much easier (this seems to extend the case life also as I rarely see split case neck anymore).

2. Accuracy is maintained throughout the range session whereas Glock barrels will gradually decline in accuracy as the fouling build up increases.

3. With typically just the lube residue in the LW barrels after the range session, barrel cleaning is easier and faster.

4. Although 9mm LW barrels have comparable case base support as factory Glock barrels, 40S&W LW barrels have fully supported chambers. For me, this is added insurance for peace of mind for the higher pressure 40S&W.

I have a couple kkm barrels in 10mm on a 6 inch and unlessi'm using a vice I see no difference, unless you are a very good shooter I doubt you will either. They are easier on brass though

I thought about trying a KKM G22 barrel for improved accuracy as posted by some users.

 

[M1key]

Consistently tighter groups out of my G22 and G35 with KKM barrels...slightly over one inch at 15 yards. The factory barrels typically shoot 2.0-2.5 at that distance depending on ammo.

M

 

[Poohgyrr]

For about a year, I've been running a Barsto 357Sig barrel in my Gen3 G35 (40SW). Using 125gr 357Sig vs 180gr 40SW; Winchester and Speer ammo in both. When I do my part from a solid sitting position, the 357Sig Barsto groups are half the size of the factory 40SW barrel.

The Glock 40 factory barrels, in this Gen3 G35, and especially in a Gen2 G23, have done fine for me since '90. The Gen2/3 G22's simply haven't done as well for me; I don't know why. FWIW, with factory barrels, my 40SW Hi Powers shoot slightly smaller groups for me than my 40 Glocks. (Not half the size though.)

The accuracy of the Barsto 357Sig barrel, combined with a lighter straight back type recoil, with paper ballistics & street results both approaching the 125 gr 357 Magnum, and 15 rounds per gun load, all grab my attention in a big way. With the 5" barrel, and outdoors, muzzle blast has not been a problem.

FWIW.