Converting my Glock 23 to a true Glock 19

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VMass

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I bought a Glock 23 (.40 S&W) some years ago. Recent changes in LE use make me wonder if I shouldn't have bought the 19 instead. I did buy the 9mm conversion barrel but have never been comfortable using it for home defense proposes.
Is there any reason I couldn't buy a complete Glock 19 upper (assuming I can find one in stock) and mate it to my existing Glock 23 lower. Meaning, is there anything in the 23 lower that is not "correct" for use with a 19 upper?
 
Ejector

*possibly locking block depending on what Generation/Year.
 
VMass said:
I bought a Glock 23 (.40 S&W) some years ago. Recent changes in LE use make me wonder if I shouldn't have bought the 19 instead. I did buy the 9mm conversion barrel but have never been comfortable using it for home defense proposes.
Is there any reason I couldn't buy a complete Glock 19 upper (assuming I can find one in stock) and mate it to my existing Glock 23 lower. Meaning, is there anything in the 23 lower that is not "correct" for use with a 19 upper?
Click to expand...
You shouldn’t even need an upper.

You have a 9mm conversion barrel for G-23 to G-19, change the extractor to a 9mm and get G-19 mags.

https://www.brownells.com/handgun-p...nversion-barrels-for-glock-23-prod129103.aspx

I literally just shot my police trade in Glock 22 .40 S&W today with an AIM Surplus stainless 9mm conversion barrel and 9mm extractor, using mags I got with a new Gen 5 Glock 45 9mm.

D8FCE879-91E5-4555-B6F7-6FD21A78DF7B.jpeg 514F559B-9516-47D0-8226-B66994F2F35E.jpeg 578A99AD-CEA6-4AD4-A2EE-941868BD4F5B.jpeg

The barrel dropped right in, as did the 9mm extractor, and it shot with 100% reliability for 100 mixed Win 124 and 115 gr FMJ rounds. I will say a few of the 100 cases came straight back towards my face, but it wasn’t every one (and it wasn’t all that noticeable) so I’m not too worried. I may use a Glock 17 spring and guide rod I have laying around next time to see if that helps with the ejection patterns.

It’s not an X-ring bullseye gun, but it’ll put 30 rounds where they’re needed if called upon. (12 yds two-hand.)

7231510F-0F40-4B95-B6A4-5887DECDBB33.jpeg

The cost was minimal, on sale it was about 105 bucks total, and the parts got here in less than a week from order to mailbox. :thumbup:

Give it a try, I think you’ll like a dual-caliber auto loader, too. :) ( You could also go with a .357 Sig barrel for a trifecta.)

Stay safe.
 
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Old_Grouch said:
I don't know whether it is or not but I can see why the ejector may be different.
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Depending on the generation (I believe Gen3), some 40S&W Glocks used with 40-9mm conversion barrels may experience "brass to face" issue and ejector change addressed the issue as ejector face angle affected spent brass trajectory arc.

But it would be best to test with Glock 19 slide and 9mm extractor to see if there is any issue with "brass to face".

VMass said:
bought a Glock 23 ... I did buy the 9mm conversion barrel but have never been comfortable using it for home defense proposes.
Click to expand...
Why?

Has it not been reliable in regards to feeding/chambering from the magazine, accuracy and extraction/ejection? If it has been reliable, I would not have any issue with using the conversion barrel for home defense purpose.

Don't like the shiny stainless finish? You can get black Nitride finish conversion barrels.

Worried that "someone" may question you using "modified" pistol for home defense? Even after you got a factory Glock 19 slide, your pistol would still be "modified". ;)

I have several KKM, Lone Wolf, Tactical Kinetics, Bear Creek Arsenal 40-9mm conversion barrels for my Glocks and they all have been reliable and more accurate than I can shoot them. If I happened to return back home from the range with my Glocks still with conversion barrels and 9mm rounds in the magazines and had to defend myself, I would not hesitate to use them in 9mm form.

Imagine match shooters having to defend themselves at home with their "modified" match pistols as they return back from matches ... Justified shootings would not change just because they used "modified" pistols instead of factory stock pistols.

Personally, if conversion barrel has been reliable and accurate for me, I would just use the conversion barrel instead of getting a complete Glock 19 slide.
 
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I own a G23 and have had a Stormlake 9mm barrel in it 15years now and have shot Speed Steel matches for the last 10 years.
I never changed the extractor or ejector from 40sw to 9mm and have had no problems related to the 40sw extractor/ejector
I have had a few stuck cases and had to push the slide against an edge of a wooden bench to get the case out and the 40sw extractor never skipped over the rim.
I do use 9mm mags mostly, but the 40sw mags have worked as well.

The only hiccup I have had is the chamber of the storm lake barrel is "tight" (on the small size) and the throat is not as deep as my other 9mm guns.
Because of that, I use that SL barrel as my plunk gage when loading 9mm.
On a plus note, that barrel has more metal in the brass bulging area of the chamber, and the wall thickness is thicker to fill the 40sw slide.

I suggest you try the conversion barrel you have before buying any additional parts.
If it proves unreliable, you'll know exactly what parts to buy to "fix" it.
jmo,
.
 
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Jim Watson said:
I am confused, do you think .40 is less effective for home defense than 9mm?
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No, a .40 cal would be fine for home defense - - I use my Glock 23 for that now. I would just like to have a less expensive 9mm for that purpose and don't want to use a more valuable pistol that would be confiscated by police in case I ever had to use it legally. A Glock 19 would fit that bill well.
 
I had a 31 (357SIG) and put a LWD 40-9 conversion barrel in it. Using 17 mags, it shot great. I actually put more 9mm through it than 357SIG. Never swapped anything else out.

Id shoot the conversion barrel and prove it, and if no problems, carry on.
 
Tilos said:
I own a G23 and have had a Stormlake 9mm barrel in it 15years now and have shot Speed Steel matches for the last 10 years.
I never changed the extractor or ejector from 40sw to 9mm and have had no problems related to the 40sw extractor/ejector
I have had a few stuck cases and had to push the slide against an edge of a wooden bench to get the case out and the 40sw extractor never skipped over the rim.
I do use 9mm mags mostly, but the 40sw mags have worked as well.

The only hiccup I have had is the chamber of the storm lake barrel is "tight" (on the small size) and the throat is not as deep as my other 9mm guns.
Because of that, I use that SL barrel as my plunk gage when loading 9mm.
On a plus note, that barrel has more metal in the brass bulging area of the chamber, and the wall thickness is thicker to fill the 40sw slide.

I suggest you try the conversion barrel you have before buying any additional parts.
If it proves unreliable, you'll know exactly what parts to buy to "fix" it.
jmo,
.
Click to expand...
I bought a Lone Wolf conversion barrel not long after getting the Glock 23. I've shot it and it works well. My concern is whether it may jam in an emergency situation when I won't not have the time to clear it. That's the only reason I've wondered about replacing the entire 19 upper since the lowers are identical except for the extractor. Also, trying to find a new California-approved Gen 3 Glock 19 in stock today at a decent price is almost impossible.
 
Thanks for everyone's input. I'm thinking the conversion barrel route is worth revisiting. I'll put my stainless Lone Wolf 40-9 conversion barrel back in my Glock 23, take a couple hundred 9mm rounds to the range and give the pistol a real work out. I've already got several G19 magazines. If there's going to be a jam, it should happen then.
 
I have shot many *many* thousands of rounds of 9mm thru a G23 with no changes other than magazine and conversion barrel, with literally zero functional issues (aside from the occasional ammo issue stemming from my playing with different types of loads).

The differences in ejector between the 9mm and 40S&W Glocks has been such a nonissue that I now build my Glocks with the 40S&W ejector as the default.
 
There is not much difference between a Gen 4 or 5 9mm ejector compared to a 40/357 Gen 3-5 ejector. You will be fine running either a 9mm conversion barrel or G19 slide with the 40/357 ejector.

Sometimes you will need to swap out the 40/357 extractor for a 9mm extractor but not always. Try your slide with just the conversion barrel first.

I prefer to use 9mm mags for shooting 9mm since they will sit higher in the 40/357 mags (personal preference here)
 
While not a 23, my 22 got a retrofit and now is essentially a 17, bbl, mags extractor and recoil springs. Only very occasionally have a failure, all ammo related nothing with the pistol. I carry it, as a SD handgun and dont worry a single bit about its ability to do its job
 
I don't know what generation my surplus G22 is. I bought a Lone Wolf 9mm conversion barrel and a couple of G17 magazines. I've had zero malfunctions in the several hundred rounds or so that I've fired 9mm through it.
 
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VMass said:
Valid question. I've already got two other excellent 9mm pistols, and buying the 19 upper is still cheaper than buying the whole pistol. And I can avoid the FFL fees and registration/10 day waiting process.
Click to expand...
Valid reason. I can get complacent, I suppose, knowing my CWP is a "cash and carry" card, no FFL fee and no waiting period. What state's firearms laws are you hampered by?
 
Let me suggest you just buy a G19, I've ran 40-9 conversion barrels and they've shot great, but it seems to me that if you're so set on it being a 9mm, just buy a G19. If you don't want the G23, sell it or trade it and the difference won't be that much different than turning your G23 into a 9mm.... a 9mm that says .40 on the slide.
 
It's actually very convenient to have a pistol that shoots either 40 caliber or 9mm. Changing the barrel takes me about 30 seconds. Suddenly my G22 is a G19, or vice-versa. It's easier to clean one pistol afterwards than to clean two, and it's one less to tote around that day.

If I had a 1911 or CZ that could switch barrels and mags to shoot 9mm, 40, or 45acp, I could just bring that one pistol with me to the range and be done with it. :)
 
Tallball said:
If I had a 1911 or CZ that could switch barrels and mags to shoot 9mm, 40, or 45acp, I could just bring that one pistol with me to the range and be done with it.
Click to expand...

It can be done with a 1911 though it requires complete slides in the different calibers to do so. Going from 10mm to 40 S&W or 38 Super to 9mm only requires a barrel swap. Though I find that I did need separate 9mm mags and 38 Super mags since 9mm didn't want to feed as reliably in the 38 mags.
 
I picked up a couple Glock 27's cheap. Sent 1 to my best friend in California.
Kept one for myself which I converted to 9mm using a 9mm Glock extractor and a cheap Combat Armory 9mm barrel.
https://www.combatarmory.com/combat-armory-barrel-fits-glock-26-new-9mm-match-grade-barrel/
Looks to be out of stock.

Works / shoots just fine. While there might be a little more slop in the barrel to slide fit using a non-conversion barrel. I really don't notice any lack of accuracy shooting at my 10 inch 25yd gongs.

Bear Creek Armory also sells relatively inexpensive conversion barrels:
https://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/handgun-parts/barrels-for-glock.html
 
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