Barrel Information
Why do the .45 caliber Glocks have octagonal rifling vs the hexagonal rifling in the other calibers?
The octagonal rifling provides a better gas seal in the large caliber .45 ACP. Notice how the image on the right has a lot less space between the bullet & barrel compared to the image on the left:
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How long will a Glock factory barrel last?
Thousands and thousands and thousands of rounds. The inside of the barrel is much, much harder than a copper-jacketed or lead bullet and will not wear appreciably with normal use. Chuck Taylor has put more than 157,000 rounds through his Glock 17 without ever replacing the barrel.
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Can I use a model Gxx barrel in a model Gyy?
The following table lists the models that each barrel will fit.
| Barrel |
Gun(s) |
| G17 |
G17 |
| G17L |
G17,G17L,G34 |
| G19 |
G19,G26 |
| G20 |
G20 |
| G21 |
G21 |
| G22 |
G22,G31 |
| G23 |
G23,G27,G32,G33 |
| G24 |
G22,G24,G31,G35 |
| G26 |
G26 |
| G27 |
G27,G33 |
| G29 |
G29 |
| G30 |
G30 |
| G31 |
G22,G31 |
| G32 |
G23,G27,G32,G33 |
| G33 |
G27,G33 |
| G34 |
G17,G34 |
| G35 |
G22,G31,G35 |
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What's the best aftermarket competition barrel?
Glock replacement barrels are available from many different companies. The Bar-Sto fitted barrel is generally considered to be the most accurate but it requires you to send your pistol to Bar-Sto for fitting.
Barrel Manufacturer Links:
Bar-Sto http://barsto.com
KKM Precision http://www.kkmprecision.com/
Fire Dragon http://www.norecoil.com
Jarvis http://www.jarvis-custom.com
Olympic Arms http://www.olyarms.com
Storm Lake Barrels http://www.stormlakebarrel.com
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Why do Glocks have an unsupported chamber?
First of all "unsupported chamber" is a misleading term: all barrels must support the round in the chamber. Furthermore, all guns that use the modified Browning action have _partially_ supported chambers. In order to make the Glock function reliably with the widest possible selection of ammunition it has a "less supported" chamber than other guns.
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What is a pencil barrel?
The original Glock 17s were made with a thin-walled barrel that is nicknamed a "pencil barrel". These pics were sent in by Gunter
Pencil barrel on the left, normal barrel on the right:
Comparison of a pencil barrel (left) and a normal barrel (right) in a normal slide. Note the extra space around the pencil barrel.
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