Aftermarket Barrels: a Great Glock Upgrade
Major Pandemic 03.31.14
Why replace a perfectly good Glock Barrel with something unproven? The simple answer is that it provides you with expanded ammo options and in theory improved accuracy.
The stock Glock barrel’s hexagonal rifling is not designed to shoot un-jacketed cast lead bullets. The lead will build up really fast on Glock’s hexagonal rifling and can cause failures or worse.
The standard button rifling on aftermarket barrels such as those from KKM, Lone Wolf, and other allows you to shoot cheap cast bullets.
Most aftermarket barrels profess higher tolerances (tighter fit), and “Precision Match” barrels should increase accuracy, but this is not always the case. I have not seen improved accuracy with Lone Wolf barrels, but I have with KKM’s .
Most aftermarket barrels are friendlier to the brass with fully supported chambers. This is an important issue for those that reload. Less chewed up brass equals less expensive reloads and longer lasting brass.
Glock owners can swap back and forth between the stock barrel and the aftermarket version with no more effort than a basic field stripping of the pistol.
If you have a 10mm Glock, aftermarket barrels are available to safely chamber and shoot less expensive .40 S&W ammo with no other magazine or gun modifications required.
Ultimately, an aftermarket barrel is a cheap upgrade; most Glock aftermarket barrels cost between $150 – $250.
Aftermarket Barrel Options
Most aftermarket Glock barrel manufacturers produce barrel options in a range of lengths and in plain, threaded, and even compensated options. If you are planning on buying a suppressor, it’s about the only way you are going to get a suppressor attached. Don’t forget that most competition 3 Gun style compensators also require a threaded barrel, so its likely you will have to swap to an aftermarket barrel
Installation is as simple as:
- Clearing the weapon
- Field stripping the Glock
- Swapping barrels
- Reassemblely
- That’s it.
Enjoy the benefits of all your hard work
Final Thoughts
If you’re purchasing a Lone Wolf barrel only for accuracy gains, this is not something I would promise anyone, but the KKM delivers a noticeable improvement. Certainly with tighter tolerances and a match grade barrel, most do see improvements in groups, but the predominant advantages remain the primary benefits of having the ability to shoot whatever ammo you please through your Glock and add the ability to attach muzzle accessories as needed.
