[cook]

I know there are others,but just to keep it simple,lets say glock 9mm.

You can change the slide,mag,and barrel to go from 9 to .380,.22 and others?

So those of you that have them,how often do you actually switch them out?
After a year or 2,does the "novelty" wear off?
Cost wise,does it really make sense vs. buying a dedicated gun for a different caliber?
Would you do it again?
Is reliabilty an issue?(trying to make it something that it isn't?)

Just wanting to get some thoughts on if it was an important part of your purchase,and in hindsight,if it was worth it?

(not asking "whats the best" )

 

[bigg777]

Check the "Glock Thread", I just posted some info. there that may help you. I keep these as backups but so far they have run flawlessly. I'd recommend a G22 or G23 to anyone along with the associated conversion barrels and 9mm mags.

 

[darkwing]

For me it was worth it. I have a Glock 32 (357 sig) with conversion barrels in 9mm and 40 S&W. As a southpaw holsters are almost always special order so finding one that works is somewhat of a chore.

Also about upgrading the sights, I only had to do once (same slide for each caliber) so that was cost effective. I've not noticed much Point Of Impact (POI) at the ranges normally associated with self-defense shooting (7 yards) so I'm not too worried about that.

As far as reliability I haven't noticed any issues so long as I use decent ammo, I did have some issues with a box of Winchester white box 115 gr (9mm) but I've had no issues with anything 124 grain or above, or with any of my reloads.

I don't use the conversion barrels all thought often but then again I don't shoot the Glock all that often as I have other weapons I like better. For me it wasn't about novelty it was about adaptability and a cost effective way to have three different calibers in the same platform with the same manual of arms and same support equipment (holster, aftermarket sights, etc...)

One other benefit is When I teach new shooters I can show them the different recoil patterns in the different calibers and I can test ammo in different calibers to see what I like and I shoot well. For example I suck with 40 S&W but have no problem with 357 Sig or 9mm.

I'm going to pick up a Glock 21 one of these days so I can do the 45/10mm swap as well as maybe try out the more exotic calibers for that frame size 400 corbon or the 460 Rowland

Respectfully Submitted

 

[cook]

Thanks for the insight.

Is it rude to ask the cost of all the different pieces vs. just buying a seperate gun?

 

[Inusuit]

I can't answer your questions about "different pieces" vs "separate gun" because so much ground is covered and there are so many options. I think the conversion that makes the most sense is, to use your example of a Glock 9mm, a .22 conversion unit. Thus you use the same grip, trigger pull, holster, etc. and are able to practice with cheaper ammunition, lower recoil, and less noise. You can Google Glock .22 Conversion and any brand of .22 semiauto (Ruger, Browning, S&W etc.) to get an idea of the difference in price.

 

[darkwing]

Thanks for the insight.

Is it rude to ask the cost of all the different pieces vs. just buying a seperate gun?

Not rude at all.
For the Pistol I spent $500 for a used Gen 4 32
for the sights I spent $140 (speedsights)
for each barrel I spent $105 or so from Lonewolf
for 9mm I picked up some G19 mags (2) for about $22 dollars each.
for 40 S&W and 357 sig I use the same mags, it's easier to find 40 S&W magazines then the ones labeled 357 sig.
I did pick up a gen 4 recoil spring for a Glock 19 to help with function $19 from lonewolf.

so in total I have about $920 dollars invested in my setup.

To purchase three separate firearms if they cost about the same as what I paid for one would be about $1,500 that doesn't include any after market sights or extra magazines or any trigger work or customization you want to have done.

I left holsters off the list as all three Glocks (19,23,32) would use the same holster and 40 S&W and 357 sig use the same magazines so that would drop the total cost a little.


Respectfully submitted

 

[cook]

Thanks for the replies.
I don't "need" more handguns,but "want" is another matter
My new years resolution was to tuck 20$ away each week,so I'll have about 1,000$ and a year to decide which way to go.
Currently,I'm thinking between 2 sizes of 9mm,that are compatible-ccw and full size/hi-cap..or just 1 frame with conversions.

More of a revolver guy,but have .40 and .22 in semi.
.40 is too big for edc,keep it in the car..and don't use the .22 for defense.
38/357 in many flavors is my go to gun,just more fimilar with it,been shooting them 30+ years.

 

[Runamok]

The biggest reason I will eventually get a 9mm conversion for my G23 is that you have versatility without having to get another complete gun. With the G23 or 32 you can run .40/.357 Sig/9mm with only 2 more barrels and a couple of mags for each caliber.

In previous shortages 9mm was gone but there was plenty of .40 on the shelf. It would allow you to continue to regularly shoot the same exact gun throughout.

cook,

With what you are looking for I would go with a G27 that would give you conceal carry capability and can take mags in all the conversions as well as Glock's larger framed pistols like the G17/19/22/23. You will probably have to run it in 9mm mostly as it s not fun to shoot in .40.

 

[cook]

I hear ya on the .40.
Full size ain't bad for recoil,but rapid fire/getting back on target takes lots of practice-for me anyways.

 

[GreatWhiteDan]

I would agree with darkwing. As a firearms dealer, I see alot of people doing this.

I am personally an H&K fan, but it is just too hard to find all the acessories you want. So I ended up buying a full sized Glock in 40, G22. Buy the full size and buy it in 40, that way the gun is built to handle the larger caliber. Then get the barrels you want and .22 LR conversion slide. Lone Wolf is fantastic for getting all the pieces you want.

I am not a Glock fanboy, but something can be said about a gun that you can buy a holster form at many gas stations.

 

[Runamok]

I would agree with darkwing. As a firearms dealer, I see alot of people doing this.

I am personally an H&K fan, but it is just too hard to find all the acessories you want. So I ended up buying a full sized Glock in 40, G22. Buy the full size and buy it in 40, that way the gun is built to handle the larger caliber. Then get the barrels you want and .22 LR conversion slide. Lone Wolf is fantastic for getting all the pieces you want.

I am not a Glock fanboy, but something can be said about a gun that you can buy a holster form at many gas stations.

That's pretty much the only reason I bought mine. An insane amount of accessories and used mags/holsters/etc. out there. I would like to have a handful of them.

 

[Kalashnikov47]

I'm thinking about getting the Advantage Arms 22 Glock conversion for the G19...I guess they run about $280

 

[ROCK6]

There is both some practical and hypothetical advantages to both conversion kits and simple barrel swaps for caliber conversions.

As already mentioned, just saving the money on accessories can be a huge advantage. Between holsters and night-sights, I typically add an additional $200 to every pistol purchase and that doesn’t include magazines (of which I like to have 5-10 spare magazines).

With the continued choke-hold in the .22LR market, the value of the .22 caliber conversions lose their advantage. I still think they are valuable as a training tool and own a half-dozen (CZ, Glock, BHP, Sig, etc.). They work well with new shooters to just learn the basic functions and handling of the handgun along with proper stances before graduating to the centerfire calibers. I used to love using a conversion kit when training transition drills. I only needed a few magazines and just a few rounds to simulate a locked-open slide and then transition to the rifle; much cheaper than regular ammo.

And then, there is just the simple value of having multiple-caliber options in one handgun. Most recall a cycle of ammo shortages and for whatever reason, while one is in short supply others are still available. Most often, it’s between 9mm and .40S&W. Having a Glock 23 with a 9mm barrel gives you some versatility; add a .357 Sig barrel and you really have a lot of options. Honestly, the 9mm KKM barrel resides in the G23 most of the time except when I’m packing in bear country (smaller SE black bears). I already have a couple of G19’s, so plenty of magazines to use.

My current backpacking CCW is a S&W Shield in .40S&W. I like it, but it can wear your hand down after a couple boxes of potent ammo. I go a good mil/LEO discount on a 9mm Shield, and after finding out the 9mm barrel works in the .40 version, that would be a great option between practice and actually carrying. 9mm is often cheaper and much easier to train for some people. I usually buy specialty ammo in .40S&W (like Double Tap’s hard-cast ammo), but I’ll buy 9mm in bulk.

From the hypothetical aspect, if you’re limited to fewer guns for whatever reason, the conversions and barrel swaps can give you a lot of versatility between carrying, training or just plinking. I’ve always like the Glock 23 as the most versatile, off-the-shelf handgun:

.40S&W can give you some pretty heavy bullets for backcountry use.
.357 Sig is a highly effective SD round.
9mm is a very inexpensive training round and provides excellent capacity for SD
.22LR is a great introductory round and inexpensive for plinking.

ROCK6

 

[AKpredator]

I have a $4000 SV Infinity 2011 that can swap calibers in a couple minutes. I don't have any conversions for it yet (they are $500-$700 with new mags) but it's a handy feature to isolate and train on the same gun that is the ultimate performance handgun.