Aftermarket stainless barrel for Glock

[ThemGunsThough]

I've searched a few glock forums and couldn't really find an answer. Are stainless aftermarket barrels made to last long or is it mostly to improve accuracy only? I was talking to a friend of mine about picking up a stormlake or lonewolf barrel for my Glock and he told to stick with oem. He said if I picked up a stainless, I'd be lucky to get a couple thousand through it, if that. Well, I picked up a lightly used storm lake and I absolutely love it. It is made out of 416r. So, are these stainless barrels just for looks and accuracy? Also, if anyone of you have experience with one please mention how many rounds you've put through yours. Thanks in advance.

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[2gr8dgs]

one benefit of the aftermarket bbl.'s, is traditional rifling. It's considered a better choice if you shoot lead. Another is possible better case head support.

 

[2gr8dgs]

I have them in .45 acp & 10mm. A few hundred through all of them. maybe a thousand in a couple of the .45. I wish I had the time & money it would take to wear them out

 

[ThemGunsThough]

I have them in .45 acp & 10mm. A few hundred through all of them. maybe a thousand in a couple of the .45. I wish I had the time & money it would take to wear them out

Thanks for the insight. I hear ya on that last statement

 

[Kruel J]

From what I understand, if you shoot hard-cast lead you want an aftermarket barrel due to polygonal rifling in the stock barrel.. If you shoot traditional jacketed rounds stick with the stock setup. If you just want the looks of a stainless barrel, grab a can of Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish and a few rags. It takes time, but you can get a mirror finish in a few hours and you DO NOT have to worry about rust. I've done my G42 and 2 LCP's that get carried in my pocket and not a speck of corrosion in over a year.

 

[DeanfromOregon]

I shoot cast bullets (my own reloads) in all my glocks and have a variety of stainless barrels. 1 ea KKM in the wife's 19, Wilson Combat (2 for my 17's and one for my 21), and Bar Sto in 20.

Accuracy is noticeably much better in all but the KKM. The Bar Sto I had to do some filing to hard fit it, accuracy is amazing.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I think of that whole folderol akin to fartcans on Nissans.
It makes your neckbeard all tingly but don't do nothin'.
lol

 

[DeanfromOregon]

Perhaps it was just my handloads but I did experience leading on the standard glock barrels using cast. In moderation, I don't think leading will make a glock explode.

I am a lazy gun cleaner and I do not like to clean leading out of a barrel.

 

[ThemGunsThough]

Thanks. So far Noone has mentioned much about durability. I'm starting to think my friends' comment about stainless barrels not lasting is just a myth? Thanks.

 

[oremike]

Well I can't speak to their durability having just ordered a Lone Wolf Barrel for my G21, so check back with me in a few years and we'll see. They do have a life time warranty, so I figure if I do wear it out I'll just get a new one.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well I can't speak to their durability having just ordered a Lone Wolf Barrel for my G21, so check back with me in a few years and we'll see. They do have a life time warranty, so I figure if I do wear it out I'll just get a new one.

Yea no. Not on a bet.
Pray tell though, what compelled you to buy that aftermarket barrel, speaking a the d?

 

[oremike]

Yea no. Not on a bet.
Pray tell though, what compelled you to buy that aftermarket barrel, speaking a the d?

Some times I've just got to know, I've done the research, paid attention to the pro's and cons, cast the bones, ect. I'm new to Glocks but not to firearms particularly 1911's. I have a hardcast 230 RN that shoots well in every 1911 I've shot it in and I shoot it just fine in the Glock. I do clean the barrel on the Glock every time I shoot it and do see leading. The Lone Wolf barrel claims to have standard cut rifleing and so not so prone to leading, it also claims to to be manufactured to tighter tolerances than a stock barrel. Match grade is the term they use. I like guns that shoot well and less leading would be nice as well. Snake oil, smoke and mirrors, well I guess I'll make up my own mind. Bottom line if it works as advertised I'll look to putting one in my 10mm, if it's no better than stock then I'll stick with stock.

 

[BradC]

With the several lone wolf stainless barrels I've had, I experienced pretty significant accuracy improvement. And this is just personal opinion, but if they do only last for a few thousand rounds, it would still be worth it to me for the extra accuracy. Plus those barrels are a cheap upgrade (got most of mine for around $100) and accuracy is high on my priority list for guns carried for defense. just my 2cents

 

[BradC]

Plus the .40 threaded that I have right now has almost 2000 through it with absolutely no signs of meaningful wear, so I'm inclined to say they probably last longer than people are saying. How's that for some anecdotal evidence?

 

[oremike]

So my question would be why would a Stainless barrel in a Glock not last as long as one in any other firearm? I have a Stainless Security six that's 40 years old and who knows how many rounds it had down the pipe, a safe guess would be way more than 2000, I've got a stainless Ruger P-94 with a bizzion rounds through it and the barrels not worn out in it, and a Sig Nightmare with a couple thousand rounds through it and it's still got crisp rifling.

 

[ThemGunsThough]

True that. Half my ARs have stainless barrels and they hardly show any signs of wear with over a thousand rounds through them.

 

[45 for me]

Thanks. So far Noone has mentioned much about durability. I'm starting to think my friends' comment about stainless barrels not lasting is just a myth? Thanks.

I would call BS on that. When talking rifles, it is assumed wisdom that your hammer forged chrome lined barrel lasts longer (and is less accurate) than the stainless barrels. I think he was applying that to handguns. Everything these days is going to last 10k minimum, without losing accuracy at pistol pressures. But who cares? Buy another if it 'wears out' they are cheap. According to HK and Glock the polygonal bore is supposed to maintain accuracy longer. The HK 23 proved it possible after 30k rnds of +P, but that doesn't mean a good stainless, traditional rifling barrel can't do that. I have Lonewolf 357 sig, 10mm and 460R. They all work well, but not noticeably different than the OEM barrels that came with them. (I bought them because they are different caliber, not because I wanted replacements)

 

[Certaindeaf]

I probably forget, but I seem to remember Elmer Keith saying that an issue .45acp barrel would become sub-par for target work in like 5k after using issue ball and that if using lead it was essentially unknown.. a whole bunch. Like 50,000.
Target work is 2" at fifty yards.

 

[oremike]

I got to BS on that one, the X-ring on a 50yd slow fire pistol target is just under 2" and no one not you, me or Elmer by god Keith gets all X's with an issue 1911 and ball ammo shooting unsupported, standing on their hind legs.