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BARRELS:
Factory Glock barrels are meant
for combat, law enforcement, and home protection use. For
competition, if you can add a ½ inch closer grouping, it’s worth
it. After-market barrels (meaning, non-factory
barrels) have tighter gun-to-barrel fit, providing more
accuracy.
After-market barrels tout
better, harder, better construction and tighter variances in
craftsmanship. Also, after-market barrels usually have
‘Lands and groove’ (cut) rifling*. Glock factory barrels have
polygonal (non-cut) rifling. The difference is when the bullet
slides through the factory barrel, it actually grabs onto the
bullet tighter; and if you are shooting lead, there will be lead
buildup. That is why the factory recommends copper plated
bullets.
*Rifling is the spiral in the barrel.
Here is a little story:
I enjoy mountain biking. I go out and ride 2-4 times a
week. I'm no professional; however I like a nice ride.
My brother asked me why I was changing out the brackets, shocks,
and rims -- after all, a bike is a bike! I told him, it's
only about 1 to 2 hundred bucks to change this all out. I
ride enough that I'd like to get that extra edge of performance
out of my bike and myself. Granted, I may not get the
performance edge out of it like professionals Lance Armstrong or
Greg LeMonde, but I'll feel better knowing it is there for me as
I ride harder, stronger, and better. It is there to
improve my game.
Changing out / upgrading your barrel is the
same 1 to 2 hundred dollar investment; and I like knowing that
I'm driving a race car. It's all about accuracy and
performance. You need the right tool for the right job.
Another
option -- Ported Barrels.
A ported barrel is a barrel
that extends past the end of the slide. It has cuts, slits, or
holes at the very end of the barrel. The cuts, slits, holes
push gases upwards so that the resulting upward force keeps the
recoil minimized. This translates a quicker follow-up shot due
to reduced muzzle flip (recoil) that a non-ported barrel will
give you.
A
secondary benefit to after-market barrels:
If you are a serious shooter,
you probably load your own rounds of ammunition.
Re-loading ammo is done in lead. A
factory barrel grabs onto the bullet tighter. What does that
mean? Lead is dirty and leaves a buildup. (That is why the
factory recommends copper plated bullets.) The end
scenario is that eventually a bullet may be stuck in your barrel
and when you pop off the next round into the stuck round, the
gun will KB (explode, KaBoom). That could be a serious issue if
you ever plan on using your hands (or what is left of them)
again.
Is this to say that you can
not shoot a lead bullet out of a factory barrel? No; however,
Glock highly recommends you do not use lead. Using lead may
void the factory warranty.
Cut rifling in the
after-market barrels is more gracious for pressure build up;
however, ou still have to clean your barrel regularly for
maximum safety.
Click here to shop for barrels
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