Glock 23: report and question

[fyrestarter]

Shot my new G-23 tonight....put a hundred rounds through her, and was pleasantly and consistantly rewarded with sub-three-inch groups at 50 feet. Not bad for out of the box.

Now for the question:

I've read that the .40 Glock has the ability to swap barrels with the .357 Sig. Is there any veracity to this claim, and if so, what advantage would I get out of it (besides being able to shoot two different calibers from the same gun). As happy with the accuracy as I am, the 180 gr. Federal out of that little plastic gun gave my wrists a pounding. Is the recoil from a .357 Sig substantially less, or should I just buy / reload softer shooting .40? Assume that the gun will be used for IPSC competition, and not for defensive purposes.

 

[Tamara]

I've read that the .40 Glock has the ability to swap barrels with the .357 Sig. Is there any veracity to this claim,

Yes, provided your G23 is new enough. (If it's an FG/R gun it is.)

and if so, what advantage would I get out of it (besides being able to shoot two different calibers from the same gun).

You gain the ability to shoot two different calibers in the same gun. Incidentally, you can also get a 9mm barrel for the weapon, although I wouldn't recommend it for anything but plinking use, as reliability may be subpar due to the differing case head dimensions.

Recoil and muzzleblast from most commercially-loaded .357SIG I've tried is much of a muchness with .40. What load are you using?

 

[IanS]

The 180 grain is a relatively mild load compared to some of the 155 and 165 loads out there. There are some 165's that are milder but the Federal Hydrashock is the only one I know of. For defense and range use I stick with 180's out of my G23. For me, a good combination of power and controllability for follow up shots.

The .357 SIG even out of the larger G31 (Speer Lawman 125 grain) felt even stouter and more snappy compared to the G23 shooting 180's. Some people perceive recoil differently but the G31 torqued in my hand a lot more even with a two handed death grip. (Although with the SIG P226 .357 I found the round much more pleasant to handle) The recoil and snappiness of the .357 isn't that unpleasant but the loud noise and large muzzle blast could be. For me, I found the round not really necessary for what the .40 180 grain loads already gives me. After 100 rounds out of that G31 I didn't care to shoot more .357's. It got "old" after awhile. The G23 with 180's I could shoot "all day". YMMV.

Get used to shooting your G23 with 180 grain loads then the faster 155 or 135 loads (to give you an idea what a .357 SIG might be like) then get the .357 barrel if you think you really need it.

*And I think its best to stick with the factory setup for defense use also.

 

[Hammerhead]

Federal Eagle 165 fmj is a very soft shooting load in .40s&w. Beware though, their 155 fmj is substantially hotter.
Look in the catalogs for loads with less than 400 foot pounds of energy (FPE).
I think the other posters are right, 357sig will have just as much recoil, if not more. Energy figures seem to dictate recoil, not bullet weight.

 

[Arc Angel]

You gain the ability to shoot two different calibers in the same gun. Incidentally, you can also get a 9mm barrel for the weapon, although I wouldn't recommend it for anything but plinking use, as reliability may be sub par due to the differing case head dimensions.

What are we talking about here? Are the same magazines being used? If so are you concerned about case head dimensions out of the mag?

Frame size, barrels, and feed ramps should, all, match up - yes?

FWIW: I find the 357SIG to be the worst kicker of all. It hits very well and penetrates all sorts of stuff beautifully; but, I don't like having to manage the recoil on repetitive shots. It'll, either, slow me down or throw me off target.