G20 conversion to 9mm??


m.ritz

New member
So I'm entertaining the idea of picking up a G20 (maybe even G40) for woods carry, but I like the idea of sticking to 9mm for home defense since it is so much cheaper to stock up on. I was just chatting with a rep from Lone Wolf about their G20 to 9mm conversion barrel, and they told me that I would just need a G17 magazine and lighter spring with +p ammo, as the G20 and G17 are same frame and slide thickness. This doesn't sound right to me though. As far as I know, G20 (and all of Glock's 10mm's) are thicker than their 9mm's. I wouldn't think a 9mm magazine would work in that frame. Anyone done this conversion successfully?

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Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

That "rep from Lone Wolf" is an idiot and should be fired. 9mm and 10mm Glock magazines have completely different geometry. The Glock 20 and the Glock 17 are not the same frame. Glock 20 and the Glock 17 slides have not the same thickness.

The Lone Wolf conversion of a Glock 20 to 9mm relies on the fact that 9mm and 10mm are only 1mm apart. You just switch the barrel and install an 11-pound recoil spring. That's it. For this conversion, you must +P ammo for "reliable" function. Otherwise, you will get FTFs and FTEs. Since you use 9mm ammunition in a 10mm magazine with a gun that has an extractor/ejector for 10mm, this whole setup is still considered rather unreliable. It works, until it does't when you need it to.

The proper alternative is to use a .40 S&W conversion barrel and load the .40 S&W ammunition in the 10mm magazines. This does work reliably. I have done it, just for fun at the range.

However, I question the motivation for this in the first place. You can get warm 10mm JHP loads for home defense and carry on the street, and hot 10mm hardcast for carry while in the woods. I have a Glock 20, so I know what I am talking about. Here are my 10mm defense ammunition choices:

Link Removed -- warm JHP load at $0.85 per round (+ shipping)
50 rounds of 10mm 200gr. Underwood Hardcast for $39.95 + shipping -- hot hardcast load at $0.80 per round (+ shipping)

For hunting:

50 rounds of 10mm 200gr. Underwood JHP for $38.00 + shipping -- hot JHP load at $0.76 per round (+ shipping)

For practice:

250 rounds of 10mm 180gr. LAX Ammunition FMJ for $93.50 + shipping -- matches warm JHP load at $0.37 per round (+ shipping)
500 rounds of 10mm 180gr. Underwood FMJ for $293.90 + shipping -- roughly matches hot hardcast and JHP load at $0.59 per round (+ shipping)

Note, the 10mm 180gr. Hornady XTP JHP load is hotter than comparable .40S&W loads. It has 17 inches of penetration in a gel block vs. the 13 inches of a .40S&W load.

Note, you can shoot the 10mm 200gr. Underwood Hardcast load through a stock Glock barrel as the bullet is gas checked and does stabilize. There have been reports about the 220 gr. Underwood Hardcast load tumbling and not feeding correctly.

More information about specific 10mm loads can be found here: 10mm Stats (4.6" G20 Stock White drsjr1969 YouTube/ 4.75" EAA Limited Pro and 6" EAA Hunter Green) Gel by Choppinbloc
 
Ya, I knew he was wrong on the thickness aspect. I've held both guns, plus Glock's website states in their specs what the width is. At this point, I'm trying to decide whether to stay with 9mm for home defense or just use 10mm for both. If I stay 9mm, I'm entertaining the Sig P320, and then switch it over to .45 ACP with hard cast when I go to the woods. What are your thoughts?

Sent from my SM-G900V using USA Carry mobile app
 
There are only black bears and MAYBE some wolves in upper peninsula MI, so I'm not talking Grizzly territory.

Sent from my SM-G900V using USA Carry mobile app
 
I have g37-g35-g22 in 22LR, 9mm, 357sig, 40sw & 45gap!!! 5 calibers on 1 large frame using slides & conversion slides!

Sent from my SM-G386T1
 
Ya, I knew he was wrong on the thickness aspect. I've held both guns, plus Glock's website states in their specs what the width is. At this point, I'm trying to decide whether to stay with 9mm for home defense or just use 10mm for both. If I stay 9mm, I'm entertaining the Sig P320, and then switch it over to .45 ACP with hard cast when I go to the woods. What are your thoughts?

There are only black bears and MAYBE some wolves in upper peninsula MI, so I'm not talking Grizzly territory.

A 10mm hot hardcast round is simply better against black bears than a hot .45 ACP hardcast round. You get significantly more penetration from the 10mm and that is what counts when it comes to black bears. If you are looking at only one gun fulfilling both purposes, home and woods defense, then the Glock 20 is probably a better option.
 
You're probably right on the G20 being the better option. I'm leaning that way I think.

Sent from my SM-G900V using USA Carry mobile app
 

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