Glock Talk banner

The Glock 42 with the 9x18 LoneWolf barrel.

23K views 149 replies 30 participants last post by  crazedcountryrebel 
#1 · (Edited)
This afternoon the LoneWolf 9x18 barrel I ordered for my Glock 42 arrived. Fast service.

I tried it out with several different 9x18 (Makarov) loads.

First, the barrel looks well made and was a drop in fit in the G42.

I intended shooting the gun from 7 yards using reloads and factory ammo.



First I tried a FMJ reload.
The G42 didn't like the primers in this load, so after two misfires I put this load away for another day.

Then I tried a lead bullet reload.
Pretty good, except I got the first three jams, of the day, on feeding. The rounds jammed just before the mouth of the case enters the chamber. There after every magazine of every different load jammed feeding. Anywhere from one jam to every round in the magazine jamming.



Two factory loads. Numerous jams with both.



120 grain Silver Bear JHP.
Every round jammed feeding.
This is a right hot load. After firing, one case had to be knocked out of the chamber with a cleaning rod.



First impressions.
The barrel is accurate.
The 9x18 round, even the 120 grain load, is surprisingly mild shooting in the little G42.
If the feeding jams can't be overcome, the barrel is pretty useless.

I have another G42, so the first thing I'll do is try the barrel out in that gun.

I just got some close ups of how it' jamming.







.
 
See less See more
7
#2 ·
I suspect the source of the problem is the 9x17mm single-stack magazine. It's not feeding the larger diameter 9.2x18mm cases up to the mag lips before the returning slide blocks that next round. If the next round had made it closer to the mag lips, the slide would carry it into the chamber.

The larger diameter 9.2x18mm cases have less freedom of movement in the mag tube, compared to the 9x17mm rounds for which the magazine is designed. It might be worth experimenting with lubricated 9.2x18mm cases and inside mag tube walls...just to test, not to carry that way.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for posting this, very interesting. Hopefully there's a knowledge base growing on the feeding issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: James Calico
#6 ·
Thanks for posting and testing! I hope there's an easy solution. When was the breech face last cleaned? Nonetheless, it's concerning about the lack of reliability.

I'm thinking that the +P Underwood 9x17 (380) is going to be a better reliability and ballistic choice than the 9x18 (Mak). I ordered one of the Mak barrels and some ammo, but this is making me kind of wary....

I know you're an experienced G42 shooter, but for sheets and greens have you tried keeping your thumbs completely away from the slide stop? When my G42 was newer, I was getting similar misfeeds with very light 65gr bullets if I had any contact with the lever at all.

Touching the slide stop lever depresses the magazine follower just a hair... causing misfeeds on sensitive ammo for me (when the gun was newer, now just infrequently with light bullets).
 
#9 ·
This morning since I was going to pull the (.380) barrel out anyway I gave the gun a good cleaning, including the breech face.

I don't think I'm hitting the slide stop.

I have several more loads and bullets to try yet but from what I saw this afternoon I'm not very optimistic.
 
#10 ·
My Alpha Wolf barrel for my G42 (380 not Mak), I had to polish the coating on the feed ramp to get anything to feed (coated lead, plated, FMJ, JHP). It was a thick coating with lots of drag, after I hit it with some polishing compound and felt tip dremel, it has fed flawlessly since, just a thought.
 
#19 ·
I also have a Thought: Check the feed ramp on the LW barrel where it becomes the chamber wall. If you have a sharp edge there, that needs to be "Broken" in so much as the edge knocked off. NOT ground out, but just to clean off the sharp edge, if it has one. Long time 1911 builders use to run into this a lot. If the transition edge is sharp, it actually digs into the brass and stops the round from entering the chamber. Like I said, just a thought, but check and see.
 
#20 ·
If the feedramp isn't smooth due to tool marks or too much residual finish odds are 5 minutes with a dremel and a dab of polishing compound will fix the problem. You need a slick surfaced feedramp for rounds to glide over and chamber properly. Might not hurt to give the chamber itself a quick polish. Every little bit helps the cause.
 
#25 ·
I don't see any advantage, ballisticaly, of a 9x18 over a .380. However, for non-reloaders it represents a cheaper alternatve for practice ammo. Mak ammo is $8-10 a box less than .380 ammo. I reload but don't want to be bothered adding another mutt to the litter. Much easier to buy a case every once in awhile online.
 
#27 ·
Ok. Just tried mine and couldn't get a round to chamber once. Started hand polishing the feed ramp gently and now I can hand cycle a mag of the same ammo that wouldn't chamber before. That seems to be the remedy, to remove that black coating from the feed ramp and a little inside the chamber to smooth it out slick. The bullets don't like that rough black coating I guess. I'll report back later, still working on the feed ramp. No Dremel, just patience and persistence and gentleness
 
#28 ·
PP&G are your friends when "throating" a barrel.
Saw many a .45 Gov model barrel ruined when people ground, instead of polished, the lower portion of the chamber/frame feed ramp in an effort to make the gun capable of using all bullet profiles.
 
#29 · (Edited)
I'm making some headway.

I loaded several mags with several different new rounds.

Locked the slide back.
Inserted the mag and released the slide by hand and with the slide release.
As expected, all rounds jammed feeding.

What I wanted to see is where the (new) cases were being scored from the barrel.

I (carefully) worked on these places with the Dramel tool.
At the moment this is where I stand.







Sometimes the round still won't feed when the slide is released with the slide catch...........
but releasing the slide by hand will chamber the top round every time.

It's raining so I just tried out one full mag with one in the chamber.
No problem.

So, hopefully just polishing the rough grinder marks and maybe a little tinkering and the G42 9x18 will be in business.
 
#30 ·
Thanks for posting. I have CZ 82's and Makarov's that I have carried for a back up gun, but mostly for fun and I did get them cheap. I didn't know there even WAS a 120 Grain round. Where did you order them from? What is the velocity/Foot Pounds of energy? Thanks for any help!Wrong Photo
 

Attachments

#31 ·
I fully polished the feed ramp and inside the chamber of mine. Shines like a mirror in there now. Now it will hand cycle full mags of both S&B FMJ and the Silver Bear 94 grain hollow points. It still doesn't like the Hornady Critical Defense very well though. I feel confident that it's ready for a range visit now. I'll let you know
 
#33 ·
Maybe I'm missing something but if you're going to shoot 9mm why not get a 43 that was designed for that round?

I'm not trying to start an arguement, if it works for you great. Just not my thing. IMO when parts start getting swapped is when issues start that were not there in stock form.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Earl Smith
#39 ·
The stuff is Russian Silver Bear. It started showing up at the gun shows about 2001 for about $6 or $7, as I recall.

I think the Russians rushed it into production for the American market for all the Makarov pistols that were being imported.

The stuff is HOT I just shot some in the G42/9x18).

The 120 grain Silver Bear had a bad quality control problem. The hollow point was poorly made, which caused some rounds to be effectively longer.



This caused the rounds to randomly jam in the Makarov magazines.



Since friends and I had bought a lot of the ammunition, I ran it through the reloading press and seated the bullet a little deeper, thereby solving the problem.

I don't intend shooting any more I the G42.
 
#40 ·
Thank you. Still looking for the 120 Grain, though. I got a chuckle out of the "fending off Feral Hog's and Black Bears." I like Makarov's and CZ 82's (a LOT) but Bear's? Feets don't fail me now.
Neither a 380 or a 9mm Mak or even a 9mm Para is my idea of a woods gun. A G20 or a magnum Revolver is more to my liking and I have both.

I don't think that either of the 115 grain and 120 grain Russian loads are made anymore. And the Underwood load is more likely better quality ammo anyway.
 
#41 · (Edited)
I dressed up the barrel a little and tried the gun again, a few minutes ago.

The 120 grain Silver Bear still didn't want to chamber the first round but fed and fired the rest of the magazine fine.
That's OK because the stuff is TOO HOT for the gun.

The 95 grain JHP Russian Barnaul 9x18 functioned fine. Which is good because mostly that's my pick for the 9x18 and I have a bunch.

 
#42 ·
I dressed up the barrel a little and tried the gun again.

The 120 grain Silver Bear still didn't want to chamber the first round but fed and fired the rest of the magazine fine.
That's OK because the stuff is TOO HOT for the gun.

The 95 grain JHP Russian Barnaul 9x18 functioned fine. Which is good because mostly that's my pick for the 9x18 and I have a bunch.

That's awesome! Glad to hear it
 
#56 ·
I fully support one's right to [bleep] with their nice Glock 42, and I enjoy reading threads like this. But to me, it makes no dang sense to turn a reliable gun into an unreliable gun. But if everyone were like me, the world would be a perfect place - and what fun would that be?
Maybe I'm missing something but if you're going to shoot 9mm why not get a 43 that was designed for that round?

I'm not trying to start an arguement, if it works for you great. Just not my thing. IMO when parts start getting swapped is when issues start that were not there in stock form.
  1. It's a hobby. I think most of the people who bought the conversion barrel already have more than one unmolested reliable 9mm for self defense sitting around.
  2. If we all were only able to purchase and carry one handgun ever in our lives, we'd probably all have full frame 9/45/10mm double stacks and just suck it up and make our carry work.
  3. In reality, most of us will never need a firearm and if we do need one then 95%+ chance we could get by with a 2-shot Bond Derringer carrying snake shot.
  4. Did I mention it's a hobby?
  5. For the people who say "Hey, if you want more power out of your G42, get a G43!" Why don't you just carry a G26 or G19? Like people have said, we would love a little more heat out of the G42 form factor. A Kahr PM9 and Boberg XR9s do 9mm in the same form factor as a G42... engineering-wise, a G42 can handle more than normal pressure 380 ACP. If the Kahr and Boberg had a Glock trigger and grip angle, I wouldn't bother with the G42....
Thank You anyway, Guy's. No real point trying to turn a 9X18MM into a 9X19MM.
I don't think that's what people are trying to do. They are trying to make a 9x17 (ACP) into a 9x18 (Mak) to get closer to a 9x19 (Luger).

Why not just get a 43? It's the size. The 43 should have been made the size of the 42, which is already larger than many other 380's. and because of the Glock 42's size and the fact that it's a locke breech pistol, it can handle hotter ammo. Some guys are loading their G42's to higher pressures to get more performance out of them. Underwood makes a 115 grain Plus P+ load for the 9mm Mak that takes the cartridge to another level beyond that of the 380 ACP. It's also very good ammo and I've used it an a Polish Radom P-64.
Here's a link for the underwood ammo:

https://underwoodammo.com/shop/9x18mm-9mm-makarov-115-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose/
Thank you so much for that link! I ordered some of the +P XTP Mak to compare against the +P XTP 380. It'll be interesting to see how they compare. The +P XTP 380 already completely obliterates the face on gel impact... it'll be interesting to see if the Mak is even hotter and see what that does to penetration and energy transfer.

If you get it running close to 100%, Lone Wolf should pay you for your R&D beta testing. You'd think they would test this stuff before dropping it on the market.
We should probably send Lone Wolf a link to this thread or a "heads up, your product doesn't work as advertised without modification."

Don't know if it will help or not but I also polished up the feed lip edge of my magazines. That little bit of metal at the top front that the bullet rides across towards the feed ramp...
That did help me with finicky 380 bullets that would catch the casing of the brass on the lip as they were fed.
 
#46 ·
All by hand slowly with 1500 grit sandpaper then followed by Flitz. No Dremel. Took about 2.5 hours
Wow, your polishing job looks awesome, mine I just polished the paint.

I have to say, those barrels look far rougher than the two AW barrels I have for my G35 and G42. I wonder if they are having them made at different shops than the two models I have. I am not the best at posting pictures but will try so you can see what I am talking about. The two I have are much finer in machining, etc.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top