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KKM vs Lone Wolf chamber support (and other things)

15K views 17 replies 5 participants last post by  gjarcher  
#1 ·
How does the chamber support of the KKM barrel compare to that of the Lone wolf barrel? How does accuracy and reliability compare? Which barrel is better for shooting the heavier, hotter loads if you plan to reload? Is there really any definitive difference? The pistols in question are the Glock 40 10mm and the Glock 29 10mm.
 
#2 ·
I have a kkm barrel in my g20 sf and it shoots flawlessly. About 6 years ago, I had a a g29 gen3 with a lone wolf barrel, and it had feeding issues. LW was great with support and fixed the feed ramp, but I was not confident using it after that. I typically carry heavy buffalo bore hard cast in bear country. Plus, I like the g20 better. I think the chamber support is better on the kkm, since it seems to “swallow” the whole round when in the chamber. The LW exposed a bit of brass above the feed ramp. That’s my unscientific experience with those two barrels.
 
#5 ·
Ask around in the Reloading forum. There used to be a problem with lead bullets and LoneWolf barrels. There was an EPIC rant about having to send the barrel back to have the chamber opened up.

I bought the KKM and it works well but no better or worse than the OEM barrel in terms of fouling.

I don't consider Glocks to be target grade handguns so I don't even think in terms of accuracy. If I want accuracy at distance, I use a Colt Gold Cup or a S&W Model 52 (.38 wadcutters only). Or maybe my Sig 1911 - it's pretty sweet.

The Glock is good enough for all practical purposes but it won't do little bitty groups at 50 yards. Nor can I, for that matter. That ship sailed a long time ago.
 
#10 ·
Another question. How reliable are the alpha wolf barrels in glocks with heavy hard cast bullets? (say, 220 grains.) Someone told me his particular example didn't like heavy hard cast bullets. We are talking specifically about the glock 40 10mm and the glock 29 10mm, once again.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I did considerable research prior to buying KKM Barrels for the G40 and G21. There wasn't much difference, but when shooting lead, common comments where the LW barrels leaded up ... but that can be corrected by fire-lapping or just some elbow grease and JB Bore Polish to break-in a new barrel.

Aftermarket barrels for accuracy is a crap shoot IMHO. The accuracy comes from the lock-up. LW and KKM are 'drop in' barrels. If you want perfect lock-up, then you need a gunsmith fitted barrel ... like Barstow, etc. This article tested various aftermarket barrel accuracy versus Glock OEM ... if you can figure it out, you have greater insight than I do ...
https://www.recoilweb.com/fire-4-effect-glock-barrel-testing-part-2-unexpected-results-127423.html

There is much more to shooting lead without lead fouling than just barrel choice. Slug your barrel to get the correct sized lead bullet. Chose a BHN15 or greater. Then experiment with various powders and muzzle velocities. You won't save money buying Gas Checked lead bullets over plated or even jacketed bullets, but Hi-Tek coated lead is economical and runs through a Glock polygonal barrel just fine.

Frankly, I've shot thousands of Straight Shooters .452" 225gr BHN15 hard cast lead through the Glock 21 OEM barrel @ 950fps without ever any lead fouling.
 
#15 ·
With these 220s, aa9 will do 1330fps with 12.8g from the kkm and there's room for a little more. Even in my 5" 1911 barrel i got almost 1290fps.

The comped alphawolf barrel got its numbers from a well over max load of 800x. I topped at 1425fps but was blowing primers at this level. 1200fps is plenty for a bullet this heavy IMHO but its fun to see whats possible.
 
#16 ·
With these 220s, aa9 will do 1330fps with 12.8g from the kkm and there's room for a little more. Even in my 5" 1911 barrel i got almost 1290fps.

The comped alphawolf barrel got its numbers from a well over max load of 800x. I topped at 1425fps but was blowing primers at this level. 1200fps is plenty for a bullet this heavy IMHO but its fun to see whats possible.

Interesting. How’s the recoil on those cartridges without the compensator?