Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Considering a "compact" or "subcompact" Glock

I already reload and enjoy 9mm and 45acp. 357sig and 40 S&W are intriguing for other reasons. 10mm, I think, would be fun until I actually picked up a G29 (the G27 was a bit punchy for me).

If I go with the following firearms, what barrels/uppers/magazines can I swap into the gun to change calibers? I would appreciate any and all personal experience as there's a lot of hearsay floating around on the 'net.

G23 - compact starting in .40 S&W caliber. I think I can get a 9mm upper for this, right? What about 10mm? Likely not strong enough?

G30s - this is the "subcompact" with the G36 slide and G30SF frame, right? Any chance I could throw in a 10mm G29 barrel for funsies?

I am not sure you are going to be able to do much caliber changing with the G30S. The barrel is different from the regular G30 barrel. By the way, I have a G30SF that gets bad indigestion with 200 grain lead semi-wadcutters, so I gave up reloading for it. I don't know if the "S" model would be any different in that regard.

The .40 Glocks will take a .357 SIG with just a drop-in barrel. They won't take a 10. A 9x19 upper is a possibility, I think.



The G30 is NOT with a G36 slide. The 36 is a single stack. The 30 is the subcompact .45 double-stack. I think you're stuck with .45; no slide swap and a 10 would require different mags anyway.

Sean they make a 40-9 conversion bbl for the G23. And the 30S is a 36 slide of a 30 frame

The OP is correct about the G30S.

Glock 19 uppers with work on Glock 23 and 32 frames to make up a handy 9mm conversion. I just picked up a police trade-in 19 upper for use on my 32.

Glock 36 is about as good as it gets in a compact Glock. If you aren't set on the Glock Brand , then look at the Springfield XDS 3.3 you might reconsider what you want to buy

I'm curious as to what you mean by the G27 being punchy...I shot that and the G23 this past weekend, and while there were differences, I didn't notice anything significant.

I guess I didn't realize that you could do a change in calibers so easily with the Glocks though.

Are you able to do much changing with the G27? That's what I just purchased.

Yes, you can buy the 357 Sig barrel and shoot it in the 27. I have a Gen 4 Glock 27 and it shoots very well. I can't tell much difference between the 27 and 23 either.

Speaking of the Glock 30S...I find it to be my favorite carry piece.
Here is a pic of it in a custom made kydex IWB holster. I can easily conceal this setup in cargo shorts and a t-shirt.

If you want a compact Glock, with interchangeable caliber capabilities, I'd highly reccomend the Glock 23.

That way, you've got a .40 cal, but can drop in a .357 sig bbl, and use the exact same mags, and you can drop in a 9mm bbl, and use Glock 19 or 17 mags.
All of my drop in Glock bbls are Lone Wolf barrels. They work great, and I've never had an issue with any of them, contrary to some popular "internet" myths.

I stand corrected. Gracias.

If you go G29 you can have a 10mm, .40S&W and .357sig all in the same gun with only a barrel swap, plus a .45acp if you swap for a G30 slide and magazine.

justin10mm, can you confirm a G36 slide will fit on a G29?

And also G20/G21/G29/G30 magazines will all fit into a G29 frame?

No, a G36 slide will not fit a 29/30 frame.

Yes, all large frame magazines fit.

I'm confused. Won't a G36 slide fit on a G30 frame? That's what makes the G30S, correct?

So if G36 slide fits on G30 frame, and G30 slide fits on G29 frame, shouldn't a G36 slide fit on a G29 frame?

If I had thousands of dollars, I'd just buy them all and play pistol tetris

Yes, a G36 slide fits a 30 frame. That is what makes the 30S

Upon further research apparently it is possible for a 36 slide to fit a 30 frame. I figured they tweaked something to make the 30S work but it seems that they did not.

I prefer the Compact over the subcompact. The G 23 about being perfect for size/carrying as well as capacity. The recoil is not bad at all from it.