Is there a platform where swapping between multiple cartridges is possible? I understand there are breech face differences, and magazine or cylinder differences among other things.
I have owned and am familiar with TC Contenders, but they are mostly rifle cartridge barrels.
I also know, Ruger Blackhawks come with conversion cylinders for 45 Colt to 45ACP or 357 Mag to 9mm.
There’s the Sig P229 which can be converted from 40 to 9mm with either a complete upper swap or a conversion barrel change.
I’ve heard that the EAA Witness may allow some swapability.
Can any one advise if there are any platforms which would allow 3 or more different cartridges by swapping g barrels, complete slides, cylinders or other? I’m mostly talking,pistol cartridges here, so 9mm, 45ACP, 40 S&W, 10mm, 380, etc.
Last edited by 250_3000; 12/20/21.
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!” -Benjamin Franklin
Never cared for conversions. Might as well buy a new gun in my opinion. Revolvers may be the exception. A Glock 20 can shoot 10mm, 40 Sw, and swap to 45 acp from my understanding.
A Glock 20 can shoot 10mm, 40 Sw, and swap to 45 acp from my understanding.
Would require a complete G21 or G41 upper to switch the G20 to .45ACP. Shared frame dimensions, different slide bore between G20 and G21/G41. Vendors make barrels for .40S&W, 9mm and .357SIG for drop in. A factory G20 barrel will shoot .40S&W. Some will get bent out of shape with that subject.
As an example, you can start with a Glock 23 (40 S&W) and pick up a .357 Sig barrel for it and use the same 40 magazines as come with it. You can also pick up a 9mm conversion barrel and 9mm mags to shoot 9 mm in it. Same thing can be done with different models across the same rounds.
With a G20 (10mm) you can pick up a .40 S&W barrel and use the 10mm mags with 40's....some folks shoot 40's out of the 10mm barrel but if you're going to do much of it pick up a conversion barrel.
Can you do that? What about the ejector? If this is correct, I could put a 9MM upper on a 45, correct?
You don't want to do that, because of the ejector (although I think Commander ejectors might work) but if you had a 9mm frame/slide, you can swap barrels to .38 Super (might have to tune the extractor a bit, but that'll work, I'm in the process of such a swapover right now, waiting on my Super barrel to come in), and you have to swap magazines. There might be some .30 Luger barrels for 1911s out there, if you can find them. You MIGHT even be able to do a .30 Tokarev using .38 Super magazines, but I'm not sure about that. You can, of course, swap out the ejectors if it comes to that, but you're better off NOT messing with the ejectors if you can avoid that. I don't know if you can do much with a 10mm Colt, but a barrel change to .40 would work, or .357 SIG, if anyone is making them. The 9x25 is defunct, but could be done if wanted. I know of those being done right now, in fact, though I'm not doing one myself. The ,45 slide can also be used for ,400 Corbon, IIRC.
You can roll a turd in peanuts, dip it in chocolate, and it still ain't no damn Baby Ruth.
The large frame Tanfoglio Witness can do 9mm, 40, 10mm, 45, and maybe one or more of those oddball 9mms by at most a top end and magazine switch. I changed a 9mm to a 45 a few years back. Nice guns.
It’s really just a question I’m curious about. Was thinking, what if you wanted carry one pistol and enough gear in a backpack to reliably switch between multiple cartridges. Kind of a survival, SHTF situation. Be prepared to use whatever ammo you came across.
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!” -Benjamin Franklin
With the Sig P320 the FCU is the numbered part Sig FCE. From there you can swap it into pretty much any configuration you want. But as others have pointed out, in a SHTF scenario you are better off with complete guns not parts for 6 guns and only being able to use one at a time.
Last edited by antelope_sniper; 12/20/21.
You didn't use logic or reason to get into this opinion, I cannot use logic or reason to get you out of it.
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It’s really just a question I’m curious about. Was thinking, what if you wanted carry one pistol and enough gear in a backpack to reliably switch between multiple cartridges. Kind of a survival, SHTF situation. Be prepared to use whatever ammo you came across.
For a doomsday gun where the world has gone crazy beyond what we currently even imagine, I agree that if you want to carry just one gun, then being able to shoot multiple cartridges is not a bad thing. I guess it becomes a question of how much you gain in light of how much you spend to do it.
I did the extra barrel thing with a Glock 23 to shoot 9mm. As already pointed out by pullit, you can shoot 2 additional cartridges out of a .40 S&W Glock with just barrel swaps and using appropriate magazines. I did it more for fun than anything with a G23. I bought a lone wolf 9mm barrel and already had G19 mags on hand. It functions fine and is as accurate as any other 9mm Glock I own. I still have it.
In this pic it's the Flat Dark Earth one, third from the top
Here's the G23 with its Lone Wolf 9mm conversion barrel, next to a stock G19.
Here is a shot of the muzzles. As you can see, a 9mm conversion barrel needs more metal around the hold to fill up the cut out on the G23 slide.
Before I sign off, I will say this--caliber conversions are less fun than you'd think, and I think in "normal" times, you're way better off with the extra gun versus the extra barrel. With a conversion, you'll just end up shooting the cartridge that is the cheapest, and the other one won't get shot very much at all. That has been my experience with a.22lr/.22 Mag, a .45 Colt/.45 ACP, and the .40 S&W/9mm.
I've also owned .22lr conversion kits for both a 1911 and a G19. Neither got used much after about a month. The conversion kit changes everything about your gun: weight, balance, and trigger pull are all WAY different (not to mention the absence of recoil). It's so different, that you aren't "getting cheap practice" with your centerfire gun; it's like shooting a different gun altogether. Plus, if you use a red dot on your carry gun, it won't be there during your .22lr practice.
If you can score a deal on a gun that has an extra barrel, go for it. But for what you spend on an extra barrel and extra magazines, I'll cast my vote for additional complete guns over additional barrels. YMMV.
You can swap a Glock from 40/357 Sig/ 9mm and not 100% sure but I think you can a S&W M&P as well.
Yep. I’ve got 40 s&w and 9mm barrels for my Glock 32 in 357 Sig. And a 45 acp barrel for my Glock 20 in 10 mm
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