Letter Re: .40 S&W to 9mm Conversion Barrel for a Glock Model 23?

Mr. Rawles,
I read somewhere that there was a .40 S&W to 9mm conversion barrel for a Model 23 Glock. This would not only save me the cost of another pistol, but would give me more versatility with a pistol I am familiar and comfortable with. I assume the barrel would have to be slightly thicker in overall diameter than a standard Glock 9mm barrel to fit a 23 slide. I have been unable to find this conversion barrel. Do you know anything about it? (I realize that a 9mm magazine must also be used.) Thanks for a great web site. – C.G. in N.C.

JWR Replies: As I recall, to convert a Glock Model 23 .40 S&W to 9mm (in effect turning it into a Model 19) requires a M19 conversion barrel, a M19 slide, and even a different ejector. Magazines are not an issue. According to SurvivalBlog reader C.T., a M23 (.40 S&W) magazine will reliably feed 9mm cartridges just fine, without modification.  (Although the baseplate markings might be confusing, in the heat of battle.) Perhaps one of the SurvivalBlog readers that is a Glock aficionado can e-mail me the details on conversion barrels, and I will post them. In the interim, you might nose around a bit at my favorite Glock site: Scott Greenbaum’s Glock FAQ page:  http://www.glockfaq.com/guide.htm