Lone Wolf Distributors' Caliber Conversions

For Glock enthusiasts, one of the most attractive design features of the pistols is their modularity. Barrels, magazines, slide components and triggers can be traded without making permanent modifications to the frame or the need for expensive tools. Lone Wolf Distributors provide a large selection of factory and custom parts for Glock pistols. One of its specialties is caliber conversions. The three slide and barrel assemblies shown here can be used on the same frame to fire three different calibers of ammunition.

When ordering a caliber conversion barrel, don't forget to add the correct magazine to match the new caliber. Some customers say they can "trick" the gun into operating with non-matching magazines, such as firing 9 mm cartridges through a 9 mm conversion barrel using a .40 S&W magazine. The trouble with this penny-pinching tactic is that there is no way to guarantee positive feeding and proper function. The best results are produced by using the correct magazines.

The G23C's stock recoil assembly (left), provided with the factory-ported .40 S&W barrel, is the same captured-spring guide rod unit installed in the G19 (9 mm) and G32 (.357 Sig) Compact pistols. This means the stock recoil assembly can be used with Lone Wolf 9 mm and .357 Sig conversion barrels. However, the conversion barrels were tested with Lone Wolf stainless-steel guide rods (center & right) which were engraved to avoid any confusion. The .40/.357 rod contains a 20-pound flat wire spring. The assembly for the 9 mm threaded barrel and custom weight-reduced slide contains a 15-pound recoil spring.

Three different sight systems were tested along with the different barrels and slides. The factory-installed polymer three-dot sights of the original G23C slide (left) were replaced with Trijicon's new HD Night Sights. The serrated rear sight contains tritium lamps on either side of a wide U-shaped notch that makes it easy to acquire the large yellow or orange dot surrounding the front sight's tritium insert.

The weight-reduced Lone Wolf custom black-oxide slide (center) is shown with the new Ameriglo Combative Applications Pistol (CAP) sight system. The front sight blade contains a tritium lamp surrounded by a square patch of chartreuse Luminova material. The wide, square notch in the black rear sight is underlined with a single stripe of Luminova. A quick charge from any light source will cause the Luminova inserts to glow brightly for 20 to 30 minutes for an enhanced sight picture in low-light situations. This view of the rear sight also shows the rounded rear edges of the custom slide and a custom engraved slide plate.

The full-size, stainless-steel Lone Wolf slide (right) is topped with an Elliason-style tritium, rounded-blade, adjustable rear sight by Champion. This square-notch, low-profile target sight is fully adjustable for windage and height with white outlines around the tritium lamps. The front sight is a Trijicon white-outline night sight. In order to install this rear sight, the slide requires custom milling and drilling.

Lone Wolf’s stainless-steel slides provide a two-tone finish for Glock pistols. Shown here is the standard length, .40 S&W/.357 Sig slide mounted on the Compact G23 frame using Lone Wolf’s new dust cover and a stainless steel recoil assembly. The barrel is a non-ported, stainless-steel model chambered for .357 Sig.

Compact Glock frames can now be fitted with full-length, Lone Wolf slides thanks to the company's new dust cover. This part provides the support needed to use the compact recoil assembly with the longer slide. The dust cover slips into place along the rail grooves and is held in place by the recoil rod. No tools or modifications to the slide are required for installation.

The Lone Wolf Custom Shop offers slide options for dressing up your gun. The G23 Slide shown here is heavily engraved for both form and function. The multiple cuts and rounding to the rear of the slide work to reduce its weight and to provide a positive gripping surface. The slide has been treated with a matte-black oxide finish. The threaded Lone Wolf 40-9 barrel is installed with a flash hider attached.

Lone Wolf's threaded barrels protrude .6 inches past the muzzle end of the slide to allow the attachment of accessories including muzzle breaks, flash hiders and sound suppressors. Like other stainless-steel barrels Lone Wolf produces, this one contains traditional rifling that can safely fire lead bullets. The barrel shown here is marked 40-9 to indicate that it can be used to convert the .40 S&W G23 to fire the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge.

A stock G23 pistol can be converted from .40 S&W to 9 mm or .357 Sig by simply trading out the barrel and the magazine. Lone Wolf Distributors offer stock length barrels as well as extended length and ported models. In this case, the performance of .40 S&W ammunition was increased in this G23C by removing the factory ported barrel and replacing it with a non-ported Lone Wolf barrel. No additional parts were required.