The Case for a Fluted Glock 17 Barrel
Nothing’s wrong with the Glock 17 barrel that came with your G17. Actually, stock Glock barrels exhibit quite solid quality.
They sport polygonal rifling that offers a superb bullet-to-barrel fit, delivering higher muzzle velocities and accuracy, and Glock treats major metal components so that they are nearly as hard as diamonds, for advanced wear resistance.
With that said, a stock Glock 17 barrel is not as good as it could be. Specifically, if you are looking into upgrading to a fluted version.
And, no, barrels are not fluted to make them look cool, even if they do look cooler as a result. Let’s unpack the details here.
No, Barrel Flutes Are Actually Not Primarily Aesthetic
Those flutes that give your barrel a bump in cool factor are actually there for quite another reason; two other reasons, actually.
One is that they lighten the barrel. That alone can improve handling, by making the handgun lighter towards the muzzle. This makes it marginally easier to point the pistol.
But that effect, though positive, is secondary, and for some, lightening the build is actually not a good thing because it can improve muzzle flip. That is, however, a digression.
Back to the matter at hand. Fluting a barrel doesn’t just remove mass from it, making it lighter. It also substantially increases the outer surface area of the barrel, and more importantly, it increases the ratio of external barrel surface area to barrel mass.
This is where the true value of a fluted Glock 17 barrel lies.
Have you ever noticed your G17 getting just a bit warm after a protracted session of range therapy? No surprise, since you’re literally ‘firing’ through it, right?
Well, hotter barrels are not accurate. As the barrel heats up, it will expand, often at inconsistent rates, creating uneven barrel tension. This changes the interface between the rifling and the bullet, and, you guessed it, scraps accuracy.
Now, in the spirit of utter candor, we’d be remiss if we made a big deal of it. At the ranges at which you’ll engage most targets with a pistol, you probably won’t ever notice a drop in accuracy as a result of a hot barrel.
But does it matter? Yes. the hotter your barrel, the more your groups will open up, especially when shooting at extended ranges.
Now back to the flutes: because they increase the outer surface area of the barrel, the barrel can shed heat much more efficiently, preserving accuracy.
All that, from a simple barrel upgrade.
Where to Get a Quality Fluted Glock 17 Barrel?
Interested in learning more about how a fluted Glock 17 barrel can improve performance? Check out NineX19. They carry barrels and other Glock upgrades, and their fluted barrels are available in several finishes, including black nitride and titanium nitride, with deep-cut target crowns and broach-cut rifling.
NineX19 also gives you the benefit of options, not just in terms of barrel finish, but in the style of fluting. Their Match barrels feature pentagonal flat fluting and their Revolution barrels sport spiral fluting. Both are available for G17 pistols.
They’re some of the highest quality aftermarket parts for Glocks in the industry, and priced surprisingly competitively, as well. Learn more on their website or get in touch with them directly.
For more information about Glock 19 Magwell and Glock Ported Barrel And Slide please visit:- NineX19, LLC
