U.S.A. -(Ammoland.com)- Instead of sending a few hundred rounds through the Faxon threaded Glock barrel and rubber stamping it as good to go, I have spent the last few months shooting the Faxon threaded Glock barrel on three different Glocks to get a good idea what you should expect to see when you pick one up from a fine retailer like Brownells. With Roland Special style builds and suppressors becoming more commonplace on local ranges, Faxon’s threaded Glock barrel is another barrel that the shooter has the option of fitting to their blaster.
DISCLAIMER – I will not be performing an accuracy test because the results are dependant on far more than just the barrel. Rest assured that the barrel was as accurate, if not more so than the stock barrel.
So what sets the Faxon threaded Glock barrel apart from the others on the market? Aside from some killer looks, they pour some of that hard-won Faxon engineering and machining know-how into the inside of the barrel. Faxon has been building some of the best performing barrels at the more cost-effective end of the pricing spectrum for some time now.
Before we get too deep into the weeds, let’s take a look at the specs for the threaded Glock barrel from the Faxon Firearms website:
- 4150 or 416-R Stainless – Only the best steels for durability, longevity, and accuracy.
- 9mm SAAMI Chambers – Superior accuracy with complete SAAMI compatibility & boring reliability.
- Tighter Tolerances – Drop-in, yet better fitment and lock-up.
- Conventional Rifling – Fully compatible with cast bullets
- 11 Degree Target Crown
- Handgun Type: G19
- Barrel Caliber: 9mm
- Barrel Profile: Flame Fluted, Drop In
- Barrel Material: 416-R Stainless Steel
- Barrel Twist: 1:10
- Muzzle Thread: 1/2×28 TPI
- Crown: 11-degree Target Crown
- Rifling Method: Button Rifled, Fully Stress Relieved
- Rifling Type: Conventional
- Inside Finish: Salt Bath Nitride
- Outside Finish: Salt Bath Nitride & Bronze PVD
As much as I hate to admit it, the packaging of a product means something to some people. Faxon is well aware of this and packed the match grade barrel in a cardboard box that is undoubtedly cost-effective, but also attractive to buyers. The box is good for all three size barrels that Faxon offers in both the threaded and non-threaded variety, make sure to check the markings on the box to make sure you have the right barrel.
Once you break the barrel out of the package you can see that while the Faxon barrel is priced in line with other barrels on the lower end of the pricing spectrum, it looks a whole lot like barrels that are priced towards the mid to high end of prices. The detail on the barrel hood is really nice looking, especially when the barrel is installed in the slide. Faxon was kind enough to label the barrels with both the caliber as well as the model of firearm that the barrel was designed for in a very easy to read place. For someone like myself who has way more aftermarket barrels and Glocks than I should, that was a rather welcome feature.
Moving onto the shaft of the barrel, Faxon has cut the same flame fluting that they offer on select AR-15 barrels into the top and sides of the barrel for the match line of barrels. If the flame flutes aren’t your thing, Faxon does offer a duty line of barrels that have a more traditional shaft that has no fancy fluting.
The Glock 19 barrel that I was sent has its feed ramp coated in the same oil rubbed bronze PVD coating that the rest of the barrel is, not that it created an issue. I mean, we are talking about a Glock here and not a finicky 1911. Those of you that are thinking about running some crazy hot reloads in the Faxon barrel might want to take note that the Faxon barrel as tested leaves almost the same amount of the 9mm case unsupported as the factory Glock barrel. The feed ramp angle and size seems to be identical to the factory barrel as well, and that would be a good thing given the reliability that we normally see from Glocks.
The rifling of the barrel is a conventional 1:10 right-hand twist, none of that silly polygonal rifling here that prevents you from shooting cast bullets. The muzzle is also finished off with an 11-degree crown to summon even the shyest accuracy elf to help with your quest for tight groups.
When you lay the Faxon threaded Glock barrel next to a factory Gen4 barrel I had laying around you can see that the locking block dimensions are almost identical. Again, this is a good thing. I am sure that Faxon made some small adjustments to address some perceived shortcoming with the factory design that wasn’t apparent to the naked eye.
Since I was installing the barrel on my ZEV slide I was pleased to see that the barrel fit right into the Gen3 slide without issue. Since Faxon builds their barrels to a slightly tighter tolerance, the lockup on my gun was match grade tight. While I am sure that ZEV would have preferred one of their barrels in the slide they don’t make one that looks as good as the Faxon barrel when you pair that FDE slide with the oil rubbed bronze barrel.
You recall those Roland Special style builds that I was referring to earlier? That is exactly the direction that this Glock was headed in since I wanted to check out the Texas Black Rifle Company Micro Comp and compare it to the KKM 4 port compensator on my clone correct Roland Special. Something that I have run into in the past is the barrel being a bit on the long side so a gap is left between the comp and the slide, that wasn’t the case with the Faxon barrel. The comp fits snugly without too close to cause malfunctions.
Out On The Range
I ran into a small issue with the Faxon threaded Glock barrel when mated to my ZEV slide and my Silencerco Octane HD suppressor where the slide wouldn’t cycle. I found that there was tolerance issue with the slide and the barrel ran just fine in my Gen4 Glock 19c slide as well as my Gen4 Glock 19 slide that has been milled by Doug at ATEi.
So what about that Roland Special style build? It shoots flat as hell like you would expect!
Is The Faxon Threaded Glock Barrel A Buy?
After putting north of 1,100 rounds through both a Glock 19 barrel and a Glock 17 barrel with the barrels installed in multiple Glock slides, I have to say that I am impressed in the quality of the Faxon barrels. While I refuse to accuracy test pistols without a proper ransom rest I have come across several tests online that have been done by shooters that I respect and find put out reputable information that shows a marked improvement with some loads.
Let’s be honest for a minute though. If you are buying an aftermarket Glock barrel you probably can’t outshoot a factory barrel. You are probably buying it because it looks awesome or has a feature like threads that the factory option didn’t have.
There is nothing wrong with that.
Check the Faxon threaded Glock barrel out at Brownells, the MSRP is $209 but they are regularly on sale with a street price closer to the $150 range as tested.
About Patrick R.
Patrick is a firearms enthusiast that values the quest for not only the best possible gear setup, but also pragmatic ways to improve his shooting skills across a wide range of disciplines. He values truthful, honest information above all else and had committed to cutting through marketing fluff to deliver the truth. You can find the rest of his work on FirearmRack.com as well as on the YouTube channel Firearm Rack or Instagram at @thepatrickroberts.