It seems as if everyone is getting into the custom Glock barrel making business. Faxon Firearms is no exception, or is it? Faxon has been making rifle barrels for some time now. What’s the next logical step, pistol barrels, of course. Faxon was gracious enough to send me 2 of their Glock barrels. One for a G19, and then one for a G17. We will mainly be talking about the G19 barrel.
The G19 barrel that came in was the TiN (titanium nitride) one. This coating gives the barrel a great looking gold plating. Not only does it look good, but it should last a lifetime. Not only does the barrel have Tin coating, the Tin coating is actually done over a QPQ salt bath nitride. These “Match Series” barrels are made from 416-R Stainless Steel. Faxon also does a flame style fluting on the outside of the barrel. On this type of barrel, I would have to hear some really good data as to why, except that it looks good.
These barrels are what they call “Drop in”. Yes, it did drop into my slide without any fitting, and I would expect it to for almost any slide. Because it has tighter tolerances than a stock barrel, the lock up is tighter and the fit in general is better. According to Faxon, it has a 9mm SAAMI chamber. It doesn’t mention a “match” chamber. The barrel also runs a 11 degree target crown. Faxon uses a conventional button rifling. This means that you can shoot any type of bullet out of it, including lead. The lock up was nice and tight. The barrel has very little, if any, noticeable movement front to back or side to side. There are some wear marks around the barrel, but that is to be expected. I guess those tight tolerances are working correctly without being too large to cause problems.
I want to mention difference that I noticed with this barrel. The hood of the barrel (the top part that fills up the ejection port) has a tapered cut at the front. This allows the slide/barrel to unlock more smoothly, at least in my opinion. Other “match” barrels that I have are just squared off in this location. After a little use, they show a wear mark, but the Faxon barrel does not.
S - Sig 115gr. 3 rounds shown, other 2 rounds are covered by tape measure
Now that I’ve bored you with the details, how does it shoot? My answer would be good. I tested accuracy with 7 different ammunition manufacturers. These groups were shot at 15yds with me resting the pistol on a bag. I used a Polymer 80 frame with a Grey Ghost Precision slide. The 5 shot groups ranged from just under 1.5” to around 7”. I also shot the same ammo through a different barrel and the 7” stuff was just as bad. Most of the groups averaged around 2.5” - 3”. This barrel has worked great from the first round and on up. The best group was with Sig 115 gr Elite ball FMJ, and the worst group was HSM 124 gr. I know this is not a Ransom rest accuracy test, but I thought it was more practical and probably gives a better idea of real world accuracy.
A - Aguila 115gr
L - Speer Lawman 124gr
H - HSM 124gr
B - Buffalo 115gr
R - Remington 115gr
If you are in the market for a new, or replacement Glock barrel, look into Faxon. Besides the one here, they make different color options and threading also. Plus, they are made 100% in the USA in Faxon’s production facility. A great barrel option for Glock style pistols.
Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points
Claim to Fame:
Drop in match grade barrel
Target Market:
Pistol shooters wanting a better barrel
FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):
416-R Stainless Steel
SAAMI chamber
Conventional rifling
11 Degree target crown
Button rifled
Flame fluted
1 - 10 twist for 9mm
Salt bath nitride coating inside and outside
TiN PVD coated
Made in USA
What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?
Threaded, Black, Chameleon
What others are saying?:
AJ M. at Faxon. 5/5 stars
G19 Barrel
this barrel is awesome, lockup is great and fit and finish are top shelf
Link to other reviews:
Price point:
MSRP = $199.00
Retail = $189.00 at Rainier Arms
I need it now! Availability:
Faxon or Rainier Arms
Our Rating:
Pros:
Drop in installation
Tin gold coating
Flame fluted
Conventional rifling
Cons:
Non-match chamber
Score: 8.5 Great
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