Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 45

Thread: Info on TK Custom 9mm conversion

  1. #11
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Western Ohio
    Quote Originally Posted by JimCunn View Post
    I've had TKC convert two of my three titanium cylindered 637-2 J-frames to 9mmx19.
    Didn't know the 637 ever came with titanium cylinders. I thought they were all stainless steel, like mine. Was yours some special or limited edition?

  2. #12
    Stock is stainless .38 Sp+P. I purchased from Midway, two extra titanium .38Sp/.357Mag cylinders for each of the three pistols, and reamed one of the two for moonclips and 9mmx19.

    So, each of the three has the original unmodified stainless cylinder & yoke, a titanium .38Sp/.357 cylinder & stainless yoke, and a titanium 9mm cylinder & stainless yoke. Takes about 2 minutes to swap out cylinders.

    Although chambered to accept .357 Mag, I only actually use .38 Sp or 9mm in the 637 and with the 9mm, I use 147gr ammo to limit the potential for titanium cylinder face erosion. With titanium cylinders in place and Altamont combat grips (to provide a pinky finger extension), unloaded weight is 12.5 oz. 9mm recoil is a bit snappy, but not at all unpleasant.

    There is no apparent decrease in accuracy when shooting 9mm instead of .38Sp (the guns are better shots than I am). The only downside is that with three of these things, I have extra cylinder & yoke assemblies running out my ears. I find that I carry 9mm most of the time, for commonality with my Browning Hi-Power and Kimber Micro 9.

  3. #13
    Member Rock185's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    The Great Southwest, under the Tonto Rim
    I think one reason people aren't reporting accuracy issues with these conversions is that actual barrel groove diameter may not be exactly what is assumed. Some take as gospel that guns chambered for .38/.357 have groove diameters of exactly .357". And guns originally chambered in 9mm have groove diameters exactly .355". And 38 Super barrels are exactly .356", and .455 Webley barrels are exactly .455", etc. Just ain't so. Groove diameters vary, even in barrels by the same manufacturer. SAAMI indicates a groove diameter for .38/.357 of .355", and for 9mm/38 Super,etc. of .3555". So along with a manufacturing tolerance in all things, the bore and groove specs are very close, such that I doubt .355" bullets are going to be rattling down the bores of these conversions causing accuracy issues......YMMV
    Last edited by Rock185; 02-12-2019 at 04:30 AM.

  4. #14
    Has anybody chronographed 9mm out of a short barrel revolver and compared it to .38 Special +P out of a short barrel revolver? Also how does recoil compare between the loads.

  5. #15
    Site Supporter Bigghoss's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Anna Kendrick's fantasies
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Nesbitt View Post
    Has anybody chronographed 9mm out of a short barrel revolver and compared it to .38 Special +P out of a short barrel revolver? Also how does recoil compare between the loads.



    I haven't tried similar loads in my 9mm and .357 LCR's. The .38 +p loads I shot (out of the .357) weren't bad but 115grn federal FMJ from my 9mm kicked enough that I wouldn't want to shoot a lot of them in one go.
    Quote Originally Posted by MattyD380 View Post
    Because buying cool, interesting guns I don't need isn't a decision... it's a lifestyle...

  6. #16
    That was a good video.
    For a website that provides variations with barrel length, google "ballistics by the inch".

    I grew up shooting single action Colt and Ruger revolvers, so I have a very strong personal preference for external hammers and feel that they are safe for loose pocket carry (I hold my thumb on the hammer when inserting or extracting the revolver from a pocket). The external hammer is the reason I carry a 637 instead of a 340PD. I like the option to have a 1.5 pound trigger pull instead of a 4 pound when I want the shorter, lighter pull.

    9x19 chamber pressure is 35,000 psi
    9x19+P chamber pressure is 38,500 psi
    .357 Mag chamber pressure is 35,000 psi
    Last edited by JimCunn; 02-12-2019 at 09:39 AM.

  7. #17
    A short 3/8" 12 point box end wrench makes a great tool for unloading 9mm moonclips. And we all already have several in our tool boxes, so they are essentially free.

  8. #18
    Member Rock185's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    The Great Southwest, under the Tonto Rim
    Bill Nesbitt, I have chronographed some factory 38+P and 9mm from S&W 2" revolvers.

    Just some random 38 Spcl. results in 2" revolver: Federal 125 grain Nyclad-765 FPS, Federal 125 grain +P JHP-884 FPS, Federal 129 grain Hydra-shock+P-763 FPS.

    Random 9MM in 2" revolver: Federal 9BP 115 JHP-1013 FPS, Federal XM9001 115 JHP-1117 FPS, Federal 9BPLE 115 +P+ JHP-1213 FPS, Federal HST 124 grain+P-1195 FPS.

    And yes, no way around it, with ballistics falling between 38+P and .357 Magnum, the 9MM recoils more than any 38+P I've tested. I've not tested it, but some of the 38+P "Boutique" ammo reportedly has ballistics that exceed any of the major manufacturer 38+P ammunition I tested.

  9. #19
    I think the show stopper in all of this has been how well 9mm ammo will perform out of a 2" barrel.

    If I were working the road still, was carrying a 9mm primary, and was limited to a 2" revolver as a backup, I might still carry the 9mm revolver as a back up in the case of some scenario where my primary is down and I get into an extended fight with my backup revolver. Non-expanding 9mm projectiles may not be optimum, but I can tell you first hand that they work pretty damn well.

    However, now that I'm a geezer dad, an Airweight full of wadcutters seems like a better way to cut a caliber sized hole than an non-expanding 9mm.
    I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.

  10. #20
    I shoot 9mm 147gr jhp in my 637. They expand OK, and the 9mm swages adequately into the 637 barrel grooves so that accuracy is not an issue. The recoil is a bit sharper than the .38Sp+P, but not bad. This round is not a powerhouse, but I have no complaints.

    I also carry an 8+1 9mm Micro 9 with the same 147gr JHP ammo. I'm not sure which is the primary and which the backup.
    Last edited by JimCunn; 02-12-2019 at 07:13 PM.

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •