Garrison 9mm conversion to .38 Super
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I just finished putting a ramped .38 Super barrel in my 9mm Tisas. I’ll have to wait to shoot it, and will shorten ejector accordingly, if necessary. I’m going with Star Line Super Comp brass so extractor should remain the same as 9mm. Running a 14 # recoil spring, and ordered .38 Super mags from Mec Gar. I’d like to keep it as simple as a barrel change with the appropriate magazine for whatever barrel I’m using. The RIA barrel was actually a drop in fit, but the muzzle was not crowned and their was metal pushed up visible when looking down the barrel. Don’t know if the barrel had been captivated in a milling machine and marring left in the muzzle, but it was all removed when I crowned it. Looks good and cycles, and locks up tight.
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I did a 38 Super conversion on a Rock Island since I had 2 in 9 milli-metric. Bought a Rock Island 38 Super build kit on eBay and just swapped out the entire slide. Fit was even better that the original, changed out some of the trigger parts as well with Wilson Combat. Before and after pics
![Purple Air gun Violet Trigger Gun barrel]()
![Brown Purple Wood Air gun Trigger]()
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That’s really a testament to RIA’s machining. Their Clarke / Para ramped barrel was a really precise fit with my Tisas frame and slide. Muzzle was a little tighter in the bushing, and lock up was near identical to the factory 9mm barrel. Think the Garrison uses the Nolin / Wilson cut ramp?!
That’s nice but the slide wouldn’t match the finish on the rest of the Garrison. Would like for it to match
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4,258 Posts
This post is concerning converting a Garrison. I have a Garrison 9mm blued that I am having a Kart 38 Super fitted, This is beyond my skill level and I am having it done as well as having a Harrison DLC ring hammer FCG and trigger fitted at the same time. I swapped out the SS for a Wilson BP 9mm stop due to reports of Springfield SSs cracking. This is a high stress part.
Let us know how yours works for you. I am a Super fan over 9mm Luger in a 1911.
Let us know how yours works for you. I am a Super fan over 9mm Luger in a 1911.
Parts to swap back and forth include:
Barrel (and bushing)
Recoil spring
Magazines
going from 9 to 38 super you need to double check the breech face width because a 38 super rim diameter is greater. Some will fit some will not if it doesn’t you can use 38 super comp or 38 TJ brass or widen the breech cut.
The new barrel needs to be fit, although some could drop in… but that would be the exception, and not the rule.
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^^^^^^^^^Exactly What He Said^^^^^^
.38 Super Comp has worked very well in my Tisas 9mm conversion!
![Air gun Trigger Wood Gun barrel Gun accessory]()
.38 Super Comp has worked very well in my Tisas 9mm conversion!
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I've used the same Barsto barrel in both my Springfields, an RO and a Garrison (both 5" guns) with zero issues of any kind. I use the Colt standard of 14lb. recoil springs in both pistols. Colt uses 14lb. recoil springs in both 9mm and .38 Super, so I figure I'm on solid ground with my springs. I DO note that the brand of ammunition DOES make a difference in ejection patterns, though. PMC is loaded very mildly, and the cases just roll out the side of the gun and drop into a neat pile about four feet away. Aguila .38 Super ammo is loaded "hotter" and the cases are ejected with more vigor, but usually end up in a pile about 8 feet out. CorBon is loaded much warmer yet, and will end up about 15 feet away. This goes for my Colt .38 Super pistol as well. I have NOT had to tinker with, or do anything at all, to the ejectors in either pistol
. I did buy two boxes of Armscor .38 Super to try out, but I do NOT recommend it, the primers are soft and cause issues (mostly in my Colt Super) by shearing off a bit of the primer getting it stuck in the firing pin channel, and causing major tear-downs to clean that crap out.
Stay away from Armscor ammo, and have some fun with your switch-barrel rig.
. I did buy two boxes of Armscor .38 Super to try out, but I do NOT recommend it, the primers are soft and cause issues (mostly in my Colt Super) by shearing off a bit of the primer getting it stuck in the firing pin channel, and causing major tear-downs to clean that crap out.
Stay away from Armscor ammo, and have some fun with your switch-barrel rig.
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Was hoping to shoot my Tisas 9mm / .38 Super today, but it was -16 here and my truck wouldn’t start!🤷♂️
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Ugggggg, I don't miss the cold. My disconnector is still catching a touch on the engraved serial # on the rail. More smoothing is in order.
Fill that sucker in with acraglas or jb-weld and THEN smooth it ;-)
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Hey Chance-dg, I finally got my 9mm working with Flat Points and HP’s—it was all magazine related!
Hope you get yours running!
Hope you get yours running!
What did you change/the fault?
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Its the MecGar flush fit mags. The follower is not supported in the front like a lot of mags, and it took so much tension to strip a round off that the follower tilts, and the HP’s and Flat Points would nose dive just enough to hang up. Apipeguy suggested elsewhere to load them up and let them set. They started cycling by hand pretty reliably after setting a couple days. After a week they ran pretty good for me today at the range. I’m still going to get some newer MecGar 10 rndrs with the plastic follower that is guided front and back for HP and Self Defense applications. The Super barrel and mags which are the same style and also MecGar feed everything like water.
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