The Glock 17 Gen 5 is a popular handgun that is known for its reliability, ease of use, and accuracy.
As one of the most popular firearms in the world, it’s no surprise that many gun enthusiasts choose to own a Glock 17 Gen 5.
However, even the highest-quality firearms can benefit from upgrades and enhancements to improve their performance and accuracy.
Gen 5 Glock 17 with Aimpoint ACRO, Surefire X300, Faxon Gen 5 threaded barrel, and Faxon EXOS Compensator.
Before we begin the discussion of the Faxon Firearms Match Series Barrel and EXOS-553 Compensator we must first discuss the question "Why would you want to put a compensator on your Glock?"
Benefits of Upgrading Your Barrel
Beyond chasing the "cool guy" aesthetic of the "Roland Special" look for your Glock, there is a simple and practical reason for wanting to either port or add a compensator to your pistol, mitigating felt recoil and muzzle rise.
While we know from many experienced shooters that utilizing a proper grip can facilitate the mitigation of recoil, there are many that like to take any and every advantage they can get to reduce felt recoil and muzzle rise for their pistol. What I will also state before we dive into the specifics, is that a compensator, porting, or a Punisher Skull backplate all have one thing in common, they won’t fix poor fundamentals.
If you struggle with the fundamentals when it comes to shooting your pistol, you don’t need a fancy upgrade or a compensated 2011 pistol, you need training and practice. Are full-size pistols, compensated pistols, or steel framed 2011s easier to shoot? No doubt, but they aren’t the magic pill to cure a lack of fundamentals. So before you max out your credit card out on a Walther Q5, Staccato XC, or a Taran Tactical Sand Viper. Ensure you have mastered the fundamentals of pistol shooting before going down the road of porting or adding a compensator to your Glock.
With that being said, let’s dive into the Faxon Firearms Match Barrel and Faxon EXOS Compensator. In this case, the host pistol was a Gen 5 Glock 17. While the outside has been modified with the framework and aggressive slide serrations, the internals are completely stock. The original barrel for this pistol has also been ported, which will allow us to understand the differences between a ported pistol and one that has been fitted with a compensator.
Accuracy
The first aspect we’ll discuss about the Faxon Barrel is accuracy. While I didn’t have a Ransom Rest to get the full potential of either my OEM ported barrel or the Faxon, I did get in a seated position and utilized a sandbag to rest the pistol and shot groups at 10 and 25 yards.
I was thoroughly satisfied with the accuracy I was getting from the Faxon Barrel. It’s interesting to note that the Faxon Barrel has a 1:10 twist rate compared to that of the OEM barrel which has a 1:9.84. Faxon also states that they use conventional rifling in their barrels to allow for a wider range of ammunition to be used, including cast lead.
It’s also worth noting that the Faxon barrel features a 1/2×28 muzzle thread, so if you already own a pistol-caliber suppressor, the Faxon barrel will work with a majority of suppressors currently on the market. During my range time, I utilized four kinds of ammunition, 115-grain Federal FMJ, 124-grain FMJ from Ammo Incorporated, 124-grain JHP Speer Gold Dot, and 124 Grain +P JHP Speer Gold Dot.
After shooting several groups of all the different rounds mentioned, I can say with confidence that the Faxon Barrel was very accurate, and my human deficiencies in the trigger press were the leading cause of any flyers during my range session. There was no change in accuracy between any of these but there was a difference in felt recoil, which leads us to our next subject.
Performance
It’s important to note that due to the higher pressure and energy found in 124-grain, 124-grain +P, and 147-grain, this is where you’ll typically find the biggest difference in felt recoil and muzzle rise. While both my ported barrel and the Faxon shot the 115 grain, there wasn’t a substantial difference in felt recoil or muzzle rise.
I’ve shot multiple compensated pistols and have found that using 124 grain seems to be the sweet spot for activating the compensator and achieving the greatest reduction of felt recoil and muzzle rise. This has also seemed to be the case with my ported barrel.
Granted, I haven’t been able to shoot as many different kinds of 9mm ammo due to the lack of availability and prices we can all thank the recent pandemic for. It’s also worth noting that if you plan on adding a compensator to your pistol, you may have to play around with different recoil spring weights and ammo to ensure your pistol is reliable. I would never recommend carrying a ported or compensated pistol before going to the range and testing it with as much ammo as possible, especially the rounds you’ve selected for personal defense.
At the end of the day, a pistol that you can count on to cycle reliably is the most important and always will be. The last aspect to consider when discussing performance is that by porting your barrel, you’re going to sacrifice muzzle velocity because of the inherent design of barrel porting. If you want to avoid reducing velocity while also mitigating recoil and muzzle rise, a compensator is an excellent choice.
There are no wrong answers when discussing this subject, it’s simply a matter of personal preference.
Installation / Aesthetics
The installation of the Faxon Firearms Barrel and Compensator was simple and straightforward.
It was just a matter of dropping in the barrel, screwing the compensator on, and utilizing the provided set screws with blue Loctite to ensure they stayed in place. There was no need to use any shims to ensure the proper timing of the compensator. Granted, if you plan on using a barrel other than the Faxon, this may not be the case.
It was also nice to see the set screws worked well with the provided 1/16 Allen wrench. Far too often other companies will skimp on screws and may not even provide the correct Allen wrench, this dramatically increases the chances of stripping the screws.
As far as aesthetics go, the barrel and compensator look great on the Glock pistol. The design of the compensator gives it a "flush look" with the beveled Gen 5 slide. While the fluted design of the Faxon Barrel doesn’t offer any distinct advantage in its function, it does add a little flare to your pistol, especially if your slide already has window cuts.
It’s also worth noting that the Faxon Compensator will add length to your pistol. As you can see in the photos, the addition of the Compensator makes this G17 slightly longer than a G34, keep that in mind if you’re wondering about holster compatibility.
Glock 17 Gen 5 Barrel Differences
The Glock 17 Gen 5 features a switch to Glock 19 locking geometry.
While the Gen 4 and Gen 5 19 barrels have different geometries, the Gen 5 barrels do away with the slope at the barrel hood and instead go to the simple right angles that the 17/34 have always had, similar to most G19 Gen 1-4 aftermarket barrels.
Due to the shared locking block, a Gen 5 17 barrel can theoretically be used in a Gen 5 19.
However, it’s important to note that Gen 1-4 17 barrels are not compatible with a Gen 5 17.
Even though Glock improved the Glock 17 Gen 5 OEM barrels to make them more accurate (hence the name “Marksman Barrel"), there is still room for improvement.
Popular Glock 17 Gen 5 Barrel Options | Faxon Firearms
The optimized match barrels from Faxon Firearms have been redesigned to work better and with Gen 5 guns.
These Glock 17 Gen 5 barrels have been redesigned for improved performance and Gen 5 compatibility. A recessed target crown, a new match chamber, and a stylized barrel hood with engravings for caliber and model are some of the new features.
The proprietary broach-cut 1 in 14" left-hand twist rifling was developed to create the most accurate Glock aftermarket barrel available, and testing confirms a significant increase in accuracy over factory barrels in all standard bullet weights.
Manufactured from 416R stainless steel, which is an ideal material for making match-grade barrels because the material allows for the precise cutting of chambers and rifling, which results in a more accurate barrel.
Faxon’s Flame Fluting reduces the weight of the barrel but is more for increasing the rigidity of the barrel, and thus the accuracy.
This design helps to decrease the movement of the muzzle by reducing both the upward and sideward recoil, resulting in improved accuracy from shot to shot.
In Conclusion
All in all, I was impressed with the Faxon Barrel and Compensator in regard to its fit, finish, and performance.
If you’re looking for an accurate barrel and means to mitigate your pistol’s recoil and muzzle rise, Faxon is a great choice. What’s worth reiterating is what I started this discussion with in regard to fundamentals.
If you’re struggling with controlling recoil when shooting your pistol, porting your barrel, or adding a compensator is going to magically fix it all for you. If this applies to you, invest in ammunition and take a class with a well-vetted and reputable instructor. The lessons learned will be far greater than spending your hard-earned money on the next greatest pistol or aftermarket accessory.
However, if you’ve already got the fundamentals mastered, there’s nothing wrong with adding a compensator to your pistol to further mitigate recoil and give you faster follow-up shots.
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