Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

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Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by Bayan Dundee » 11 Oct 2021, 7:40 am

Hi Guys,

I have a Tangfoglio XL4 in 38 Super for target use, lack of availability of ammo/powder/primers means I have no way of shooting it.

Question is, does anyone know if a 9mm barrel from an XL2 will swap straight in, factory mags with mine are stamped 9mm.

If so, then I will be chasing a replacement barrel, an old shot out one will do fine until ammo supplies return, any suggestion as to where to look, given the shutdown on gun stuff on online buy/sell sites?
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Re: Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by bladeracer » 11 Oct 2021, 4:27 pm

Bayan Dundee wrote:Hi Guys,

I have a Tangfoglio XL4 in 38 Super for target use, lack of availability of ammo/powder/primers means I have no way of shooting it.

Question is, does anyone know if a 9mm barrel from an XL2 will swap straight in, factory mags with mine are stamped 9mm.

If so, then I will be chasing a replacement barrel, an old shot out one will do fine until ammo supplies return, any suggestion as to where to look, given the shutdown on gun stuff on online buy/sell sites?


Anybody in the club got a 9mm one? Best way to know is to swap in a 9mm barrel and see if it works.
Have you tried simply shooting 9mm in your .38 Super chamber already?
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Re: Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by Bayan Dundee » 11 Oct 2021, 4:38 pm

have tried to chamber 9mm in the 38Super barrel but no go due to the taper of the 9mm case, the super is straight. Will ask at the club but not so common
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Re: Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by bladeracer » 11 Oct 2021, 4:45 pm

Bayan Dundee wrote:have tried to chamber 9mm in the 38Super barrel but no go due to the taper of the 9mm case, the super is straight. Will ask at the club but not so common


Weird, I thought it was fairly common to use 9mm in .38 Super.
The taper won't let it headspace, but it's too short for that anyway. As long as it's a controlled-feed that holds the cartridge against the breech face it should shoot just fine. Does it feed 9mm cartridges through the action manually?
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Re: Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by Bayan Dundee » 12 Oct 2021, 6:42 am

bladeracer wrote:
Bayan Dundee wrote:have tried to chamber 9mm in the 38Super barrel but no go due to the taper of the 9mm case, the super is straight. Will ask at the club but not so common


Weird, I thought it was fairly common to use 9mm in .38 Super.
The taper won't let it headspace, but it's too short for that anyway. As long as it's a controlled-feed that holds the cartridge against the breech face it should shoot just fine. Does it feed 9mm cartridges through the action manually?


it will start to chamber but will not lockup as the wider base of the 9mm jams in the chamber, can see the difference in case width at base with them side by side. Headspace wouldn't be a problem if it chambered, I shoot 40 S&W in my 10mm without issue
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Re: Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by gunnnie » 17 Oct 2021, 6:28 pm

I run a Tanfoglio XL4 38SUPER and it won't run 9mm period!
As for a barrel swap, there's a few things to consider. The standard 38Super is actually 38Super Auto which is a semi rimmed case and there will be problems with adequate grip on a rimmed case. You may also need to consider recoil springs as the super runs at higher pressure than the 9mm.
My Tangfo is actually moded to run 38Super Comp which is a rimmed version.
Not sure why you're having issues with ammo for your gun. Brass is readily available as too are primers & also projectiles. Powder may be the the only hiccup though.
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Re: Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by Bayan Dundee » 19 Oct 2021, 11:00 am

gunnnie wrote:I run a Tanfoglio XL4 38SUPER and it won't run 9mm period!
As for a barrel swap, there's a few things to consider. The standard 38Super is actually 38Super Auto which is a semi rimmed case and there will be problems with adequate grip on a rimmed case. You may also need to consider recoil springs as the super runs at higher pressure than the 9mm.
My Tangfo is actually moded to run 38Super Comp which is a rimmed version.
Not sure why you're having issues with ammo for your gun. Brass is readily available as too are primers & also projectiles. Powder may be the the only hiccup though.



the 9mm does seem to grip on the extractor well enough, but without being able to fire it will not be sure if it will actually work.
Up here in NQ, there are no primers, no handgun/shotgun powder at all and no factory ammo. My club is an indoor one, recent workplace health regs around lead levels means that we have to transfer to non-toxic ammo, at present, and as far into the future as anyone can see, only 9mm, 357 mag and 22 will be the available ammo, so will have to change firearms if cannot simply change a barrel.
As for reloading non-toxic, it will be impossible as no one makes non-toxic primers.
Pistol was my old primary producer one, it has only a couple of thousand rounds on it, but it is rusty and rough from being carried in the tropics, so it is basically worth bugger all as a a trade on something else.
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Re: Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by bladeracer » 19 Oct 2021, 11:44 am

Is there factory ammo using non-toxic priming compounds?
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Re: Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by Bayan Dundee » 21 Oct 2021, 4:32 pm

bladeracer wrote:Is there factory ammo using non-toxic priming compounds?


only 9mm, 22, and some, but expensive, 357 mag available as well, nothing for any other calibre and not likely to be any in future as well, so only those 3
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Re: Tangfoglio Barrel Swap

Post by gunnnie » 21 Oct 2021, 7:57 pm

It seems the non-toxic composition primers are basically milspec, ergo not available for the civil market.
Re primer grip, yes the extractor will grip the rim of a 9mm but there will be issues if you're rapid firing.

Anyway, it's there another club nearby? Might be better changing clubs! OR might not be an option eh!
Do you know anyone heading down this way or heading up your way, who could pick up some powder/primers? Where there's a will, there's always a way!
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