Barra 009 Part 003

A Glock is a Glock…

By Dennis Adler

Whether the name on the slide is Glock, or another manufacturer (there are at least two U.S. companies that produce handguns that look like a Glock), the shape is pretty much the same. And there are guns that resemble Glocks; the point being that building a gun that looks like a Glock is not uncommon, however, building a gun that performs as well as a Glock, well that is a different story. In our particular case it is more than likely that the Barra 009 will perform (in single action mode) exactly the same as the Umarex Glock 17 Gen4 because they share essentially the same internal components.

There’s an old joke about Glocks that has been repeated far too many times (and now applies to far more guns than the original G17), that a Glock looks like the box it came in. Well, at least the Barra 009 comes in a box.

Springfield Armory introduced their Glock-style design in 2002 with the centerfire XD Series, represented here by the current XDM 4.5 CO2 model shown with an Umarex G17 Gen 4. Glock’s lock on the polymer frame design, Safe-Action trigger concept and basic squared up configuration ended almost 20 years ago.

The big difference is the selector switch which when moved to the full auto position rotates a block that prevents the sear for reengaging after the shot is fired. This small modification allows the pistol to continue firing as long as the trigger is pulled back; release it for an instant, as in feathering your shots to get short bursts, and the gun will stop firing. Holding the trigger back until the gun is empty is generally called a magazine dump, is rarely practical; exciting yes, but practical not so much unless you are in very close quarters or deliberately laying down suppressive fire. Either way you end up with an empty magazine pretty quickly, even with an expended capacity 33 round magazine (real Glock in 9mm). In Skyfall, the assassin Patrice started with a drum magazine and kept firing at Bond and Moneypenny until he ran out, which gave him time to attempt an escape. Good stuff for action adventure films and certainly more exposure than a Glock 18 has seen in on film some time. The adventure with the Barra 009 is first to see if it can shoot as well as the G17 Gen4, beginning with semi-auto fire for velocity.

Real Glocks and their design changes are pictured from the Third Generation to the Gen4 and CO2 model which also uses the dual recoil spring.

A closer look at the Gen4 CO2 model shows how accurately the air pistol follows the centerfire design.

Overlooking the change in grip and triggerguard profile, slide serrations and select-fire switch, all making the exterior distinctive, the gun fieldstrips exactly the same and internally the 009’s barrel, dual recoil spring guide rod and slide interface are the same as the Gen4 CO2 model, meaning that it should shoot the same.

Speed through the screens

Today we are only interested in velocity comparisons and the box the 009 comes in states 325 fps, the same as the G17 Gen4. This is a lower velocity than the Umarex Glock G17 Third Generation and Gen5-based G19X models but they have a different firing system and are not capable of being field stripped, so those two sacrifice some authenticity for downrange velocity. The important difference is that both the Third Generation G17 based CO2 model and the G19X can shoot accurately out to 10 yards and a little beyond which is advantageous for training. The Gen4 is not quite as accurate pushed beyond 21 feet and I suspect the same will be true of the 009.

The fit and finish of the Barra is equal to any of the other blowback action Glock-style CO2 models, with the exception of the desert tan G19X. The Third Generation G17 CO2 model approximated the Tenifer treated dark black finish that had a slight gloss, while the Gen4 uses the later matte (Parkerized-look) finish over a Melonite treated slide. The Umarex Gen4 approximates that look and this is the same finish used on 009.

The Umarex Glock 19X (the highest performer of the CO2 Glock series) has delivered an average velocity of 376 fps with the highest velocity right around 380 fps; 20 fps over the factory rated 360 fps. The next highest speed clocked using Umarex Precision steel BBs was 379 fps, followed by 377 fps, 376 fps four times out of 10, and a low of 372 fps, which soundly beat any other new model from 2019 because more of the energy from the CO2 is directed into firing the BB and driving the slide back a shorter distance. Also, the resistance of the recoil spring on the Third Gen G17 and G19X is almost nil compared to the dual recoil spring design for the Gen4 CO2 model. Using a more authentic design the Gen4 delivered a slightly under spec average of 317 fps (a high of 319 fps, low of 316 fps, and a standard deviation of 2 fps for 10 rounds) using .177 caliber Umarex Precision steel BBs, so that is the mark the 009 has to beat.

With a fresh CO2, the Barra 009 firing 18 steel BBs delivered an average velocity of 317 fps with a high of 321 fps, a low of 316 fps, and a standard deviation of only 2 fps. Technically, it did better than the G17 Gen4.

As a last thought for today’s velocity tests, I did not have a target on the baffle box but it was a new box that hadn’t been used. All 18 rounds from 21 feet hit the box within 2.25 inches with the majority at 1.25 inches. The 009 looks very promising.