Glock 19 Review

The best all-round 9mm Pistol you can own is the Glock 19. In my opinion, It is the most versatile handgun. The reason I say this is because The size is large enough to make it a suitable service pistol, duty gun, and home defense use, yet it is also small enough to be used for concealed carry or a high capacity backup. It is just a half inch longer than the Glock 26 subcompact, and is light weight. It feels good in the hand, is very accurate, and provides a lot of fire power in a small package. I really like my Glock 19.

Glock 19 9mm Pistol
Glock 19 9mm Pistol

The standard Glock 19 magazine capacity is 15 rounds. As is the case with all same cailber Glocks there is magazine interchangeability. It can use the other Glock 17 round, and Glock 33 round magazines.

Glock 19 Concealed Carry – The Glock 19 is 6.85 inches long, just a half inch longer than the Glock 26. For a size comparison It even fits in the same Glock 26 holsters. Carry the Glock 19 as a primary hand gun and the Glock 26 as a backup. Keep a couple 15 round magazines and you have a formidable and virtually failsafe concealed carry system. Or just carry the Glock 19 and a 15 round magazine. 30 rounds is probably more than you will ever need. The size and magazine capacity make the Glock 19 an excellent concealed carry pistol.

Glock 19 Accuracy – I shot My Glock 19 along with 3 other 9mm pistols, an FNP-9, a Beretta PX4 Storm, and my Glock 26. The Glock 19 is as accurate as any and fun to shoot. I typically shoot six inch groups at 15 yards and the G19 can do much better than that.

Glock 19 Accuracy at 15 yards
Glock 19 Accuracy 6 inch outside Circle at 15 yards

Here are a couple targets I shot at 15 yards with my Glock 19 Generation 3 using cheap ammo. The Glock 19 is capable of putting all the rounds in the two inch circle at 15 yards.

Glock 19 Accuracy
Glock 19 Accuracy at 15 Yards 6 inch Outside Circle
Glock 19 in the Hand
Glock 19 has a good feel in the Hand

Glock 19 Price – My Glock 19 Gen 3 cost me $549.00 in 2010. I buy a lot of my guns from them because they provide great service, have a large selection of guns, and their prices are good. I also buy from Buds Gun Shop online when their Glock 19 prices are too good to pass up. Buds had the Glock 19 pricing set at $499.00 and that includes shipping to your FFL. You can also find Glock 19 prices on Gunbroker.com for as low as $499.00 but that doesn’t include shipping.

Glock 19 Gen 4

I prefer the Glock 19 Gen 3 because my other Glocks are Gen 3. Having all the same generation means that a lot of parts are interchangeable. The Glock 19 Gen 4 also costs about $50.00 more than the Gen 3 Glocks. The Glock 19 Gen 4 has adjustable back straps which is a nice feature. It has the RTF, rough textured frame, which is slightly rougher than the Gen 3 Glocks. The Gen 4 uses a compound recoil spring which is larger diameter and therefore the hole in the slide is larger to accommodate. There are a few other differences but I now have 5 Glock firearms and they are all Gen 3 Glocks. The trigger parts on the 9mm Glocks are all interchangeable and some of the .45 caliber trigger parts interchange. That would not be the case if I had mixed Gen 3 and Gen 4 models. The Glock Generation 4 have some differences that include the RTF, rough textured frame. This is a more aggressive pattern on the frame to enhance grip. Some Gen 4 Glock owners have complained that the RTF is not so good for IWB carry because the rough texture rubs the skin. I am happy with the Gen 3 texture. Another difference is the recoil spring. The Glock 19 recoil spring in the Gen 3 is full length and in the Glock 19 Gen 4 models the recoil spring is compound like the subcompact Glocks. The Glock 19 Gen 4 has replaceable back strap that allows some fitting of the grip for comfort. I haven’t tried the different back straps yet but it might be an advantage as none of my Glocks have a perfect grip feel.

Glock 19 VS 17

Compare the Glock 19 to the Glock 17 and there isn’t much difference. The Glock model 17 is larger, has a larger grip, has a longer barrel. The 17 wouldn’t make as good a concealed carry pistol but is an excellent duty pistol, service pistol, and for home defense. The Glock 17 has two rounds more magazine capacity but that doesn’t really matter because you can plug the 17 round magazine into the Glock 19 if you need to or want to. The Glock 19 accuracy is as good as the Glock 17 and for me I think a little better. I own the Glock 17 and Glock 19. The size of the Glock model 19 makes it a better all around pistol in my opinion. It has a better feel to me, better balance,  and I prefer it over the Glock 17.

Glock 19 VS Glock 17 and Glock 26
Glock 19 VS Glock 17 and Glock 26

Glock 19 VS 26 – The Glock G19 is slightly longer than the G26 and the Glock 26 uses a 10 round magazine as standard. The G26 has a shorter grip which lets the pinky finger curl under the grip and takes some getting used to. I added a grip extension which remedies the pinky problem, and increases magazine capacity to 11 rounds. But now it has the problem of finger pinch when firing if you aren’t careful of finger placement. And in the end, maybe a Glock 19 is want you really want.

Glock 19 VS 23 – The Glock 23 is the exact same size as the G19, in fact you can place a G23 slide assembly on a G19 and it will interchange. The main difference is recoil. The polymer frame Glock is a light pistol so the lack of weight absorbs less of the recoil.  The SW .40 caliber has considerable more snap than the 9mm. I have never fired the SW.40 but I do shoot the Glock 21SF in .45ACP and you can definitely feel the difference.  The Glock 19 carries 15 rounds compared to the Glock 23 with 13 rounds. As far as accuracy is concerned they are about the same once you can get a grip on the snappy difference in recoil. Many who have a CCW prefer the Glock 19 over the Glock 23 for this reason, more rounds, less recoil.

 

Glock 19 Sight Picture

Glock 19 Sights – The factory Glock sights suit me fine. I have tried other sights, night sights, big dot sights, and I now prefer the standard Glock sights. They are simple, easy to acquire the target, and are bright white which helps my old eyes to see them. Glock Sights – The Glock uses a variation of the 3 dot sight system. It is quick to acquire the target and easy to get a good sight picture.

Glock 19 Upgrades – As far as upgrades are concerned, I like the Glock extended slide release. I put that on all my Glocks. The standard lever is actually a slide stop and not a slide release. I like the Glock extended slide release that allows me to actually release the slide. Another upgrade I tried is the 4.5 pound connector. Tried it but didn’t like it. I have a bad habit of riding my finger on the trigger after I start shooting and the lower force trigger pull causes me to bump fire at times. I prefer the feel of the standard 5.5 pound connector and I believe it is safer that way. I switched all my Glocks back to the standard 5.5 pound connector. I’m thinking about installing a Scherer slug plug to fill that hole in the butt of the G19 grip. I put one in my Glock 26 and like it. It gives a smooth feel and a finished look to the pistol.

Glock 19 Magazines – The standard Glock 19 magazine capacity is 15 rounds. A nice feature about Glocks is that they can use all the larger capacity magazines in that caliber. The Glock 19 can use the 15 round, 17 round, and the 33 round magazines.

Glock 19 Holsters – I purchased a Galco Summer Comfort IWB holster for the Glock 26. It is very well made and is a beautiful looking holster. I tried the IWB carry and don’t really care for it. The Glock 19 fits it like a glove and the barrel is just a half inch longer. I’m looking for something as nice as the Summer Comfort but worn outside.

The GLOCK 19 is the ideal 9mm for  for service us, home defense, and it is suitable for concealed carry or for backup.

Glock 19 Safe Action Trigger Release
Glock 19 Safe Action Trigger Release

The Glock 19 Safety – The GLOCK “Safe Action” pistol employs three innovative safety features which prevent the gun from firing yet it also makes the pistol easy to operate. With finger off the trigger the three safeties are on. With the finger on the trigger the safeties are off and the gun will fire. There are some who prefer an external safety. Did you know that Glock actually provides an external safety on some special orders. There are some law enforcement agencies that have Glocks with factory installed external safety. The safety looks similar to a 1911 thumb safety.

Specifications – Glock 19 Specs include the following:

  • CALIBER – 9×19
  • Glock 19 WEIGHT – 20.99 oz.
  • LOADED – 29.98 oz.
  • Glock 19 LENGTH – 6.85 in.
  • HEIGHT – 5.00 in.
  • Glock 19 MAG. CAPACITY Standard: 15 – OPTIONAL17, 19, 33
  • Glock 19 WIDTH -1.18 in.
  • BARREL HEIGHT – 1.26 in.
  • TRIGGER PULL – 5.5 lbs.
  • TRIGGER TRAVEL – 0.5 in.
  • LINE OF SIGHT – 6.02 in.
  • Glock 19 BARREL LENGTH – 4.02 in.

How much can you shoot your Glock 19? That was a question I saw asked on a forum once. I read a comment by a Glock Rep. that mentioned that Glock doesn’t consider the pistol broken in until after 20,000 rounds. heheheh, Do I have the decimal point in the wrong place? Well the point is, shoot your Glock and don’t worry about it. The Glock pistol is the original point and shoot pistol, and is elegant in it’s simplicity.

Use copper jacket bullets, do not use lead bullets. Lead will close up the barrel diameter and cause an increase in pressure. Prolonged use of lead ammunition can cause failure. I use copper coated ammo and also use a copper cleaner when I clean my pistols.

Glock 19 Field Stripped. Taking the Glock down for cleaning  is quick and easy.

Glock 19 Field Stripped
Glock 19 Field Stripped, Frame, Slide, Recoil Spring, Barrel

I like the Glock 19. It is just the perfect size, has good magazine capacity, is very accurate, more accurate than I can shoot, and being a Glock it is reliable. The only thing it is not is beautiful. Glocks are just not pretty but they are everything else you want for personal defense. Reliable, versatile, reliable, easy to maintain, and did I mention that they are reliable.

It is the pistol used by more law enforcement, special units, security services, and the military than any other 9mm pistol.

Check Price and Availability of the Glock 19

Here is a Glock 19 Review by Hickok 45. If you haven’t watched Hickok45 before then you are in for a treat. He is a Glock advocate but shoots all kinds of pistols. Watch as he shoots at and hits targets from 7 yards to 80 yards away with ease. How does he do it?

Related Posts:
Glock 17 Review
Glock 26 Baby Glock
Extension Pinch
Glock 21 Review
Glock 30 Review
Glock Cleaning
External Safety

16 thoughts on “Glock 19 Review”

  1. A couple things to watch. First look at the front sight. Focus on the front sight not the rear sight. Second push the trigger gradually with the finger. The trigger movement should be slow and continuous while keeping the front sight on the target. Pulling or jerking the trigger is a common cause of low left shot placement. Then there is flinching which is an involuntary jerk in anticipation of the recoil.

    It is also possible that the gun sights are off. Have someone else shoot the gun. Preferably someone who is experienced. Maybe have a couple other people shoot it to seeif it shoots low and left. But I would bet that it is caused by incorrect trigger movement. I have the same problem. Some guns are more probe to this than others. Depends on how smooth the trigger action is.

  2. Just purchased a G-19 and put 60 rounds through with no problems. Seems like I am shooting to the left and slightly down. Any suggestion as to why?

  3. To be honest, I haven’t shot my Glock 19 in well over a year. When I was shooting it, I didn’t experience the ejection problem you described. However, a little research shows that there has indeed been an issue with some Glocks ejecting back at 6 o’clock and into the face. It looks like not all Glocks have the problem. For those that do, the fix seems to be a new 30274 ejector. I believe this is a Gen 4 part. I found it available as part of the Gen 4 trigger assy at Brownells and at MidwayUSA. The Gen 4 trigger assy will not fit the Gen 3 but I think the extractor part can be removed from the Gen 4 assy and installed on your Gen 3 assy. I’m going to do more research on this topic. It may take me a few days. If you learn any more about it, please let me know. Thanks for your comment, it led me to some important issues.

  4. I have read in reviews and comments concerning the Glock 19 Gen 3 that the ejection is inconsistent. The casing at times hit the shooter in the face and other times dribbled to the ground. This problem was reported as corrected in the Gen 4. Any comment would be appreciated.
    Thank You
    Frank Vaccaro

  5. I agree completely. I own both the G19 and the baby Glock G26. I have never had a problem with slide bite with the Glock 26 but have had finger pinch with a magazine extension on the G26.

  6. Here is a perfect example of function over style. The Glock 19 is the most popular handgun in the world.

  7. When I did my research for my first auto loader, it didn’t take long until everything else but Glock was crossed off my list. It actually come down to the 19 or the 26(9mm for ammo availability/cost, limited recoil and rapid follow up shots). The 26 grip just didn’t have enough mass to feel completely comfortable. I was also concerned with slide bite. So… the 19 it was. I couldn’t be happier with it. Accurate, light, easy to clean/maintain/dissasemble, reliable… Overall, sensibly simplistic. Many of the internal components have more than one function- that’s why Glocks have about half the moving parts as a comparable alternative(except those alternatives that try to copy Glocks, without success, I should say). I completely agree that the Glock 19 is the best all-around pistol you can buy at a truly affordable price.

  8. I whole heatedly agree on the Glock 19. It is everything you want in a carry or service weapon. The only thing it is not is pretty.

  9. For years couldn’t stand the ugly things. However, it’s no fun to carry a concealed Colt Commander, so I decided to get a Glock 19 Gen 3. The Gen 4 to me was a mistake, and they tried to improve something that didn’t need improvement and messed it up. Okay, got a 19 Gen 3, and I absolutely love it, trust it, and most importantly I’m extremely confident in it. Which I believe no matter if it’s a Browning High Power, or high dollar sig sauer, kimber, you name it. The most important to me is being absolutely confident in what you carry. And, with the Glock 19 I am. Sorry I remained so bull headed over what turned out to be a very nice , effective, trust worthy weapon. Ugly as all get out. But, would bet my life on it. Trust it if heaven forbid I ever have to use it in that fashion. The fact still remains. I like mine, and it’s a keeper with the rest I own.

  10. I like the Galco Summer comfort IWB holster for my Glock 26. It can also work for the G19. I also like some of the Desantis holsters. Check the Desantis mini-Scabbard OWB holster. I use the Desantis with my Glock, Beretta Nano, my S&W 3913NL, and S&W CS9. I haven’t been able to find a holster for my S&W CS45 yet. As for ammo, I started shooting handguns at the beginning of 2010. I started with a Glock 17 and shot the cheapest ammo I could buy. Since then I moved to shooting brass case ammo only, see my post about cheap ammo. I like American Eagle and feel it provides a quality product at reasonable price. I am not a great shot. For accuracy, I am content with 6 inch groups at 15 yds so I don’t buy expensive ammo. However, the prices recently started to increase. I was paying $210 to $225 per 1000 rounds. The last purchase of 124 grain 9mm American Eagle was $250/1000. This caused me to start reloading my own. I can reload a decent quality 124 gr 9mm round for about $150/1000 to save about $100 per thousand.

    For self defense I purchase quality commercial ammo.

  11. What type of holster do you perfer to use with your Glock. Also what type Of ammo would you suggest to use for target shooting. Thanks

  12. The magazine actually holds 15 rounds. Carry one in the chamber and you have 15 + 1 for 16 rounds. Thanks for visiting.

  13. I’m new to shooting and am very interested in the Glock 19. When you say the magazine holds 15 rounds, does that mean 15 in the magazine and one in the chamber or 14 in the mag and one in the chamber. Thanks.

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